Brand Storytelling in the NEW Digital Age

Last week, HVO Search brought together

• Lucy Yeomans - Creator & CEO, DREST 
• Caroline Issa - CEO, Tank 
• Sarah Crook - Former CEO, Dundas
• Whitney Hawking - Founder & CEO, FLOWERBX

and leaders in Fashion, Beauty, Luxury & Lifestyle to discuss brand storytelling, digital communication and new ways of experiential marketing in 2020. 

It certainly has been a few interesting months and for many of us, the lockdown has made us think more deeply about ourselves and what we value.

• But how have the rules of marketing changed to reflect this? 
• How do we navigate what we say to our customers? 
• How do we marry up the intangibles with tech? 
• How do we communicate all the senses digitally? 

In our HVO Search Live session - "Brand Storytelling in the NEW Digital Age", we are going to try to answer these questions.

Key Take-Aways

In what way have the rules of storytelling and marketing changed?   

1. We're all directly connected to our audiences and getting immediate feedback. What used to be a more one-way communication is much more interconnected. 
2. During global crisis, brands must step back and explain their brand identity and values. 
3. People remember how you act right night: how you treat your employees and how you treat the world. Being transparent with your team and customer is important. 
4. The spirit of community has come to the forefront and the gap between the super brands and the smaller brands have closed. Creativity has provided huge opportunities. 
5. The better we understand the emotional need state of our customers, the better we can story tell and communicate with them.
6. Younger audiences especially want discovery and conversation and this pandemic has fast-tracked this type of brand communication. 
7. Right now isn't about campaigns, it's about actions. 
8. Timing and tone of voice are everything at this time.

How can brands capitalise on a captive audience right now, but on the other hand how can they be heard over the noise?

1. Allowing your audience to be creative and add to the content and story is a great way to make them feel like a part of the brand. Not just an observer but an active participant.
2. Content is an issue as brands haven't been in studios so allowing your audience to create content that's less polished can be a great way to create great content.
3. Technology, if it's used in a smart way, is a great tool to link the physical and virtual worlds.

There are so many channels of communication available right now - How do you ensure your marketing is cohesive and on-brand? 

1. Outdoor digital campaigns and billboards in the UK worked really well for FLOWERBX and their website traffic was up 1000%. But the tone of voice was really important for this, e.g. focusing on how flowers uplift spirits. 
2. It's becoming more complicated to story tell in ways that aren't expensive - owning your platform and connecting with people on a much more human levels is so important. 
3. Now is the time for experimentation on lots of different platforms and ultimately trying to connect in a way that your audience is going to stay with you no matter the platform. 
4. Community features such as the ability to comment, follow and share opinions in app have been fast-tracked.
5. The informality can be quite refreshing and we're seeing more honesty and openness which is great. This also makes it a more level playing field between large and small brands.
6. WeChat is an incredible platform and I think it's the future for Western society. 

Recognising that digital in a virtual world can successfully address 2 of the 5 senses - sight and hearing, how can storytelling and digital bridge the gap in capturing the essence of the remaining 3 senses - touch, smell and taste?

1. Technology has allowed us to experience the same thing at the same time - e.g. dialling into national theatres, live YouTube streams and people are able to do this with friends. This in no way can replicate the human touch but it's a great experience nonetheless.
2. Livestream shopping is going to be very interesting as you have a shared experience but in a very different way. 
3. Individual spaces that create and use community will more successfully bridge the gap between senses. 
4. It's exciting that experiences that were felt by a select few can be opened up to wider audiences using technology this is really key in fashion shows. 
5. The convergence of different aspects and marrying up different industries is exciting, for example how collaborations with chefs and musicians are helping with engagement. 

What marketing experiments have you seen that made you stop and think about it - what has stood out to you? 

1. A lot more TikTok videos! People who are quite serious are being more creative and silly which is uplifting. 
2. Travis Scott performing in Fortnight and Glossier relaunching their sweatshirt in Animal Crossing. 
3. Instagram live conversations are a great way to address the feeling of connection people are wanting.

Who is doing a good job with their brand storytelling right now? Tell us of a specific campaign you liked and thought was exemplary 

1. Brands who communicate in a purposeful, sensitive and authentic way will be successful afterwards. Gucci, Chanel and Alygary have been great at providing resources both for social communities and the customers who need to escape. And customers will remember this.
2. Nike and Uber took everything that they're about and told customers "Just Don't Do It" or "Thank You For Not Riding" and put people before profits. They are amazing examples of caring for people first. 
3. Secret Cinema has been using Secret Sofa to unify their customers and experience. 

What should CMOs focus on in 2020?

1. Covid-19 is not going anywhere and we've all felt a very real impact of it. I think the transparency will continue.
2. Continuation of creativity and level playing field.
3. The reality of return on investment will come back into play and CMOs must find a balance between community and brand loyalty and conversion.
4. Beyond selling products and more about brands explaining to consumers why they should care over other brands. Explaining how a brand adds value and how they are relevant is key. 
5. Helping customers understand how the value fulfils a need and understand what the market need state is and adapt strategy so they are in sync with customers. 
6. A brand's proposition must fit into the consumers life. 

Audience Poll

During our live discussion we asked our 100 attendees what they thought about the future of brand communication. Here are their responses...

1.Is your business communicating more or less right now?

73% said MORE

20% said LESS

7% said NOT SURE

2. Have you increased or reduced your marketing budget since lockdown?

44% said REDUCED

34% said KEPT THE SAME

10% said INCREASED

12% said NOT SURE

 3. What engagement tools have been Most successful for your brand during lockdown?

44% said Instagram

24% said Email/Newsletters

17% said Other

10% said Webinars

2% said Facebook

2% said TikTok

4. What is your number one marketing priority right now?

46% said Engagement

22% said Building Brand Equity

15% said Social Responsibility

10% said Other

7% said Product Promotion

5. Is your company using / experimenting with more experiential marketing such as VR, AR etc.?

49% said NOT SURE

37% said MORE

15% said LESS

6. Should brands address social and political issues in their marketing?

49% said YES

41% said IT DEPENDS

10% said NO

Please visit our HVO Search website to watch this discussion in full.

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