Leading Bristol PR agency, Grayling, has unveiled six communications trends for the year ahead at an exclusive breakfast attended by more than 40 communications and marketing experts from across the region.
The event, which was led by Grayling’s Global Head of Strategic Services, Jon Meakin, launched the agency’s #6into18 trends, which are a collection of key trends all communicators should embrace in the year ahead. The event was held at the Arnolfini on 17 January 2017.
Focusing on brand values, urban influence, interactive storyliving and disruptive marketing, the event delved into the game-changing tech, social media innovations and socio-political shifts driving Grayling’s #6into18 trends forecasts.
Richard Chapman, Head of Grayling Bristol, said:
“We were thrilled to welcome so many of the South West’s top communicators to our #6into18 event as we explored the six key trends that are driving innovation across the global communications industry. It is crucial we now take a step back and consider how we can best harness these trends and get ahead of the curve in 2018.”
The key trends Grayling identified in the #6into18 breakfast include:
1. Take a stand
The lines between business, politics and culture are ever more blurred and organisations can no longer sit on the fence as consumers demand clarity, commitment and action, and diversity is the order of the day.
2. Urban vision
Marketers focus on global super cities and their fast-growing affluent populations, anchoring their brands in iconic spaces and engaging directly with culturally-savvy audiences that can reach and influence others.
3. Story time
From advertising serials and Instagram stories to fictional classics and mixed reality experiences, brands are using narratives in new ways to capture attention and build a loyal following.
4. Test and learn
As the pace of change gets faster, organisations of all sizes assume a start-up mentality and crowdsourced ideas and rapid innovation are the order of the day with live testing and beta operations increasingly normal.
5. Brand-play
Everything is marketing as smart organisations drive purpose and personality through each customer interaction, delivering the unexpected and turning the mundane into a game to activate and reward customers.
6. Attention Economy
Platform fatigue and algorithm driven news stream clutter will see marketers looking for cut through opportunities in far flung, virgin corners of the internet. From Airbnb to Kickstarter, as long as it accepts content then it’s fair game.
To learn more about Grayling’s #6into18 trends, visit:http://www.grayling.com/bg/insight/six_things_every_professional_communicator_needs_to_know_for_2018
To receive a copy of the presentation please contact Richard Chapman on Richard.chapman@grayling.com