Author: Awaken

Things move fast in our hyper connected world but nowhere do things change faster than on social media. Knowing which channels are resonating right now, how people are using them and what they’re looking for is crucial if you want to produce content with genuine cut through. But it can be hard to keep track.

To make it easier, we’ve put together a handy summary of the top five trends in social media right now – they’re at the heart of our 2022 social media report and if you want to know more, you should take a few minutes to look over the full report.

Trend #1: Engagement has plateaued

Interest in social media content reached an all-time peak in mid-2020 when global lockdowns left everyone isolated and searching for both information and entertainment, and finding it on their phones.

While time spent on social media has stayed more-or-less consistent in the last two years, competition for users’ attention has increased. We may see that action-based metrics become more important to measure the true effectiveness of campaigns.

It’s also worth noting that there has been a 12% increase in users who say they have decreased time spent on social media since 2020. It seems those countless hours scrolling and liking eventually took their toll.

Trend #2: TikTok is tops

While other social channels are waning, TikTok continues to go from strength to strength. Interestingly, the major growth area is with older audiences as Gen Xers and Baby Boomers are turning to the video-focused platform for inspiration.

Trend #3: Western audiences follow China’s footsteps

The sheer size of the Chinese market makes it dynamic and a useful indicator of future trends, especially as we’re seeing western audiences following its lead. Some of the ways in which this is happening is through the commercialisation of “super apps” that offer their own methods of payment and the increasing importance of audio.

Trend #4: Short videos rules – most of the time

Short and sweet video content continues to have the best cut through across all demographics, which is why TikTok and Instagram reels are so popular. These videos can be punchy, spontaneous and a little rough around the edges, as long as they get the message across quickly. Which means lower production times and cost. But, interestingly, longer form videos are proving to be popular as well, especially with Gen Z. So if you have a deeper message to convey, then it’s worth investing in more detailed content.

Trend #5: Social buying is set to spread

Finally, our last trend to watch in 2022 is social buying, which is poised to overtake tv advertising. More and more people are using social media to discover, research and purchase a wide range of products and services – which means that consumers are now very comfortable being served commercial messages across social platforms. But you need to be careful about how you do it.

Some platforms do better with a more content-driven soft sell, others are perfect for an influencer-driven campaign and others again are great for direct ads. It’s all about identifying your audience and speaking to them the right way – and to make sure you choose the right platform for your industry and product.

Love the sound of these trends and are keen to embrace them, but are not quite sure how to do it? That’s where we come in. Our experienced social media team at Awaken would love to work with you – contact us today and let’s start a conversation about how to make some waves together on social media in 2022.

Awaken were briefed to develop some quick 15-second creatives for use on TV, online, and on social, and a series of four further six-second stings for their Rechargeable Vision Ultra Headlamp Range.

The focus of these ads was to highlight some key features and benefits of the product, and show the headlamps being used in multiple situations; from DIY and camping to general at home use. The core objective of the ads was to drive consideration and increase purchase intent.

With the key tag line of ‘they’re ready when you’re not’; the resulting ads have two different target focuses. The first was for the general consumer and follows a family’s experience on their camping holiday, with the tent pegs needing to be reattached on a windy night, and a toy being lost on a family hike, with the dad needing to return to find it in the dark. The second focussing on the dad back home, with more of a DIY angle. Initially we see him under the kitchen sink mending a leaking pipe, and afterwards manning the BBQ with his family chasing each other around with headlights on in the background.

In both ads, the family are faced with situations where either things have gone wrong or they are undertaking daily activities where they have benefitted from using the headlamps and keeping their hands free.

‘Do you breathe nature?’: Accelerating Awareness of Panasonic’s Nanoe™X Air Purification Technology

All air conditioners can heat or cool but only Panasonic units currently utilize nanoe™X technology.

Nanoe™X are tiny, nano-sized electrostatic water particles that contain ions and Hydroxyl radicals. These Hydroxyl radicals within the nanoe™X react to hydrogen (H) contained in pollen, bacteria, viruses, and odour compounds, altering their molecules and inhibiting them.

For this campaign, Awaken was tasked with increasing consumer understanding of the benefits of nanoe™X technology, which Panasonic has integrated into many of their products, by specifically focusing on the technological benefits to Panasonic Air Conditioning.

As the only Air Conditioning manufacturer currently utilizing this air purification technology in their units, there was a great opportunity to create a campaign demonstrating all the technology can do.

‘Do you breathe nature?’

For this campaign, Awaken built on Panasonic global HQ’s ad with a generic nanoe™️X message, ‘Do you Breathe nature?’.

Awaken created a pair of adverts, both using sets created in the middle of natural environments, to provide a genuine portrayal of the settings. Both adverts start with a closeup of the air conditioning unit mounted on a wall to immediately plant the seed that the focus of the ad is on the unit. As the camera tracks backwards a lounge setup is revealed with a family happily enjoying the clean air in their home. The camera continues to track backwards to reveal that the lounge is set up in the middle of a forest in one advert and on a beach in the other, with the tagline ‘Breathe Nature in Your Home’.

Both adverts are currently live across television, online channels, and social media.

In early 2020 the world (as we once knew it) changed on pretty much every level. The pandemic transformed our personal lives and the corporate world socially, politically and environmentally – and the changes weren’t all bad news. Indeed, the post-pandemic world faces many new challenges but it also offers many new advantages, and it will take time for us to fully identify and appreciate all of these.

So what does all this mean for marketing and advertising?

In a nutshell, these global transformations have created inspiring new opportunities for smart advertisers and thoughtful brands. But you need to tread carefully to get the benefits and not risk alienating audiences.

Here are some of the top things you should consider:

Budgets and internal marketing

Money still talks. And, post-pandemic, many industries and companies continue to watch their bottom line.

For many brands, this means less activity across their marketing channels. As this article rightly points out, the instinct of many business leaders is a focus on cash flow preservation – and marketing budgets are often the first thing to get axed. But you should continue to have conversations with your key internal stakeholders, and remind them that branding is crucial and decreasing marketing campaign activity will only have detrimental effects to the brand in the long run.

Brands need to have a continuous presence in the market, even (or perhaps especially) through challenging times. Without strong marketing and advertising you risk becoming invisible to your target market, which can mean death for sales.

Focus on loyalty and retention

Never forget that your customers have stuck by you throughout all the ups and downs, and this means everything in the fickle world of business and commerce. Always reward your current customers with value or offers that are exclusive to them. Recognise that these are returning customers, committed to your brand – and it may actually cost you far less to hold on to them than it would to splurge on marketing budgets trying to attract new customers.

Digital everything

Digital has never been more important than it is right now, and the pandemic proved it. Top of your ‘to do’ list should be working with your agency to understand where your audience is and how to reach them effectively, replacing traditional channels with digital channels.

Depending on your campaign strategy, if ATL channels are required, then another alternative is to go digital. Accessing traditional channels through programmatic buys could also be an option. Whilst it’s not the same as securing direct premium inventory with suppliers, it can be a clever way to get around reaching an audience across ATL channels such as Outdoor and TV.

Of course, there will be limitations, as not all formats are available through programmatic inventory. But another important advantage is the data targeting that can be applied across all digital ATL channels (which is not available for direct buys).

Utilise nimble strategies

Think about your target markets and audiences, specifically: Who are they and how are they moving out of the pandemic? Do you need to consider flexible bookings and contingency plans for possible future lockdowns or changes impacting media consumption of the general population?

Work with your agency and test the market through small bursts of activity so you can learn and see what works. This is a new landscape for everyone, but the smart companies will go out there and search for answers.

Don’t sit back and wait for data to be handed to you. By then it will be too late and your competitors could very well be way ahead of you. Instead, gather your own insights by directly connecting with your market and then rollout at a larger scale with a new and flexible strategy that can be quickly adapted.

Find efficiencies and pare it back

When it comes to your central campaign strategy, think sleek and efficient. Identify the focal point of your campaign and how you will achieve this. Ask yourself: What can be simplified? Are there overlaps across other campaigns you could bring together? How is activity being managed across your brand and are you cannibalising audiences you could consolidate? Look for a simpler and more elegant solution, and then think strategically when communicating to new audiences. The results will speak for themselves.

New South Wales, Australian families were locked down for 107 days in 2021.

Anxiety, stress and pressure caused some families to go into crisis.

The Family Project is a media channel designed to help support the mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of Australian, NSW, families through targeted and topical daily adaptable themes, activities, and advice delivered online during times of crisis.

The interactive website highlights ideas for attainable projects that can be undertaken as a family by anyone with ease. These projects were shared via videos and visual aids, and complemented by a downloadable activity sheet. The website also provides information from specialists to support children’s mental health. 

Awaken acted as the creative agency developing the TVC and first daily activity content for the program.

Awaken then developed 5 activity videos to help launch the program

TikTok asked advertisers to ‘stop making ads’, which was a bold move but they have a point. Their challenge to advertisers: Push the boundaries of creativity. Don’t be boring. Think bigger. And the industry is responding. More and more brands flock to TikTok each week and they’re all eager to speak to this hyper-engaged audience with authentic, engaging content.

Even more importantly, audiences are responding. Growth on TikTok in the last 12 months has been staggering. And whilst there is still some analysis required to ensure the platform is the right fit for your brand, the audience is growing exponentially. Consumption has surpassed YouTube with users now spending more time in average hours per month on TikTok, according to a new report. TikTok is now the #2 app in Australia, behind Zoom.

Curious about TikTok and how it may work with your brand? Here are some questions you should be asking yourself:

Will it work with my budget?

One of the big benefits of promoting a brand through TikTok is that it’s budget-friendly, as content can be shot on a phone and totally lo-fi as long as it’s thoughtful and relevant. TikTok users are there to be captivated by spontaneous and original content. Brands need to play in this space that rewards ideas over flashiness and avoid content that’s too polished and stands out for the wrong reasons.

Can TikTok help me achieve my marketing objectives?

First you need to consider whether your goals are long-term or short-term, and what sort of relationship you want to develop with your audience. You need to think about the value of traditional social media channels vs new options like TikTok, and what you are trying to achieve. Are you building your brand or shooting for acquisition? Do you want to engage new customers? How do you think TikTok can help?

Who is my target audience and are they on TikTok?

If your audience skews a bit younger then chances are, yes, they’re on TikTok. As with most new apps, adoption tends to skew younger, with older audiences eventually catching on. However, this is happening at a faster rate on TikTok than with other social media apps and content apps.

What’s my competition doing on the platform and does my brand belong there?

A spot of healthy competitor analysis might ignite some ideas and also help with those internal conversations about developing your TikTok strategy. Do a deep dive and see what a wide range of brands are doing, as you never know where inspiration might come from.

Bear in mind, some product categories (such as alcohol, gambling and tobacco) are not allowed to advertise on TikTok. Visit TikTok for Business for a full list.

Do I need to launch a TikTok page or can I just do ongoing campaigns?

Don’t just think promos on TikTok. For real cut-through, you need to also have a brand page on TikTok that houses quality content. It’s advisable to launch your brand’s TikTok page with clear strategy and resourcing to ensure the page creates traction with your audience and continues to develop meaningful connections with them.

How does TikTok fit into my overall social media strategy?

Most companies use individual social media channels for different types of communication strategies with audiences. So it’s important to understand what the approach is right for TikTok and how the platform will fit with the rest of your strategy. Think about how it is different and what new conversations you can start with it.

How will I measure success?

Ultimately, your marketing goals will dictate what your measures of success will be. TikTok has a suite of 1st and 3rd party tools to ensure you’re able to track your brand’s progress and engagement with your audience on the platform.

https://www.tiktokforbusinesseurope.com/measurement/

How many Sydneysiders realise the perfect holiday destination is right under their noses?

While dreaming of far-off destinations might be fashionable, now is the best possible time to keep travel close to home. And Pier One is making the decision-making process an easy one by offering both locals and visitors a luxurious vacay experience right in the heart of Sydney.

To tempt local jet-setters, Awaken was taken on by the hotel with the best location in town to create a series of impressive ads that showcase the venue at its sparkling best.

These alluring video ads position the hotel as a gourmet hotspot and special experience destination, all wrapped up into one. The star piece is a three minute long famil video that shows in breathtaking detail why Pier One is a standout travel destination on not just a local but also a global level.

Since going to launch, the Tiny tech. Mighty spec campaign is already winning awards…

2020 DAVEY AWARDS GOLD WINNER
Consumer Magazine Ad

2020 DAVEY AWARDS GOLD WINNER
Art Direction / Graphic Design

Armor All are sponsors of Supercars and over the past 30 or so years have had a strong presence at the SuperCars races – with the Armor All Arnie Viking helmet being a regular fixture at the events.

During COVID Armor All fans weren’t able to attend the Supercar races, so Awaken ran a virtual engagement initiative and promotion for the Supercars fans, which would enable them to have some fun during the races, and win some prizes whilst they were doing so.

Virtual Filter Effects were created, and followers on Instagram and Facebook could take photos of themselves wearing the Arnie helmet or have a selfie trackside at The Bend and Bathurst 1000, whilst still in their front rooms.

Through these filter effects, users were able to engage with the Armor All Ultra brand, as well as gain exposure to Armor All Ultra. Anyone who shared their photos on their social media forums went into the competition to win one of several an Armor All Ultra prize pack.