marketing trends, marcom, marcom trends

SCG Trendwatch: MarCom Industry News – December 2023

by Marketing

marketing trends, marcom, marcom trends

Welcome to your monthly round-up for busy MarCom professionals. This month, we are sharing the latest news, strategies, tools, and trends affecting the industry landscape. Check in for the latest updates from all over the web.

 

1. Thought leadership: The human element your marketing needs

AI is everywhere, filling the web with content that often lacks the depth, nuance or forward-looking angle of expert insight. While tools like ChatGPT can supplement expertise with efficiency and creativity, more than ever, buyers need perspective that comes from years of experience and deep industry knowledge.

In this sea of increasingly repetitive and recycled content, you need to offer something unique to capture attention. That’s where “thought leadership” comes in. Yes, it’s a buzzword that took a beating several years ago with many self-proclaimed thought leaders, but it has never been a more important part of your marketing strategy. Read more…

 

2. 2023 in review: 3 key trends to inform your 2024 marketing plan

Forecasting this holiday season is like playing Powerball. Holiday spending will rise 3% to 4% in 2023, the National Retail Federation predicts. This is the smallest gain since the first pandemic year. Other forecasts say consumers plan to take on less debt this year, cut back more or shift spending from things to experience.

Even with everything happening around you, I will ask you to pause your daily business for a minute and look back over this year. At some point before the year is out, you’ll be thinking about what next year will bring. As you do, let’s think about some events that shaped decision-making and will likely factor into your planning for 2024.

These three developments stood out for me this year. Read more…

 

3. A measurement formula for modern brand marketers

For marketers, keeping up with today’s rapidly shifting customer landscape can feel like an unending sprint. The same can be said of the ever-growing list of integrated measurement solutions. Indeed, 54% of marketers admit they’re overwhelmed by the number of data, measurement, and analytics solutions that are available, and report decreased confidence in those solutions’ ability to produce solid business results.1

We hear this firsthand from our customers too. They understand that a privacy-first, cross-media measurement strategy is the foundation of the future, but they’re not quite sure how to begin implementing it today. That’s where we can help.

For years, we’ve been talking to brand marketers about the value they get from cross-media investments. Based on what we’ve learned from these conversations, we’ve determined that there’s a simple formula you can follow to ensure a successful measurement strategy — one that isn’t just a reactive play to protect your investments but that acts as a proactive growth engine.

I’ll walk you through its three steps. Read more…

 

4. Google’s 2024 cookie deprecation deadline is still on, says vp of global advertising Dan Taylor

Between the Department of Justice’s antitrust suit against Google and the impending self-imposed deadline for removing third-party cookies from its Chrome browser, there is a lot on the technology megacorp’s plate.

But Dan Taylor, the company’s vp of global advertising, is confident that nothing will change the timeline that Google has set for cookie depreciation: “Cookies will be phased out completely from Chrome at the end of 2024.” Read more…

 

5. It’s not just Swifties: There are more sports fans, and brands see a way to score

On Sept. 24, Taylor Swift — you might have heard of her — attended an NFL game to watch her beau, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, help his team defeat the Chicago Bears 41–10.

That same day, sales for Kelce jerseys spiked 400 percent.

The Kelce phenomenon reflects how major sports organizations are leaning into the stardom of their most popular players, and the stories surrounding them, to expand their audience; the NFL even briefly changed its header photo on X, formerly Twitter, to one of Swift.

This also highlights the opportunity for brands to capitalize on new sports fans who might be going all-in on their newfound passion. Or they can capture casual participants more interested in the personalities and culture surrounding the sport than the sport itself. Whatever the case, the last few years have seen rising engagement with sports, both in the U.S. and around the world, that goes well beyond Swift and the NFL. The brands that tap in to that consumer interest could benefit. Read more…

Intern Insights: Are Your Photos Worth A Thousand Words?

by AdvertisingBrandingMarketingSocial Media

In the digital world, visuals are essential to grab attention, convey messages, and make a lasting impression. In this blog post, I will walk you through the basic elements and techniques to take the best eye-catching photos. By utilizing these tricks, you’ll be able to consistently generate high-quality images for your future projects.

A picture is worth a thousand words

A well-crafted image portrays a message better than a one-thousand-word essay (with far less effort too!). It is important to create the best quality work when representing your brand. Is your photo relevant to the work it is connected to? Is it a dynamic photo that will catch your eye when scrolling through your social feed? An article with an attention-grabbing image is far more likely to generate engagement than a poorly chosen one.

Know your equipment

Knowing your equipment increases your capabilities as a photographer. Once you understand the basics, you can step out of your comfort zone and experiment with different settings to create some fun effects. Also, know how to upload your image to your computer without losing resolution. Regardless of how clear the picture is, it can become blurry if the process is handled incorrectly.

Master composition

Set yourself up to take a picture with a visually pleasing background that conveys the intended message and mood. Also, make sure you are successfully lining up your photo. One way to do this is by utilizing the grid. The grid is a helpful composition tool featured in many cameras and smartphone apps. Using this feature can help you to align your subject within your frame and maintain symmetry.

Fix your lighting

Understanding the different qualities of natural light versus artificial light is also important. Different types of lighting can impact the mood, color temperature, and overall aesthetic of your images. When taking photos outdoors, it is important to learn how to harness the natural light to your advantage and to avoid shadows and sun glare. When taking photos indoors, it is still ideal to take advantage of the natural lighting. Whether or not natural lighting is available, it is important to make your lighting look as natural as possible.

Combine these skills to take the perfect photo

Remember, a well-crafted image can make or break your project, leave a strong impression, and help grab attention. By harnessing these skills, you will be equipped with the knowledge to elevate your photography, helping you and your business increase engagement and polish your aesthetics.

 

Justin Picciuto

Public Relations Intern

SCG Advertising & PR

Promotional Products Work From Home

by AdvertisingBrandingMarketingPublic RelationsUncategorized

Promotional products and apparel are an excellent way for companies to build engagement with customers and employees. Strategies have shifted slightly with so many employees working remotely or in a hybrid schedule. We increasingly take into account what items would improve productivity in a home office or move easily with the employee between home and office.

TECHNOLOGY

All those Zoom meetings mean that we need to stay connected and organized.

  • Chargers
  • Ear Buds
  • Mouse Pads
  • Cord Organizer
  • Camera Cover
  • Ring Light
  • Branded Desk Organizers
  • Pens

APPAREL

Since your fellow Zoomers are only seeing the top half of you, you might as well have warm toes with branded socks or slippers. Logoed apparel keeps comfortable clothing professional for those on-camera moments.

TRAVEL

Traveling from home to office is a marketing/recruitment opportunity with branded bags, laptop sleeves, phone wallets, or pop sockets.

GIFT OPTIONS

To keep distribution simple, consider a gift program that allows recipients to select from a range of items that are delivered to their preferred address.

We’ve all seen the social media posts of connections starting a new job with a delivery of employer swag, but I recently saw something even cooler. A departing employee received an Alumni gift thanking them for their service and wishing them luck in their new endeavor. We’ve talked to clients about using “return tickets” officially giving employees in good standing permission to change their minds if the grass isn’t greener within a specified period of time, but this takes it one step further.

There are so many ways to use company swag to reach customers and potential employees. Contact SCG today to brainstorm ideas and make your next event memorable.

 

What if you decide to abandon Twitter?

by AdvertisingMarketingMobile AdvertisingPublic RelationsSocial Media
Tada Images – stock.adobe.com

One of the best-known of all social media platforms, Twitter, is in the process of dramatically altering itself. Some changes that have already been implemented – or are thought to be coming soon – are concerning both to individuals and organizations that have utilized Twitter for years. So, in the event you find yourself making a decision about shifting away from Twitter, here are several alternatives to consider.

Tumblr – It began as a microblogging platform in 2007, and has a vast number of users. Tumblr’s fanbase may not be as passionate as those of other platforms, but the site offers a wide variety of options for posting and sharing text, images, video, audio, and links.

LinkedIn – More sophisticated than many other social media platforms, LinkedIn’s emphasis is on helping users locate new clients and employees, and share details of professional successes. While it may be business-focused, it’s the online home for individuals in a broad range of endeavors.

Hive Social – On the rise since 2019, Hive Social’s audience has grown by one million users since changes began at Twitter. The platform enables users to post content without length limitations and already offers an editing function. The key drawback with Hive Social is loading time and a few other technical irregularities.

Discord – Beginning as a communications app for sharing voice, video and text chat with friends, game communities, and developers, Discord has steadily expanded. It is currently popular for networking, particularly in the music, entertainment, and sports sectors, with emphasis on internal group chats.

Mastodon – It’s a federation of independently operated interconnected servers, offers microblogging features akin to Twitter, but also features other functionality allowing for message that are 500-characters in length. Mastodon also offers extensive privacy features, plus the ability to hide spoilers and add trigger warnings.

Post – For now, there’s actually a waitlist for joining the platform. Post is intended to be “A Social Platform for Real People, Real News, and Civil Conversations,” and is geared toward journalists who want to share stories without being edited.

Or … do nothing – Sometimes, taking no action is the most appropriate action. If you have an audience on other platforms and all is going well, it may be fine to simply step away from Twitter without identifying a replacement.

For more information about the recent and upcoming Twitter changes, check out the following articles:

https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/25/elon-musk-says-twitters-new-multicoloured-verification-will-launch-next-week/

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2022-11-07/twitter-layoffs-media-verification

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/24/musk-twitter-suspension-policy-00070819

https://www.fastcompany.com/90804776/elon-musk-massive-changes-twitter-one-week

Advertising Week 2022: What the Future Has in Store for Marketing

by AdvertisingMarketing

Advertising Week NYC 2022 wrapped up recently on October 20th, concluding four days of networking, speaking lectures, discussions, and other marketing-related events. Advertising Week is a major gathering of advertising and communications professionals, who come together to discuss the latest trends, strategies, and perspectives in the industry. The recent event in New York marked the first in-person event Advertising Week held since the start of the pandemic, signaling the industry’s desire to meet in person again and not just on Zoom calls.

 

Some new technologies which took a lot of the spotlight were the metaverse and Web3. The metaverse refers to a digital universe where participants will be able to interact and carry out various activities together, while Web3 refers to a vision of a new type of internet that gives more power and influence to regular participants and creators, rewarding them more for their contributions. For example, social media sites currently harvest and monetize user data for themselves. In a theoretical Web3 internet, users could monetize and sell their own data.

Advertisers and marketers at the event were enthusiastic about these new technologies and the prospect of being able to use them to reach audiences in new and exciting ways. One common talking point was how the metaverse and Web3 would shift the dynamic between agencies and clients. For example, with the metaverse offering a more immersive online experience, which users have greater control over, how would that impact traditional advertising strategies? Could current models or strategies even work in a metaverse? Speakers encouraged advertisers to dream big and get creative in this completely new frontier. The main thing to remember is that in a theoretical Web 3 internet, power would be decentralized, meaning that larger companies would no longer hold all the influence and ownership power. This dynamic would greatly influence the strategies and approaches marketers can use.

Speakers also discussed the role of creators and influencers in marketing, and how marketers approach working with them. With a range of creator styles and objectives, there were many ways company executives outlined. For example beverage company Diageo said they work with creators for more purposeful objectives. Back during the pandemic, they recruited singers to perform at bars, helping bring back people during the pandemic. They also teamed up with prominent food influencers on Youtube to teach their audience how to prepare certain drinks like cocktails using the company’s products. Another important discussion point was how a company defines a creator. When a company is trying to reach a range of different audiences, what counts as a “creator” might change based on the audience. A DoorDash executive said at a previous event that they consider their delivery drivers to be the creators who best advertise the service, for instance. Companies also should know how active their role should be in creator content. Some companies like to take a hands-off approach and let an influencer do their thing, while other companies like Equinox play a more authoritative role and monitor creator content more closely. In Equinox’s case, they want to closely monitor misinformation in the fitness space, so they closely watch what things their creators are promoting so common myths don’t get shared.

Another major talking point was the presence of diversity in the industry. While there were various events focusing on diversity during the event, the overall consensus seems to be that diversity initiatives have seemed to be slowing down ever since the start of the pandemic. With the financial pressure the global pandemic has put on companies, combined with recent rises in inflation and fears of a coming recession, many companies have seemed to put diversity efforts on the back burner for now, which some criticized.

If one thing’s clear from the event, it’s that a lot is in store for marketers in the coming months and years. New technology, changing trends, and emerging strategies are going to all change how the industry operates and marketers are going to need to reevaluate how they reach their audiences.

 

Links to some interesting podcasts recorded ahead of Advertising Week New York 2022:

Great Minds: Dan Robbins, VP, Marketing, Roku

Uncommon Thinking: The Creator Connection – The Evolution of Brand Building

The Sonic Truth: Taking Risks, Measuring ROI, And Development of Long-Term Strategy in Audio

SCG Advertising + Public Relations is a woman-owned, full-service, advertising agency headquartered in New Jersey. If you need assistance contact your Account Manager or visit our website at: SCGADV.COM

International Podcast Day

by MarketingPublic Relations

A lot has changed, and quickly, in terms of the media that we create and consume. We went from radio and TV, CDs, vinyl records and so on, to being able to stream every medium possible in the palm of our hands. One new media that’s continues to grow in popularity is podcasting. So we’re all clear, a podcast – per thepodcasthost.com – is “an audio program, just like Talk Radio, but you subscribe to it on your smartphone and listen to it whenever you like.”

Many of my friends have podcasts. Two of these are “Bopcast” and “Ayoochill Podcast,” both of which focus on interviewing a variety of individuals, from entrepreneurs, event hosts, musicians, emcees, and others. I’m always fascinated by my friends’ podcasts because they bring unexpected perspectives and interview styles, and ask thought-provoking questions.

Other podcasts I enjoy listening to are Barstool Sports’ “Call Her Daddy,” hosted by Alex Cooper, and “The Daily Stoic,” hosted by Ryan Holiday. “Call Her Daddy” focuses on issues facing women, and also offers celebrity interviews. Within these celebrity interviews, many issues are spoken on including feminism, the real life of a Hollywood star and so much more. Podcasts are used for entertainment from time to time but most importantly can be used for educating others.

“The Daily Stoic” is a definite departure from the other podcasts I listen to. My wise and wonderful boss Mike got me into it, and I’d say it has actually changed my life. Holiday focuses on many historical figures, many of them Stoics,  and provides easily digestible insights. Many perspectives pioneered by Stoic philosophers like Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, form the basis for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Each episode is eye-opening, and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for something to make you pause and think.

Along with listening to podcasts, I’ve actually produced several myself – though nothing I plan on releasing publicly. I’ve just been practicing and honing my skills. And with this in mind, I’m now working with my colleague Kurt to develop a podcast series for our agency that will serve to inform about public relations, advertising, recruitment, and communications overall. In past SCG has done post production and creative slates for several podcasts for our client Rutgers University. You can see some of this work on our SCG YouTube page here.  The quality that we give to our clients is superb, we are great listeners and enjoy collaborating with creative people. We would love to produce your next podcast!

Happy International Podcast Day!

recruitment marketing and cats

Recruitment Marketing and Cats

by AdvertisingMarketingRecruitment Advertising

recruitment marketing and cats

Monday, August 8th is International Cat Day!

I was never a cat person. We always had dogs. Then a mama cat gifted me with kittens, twice, and my journey to crazy cat lady began. Don’t worry. We found homes for many and with the support of my favorite vets, we got everyone checked out, vaccinated, and made sure there wouldn’t be more kittens.  Cat behavior is interesting and got me thinking about how it correlates to my recruitment marketing business at SCG.

#1 – Cats are like passive candidates. You can’t force your intentions on them. They have to come to you. If you dangle the right toy/treat/message and wait patiently, they will eventually acknowledge and respond.

#2 – Looks can be deceiving. Our cats are adorable but have a killer instinct, keeping birds, chipmunks, mice, etc. on notice. In recruitment marketing, you need to review resumes carefully and don’t judge too quickly. You also shouldn’t judge on appearance. Some very talented employees may come with tattoos, piercings, or non-traditional hair choices.

#3 – I often find “gifts” from the cats that aren’t necessarily on my wish list. Sometimes it’s about aligning background and experience with the appropriate open requisition and not just judging against the job applied for.

#4 – I’m a morning person. Many of the cats are night prowlers. I try to understand their behavior and adapt accordingly. When hiring for different shifts, think like your candidate. Put your message out on late night radio or tv. It’s usually less expensive than those coveted drive time radio slots or prime time tv. Host a virtual hiring event or just have a chat bot available for questions overnight.

#5 – Like people, cats need to feel welcomed as part of the team. We recently took in a new cat that needed to be rehomed. He hid under the bed for days. Super timid. Then we put a collar on him and his personality dramatically shifted. Suddenly, he engaged with humans and cats alike. It seemed he needed to feel secure in his new home. In recruitment marketing, whether it’s a branded polo shirt, computer bag, coffee mug or something else, welcome new hires with something that says they are part of the team. For those working onsite, also consider a special badge or pin that identifies new hires so that coworkers can spot them and help when they seem lost or might need assistance.

#6 – Every cat has their own language. Who knew…purring is not the official cat language. Some cats vocalize with sounds that are almost words. Our Amelia has a high-pitched trilling meow. Others are almost silent unless they feel threatened and may hiss or growl. Candidates also have different communication styles. In this market, be open to communicating via phone call, email, text…at least in the beginning. Unless it’s critical to the job function, listen to words as much as communication style. Interviewing can be a stressful situation and well qualified candidates may not perform well. When looking for bilingual candidates use bilingual messaging in ethnic media and be mindful of cultural differences/sensitivities.

Catalina is the cat who started it all and is now Queen of the clowder. From a homeless girl in trouble to a beloved family pet who never strays, she’s found her place. May your recruiting journeys be equally rewarding.

Tina Davis

Tina Davis
VP, Account Services
SCG Advertising & PR

SCG Trendwatch: MarCom Industry News – June 2022

by AdvertisingMarketingOnline Strategy
Trendwatch Marketing

Welcome to your monthly round-up for busy MarCom professionals. Each month, we share the latest news, strategies, tools and trends affecting the industry landscape. Check-in for the latest updates from all over the web.  

Google reimagines search beyond ’10 blue links’

At its Marketing Live event, the tech giant expressed a desire to steer digital advertising toward more interactive features, including AR shopping ads in search results. The digital boom of the pandemic is showing signs of slowing, but tech companies are still priming themselves for a future where habits adopted over the period stick around. At its annual Marketing Live event Tuesday, Google addressed the emergence of what it calls “omnibuyers”: consumers who more intensively research and browse on their shopping journeys both online and in-store. Read more…

NFTs are taking off on Instagram

Non-fungible tokens are finding their place on the social media network. But are marketers taking advantage?  With influencers and digital artists leading the way, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are taking Meta’s Instagram by storm.

Data from influencer marketing platform HypeAuditor shows:
  • Over 20,00 accounts with “NFT” in the bio, most (over 40%) U.S.-based.
  • Over 900 million followers for those accounts.
  • Over 100,000 posts monthly using the hashtag #NFT.   Read more…

Is Google Analytics going away? What marketers need to know

Universal Analytics will be retired on July 1, 2023. What does that mean for you? Here’s what you need to know about getting your website ready for the brave new world. Third-party cookies are going the way of the dodo. The looming cookieless world has many marketers more than a little nervous. With Universal Analytics sunsetting and the rise of what’s being called Google Analytics 4 in its place, digital marketing analytics can be a confusing place, so let’s make things clear… and know that I even got some input from Google digital marketing evangelist Avinash Kaushik too!  Read more…

2022: the year micro-influencer marketing meets big data

With companies looking to build meaningful relationships with longer-term customers before and after transaction, micro-influencers look set to become a permanent fixture of their communications strategies long into 2022 and beyond. Ryan Dean, head of PR strategy at Jaywing, is seeing big brands seek to work with micro-influencers in the name of effectiveness.
With a greater focus than ever on customer loyalty, effectiveness and ROI, how can brands leverage data to better plan, execute and – most importantly – measure the success of their micro-influencer campaigns?  Read more…

Creating New Audiences and Building Community With Creators

The importance and market momentum of creators is growing by the day. Their ability to engage and create moments with audiences can be used by marketers to leverage these masters of the social space and their unprecedented connections with their followers. Meta’s vp, Americas, global business group, Nada Stirratt, and Adore Me’s founder and CEO, Morgan Hermand, joined Adweek’s Social Media Week for a fireside chat about how brands can use creators to attract new audiences, break down barriers and engage with their communities in more personal ways.  Read more…

Marriott launches hospitality industry’s first media network

Marriott International launched the Marriott Media Network, an omnichannel cross-platform ad solution for marketers, according to a press release. The network will initially target travelers in the U.S. and Canada before expanding globally to encompass more than 164 million members of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. Once fully deployed, the network will carry inventory that spans Marriott’s owned channels, including display, mobile, video, email and digital out-of-home, the latter of which features in-room television and digital screens. The Marriott Media Network is a full-stack collaboration that leverages Yahoo’s sell-side platform (SSP) and demand-side platform (DSP). The launch, which Marriott claims is a first for the hospitality industry, follows explosive growth in the retail media space as advertisers look to better target and track consumers amid a tightening of data privacy rules on other digital platforms.  Read more…

THE RAMS WON THE SUPER BOWL. WHO WON THE ADVERTISING BOWL?

by AdvertisingMarketing

Well, another Super Bowl has come and gone, and while I might offer my opinion on the game itself, I’m more qualified to comment on the commercials that support the broadcast.

 

Some quick background: I’ve been in advertising for fifty-two years, a creative director for the last forty, and I worship at the feet of Bill Bernbach. For those who don’t know who Bernbach is, Google him. If you’re in the advertising business and don’t know him, you really should discover everything about him. And fast.

 

Now before you assume that I’m some old creative dinosaur stuck in the brilliance of the groundbreaking advertising of the 1960s and 70s, know this: I am. Well, sort of. You see, I have managed to stay current and enjoy most of the technological, sociological, and cultural changes that have happened in my lifetime. But I still believe advertising – aside from being creative – should inform us about what the advertiser is selling and interest us enough to want to know more. In my opinion, too much recent advertising – while being creative and brilliantly produced – left me wondering who the advertiser was or what they were selling. If your target doesn’t know who you are and what you do, all that creativity has gone to waste. Not to mention the client’s money.

 

Most Super Bowl advertising is produced to raise awareness, make a statement, and create a buzz for the advertiser’s brand. Advertisers invest millions ($6.5 million for a thirty-second spot this year, plus millions more for production) on this once-a-year opportunity to reach zillions of consumers, so their commercial better be memorable and informative. That means consumers better understand what the advertiser’s commercial taught them about its brand, more than they remember how much jewelry Snoop Dogg wore during the halftime show.

 

So, here’s my top five of this year’s thirty and sixty-second multi-million-dollar productions that kept us glued to the tv in between passes, interceptions, and punts:

 

FTX – Larry David is perfectly cast as the naysayer, who throughout history is wrong about everything new – from the wheel to the lightbulb and now, FTX. Will Larry be wrong about this product that claims to be the safe, secure way to get into crypto? Only time will tell, but the odds favor FTX.

 

CHEVY SILVERADO – A brilliant recreation of the Sopranos opening, featuring Meadow – not Tony – in the driver’s seat of a new Chevy Silverado. With all the Sopranos content floating around the social media universe, this spot will resonate with the new generation of Sopranos fans…and truck purchasers.

 

E-TRADE – The talking baby returns! The original campaign was a Super Bowl favorite, and e-trade brings the baby back to remind investors they can get better advice from them than “… getting investment advice from memes.”

 

UBER EATS – Excellent execution of strategy: To inform us that Uber Eats delivers more than food. Great use of celebrities not understanding why they can’t eat the aluminum foil, diapers, and other non-edible items delivered by Uber Eats.

 

SQUARESPACE – Great concept. Great copy. Actually, very sweet while being very informative. This well-produced spot featuring Zendaya should score well with today’s new generation of marketers.

 

The rest of the commercials ranged from very good, to so-so, to awful, but I chose to compliment the great ones rather than criticize the not-so-great ones. I realize there will be those who will disagree with my choices, but advertising is so subjective, and I may be more analytical than the average commercial viewer, and that’s ok. Hopefully, my colleagues will produce even better work for future Super Bowls, so, as they say in sports, “I can’t wait until next year!”

What do your stakeholders value … and can it predict their behavior?

by AdvertisingMarketingPublic Relations
Image courtesy of the European Commission, Joint Research Centre

 

Given the rise in polarization and misinformation across society, a refined understanding of values is more meaningful than ever before. There’s minimal confusion about the fact that how we interact with the world is driven by what we value and identify with. But, it’s important to realize that because values also trigger appreciation of certain behaviors and distaste for others, an awareness of them can be an effective tool in helping organizations solidify relationships with key stakeholders.

 

A recent report by the European Commission, Joint Research Centre provides a unique look at values and identities and their impact on decision makers and communicators. The report also provides a powerful tool to map values and identities. The map helps marketers and communicators understand value tensions that impact communications, while identifying stakeholders and what motivates them.

 

The report notes:

 

  • “Values are a blend of biological and evolutionary factors coupled with individual and societal histories. Values are highly stable at the individual level and are mostly shaped by life conditions during childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood through the influence of parents, neighbors, friends, and schools.”

 

  • “Personal identity is based on a person’s values, experiences and knowledge, and is mostly perceived to be unique. The relevance of personal identity for policymaking comes from the argument that values are at its core, therefore, when one’s values are threatened, it is also true that the sense of self is threatened.”

 

  • “Social identification can shift a person’s behavior to align with the group by ascribing characteristics, values and qualities of the group to the self and depersonalizing one’s personal identity. Identification of oneself and others into various social groups is human nature. Belonging to a group is a source of self-esteem and distinctiveness. The identification with a group can be an advantage for working together but can also be to the exclusion of others, as seen in many political conflicts of our time. The identification with one group often leads to a reduced willingness to interact and share with others and to perceive others as less positive.”

 

Understanding values and identities enables us to shape research and the gathering of information; accurately assess situations; check assumptions about publics and perceptions; and identify, prioritize, and understand key publics well beyond traditional demographics, geography, and identifiers. Communicators and marketers can utilize this research to develop more targeted messaging, while selecting a spokesperson who will be most appropriate for achieving desired outcomes. And, speaking even more broadly, a full awareness of values and identities can lead to the creation of increasingly effective communication goals and strategies.