The game-changing Sony Discman, once an innovator in its field, consumed by evolving technologies, is now a distant memory. Like never before, 2023 sees an influx of emerging technologies and shifting consumer behaviours.
For many brands, It will be a year of opportunity, but for others, it will be a sink-or-swim situation. Like the Sony Discman, brands who can’t adapt… I think we know what happens next.
Here are a few tips that will benefit your brand throughout 2023:
01: Don’t disregard the power of AI, and don’t be scared of it, either. Look at it as a ‘tool’ to help elevate your brand and connect with your audience in new ways. AI is changing the landscape of how we interact with the world around us, and streamlining the way in which we work – from data analysis, content creation, to language translation, AI can be used to assist client projects, so that we can be empowered to focus on more personalised tasks that are advantageous to our passions and core skill sets.
02: Web3 and the metaverse are serious things that aren’t going anywhere. Eventually, every brand will be present in this space. If you’re a brand looking to move into this decentralised community-focused landscape, have a solid idea behind your action, this space is a new platform, not a standalone idea.
To the avid collectors, artists, and gamers in the community, Web3 is no passing fad, so you should not treat your Web3 project as such. Power and ownership are getting placed back into the hands of creators – when delving into Web3, consider how your brand can provide value whilst curating and cultivating a community from the execution.
A great example is Nike’s .SWOOSH platform, which has rallied the sneakerhead community together to create and purchase digital wearables like shoes and sports jerseys, also serving as a platform to educate and onboard this specific audience to the wonderful world of Web3. This platform is a shining success of a 2 in 1 solution, with even an NFT collection to be released later this year.
03: Customer engagement is shifting away from consumption and leaning more towards participation and ownership. More and more, value-based, exclusive communities are emerging. It’s time to say goodbye to flashy, disconnected activations or the cash grabs that once earned fleeting attention, with no consideration of a longer term strategy to retain the consumer connection. Today, the consumer rules – align with their values or prepare to fail.