In 2019, brands got more serious about purpose, sustainable campaigning reached new heights and innovate brand experiences became more common place.
But what trends are we likely to see as we move into 2020?
Brand purpose will grow into brand activism
For companies, purpose is the foundation for every experience. It is the underlying essence that makes a brand relevant and necessary.
Today, the continued importance of ‘Purpose’ is evident - brands such as Lipton and Dove have seen 50% faster growth than other brands in the Unilever portfolio – all thanks to their purpose led initiatives.
Whilst there is debate about a ‘Post Purpose World’, Neil Foster, Vice President of Guinness World Records Consultancy, believes that purpose is still very much in its infancy and will remain to be of importance.
"It is likely that purpose driven campaigns will simply grow, evolve and continue to influence the public next year", he said.
"With an increased focus on authentic messaging, long-term vision and activism. We have seen this trend emerging in our record applications - more and more companies want to break records as part of a wider campaign – creating a focal point for their activities and reinforcing messaging for the long term".
We’ve seen a global shift in the nature of our applications – in 2015 one of the most hotly contested record titles was most selfies taken in 3 minutes - today it’s a different story with our commercial business seeing a 110% uplift in brands wanting to break a record for good. - Neil Foster, Vice President of Guinness World Records Consultancy
Have a look PUMA’s #DoYou global purpose led campaign which promotes the importance of female empowerment
Experiential activity will grow in importance
As retail worlds evolve, on and offline environments merge and Gen-Z grows into an audience which prioritises experiences over anything else, experiential marketing is set to become more engaging and innovative in 2020 than ever before.
Neil Foster comments:
We will see brands including more immersive experiences which will help them to develop long term relationships amongst their audiences. Personal experiences go a long way to gaining a consumer’s trust, allowing them to get to know a brand and what it stands for. People will always remember how you make them feel and not necessarily what you say.
The high street is also transforming as more and more retailers evolve ’brand commerce experiences’.
Shoppers will not only just make purchases but also ‘live’ a brand before taking it home. There will be more virtual experiences to help consumers feel, touch and communicate with a product.
In 2019, Guinness World Records saw a 30% increase in applications across EMEA APAC from brands wanting to break a record as part of a brand experience.
Record title attempts add an unrivalled element of excitement, surprise and memorability to an experiential event – immersing consumers in a brand and delivering content which can be shared time and time again.
Take a look at our immersive live record-breaking event at Dubai’s WAFI Mall
Brand storytelling will evolve
Storytelling is the tool that every business building a powerful and lasting brand should master.
It can create a lasting brand legacy and a deeper connection with a customer.
Foster believes that as we move into 2020, political unrest, perceived media misinformation and consumer activism continue to erode trust in corporations and brands.
This level of distrust will undoubtedly lead to an increased emphasis on authenticity within brand storytelling’. We are also seeing an increasingly convenience led society where consumers are becoming more detached and desensitised. This trend will accelerate in 2020 and lead to more brands daring to be human in their storytelling. We will see more cohesive narratives that pull at the heartstrings and engage at a deeper level than ever seen before.
Take a look at our Panasonic case study which shows how authenticity messaging can be delivered through a Guinness World Records attempt
Interested in breaking a record title to suit one of these key marketing trends? Visit our Business Solutions section to find out how we can help you be the biggest and boldest - or get in touch today.
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