Editor’s Note: Fog of War upends marketing

Whether we like it or not, the catastrophes in the Middle East are uppermost in the minds of everyone.

How does the fog of war affect the business of marketing, you ask? Well, marketing is about winning minds and hearts, and you can’t do that without merging with reality.

Brands that ignore this zeitgeist will find themselves talking to themselves.

Those that seek “Me first” attention will be greeted by a “Who you?” retort. Consumers are putting on more filters as they navigate through an overhyped content minefield.

This cynicism is real.

It doesn’t help that bad news, and most times, fake news travels fast. Like a sick sort of dopamine.

Algorithms thrive on this winning formula, as they push their hidden agenda in the race for revenues.

Algorithm = Agenda.

As we enter the final quarter of the year, the mood has already changed.

It is in this time of high anxiety and apprehensions that brand authenticity has become critical. Beto Fernandez, co-founder of creative agency Activista, boasts of creating advertising for positive social change.

He tells us why thinking like an activist has never been so important. This thinking is what sparked the creation of Dove Real Beauty Sketches, the most talked about ad of all time which was viewed on YouTube over 114 million times just one month after its release.

“We did something radically different; calling in an FBI-trained forensic artist to draw women describing their appearance versus how a stranger would describe them.”

The result was the creation of a powerful and emotional campaign that gave a compelling insight into women’s selfperception.

The short film won 19 Cannes Lions including the Titanium Grand Prix.

His advice is to “Make Acts not Ads. Don’t just tell the story. Become the story.”

The time has come for brand activists to rise.

Peace.

HARMANDAR SINGH

After 20 years of evolving technology, shifting market trends, and adapting to changing consumer behaviour, the media landscape has nearly reached saturation.

We’ve optimised to the fullest, providing advertisers with abundant choices across technology, platforms, data-driven marketing, CTV, OTT, DOOH, influencer marketing, retail, etc.

Media specialists have diversified, but with more options comes the challenge of maintaining income growth. The industry is expanding, but revenue isn’t keeping pace.

Now, we’re at a TURNING POINT: time to explore and harness new sustainable revenue streams. While GroupM forecasts a 7.8% global ad revenue growth in 2024, challenges like antitrust regulation, AI and copyright issues, and platform bans persist.  

Collaboration is key: partnerships that thrive on synergy, shared values, and aligned goals are becoming increasingly essential.

Hence, the Malaysian Media Conference, in its 20th year, has assembled the partners and players under one roof on October 25 for a day of learning, sharing, and exploring.

 

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