In the first feature of our Beyond 2020 series we ask some of New Zealand’s leading marketing minds where they think the industry is headed, and what the future of marketing communications looks like.
Brodie Reid, Director of Marketing at Tourism New Zealand
I’m still trying to understand what’s happening in 2020, so I’ll leave the crystal ball gazing up to the team at NZ Marketing. Just remember, your consumers will love you if you make something that makes them laugh, cry or think, and if you can do that, the likelihood is that they’ll buy into your brand/ product because of it.
Annemarie Browne, Chief Marketing Officer at Lotto NZ
As audiences get smarter about filtering out annoying and intrusive communications, the challenge is to give them something they want to receive. Marketing communications has to become a value exchange. Let’s give our audiences communications they don’t want to skip at the first opportunity, emails they don’t want to unsubscribe from, content that doesn’t make them want to pay a premium to filter it out.
Marketing communications and the content it lives within need to come closer together to ensure audiences find value in the contribution of brands. We need to ensure brands add value to people’s lives and are welcomed in because of it, not get in the way of people enjoying the content they want to enjoy.
Astrud Burgess, Head of Data and Marketing at ANZ
Bringing brand and experience closer together. This will mean the brand platforms are brought into the business at a high level so it’s understood by the whole organisation, and provides motivation and focus. This drives experiences, not just comms. Finally, create great content and make sure it is placed where people are.
Adrian Green, Head of Consumer and Business Insights, Digital Marketing and Merchandising at McDonald’s
Well, the good news is that I don’t think the fundamentals will change significantly. Humans haven’t changed that radically, after all. But, how we get meaningful content to the right customer will continue to evolve rapidly. I think the major thing we need to get to grips with as an industry is the ownership of that critical insight behind why consumers do what they do will rest with the consumer, rather than us.
Jo Mitchell, Marketing Director at DB Breweries Ltd
The future of marketing communication is probably two fold. Firstly, a need for bigger bolder campaigns that get noticed and generate relevance and meaningfulness for brands. And secondly, being more targeted in media planning. Where and how you reach your audience is only becoming tougher, being smarter with insights and data will be crucial.
Ben Wheeler, Chief Brand and Insights Officer at 2degrees NZ
A lot of what has historically made for great marketing comms will continue to be hugely important – engaging creative, good story telling, leveraging distinctive brand assets etc but the delivery continues to get more complex.
The first media plan I ever produced as a marketer utilised Radio, Traditional TV, Static Billboard and a newspaper ad. All of these channels are still really important pending on strategy but the mission to reach consumers, the huge number of channels available to do so now and the need for channel specific creative throws up some real challenges and often requires different thinking.
A good example is 2nd Chance Charlie. This was a TV show ourselves, TBWA and MediaWorks developed to showcase our Sponsorship of Super Rugby. A really different approach to sponsorship leverage but one that worked really well.
Julie Chapman, CEO at KidsCan Charitable Trust
The future of marketing communication is becoming even more people-centric and more sophisticated with our targeting. We want to continue to engage with our supporters in a way that is meaningful and relevant for them, and their relationship with our organisation.
The heart of all marketing needs to be authentic storytelling – that’s how we connect with our audiences and inspire them to take action.
Rachel Ellerm, National Marketing Manager at Lion New Zealand
I don’t think it will change dramatically – as long as we continue to champion both great storytelling and getting in front of New Zealanders where they are consuming media.
Read more: The Future of Marketing
