AMEC Virtual Summit 2020 – Presented by Megan Harris, Head of Media, and Mark Figliulo, Founder and Creative Chairman, Fig

In today’s world, we are bombarded by information across formats and channels, to the point where, as consumers, we go out of our way to ignore advertising. From on-demand TV to paid options to cut out ads, brands are faced with a bigger challenge than ever to break through.

In this data-led, saturated and fragmented environment, stories are the best and easiest format for information to be digested and retained by people. Thus, a strong brand story is necessary for creating business value from communications.

According to Fig’s Megan Harris and Mark Figliulo, the first lesson in storytelling is to listen. Listening enables brands to capture timely insight on customers and competitors, but we also have to be aware that consumers are also listening to brands, and the information they store away isn’t limited to products and features. Consumers also recall brand behaviour, ethical and cultural references, and how it identifies with their own values and ideas. Data analysis can help here to find out what brands don’t see, for instance, when the brand is saying one message but customers are hearing something else.

In fact, monitoring will frequently reveal that similar brands in a competitive market will tend to cluster around a similar message, which creates an interesting opportunity to stand out by telling a different story.

Figliulo calls it ‘closing the loop between brand and consumer’ and breaking free of being concerned with saying the right thing to the consumer. For example, aspirational adverts are popular but what does the age of the actors, their ethnicity and setting communicate? Could a different, unusual or more identifiable story better resonate with the audience?

Today’s monitoring and analysis technologies enable us to break down the signals to reveal the message that customers are actually hearing, and whether it aligns with what the brand is saying. It helps communications, where necessary, to change the trajectory, reinforcing a story that is working and changing one that isn’t. But, importantly, this is a dynamic field and brands need to keep listening and adapting a strong story to stay relevant in the information age.