What if these were 2013's Killer Ideas?
By Nichola Bordas
First of all, Happy New Year to everyone, I hope that you enjoyed or endured the holidays!
One thing that I love about the month of January is the feeling of promise: the New Year allows us to take stock, make resolutions, and look ahead. The very act of “looking ahead” is something that my colleagues and I do in order to guide our clients through the ever changing the cultural landscape. I have been using my time off to think about the potential Killer Ideas of 2013 for brands in marketing, communication, and technology.
Naturally, nobody knows what the year has in store for us. Last January, we had no idea that a horse dance would become a worldwide phenomenon, that Aung San Suu Kyi would be back on the Burmese political scene, or that Obama would be reelected. This holds true with innovations in technology, marketing and communications. So, with this in mind, here are my Top 10 Killer Ideas for 2013.
1. Virtureality
The boundary between the real world and the virtual world is becoming increasingly fluid. Innovations like Google’s Project Glass or the i’m watch, which will allow users to telephone, check their Facebook and send messages in addition to keeping time are emblematic of this trend.
2. Digitail
When retail meets digital. Adidas’ interactive window display at its NEO concept store, changes the way people window shop by connecting to a users smartphone and allowing passersby to browse merchandise, play with the window display and purchase goods, even when the shop is closed!
3. Mobile Gateway
Now more than ever, the mobile phone is the new Swiss Army knife—phones serve as maps, game consoles, computers, and of course…telephones. The world of apps is only the tip of the iceberg.
4. Client Inside
More and more companies are using their clients to help create content. If done right, these operations can provide brands with insights and added value from key influencers. I was recently intrigued by Heineken’s “Remix our Future” operation where Heineken fans on Facebook helped design the next limited edition bottle and voted on the best submission.
5. Gamification
This has been an ongoing trend in business for the past 5 years at least. As many know, this autumn the Star Wars franchise teamed up with Angry Birds to launch a special edition of the game. That two massive entertainment juggernauts got together to reap profits might not be so surprising. However, this year Angry Birds also partnered with McDonald’s China, unrolling a massive marketing campaign that went beyond Happy Meals. Games—be they video games, apps or other have gone mainstream. Expect to see more of these partnerships.
6. Digi-Grid
This is the convergence of the digital world and the Green movement. I was impressed in particular by the Mirai Nihon (“Japan’s Future”) project led by TBWA\Hakuhodo. Following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the agency embarked on an ambitious project to build a 100% off-the-grid house through cutting-edge technology and innovations. Partnering with some 20 companies, the prototype home allows for comfortable living in harmony with nature and independent from existing energy infrastructures. Hakuhodo and its partners see the Mirai Nihon as a way of providing sustainable living to people in cities around the world.
I have already written about this phenomenon in detail (see my post: “What if doing good was good for profits?”) but it bears repeating: CSR initiatives are being placed front and center in major brand’s strategies, business models, and R&D. The old model of CSR as penance for a brand’s sins is fading away. Publications like Grow by Jim Stengel (which provides real data on the importance of brand ideals) and Screw Business as Usual by Richard Branson, as well as ideal-based campaigns for FMCG giants P&G attest to this growing trend.
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8. Brand Journalism
Savvy CMO’s will think like editors-in-chief, curating and creating tailored content for their brands. I am particularly impressed by Air France’s “behind the scenes” videos which detail take off preparation, engine maintenance, and in-cabin dining seen from the point of view of the employees. These videos are not expensive to produce, and they provide high quality online content. Brand journalism is a great way for companies to take control of the narrative that they want for their company.
9. Double Screen
I know that I am not the only person who checks my iPad while watching TV. Two screens can mean greater participation and also greater distraction. Media outlets are already testing the waters of double screen viewing with interactive live game shows, like the UK’s Million Pound Drop, which encourages viewers to participate in real time via an app available on social networks. Likewise, major news networks like CNN have been experimenting with social networks, going so far as reading Tweets on live TV.
10. Communic-actions
Focusing on brand ideals leads to brand behavior. Brand behavior or “communic-action” as I like to call it, forces brands to stand up for what they believe in through targeted actions. When a brand acts in line with what it believes in, consumers, the media and employees notice. The day that Pedigree stated: “We’re For Dogs” and launched a moving campaign, people paid attention. But when Pedigree created the Adoption Day, creating a special Dog Store dedicated to shelter dogs, people were won over. “We’re for Dogs” went beyond being a simple slogan—it became a rallying cry.
If I were to say one thing in conclusion, it is that in 2013, brands will have to shift from 360° communication to 365-day a year communication. The ability to react in real time and to adopt a flexible, liquid approach to marketing and communication will only grow in importance.
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