Media consumption is growing more personalized, reflecting users’ focus on their diverse, unique lives. Users can choose from a wide range of sources the ones that resonate the most with them, and, in some cases such as streaming music, their choices drive growth in glocalization, i.e., increased interest in local businesses, artists and performers.
Brands must reflect this evolution in how they approach their marketing campaigns if they are to appeal to audiences. This includes acting to reduce potential bias in the technology they use.
This article is extracted from The Pace of Progress – 2024 Media Trends, dentsu’s 14th annual trends report. Read on to learn how brands can leverage their media and marketing budgets to not only do good today, but also invest in their future.
1. Emerging media usages
Media usage reflects this societal trend toward diversity. People can now set their own TV schedules and choose to follow their preferred topics, giving rise to a Generation P whose media consumption is personalized to their diverse, unique lives.
In the UK, the number of TV programs attracting more than four million viewers declined by more than 50% in less than ten years, as viewers choose from a wide range of sources the ones that resonate the most with them. In music, recent research points to glocalization, where the rise of global streaming platforms correlates with a strengthening of local music.
While musical hits in English used to dominate charts across countries, listeners now flock to local language artists. Forms may be global (e.g., rap music), but the expression is local (e.g., German rap music).
2. Responsible technology
As media usages become increasingly diverse, brands must reflect this evolution in how they approach their campaigns if they are to appeal to audiences. This includes acting to reduce potential bias in the technology they use.
Models may be trained on datasets that contain human biases, for example, in representation of minorities in images that some groups use, and therefore, these models’ outputs become biased themselves. This highlights the necessity for representation throughout the training and technology development. Ensuring diversity in marketing and product development teams and questioning tech partners on their training practices is key.
Innovative technology can also be used to challenge traditional narratives and change attitudes, as illustrated by Orange’s recent commercial for promoting the FIFA Women’s World Cup. While the ad begins with highlights from the France men’s national team, it then reveals to the audience that the footage they have just watched had been edited using deepfake technology – men’s team players’ faces being superimposed to actual highlights of the women’s national team. Doing so, the commercial aimed to demonstrate that viewers’ sexist misconceptions were baseless as the women’s competition is just as riveting and spectacular as the men’s. This is a strong example of technology being used to encourage more inclusive views across society.
3. More diverse media models
Diversity can be reflected in media plans, too. As brands are being pulled into culture wars, 64% of CMOs now express concerns that their media spending may inadvertently contribute to political polarization, and 81% agree brands can use budgets to amplify independent and diverse voices, according to research by Dentsu Creative.
Yet, in the push towards reach and cost efficiency, some smaller, more niche platforms such as minority-owned media can fall by the wayside, where they are more at threat from the recent economic squeeze. Through their media investment, brands can recognize the unique value they offer to audiences and to the long-term sustainability and diversity of the media ecosystem.
Revenue-sharing models that support content creators and users should also be on brands’ radar. Emerging platforms such as WeAre8 or Good-Loop that reward engaged users by sharing a percent of advertising revenues or let them give to charity in exchange of ad viewing illustrate new media models that offer alternative growth routes to brands.
What’s next?
By taking active steps to identify and mitigate bias in their AI initiatives and supporting diverse voices through their media budgets, brands will not only do good today, but also invest in their future.
This is trend number eight of the ten media trends discussed in dentsu’s The Pace of Progress – 2024 Media Trends report.
Next time: trend #9 – Safer, better, faster, stronger