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A recent panel discussion during SXSW (South by Southwest) inspired Ben James, Google, Global Creative Director to speak about how much technology has changed brand storytelling. His comments prompted industry creatives to speak up about the pitfalls they often face when it comes to storytelling in the digital era.
Sebastian Tomich, SVP, Advertising & Innovation for the New York Company was quick to point out that “it has never been easier to make cool stuff, but it has never been harder to get the word out.”
Producing incredible creative has been one of the best advancements to come out of the digital age. Brands are clean, pristine, and yet underrated. It’s almost as if they have lost their luster and only a company who is able to differentiate their brand can position itself to get ahead.
James Quincy, Coca a Cola, CEO, recently took a stand against the volatile brand climate claiming “A brand has to stand for something and you have to make the choices of what you want it to stand for, and then stand behind those choices.” Perhaps this old school methodology is why Coca a Cola’s brand has tumbled from the top position globally, as ranked by BrandFinance, to 27th over the past decade. That represents a decline of more than $10bn to $31.8bn this year.
That’s because the days of playing off sentimental value have evolved. Not only does a brand’s story have to resonate with its target audience it also must stand out amongst a sea of equally creative competitors.
From shorter ad formats to immersive virtual reality (VR), the supply of new and innovative storytelling tools available to brands is bottomless. Yet as the amount of produced content explodes and audiences grow pickier about what they check out, how can brands ensure they break through?
During the SXSW panel Ben Jones, Global Creative Director, Google stated "Technology is creating more immersive experiences. And that's important because attention is the one metric that can't be bought. You can buy 20M eyeballs or 30 seconds of time, but there's now a bifurcation around choice. 'If I can choose it, I want a lot of it. But if I can't choose it, I want less of it.' "
Consumable, creative, and captivating brands are built to withstand the technological revolution and thinkdm2 is here to help you create just that. As a New Jersey digital marketing and branding agency that has been around since the days of palm pilot, we understand what it means to build a brand that has integrity and can stand the test of time. Visit our blog for more information. 
