MARKETING
Collaboration Is Crucial in the World of Advertising
A post-pandemic discussion about what lies ahead for the European advertising industry
For Europe, greater collaboration across the advertising sector will be key as the industry adapts following the economic disruption caused by Covid-19.
The last two months were a time of unprecedented upheaval for industry players worldwide.
As the industry recalibrates, in the aftermath of the pandemic, one key focus should be to harness resources on a pan-European scale to protect jobs as companies ease through the transition and embrace new ways of working.
It’s naive to suggest that the industry will need to employ as many people by Q4–2020, certainly not as many as it did coming into this crisis.
This article will discuss the immediate challenges that the advertising sector has to face over the coming weeks and months.
Succession
It’s important to be mindful of a potential knee-jerk reaction. In many industries its usually a case of ‘last in, first out’ in terms of job cuts. In this situation, junior professionals are pushed out. The impact of this could be severe with succession in mind, as a lot of talent could be lost forever.
It’s unwise to voice many wild predictions as to what the future of advertising will look like because it will change. But it will bounce back in some form.
In the short term advertisers will need to dust-off, evaluate, and lick their wounds. Some contraction is likely. But by next year, the industry will be back to where it is now in terms of the number of workers.
Employee collaboration will be vital for future growth.
Change
What advertising professionals did in 2019 and how they did it, however, will be significantly different 12 months down the line.
Covid-19 has already had a huge impact on creative output and working practices at ad agencies and in-house teams.
There has been an acceleration in digital activities. In fact, the industry has probably witnessed 3 years’ of progress squeezed into the last 3 months.
Projects which companies had an eye on further down the line, with no sense of urgency, now top the agenda. Priorities have changed and industry insiders are working on this transformation behind the scenes.
The industry won’t be the same after this. But the sector has already proven its ability to adapt considering its growth during the digital revolution.
Client collaboration has never been more important to design the future.
Strategy
Going forward, a more simple model may be unveiled. It previously included:
- Traditional ad business
- Large scale public relations capabilities
- Digital, design, development, and activation
Advertising companies aligned every touchpoint under the one brand while maintaining a separation of expertise to deliver for their clients.
That was the old strategy.
Strategy is the easy part. Making it happen on a cultural level and delivering is another story.
Also, it can take time to develop a strategic plan across different markets.
Before the pandemic, some industry players had re-engineered their brand to be better positioned in the digital space. Some were feeling pretty optimistic.
At the start of the year the economy was doing well across Europe. Brexit triggered campaigns for the 27 member states remaining in the EU. The UK had the same demand, just a different message.
European collaboration will protect jobs in the short term.
Bets are off
Just a few months ago European agencies were well-positioned to capture work from both sides.
All bets are off now.
When the pandemic began all bets were off the table. This is likely to be the case as we go forward. For agencies, the priority for their clients is to strike the right tone, since the onset of Covid-19.
Lately, the obvious focus has been on humanity, the greater good, but the same campaign phrases keep popping up, like:
- During uncertain times…
- At times like this…
- In these difficult times…
And so on.
For brands, it was important to demonstrate that they were being responsible, providing a service to help. The aim was to show empathy.
Tone of voice
Indications now are that people have moved on. Consumers are bored from the onslaught of Covid-19 and want to see more commercial messages, with a sensitive tone of course.
It’s too soon for humor though. Things are still a little raw so agencies are treading carefully. But soon, consumers will want to see something that looks a bit more normal, and humor is a great remedy.
Next steps
There is a place for positivity right now. Once measured and balances the message with relevant world events.
Now is the time for brands to be more courageous.
To recap, the key takeaways are:
- Succession — Explore ways to retain talent
- Strategize — Understand what clients will look for in 2021
- All bets are off — Be prepared to transform
- Tone of voice—Tread carefully, but start engaging
Brands that show confidence, those that are positive, with an appropriate level of empathy will be the winners as we come through this crisis.
