Rachael Higgins is the Founder of Because of Marketing, a marketing publication renowned for its coverage of the latest campaigns, collaborations, industry news and trends. She is a marketing professional, with a degree in International Business Management and Marketing, along with 7 years industry experience in story-led marketing, social media and campaign creation. Rachael is also an advisor for Virgin Startup, supporting new founders with their brand and marketing.
Unmtchd.: What are the key trends in the marketing industry that you believe brands and marketers should be aware of to stay relevant and succeed in today’s market?
Rachael Higgins: I see a few strong trends emerging.
Video content, both short and long form. After attending LinkedIn’s B2Believe event earlier this week, I was fascinated to learn about the statistics around video content and the importance of it in today’s marketing world.
- 60% of time spent on social media is spent watching videos (we’ve seen this already with LinkedIn pushing big on their new video tab to highlight professional experiences).
- Video is the fastest-growing format on LinkedIn with uploads up 34% YoY.
- Engagement with video on LinkedIn is 40% higher than any other format on the platform.
The reason I believe video is important and a key trend is because you feel more connected with the brand and you begin to trust them more because you see the team and founder as their most authentic self.
A great example of short form video content are day’s in the life, bts of a marketing campaign, Q&A with the founder or brands such as REPRESENT, Odd Muse, DOAC who use long form on YouTube to document their weeks or projects and share with their audience.
Community:
The future of brand is community and this is a key trend we have seen growing over the years. When you build a business you have to think about the community first. Of course, there are successful businesses who don’t need a community and are still successful i.e. Amazon, Tesco, etc. However, with the majority of new and emerging startups across different industries, investing the time into building your community will serve you greatly in the future and when challenges arise along the way.
Brands and marketers must be willing to also give freedom and flexibility to their community, to allow them to engage and be involved in marketing decisions. For example, for its first-ever creator collab, GAP works with Julia Huynh to make a ‘hoodie that hoodies’ (reference: https://www.glossy.co/pop/glossy-pop-newsletter-exclusive-for-its-first-ever-creator-collab-gap-tapped-julia-huynh-to-make-a-hoodie-that-hoodies/)
Storytelling:
As Seth Godin said “Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell” and this is relevant today more than ever.
In marketing, if you can take your consumer or audience along on a journey and tell a story which in turn makes them feel an emotion (happy, nostalgic, entertained, joyful) then you have a strong campaign.
It’s why we love Christmas commercials so much; they tell a story. John Lewis, Irn Bru, Sainsbury’s, Coca Cola, Amazon and more, in the past have scored high in ad effectiveness because of their narratives.
AI:
AI has transformed the way we do business and as marketers we have to leverage this in order to stay ahead in the market. AI has allowed us to become more creative by amplifying imagination and creating content or gathering research much quicker.
Unmtchd.: What changes in consumer behaviour have you observed that will impact how brands and marketers relate to consumers?
Rachael Higgins: Consumers are craving experiences and connections. They’re more likely to invest their time and money into an interaction in person with a brand to create lasting memories.
My favourite example is rhode’s lip booth at Coachella and London earlier this year. The amount of UGC rhode generated from consumers having fun and taking pictures and videos as they received a free lip product and prints at the end has set the standard of brand experiences.
With more brands being involved in real life experiences, it will help them foster deeper emotional connections with their consumers.
@mujiipopalzai Rhode photo booth!! 🌸🎀 @rhode skin @Hailey Bieber #toronto #rhodeskin #rhode #popup #event
Unmtchd.: What do you need to think about to develop a good campaign or strategy that stands out in today’s crowded market?
Rachael Higgins: You need to think about how you’re going to make your target audience:
- (1) relate/connect with your campaign
- (2) feel some sort of emotion
- (3) identify your brand
- (4) share your campaign forward
- (5) or feel the desire to purchase your product
Identifying the objective of the campaign is crucial, and then I would reverse engineer the strategy to ensure I include the above.
A recent example to support what I’m saying is Nike’s “stairs” 30 second film which came out a few days after the Chicago marathon. Their target audience was runners and they understood exactly the feeling you get after you run a long distance. The film shared relatable movements such as painfully trying to get down the stairs or slowly sitting down on a chair. The background music was set to “Love Hurts”. The campaign ticked all the boxes; strong understanding of consumers’ behaviors, product placement without feeling forced, light hearted emotion and storytelling.
Whether you purchase a pair of Nike shoes or not, when you run a long distance and your legs are aching as you sit down, you will think of Nike’s ad.
Unmtchd.: How important is community and collaboration in the marketing industry today? What role do you see community playing in marketing in the future?
Rachael Higgins: Community is everything and it’s extremely important now more than ever to focus on it in your marketing strategy. Building a community takes patience but you will reap the rewards in the long run when they become advocates for your brand.
The role I see community playing in marketing in the future is that if you are not incorporating community within your strategy, your brand will struggle to remain front of mind and relevant compared to other brands who are investing in their community and their super fans.
Collaboration is also key and this year alone we have seen fantastic collaborations – ones we didn’t see coming and one’s we thought “why has this never happened before”.
Brand collaborations allow you to tap into each other’s audiences and communities, therefore increasing brand awareness and sales and receiving more feedback to deliver better experiences. If a brand collaboration is right it’s a win-win for everyone.
Unmtchd.: What is important for young marketers and founders to know about the industry today to succeed?
Rachael Higgins: The industry is constantly evolving, adapting and changing. Marketing trends and strategies that worked last year, won’t work next year. You’ve really got to keep your ear to the ground and be as close to your target consumer as possible, whilst remaining focused on your vision and mission.
My advice for young marketers is to begin building your personal brand, your network and creating your own marketing portfolio. It’s tough to stand out and get your foot in the door. Don’t think of the big brand you want to work for, think of the skills you want to attain and that will lead you down the right path. Create your own portfolio of ideas or campaign examples so you’re constantly learning and trying new experiments in marketing.
My advice to founders within the marketing industry is to understand the importance of being on LinkedIn, sharing your story, and building conversations and connections with the right people. Become your own Chief Storyteller and market your product with pride. For new founders, the beginning of your journey is the best time to test a lot of different content, packaging designs, email campaigns, marketing campaigns, etc. to understand what your audience resonates with and receive feedback as quickly as possible.
Unmtchd.: How do you believe the marketing industry will change in the next 12-18 months due to technologies like AI?
Rachael Higgins: With the developments of AI, we’re going to see more creativity within marketing departments. AI, if used efficiently, is going to streamline and automate tasks such as data analysis, research, customer segmentation, personalisation and content creation. By not spending as much time on these, marketers can spend more time out in the field speaking with their consumers to understand their problems, build relationships, create experiences and build a lasting impression.