People trust people not brands

Storytelling is a buzzword this year at the Advertising Week Europe. Video consumption on Facebook increased with 150% over the last year according to Amy Cole, Head of Brand Development at Instagram. She leads the discussion “in the moment storytelling” with Tony Davidson, Executive Creative Director at Wieden + Kennedy, Leila Thabet, Global Director of content and Engagement, ASOS and Adam Bracegirdle, Creative Director at VICE. They discuss how brands can use live streaming. Adam Bracegirdle explains how “live content gives the possibility for brands to be authentic”. Furthermore, as a brand there is potential in understanding that you can go “live” when you can’t get the content elsewhere.

Authenticity is another word that has been repeated by different people over the last days. It is important for brands to stay authentic, since brands communicate to people. It is important to remember that people are not rational. Therefore, brands need to have a consistent story and identity in a time where there are so many different channels and ways in which brands can communicate. Additionally, knowledge is power, so be strategic in the way brands use platforms such as live streaming. Because by targeting the right audience in a unique way can create great brand success. A success which can only be made if the content and context is right.

When it comes to the creation of effective content, it is important to keep in mind that people trust people not brands. Therefore, understand the content is king. Build brand content on trust and most importantly authenticity. There are a thousand ways of creating content, but the most important element is by understanding the target audience. Today focusing on the attitude of the audience instead of the demographic is important, since: excitement, surprising and engagement can lead to campaign success, as the event “telling stories across screens” is pointing out containing: Matt Cory, Commercial Director of Spark Solutions at The Telegraph, Jane Eisenstein, Managing Director at Videology, Claudia de Wolff, Director, creative Content and Programming at Vevo, Simon London, Head of Video at Shortlist and Michael Vromans, Creative Director at DPDK. Furthermore, to create content which resonates with the audience by understanding and using behavior economic is important to acknowledge as Sue Unerman, Chief Transformation Officer at Mediacom. She reminded us during the event “The Future of Content, circulation and classy trainers”, which she discussed along with Nigel Clarkson, MD and Commercial Director, Yahoo UK, Nicholas Petcho, Editor in Chief at Yahoo Uk and Louise Rumball, Founder of Chapter Three. Additionally, “Understand what your brand stands for from the consumers’ perspective” as Jonathan M. Perelman, Head, Digital at ICM Partners states in the session “Fans come first in entertainment marketing”. This is important since this perspective can change the brand strategy and targeting the right audience to create a successful brand.

Build Trust with Micro Influencers

Trust is key to brand success, since brands communicate to humans. Trust is easier build with an authentic message. Therefore, micro influencers can increase brand trust. Micro influencers are influencers who have between 3.000-100.000 followers on their social media platform. Especially for brands wanting to use Instagram, micro influencers can be interesting to use. These micro influencers can talk positive about your brand, which can build trust for your brand as Jules Lund, founder of Tribe describes in is session “Influencer Generated Content: How to unlock the World’s Creativity”. Lund states “you (brands) want a local voice” and further argue that the three main elements which user generated content creates made by micro influencers are:

1. Authenticity

2. Engagement

3. Content

Lund has stated that people are 20% more likely to “pay more for brands we like than brands we do not like”. Good content in a good context can resonate in brand trust and brand interest. It can furthermore create brand identity. Today it can be argued that everybody is a creator, since everybody can take a picture and upload it to Instagram or make a video and upload it. This gives new possibilities for brands if they build a good strategy around their brand personality and create one clear brand purpose, which resonates in different platforms as Tony Davidson from Widen + Kennedy explains. Using influencers can hereby be a way for brands to build trust and to stay authentic, since people trust people not brands. Therefore, the possibility for brands today is to see the opportunity of creating content which resonates with their audience.

A great takeoff, from the Advertising Week so far, has been for brands to think of a long-term strategy from where content can be build, which resonates with the brand. A great brand example is RedBull who has built their brand story around extreme sports over the last decade. Therefore, the message where brands are telling a story and naturally connect with emotions can create greater brand success. Content can be well created but remember: “do it if it is relevant; people are the most important, do not force the content – built real content” as the event “in the moment storytelling” concludes. Additionally, remember humans can easily see if the content brands produce resonates with their product and services. Therefore understand the value of content and how to use it to engage and build brand stories with a strategical approach that can lead to brand success.