I’ve always believed the very best brand campaigns provoke an emotional response, while communicating a clear and authentic message. As an industry, I’m not sure why we now think “being brave” is something to aspire for, when it used to just be the status quo.
With that in mind, I really liked the recent work by ad agency, CPB London, helping to raise awareness around gender bias on International Women’s Day. By using short and sharp copy, the campaign unpicks our subconscious gender biases and forces us to think. It’s clear, thought-provoking work that sticks with you.
What branding and marketing trends do you see coming to the forefront in the next 12 months?
While it’s still buggy, difficult to use, bad for the planet and a feeding ground for hackers, blockchain technology has opened up a tonne of new opportunities. While there is still a lot of hype and buzz around things like NFTs and the metaverse, all of these are just signs that we are moving towards a world of digital ownership and I think we’ll start to see more and more interesting applications of this coming to life in things like music, film, gaming and art.
Outside of the metaverse, the last couple of years has shown us all that we also all need human contact. I expect we’ll see a strong resurgence in brands creating ways to bring people together at events and physical experiences.
The workload like this whatsapp number list allows both the vendor and the affiliate to focus on. Clicks are the number of clicks coming to your website’s URL from organic search results.
What’s next for Notepad?
When I started writing the business plan for Notepad I made a list of everything that is wrong with our industry, and then tried to find a way to fix it. While we’re by no means perfect and we still have a long way to go, our current big focus is switching from a Limited company to a B Corporation – meaning we’ll focus on a triple bottom line and legally have to show how we’re balancing profit with people and the planet.
I know that probably sounds quite high and mighty but it shouldn’t. I’ve always thought of businesses as vehicles for change, and as an industry which is paid to think and act creatively, we’re well-placed to show the world what great businesses should look like.
What trends do you predict will shape advertising this year?
The move to contextual targeting, due to the demise of third-party cookies, will be the most significant trend for brands and advertisers. The necessity for this is now well understood in the industry, so I imagine the conversation will shift to the specific ways in which this can be harnessed to ensure advertising is relevant and impactful, and for brands to get the maximum ROI on their campaigns.
Research has already shown that people prefer and respond far better to advertising that’s relevant to the environment in which it’s viewed, rather than that served by behavioural targeting, so I think this focus on user experience and gaining maximum attention will be a cornerstone in shaping the future of digital advertising.
The move to contextual targeting, due to the demise of third-party cookies, will be the most significant trend for brands and advertisers [in 2022]”