User-Generated Creativity
As we near the closing of 2020, a year that encouraged industries to reinvent their targeting and how they engage with their audiences, it behooves us in the communication field to look back at the year and identify the trends that took precedence and that will probably proceed to influence the medium in 2021 and beyond.
During a phase when no one was capable of predicting the next best thing, marketers found themselves in a quandary, incapable of identifying or creating a market for themselves. With 42 per cent of people around the world spending an increased amount of time on social media, brands turned their attention to user-generated content (UGC), effectively handing over the reins to their key stakeholders who were getting creative within the confines of their homes with home décor, kitchen experiments and virtual games to maintain positivity through the isolation period.
UGC during the pandemic granted brands the opportunity to identify and take advantage of prevailing trends, keeping them up to date with evolving consumer needs without the need to allocate large budgets for promotional material.
GAME CHANGER
GAME CHANGERSell, Sell, Sold on Snapchat
Snapchat has announced a new partnership with Levi’s, launching the Levi’s x Bitmoji Collection, which will enable users to dress up their Bitmoji avatars in classic Levi’s outfits. An innovative means to maximize potential, increase engagement and establish revenue generation, don’t you think?
BREAKING THE NET
BREAKING THE NETAnother day, another record
The pandemic hindered so many things, but it did not stall the community spirit in the name of entertainment and celebration. PepsiCo scored a global record for passing a football in the world’s largest online video chain with more than 460 football enthusiasts from across the globe. Congratulations, and let’s keep the positivity going.
#NOT
#NOTZip up your branding
American fashion brand GAP found itself in a commercial quagmire when it attempted to capitalise on the divisive environment occupying the landscape in the USA. The approach, a GIF of a red and blue sweatshirt being zipped and unzipped, was accompanied by the message, “The one thing we know is that together we can move forward.” At a time when people are losing their jobs, or undergoing financial hardships, companies need to take a step back and share thoughtful sentiments that are not brand-related to invest in future customer loyalty.
