Power to the people.
We live in interesting times. The same technology that connects us to billions of people around the world also can distance us from them. No, we are not here apologising to the past; we are not nostalgic. Just like you, we know the power technology has of putting you face-to-face with those you care about, but from there, it's up to you, and it's no use being face-to-face with who you have always dreamed of and not knowing what to say. Or worse, saying what you should not have said. Behind that screen, that app, emoticon, video, or the newest social network, there are still people. People who talk to people, real people. People who get excited, who love good stories, who consume what is true and reject what is not. People who hold hands for causes and bid farewell to opportunism. People know that there is no faster connection than technology, but they also know that there is no connection more profound than the human one. It is this connection that we know how to cultivate. In the end, the only thing that matters is who we are, and we are People.
Assuming we need to have an idea according to consumer behaviour, I came to a simple conclusion; to be effective, you must be close. More than close, you should be together. Behaviour is everywhere. That is when they have dinner at home with their family when they have meetings, when they sit at the bar with friends; when they eat with others, when they organise vacations, and post on Facebook. We need ideas according to the behaviour of this person, who is everywhere.
The conclusion is that this 360-degree communication, which has been the latest sensation on the market, gives rise to a new guideline; 365 days of communication. That's it. To be close, you have to follow, read the subject's body and spirit, sit together, and sit next to them when they get to the movies. Exaggeration aside, what I mean is not just another integrated communication, full service round, it takes longer. You have to understand deeply what the guy wants - sometimes he doesn't even know, and that is why we're here. We have to have 365 days, 52 weeks, 8766 hours. Audience behaviour is key to successful communication.
Full service kindly gives its place to the full journey; a format that features the full platform instead of the campaign; the internet of things rather than the pure and simple internet and so on.
It just shows that this is a moment of evolution, not a revolution in advertising. It is no longer online or offline communication.
Marketing Directors and the communications industry need to understand that branding needs affective communication.
There are no secrets and, as I said, no revolution. You think of the person as the centre of the action. Brands are demanding relevant interaction, so every touchpoint is an opportunity. That is, it's not about technology and new channels; it's about people and a new society that is being shaped.
André Felix, Freelancer Global Creative Director, USA
