Why brands need to think tl;dr (too long; didn’t read) The modern world is programming us to think short-form. From text messages to Amazon’s Fire phone launch enabling consumers to snap and buy items they see, we are editing little bits of our daily lives into shorter, faster experiences. Over the last year OMD UK has been running an on-going project looking at the Future of Britain, including a series of consumer studies. One of the biggest challenges for brands and their media strategies we’ve identified is the increasing speed of life and content consumption. Of all the pieces of tech-slang currently in use, tl;dr (too long; didn’t read) encapsulates how adept we are becoming at managing our attention spans. If something is too long at an inappropriate moment we simply won’t absorb it; we’ll move on to the next bite or snippet of information. Only when something truly grabs us will we spend time with it. To slow us down content must be truly personal, relevant, credible or useful or create a natural pause in our otherwise frenetic lives. Indeed DVD box-set binges are a great contrary trend to tl;dr as is the growing evidence of a desire for ‘real’ experiences demonstrated by growth of admissions to museums, art galleries, cinema and proactive attempts to create tech-free periods such as holidays. This polarisation in the way we absorb content; fast-short form information vs slow, credible or real experiences creates a profound challenge for brands and media planners in particular. Brand advertisers also have to consider the increasingly blurred line between media and technology. It’s now important to recognise that technology, whether in retail, gaming hardware, apps, social channels, wearables, etc. is also effectively a media channel too. The internet of Things, suggests a future where even your fridge becomes a marketing channel. It’s not surprising that in this conflicted and complex world traditional approaches to media planning are struggling. Rather than relying purely on linear campaigns with media running in parallel along a pre-determined time-line, we increasingly need to work with a multi-dimensional mix of possibilities including speed of execution, context, relevancy, big and small content forms, rather than limiting ourselves to reach or rating points. We need to think in: Layers of media: Co-ordinated to capture eyeballs as they flip channel. Size: Create multiple content types that fit different channels and play different roles to build awareness and brand values. Technology channels: Integrating technology directly into media strategies formats at the right speed and frequency. Speed: Setting the pace of interactions and using the right formats at the right speed and frequency. Context: Reacting to live events or creating experiences that immerse brands in consumers’ interests. So planners could use layers of media to deliver a message at a single point in time; perhaps rooted in a prime-time TV moment and simultaneously carried across multiple digital channels from social to retail. A consumer may have a tl;dr response to the TV ad and flip to, say, Facebook where a short-form version would reach them, perhaps reinforced by supporting user-generated content. Likewise a retail brand may invest in long-form branded content, perhaps a TV show or YouTube channel, prompt viewing with Twitter and follow through with in-store promotional activity. Playing with time and formats to build relevancy and engagement can be seen in a growing number of campaigns; Oreo Daily Twist series of creative executions enabled the brand to rest control over time back from the consumer as did Rimmel’s recent flash sale celebrating its 180th birthday which saw a Rockin’ Curves Mascara special offer available for just 180 minutes. For planners and brand managers the trick is to remember that you think tl;dr too. So work with your fellow tl;dr consumers and offer them brand messages that they’re less likely to edit and more likely to embrace.
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 07:16:24 +0000
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