The event season (now in full flow) brings a great opportunity to discover the advertising industry’s hot topics. This month’s Advertising Week Europe, the capital of advertising discussions across London, offered a great opportunity for advertisers to hear the industry trends of tomorrow,  and learn how to stay ahead of the curve. But, if you didn’t manage to attend AdWeek have no fear, I am here to tell you all you need to know on what the advertising industry is gearing up for this year.

Authenticity in advertising

 One of the most important takeaways from Advertising Week was  that, when it comes to a successful advertising campaign, authenticity is key. The morning of AdWeek Kasey, Julia and I  attended the legendary  Ronnie Scotts in London’s Soho for an exclusive VIP breakfast to discuss the psychology behind advertising. It was incredibly  eye opening. Consumers now have more power – and are less trusting –  than ever before. The crux of the issue is that if the consumer doesn’t see authenticity behind a campaign they won’t feel emotionally connected to it (and won’t buy into it). 

Advertising is in the midst of a renaissance period and is returning as a true art  form. There is so much that needs to go into creating a successful campaign. But one aspect of success is your branding. If you can demonstrate that your brand is authentic and get audiences to believe in you, that’s the hardest part done. 

It's all about resonating with the audience and having credibility in what you are doing as a brand. For example, if you’re a fast fashion company preaching about sustainability, that won’t sit well with consumers. It’s all about finding the right balance between understanding what the consumer wants and who what  brand actually is. Once you find that balance, authenticity will follow.

Placing your bets on CTV

The acronym of the moment is  CTV. Since the pandemic, people have been increasingly turning to their Connected TVs for entertainment and advertisers are taking notice. After a croissant and a coffee at Ronnie Scott’s we made our way to the Unruly Lounge to learn more.

Connected TV advertising is a growing industry, and AdWeek most certainly proved that. The key to CTV ads is that they are more effective than traditional television adverts. Connected TV advertising allows advertisers to target a specific audience with laser precision. This is done through programmatic ad buying, which uses data to target ads to specific viewers. This data includes demographics, interests, and even viewing habits.

In some cases, advertisers use innovative technology  to change the creative of an advertisement depending on the viewer- taking  targeted ads to a whole new level. With developments such as this, it’s no surprise that so many advertisers are hopping on the CTV bandwagon. And it’s certainly one to get behind if you want to get ahead of the advertising curve. Would you place your bets on CTV? 

Going Green

With sustainability being so prominent in today's political climate, it’s important to understand the power advertising holds in encouraging industries and consumers to be more sustainable. As consumer behaviour changes and evolves , so does the way we advertise. In a time where buying habits are constantly changing, and "going green" is becoming mainstream, it's important for advertisements to reflect these values. It’s  very important to have sustainability as such an integral part of  Advertising Week, and to also see so many advertisers interested in talks around sustainability… but where do we go from here? 

As sustainability becomes increasingly important to consumers, companies are starting to use sustainability as a marketing strategy. By appealing to consumers' desire for sustainable products, companies are able to increase sales and brand loyalty. Additionally, by investing in sustainable practices, companies are able to reduce their environmental impact and improve their public image. It’s a win win!

However, it was noted that in some instances lines are being crossed. Greenwashing has become a major issue in advertising where brands have been campaigning for a more sustainable future but not actually practising what they preach. Especially from the likes of the food and fashion industry, who are the two largest contributors to global emissions. It all links back to this idea of authenticity. It’s all well and good understanding that there are issues within the industry but unless you are acting upon them, you shouldn’t be preaching at all. Going back to my earlier point; authenticity!

The two C’s: Context and Creativity

Though it may be obvious, the final takeaway of importance from AdWeek was the two C’s- Context and Creativity. If you want to unleash your creative potential as an advertiser, you need to understand the power of context. Context refers to the environment in which something is experienced. It can include things like the time of day, where someone is physically located, what mood they're in, and what's going on around them. All of these factors can influence how someone perceives and responds to an advertisement.

At AdWeek, a huge point of discussion was understanding what your audiences may be feeling and what they would want to be seeing. It’s about understanding where your audiences are. If you’re appealing to a businessman for example, you’re appealing to the person themselves rather than the role they are working in. You don’t have to be serious to be taken seriously, it’s about connecting with audiences emotionally to influence a reaction from them. Content needs to help business makers in putting their thoughts towards something more positive, humour and creativity can help make this transition. 

With my first AdWeek Europe experience and for one of the days, so much information was shared and it was a great opportunity to hear where the advertising industry is at right now and where it is aiming to go. It’s inspiring to see that the themes that came out of the content focused on so many positive things. Being authentic and genuine, understanding consumers, sustainability, tapping into creativity. What a great time to be part of this industry. Looking forward to our next big event in the UK, MAD//fest!

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