BizTrends2015

STRATEGY TRENDSAvoiding 'Infobesity' and and that resides with the experts. In-house people just aren't weird enough.harnessing opportunity 3. More DIY for social By Sid Peimer Sid Peimer is a freelance strategist resident There is already a trend towards harnessing employees with employee at www.stratplanning.com. @sidpeimer | View profile advocacy programmes gaining traction, so the outsourcing of social media as a percentage will probably decrease as this function goes DIY, with numerous\"No one will see the next big thing coming.\" vendors supplying the required software. However, there will always be placeWhen asked if I have a crystal ball, my response would be: \"No, it's just the for focused outside expertise.way I walk.\" Predictions may not make us walk funny, but we certainly need toknow where we're going. The problem with life is that you can't live it 4. More three-letter wordsbackwards, so we need to have some idea of what's waiting for us down theroad. These are 10 twists and turns that may greet us in 2015: Acronyms will get a whole new lease of life. We'll see a whole bunch of new titles, like the CDO (Chief Digital Officer) and DCO (Digital Communications1. The next big thing Officer), amongst others.No one will see the next big thing coming. Not even the person who invented 5. Page 1 of Google... Yeah, right!it. Facebook and Twitter both began as something else - the end result was anevolution of circumstance and opportunity. Organic SEO will still remain somewhat of a challenge. Everyone seems to have a theory about 'how to get on page 1 of Google'. Brands want some certainty,2. The out-house remains so we'll see more direct methods to attract traffic, which will boost the PPC market (like they need it).Contrary to popular opinion, there will not be a move away from digitalagencies to in-house departments. It's still about ideas and production values - 6. Data fundis to the foreSTRATEGY TRENDS SPONSORED BY YELLOWWOOD With the proliferation of available data, we will need people to decipher it and get the numbers to tell a story. So if you're a digital analyst or data fundi, increase your asking price by 20%. Trust me.

STRATEGY TRENDS7. You need to pay to playSocial media reach will become (or maybe it is already) a common goal forbrands. With organic social platforms like Facebook tweaking their algorithms,many have started to turn to paid social and content marketing.8. Google a plus?Google+ could go either way. Going against it is the fact that it is somewhat ofa ghost town compared to the Big 3. Going for it is that Google can increasethe SEO score on all G+ posts. If that's the case, then I think we can expectGoogle+ to experience a gold rush. It also helps to have parents with very deeppockets.9. InfobesityNo one seems to have noticed the fact that if everyone is delivering contentthen we're going to see exponential growth. That means there's going to be alot of stuff out there that won't get consumed. When last did you readthe Encyclopaedia Britannica? That's infobesity for you.10. Get the pictureBecause of infobesity, we need to consume information in the easiest andquickest way possible. Visuals, whether static or moving will be the derigueur of online communication. We have had explosive growth in socialmedia in 2014, and fast growth often hides things, so it will be interesting tosee what happens in the year ahead. Crystal ball notwithstanding.STRATEGY TRENDS SPONSORED BY YELLOWWOOD

STRATEGY TRENDSA return to marketing digital marketing as a separate discipline but rather need to place emphasisfundamentals and focus on the fact that we are now marketing in a digital world. By Adene van der Walt 2. Demonstrate customer-centricity through tangible actions Adene van der Walt is executive strategy director of agency Ireland Davenport. View profile Transparency is key to this. As consumers continue to exert power and influence, it is vital for brands to demonstrate this. It will allow for an accurate\"Successful brand activities need to be based on powerful, authentic and real-time picture of what the brand is doing in the interest of itsconsumer insights.\" consumers. Communication can work hard to demonstrate a customer-centricThere are five key strategies that marketers and advertisers need to embrace proposition, but unless consumers can actually see the tangible benefits ofin the following year. The key take out: deliver products that are up to date your brand having their, and the broader community's, best interests at heart,and innovative, while remaining true to your brand's core values. the opportunity for consumer churn is that much more likely. Marketers and brands should be thinking about how they can implement real, meaningful1. A return to marketing fundamentals change in society, which in turn will increase brand care and loyalty.Successful brand activities need to be based on powerful, authentic consumer 3. Enabling feelings to be turned into actionsinsights in order to build brand resonance. Campaign elements need to work inharmony in order to leverage and build seamless brand stories. Technology Humans are emotion-driven... and emotive communication drives brandtoday has reformed the way consumers behave. Shopper marketing no longer resonance and stand-out value in consumers' minds. Brands and marketersrefers to consumers walking into stores. that develop ideas that allow for consumers to feel proud of their brand for contributing to a greater cause, whilst still advertising themselves, will driveIn an age of e-commerce and m-commerce, any consumer can be a shopper greater brand ownership and resonance.and marketers need to focus and discover what the emotional drivers are toinfluence consumer purchases. With this in mind, marketers cannot view An excellent example of such an initiative is the newly launched Unilever \"Bright Future Speeches\" corporate-branding TVC campaign. It's an inspiringSTRATEGY TRENDS SPONSORED BY YELLOWWOOD campaign demonstrating that Unilever is dedicated to a cause greater than just selling its products. 4. Rewarding good behaviour We know we live in a digital world and in a time where wellness, strength, acquisition of new skills and superior knowledge is actively being sought out by

STRATEGY TRENDSconsumers. We will see a trend emerging whereby consumers seek device-fuelled rewards that incentivise improving behaviours. Marketers and brandswill need to evaluate and decide what behaviours they are trying to encouragein their consumers and how best to reward these behaviours. (i.e.,personalised rewards, incentives, discounts).5. It is (still) about personalisation and innovationThis is not a new trend... it is here to stay. As consumers continue to resisthomogenisation, marketing will need to become more localised and evenindividualised. We can no longer rely on the old segmentation model of age,race and household income.Consumers are fast defining their own identities due to rapid increase andinnovation of technology and marketers need to delve deeply into this tounderstand who our consumers really are today and what their specific needsare. What is clear and important to note, is the prevailing consumer desire forbrands to modernise and evolve but with the equal desire for these brands tostay true to who they are.STRATEGY TRENDS SPONSORED BY YELLOWWOOD

YOUTH TRENDS SPONSORED BY



YOUTH TRENDSTREND: The millennial effect Image via 123RF\"Millennials look to rework - not reject - the rules and status quo in order to FCB quotes from a global research study, 'Debunking the Millennial Myth',put their mark on the world\". which was conducted by London-based creative agency, Initiative, amongCynicism and skepticism by the millennial generation towards brands' 10,000 respondents (25-34 years old) from 19 different markets, released inmarketing efforts can be explained by the constant feeling of financial September 2014. Many have been hit hard by the recession in recent yearsinsecurity that has become their way of life over the past few years. However, and modern Millennials are delaying the customary rites of adulthood, such asthe majority of Millennials believe that brands have the potential to be a force marriage and children. The study found that:for good.FCB reports in its 20 trends for 2015, 'The Road Ahead - Macro Trends Shaping • 72% suffered significant personal setbacks in the recession2015 & Beyond', that Millennials are increasingly becoming difficult to • 36% have had their income reducedconvince, pushing back against brand marketing. The impact on brands is as • 65% are employed full-timefollows: • 28% have experienced job loss • 69% have already significantly changed their career path or are 1. Adaptability. The ability to adapt to economic uncertainty is their life planning to do so skill. So brands should show empathy for their circumstances. • 47% are happy with their current job 2. Creativity: They expect brands to be brave, succeed, don't settle and • 59% worry about not having enough money to retire give back. • 32% are single 3. Collaboration: They thrive on collaboration and brands are expected • 59% don't have children to give to them fully and authentically. • 35% are still living at home with their parents • 52% don't have enough money to cover their everyday living costsYOUTH TRENDS SPONSORED BY BRANDEDYOUTH

YOUTH TRENDSIPG Media Lab says, \"Millennials look to rework - not reject - the rules andstatus quo in order to put their mark on the world\". Giving them the power toco-create with brands and products, in their own way, builds ongoing trustingrelationships. Millennials have surpassed simply wanting to help in supportingcauses and are starting to demand that others, especially companies, do theirpart. Millennials are prepared to reward socially responsible companies; theyare more likely to trust these companies and buy or recommend their productsto others. According to the 'Cone Millennial Cause' study, after learning that acompany is socially and/or environmentally responsible: • 83% are likely to trust the company more • 79% are likely to purchase that company's products • 74% are more likely to pay attention to that company's messageA study by Pinta warned against stereotyping millennials. As FastCompany reported, they are \"multifaceted, savvy super-consumers, whohappen to be the most educated generation in history\". In fact this generationunderstand the conversion game and have access to more information thanany other generation too. \"Our on-demand, segmented media landscapemakes it easy for prospects to tune you in or tune you out altogether,\" FastCompany added.The report states that brands do not win over the Millennials with broadstrategies, they will win by \"micro-targeting sub-segments\" of the Millennialaudience.*Trends curated by Louise Marsland, specialist editor of Biz Trends 2015.YOUTH TRENDS SPONSORED BY BRANDEDYOUTH

YOUTH TRENDSKeep an eye on Generation Z Image via 123RFWhat marketers also need to keep on their radar is the approaching They are gravitating to live-streaming media, such as Twitch and Ustream. This'Generation Z', who it seems have 'wised up' about the future somewhat after is how agency Sparks & Honey advises marketers to connect with Gen Z,going through the global recession with their families. because they are: more tech innate, able to use five screens; think in 4D; share\"Generation Z have developed their personalities and life skills \"in a socio- judiciously; are active volunteers; blended (race and gender); believe ineconomic environment marked by chaos, uncertainty, volatility and togetherness; are mature; communicate with images; make stuff; havecomplexity\", a research report by agency Sparks & Honey states. humility; are future focused; realists; want to work for success; and have a collective conscious.Titled 'Meet Generation Z: Forget everything you learned about Millennials',the report unpacks this more enlightened and confident generation of In order to connect with them, marketers must:youngsters: \"They have also grown up in a diverse environment, wheremodern families come in all colours and sizes, where gender roles and norms 1. Depict them as diverse (ethnically, sexually, fashionably).are blurring, and they live in multi-generational households. Generation Z 2. Talk in images: emojis, symbols, pictures, videos.share many of the same values as the 'Great Generation', living as they do with 3. Communicate more frequently in shorter bursts of 'snackabletheir grandparents and older siblings ('boomerang' Millennials moving back content'.home).\" 4. Don't talk down... talk to them as adults, even about global topics. 5. Assume they have opinions and are vocal, influencing familySnackable content decisions. 6. Make stuff - or help Gen Z make stuff (they're industrious).They are the ultimate consumers of \"snack media\" as research studies suggest 7. Tap into their entrepreneurial spirit.that \"their brains have evolved to process more information at faster speeds, 8. Be humble.handling bigger mental challenges as a result. They are also less active, spendmore time in front of a computer, but are also more concerned about theworld's social problems than previous generations.YOUTH TRENDS SPONSORED BY BRANDEDYOUTH

9. Give them control and preference settings. internships. 61% said the gap between rich and poor is harmful to their 10. Collaborate with them and help them collaborate with others. generation. 11. Tell your story across multiple screens. • Interestingly, Generation Z seem to be more tech-adverse than 12. Live stream with them - or give them live streaming access. Millennials, interested more in human interaction than talking to their 13. Optimise your search results (they do their internet research). friends via social media. Researchers thought this might be because 14. Talk to them about value (they care about the cost of things). over half these kids have been cyber-bullied or stalked online. 15. Include a social cause that they can fight for. • They are liberal about social issues, believing trans-gender people 16. Have your house in order (in terms of sustainability). should have equal rights and that everyone should have the right to 17. Help them build expertise... they want to be experts. marry or become a citizen. Two thirds think health care should be free 18. Tease (think: ephemeral, puzzles, surprises and games). for all. 19. Feed their curiosity. • 69% said their parents are their top role models. 20. Feed them. • 29% indicated their main source for information about major events is online news sources such as CNN.com or NYTimes.com, compared withFuture plans just 12% who said they get news from what their friends post online. • 38% already make most of their purchases online.The majority of Generation Z are still teenagers born in the mid-90s or laterand at high school, under the age of 18, but this generation are already More information is available at Northeastern Innovation Survey andplanning their futures because they think they may not get jobs and aren't via download (pdf).thrilled by the prospects of crippling student loans. These are some of thehighlights from the research by Northeastern University in the US, released in *Trends curated by Louise Marsland, specialist editor of Biz Trends 2015.November 2014, as reported by Fast Company: • 60% of respondents are concerned about having enough money, and 64% are worried about getting a job. They have no illusions about corporate job security and over four in 10 think they'll work for themselves in their careers. 63% of respondents also think entrepreneurship should be a college subject. 55% plan to live or study abroad in the future. • They think college is important, but are not keen on the idea of college debt. They are also not that optimistic about online degrees. 85% said they want to be taught practical skills in college such as financial planning and saving for the future. 79% believe their college education should include some form of professional experience such asYOUTH TRENDS SPONSORED BY BRANDEDYOUTH

YOUTH TRENDSSA youth lifestyle and Note: Social media platforms are no longer being used to post randomculture information or reposts from peers, but rather specially selected information that contributes to the overall image of the individual. 2015 will see an By Bradley Maseko amplified shift from using social media as a platform to connect and share with peers and family, to a platform to market personal brands and increase Bradley Maseko (@brandedyouthsa) is the Founder and Youth personal brand equity. Marketing Strategist at BrandedYouth. A Johannesburg based youth marketing agency which facilitates relationships between brands 2. Fear of being irrelevant (FOBI) and the youth market. email: [email protected] office: +27 11 326 5108 mobile:+ 27 72 853 7011 twitter: More than just the fear of missing out, there now exists a greater fear within @brandedyouthSA website: www.brandedyouth.co.za the youth culture and that is the fear of being irrelevant. With so much View profile information readily available everywhere, young people often ask inappropriate information sources for updates and are likely to use thisFrom personal brand differentiation, spending and media behaviour, to the inaccurate information to contribute to the discussions both online and offline.trend of visual domination, 2015 will be an impactful year for the youth ofSouth Africa. Note: In a bid to be relevant, young people often enter discussions or comment on topics without fully understanding the merits of the subjects. ThisThe following is a list of 10 youth trends identified from the 2015 Youth Psyche trend will continue in 2015, and as a result there will a notable increase ofReport by Branded Youth conducted in December and early-January 2015 in a unreliable information being shared through either word of mouth or overbid to understand youth lifestyle and culture in South Africa. These trends social networking platforms. It will therefore be important for individuals andrelate to young people aged 18 - 34: LSM 7+: both urban and township youth: brands to verify information before sharing.1. Personal brand differentiation 3. Spending behaviourYoung people have a need to constantly set themselves apart. This is resulting With personal social media accounts being more effective than paidin the increased number of youth who now seek to define themselves through advertising, social media has played a huge role in how the youth spend andeither their lifestyle or dress sense. Now more than ever, the youth have save. A lot of youth have been exposed by their peers to different types ofbecome more image-conscious and therefore more attentive and selective to holiday resorts, both local and abroad, as well as different types of restaurantsinformation being shared over their social media platforms, as this contributes and hotspots. There is an increased need to want to set themselves apart byimmensely to their personal brand building. doing stuff that most of their peers are not doing. This has led to young people trying out new things, but also bearing in mind those good experiences areYOUTH TRENDS SPONSORED BY BRANDEDYOUTH