it’s 2019 & your brand - engage customer · it’s 2019 & your brand needs to think like...

It’s 2019 & Your Brand Needs To Think Like A

Media CompanySocial Media Week, London 2019

James Lamon, Head of Content BuzzFeed UK

David Bowie Frida Kahlo Shia LaBeouf Dame Judy Dench

Who said: “Anything that moves you is art”

In 2015, Shia Labeouf created a video with Central St Martins Fine Art Students that became a meme.

Shia performed 36 distinct bits. But only one bit went viral — a 1 minute clip by student Joshua Parker.

Source: The Art Student Behind Shia’s DO IT!!! https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/24996/1/the-art-student-behind-shia-s-do-it

SPICY MEME SAVOURY RESULTS

We can learn from this.

● The purpose was to maximize the

engagement of the audience, not

to deliver a specific message.

● The strategy was multivariate, not a

single big bet.

What impact did the meme have?

Memes > Nike

How do we apply this to social today?

Social Media in 2019

TRUTH JOY

67%Active social media users in the UK

Social media is super duper big.

110 MinsAverage time spent per user each day

88,000,000Total hours of time spent on social each day

in the UK

Source: WeAreSocial Digital 2019 Report. https://wearesocial.com/uk/digital-in-the-uk

Social media is all video now.

12xThe increase in shares on social video posts

vs images and/or text posts.

77%Of consumers say they were convinced to

buy a product by watching a video online.

77.3 minsMinutes spent per day watching digital video

in the UK.

Source: WeAreSocial Digital 2019 Report. https://smallbiztrends.com/2016/10/video-marketing-statistics.html

Social media is interactive.

Social media is fragmented.Friends

Influencers

Celebs

Media

companies

Topics of

Interest

Relatives

Brands

SOURCES OF CONTENT IN MY FEED*

*the size of these circles is entirely arbitrary

Colleagues

Social media is deeply personal.

So what?

Q: What does it mean for your content to be “audience-first?”

A: Your content addresses the personal, individual needs of a

real human person.

TRUSTThis brand values my time. My time spent with them is

meaningful. They offer things for me.

The Connection Spectrum

On social, a product-first message will not win.

WHY?

It’s competing with far more relevant content.

My guilty-pleasures, my favs, my BFFs, and the media & influencers willing to do anything for eyeballs.

POTENTIAL

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POTENTIAL

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TASTY PRODUCTS!

THE FUTURE

Brick & Mortar = Clicks & Mortar

● More buying shifts online, death of the high street

● More time is spent online and on mobile

● More traditional linear entertainment is consumed on digital (live sports, live events, TV shows, etc)

Social = Marketing

● Your social media strategy subsumes your advertising strategy

● Your social media strategy becomes your entire marketing strategy

Social expands enterprise features

● Social platforms invest in better self-service targeting, surveying, marketing tools

● Social platforms invest in e-commerce, lower funnel tools, driving sales

● Social media becomes a full funnel tool

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Brand:

Advertising

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Content

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Media Brands:

Content

Carwow is on the list of top auto YouTube channels in the world.

Social Blade: top auto publishers: https://socialblade.com/youtube/top/category/autos

By 2023, they are projected to eclipse TopGear to be the #1 auto publisher on YouTube.

Social Blade: YouTube comparison: .https://socialblade.com/youtube/compare/topgear/carwow

How Do I Steal My Unfair Share?

Social media is fragmented.

You have access.

Friends

Influencers

Celebs

Media

companies

Topics of

Interest

Relatives

Brands

SOURCES OF CONTENT IN MY FEED*

*the size of these circles is entirely arbitrary

Colleagues

Social media is interactive.

You have audience research baked in.

Social media is deeply personal.

Go audience-first.

Ask yourself what people are watching, and why, and where your brand fits.

SPICY MEME SAVOURY RESULTS

We can learn from this.

● The purpose was to maximize the

engagement of the audience, not

to deliver a specific message.

● The strategy was to try many things,

to test & learn, instead of one bet.

● And this is how a media company

thinks.

James Lamon

Head of Content, BuzzFeed UK

james.lamon@buzzfeed.com