After 15 years running a creative and media agency, I’ve learned that no two days are ever the same. Business owners know this well, our day-to-day shifts with the economic winds, and the last five years have been nothing short of a rollercoaster. But lately, there’s a different kind of change in the air. It’s quieter, subtler, it whispers every day, you certainly cannot hide from it in your inbox. AI is slowly reshaping how we market our businesses, not with a bang, but with a steady hum. And here’s the thing: it feels good.
People are curious. They’re attending conferences, reading articles, and experimenting with tools. But most of us are still dabbling. We’re not experts, and that’s okay. What matters is that we’re leaning in, trying to understand what this technology means for our businesses, our clients, and our teams. That curiosity led me to take a deeper look at AI, not as a trend, but as a tool. A tool that, if used wisely, can help us market more efficiently, more intelligently, and perhaps even more empathetically.
When I started Contagion in 2010, we were riding the wave of the digital revolution. YouTube and Facebook were just four years old. Social media was the new frontier, and many believed it would replace everything. But it didn’t. It became another channel. TV, outdoor, and radio didn’t disappear, they evolved. And so did we. We adapted, upskilled, and learned how to communicate through screens without losing the human touch.
AI is the next evolution. And like social media, it won’t replace everything. But it will change how we work, if we let it. The headlines are full of dramatic predictions: jobs lost, industries disrupted, creativity replaced by algorithms. But the reality is more nuanced. The business environment doesn’t flip overnight. Human behaviour remains the constant. And in B2B marketing, where relationships are everything, that matters more than ever.
So the real question isn’t whether AI will change things, it’s what we choose to adopt, and what we choose to ignore. For B2B marketers, AI isn’t just a shiny new toy. It’s a strategic opportunity. It offers precision, personalization, and efficiency across the customer journey. But successful integration requires more than tools, it demands a rethink of how we operate in a data-driven world.
Before diving into implementation, we need to ask ourselves: what role should AI play in our marketing? Are we trying to improve lead quality? Personalise communications? Accelerate content production? Support sales? Without clear objectives, AI becomes a solution in search of a problem. And in B2B, where every touchpoint matters, clarity is everything.
Once those goals are defined, AI starts to shine. It enables personalization at scale by analysing behavioural and intent data to deliver tailored experiences. If you’re running Google or Meta campaigns, this is already happening, assuming your media planning is solid. Predictive analytics can forecast buying behaviour and identify high-value accounts. Messaging can adapt in real time. Automation becomes smarter. Email platforms optimise send times, subject lines, and segmentation. Programmatic advertising refines targeting and bidding. Even A/B testing has evolved into multivariate, adaptive creative optimisation.
These tools are powerful. They free up time, reduce acquisition costs, and improve conversion rates. But they’re not the endgame. They’re the enablers. What really drives success in B2B marketing is empathy. Understanding your audience. Listening. Responding. Building trust over time. AI can help us do that more efficiently, but it can’t replace the human touch.
Take conversational AI, for example. Chatbots and virtual assistants are no longer expensive experiments. They’re off-the-shelf, cost-effective, and surprisingly good. They qualify leads, answer questions, and provide instant support, creating seamless, personal experiences. Better yet, they capture valuable data to inform future marketing efforts. But even here, the tone matters. A robotic response might be fast, but it won’t build a relationship. A thoughtful, empathetic interaction, whether human or AI-assisted, can make all the difference.
And then there’s content creation. Generative AI can help draft blog posts, whitepapers, and email copy. It can summarise reports, suggest headlines, and even write code. But let’s be honest: B2B content already has a reputation for being bland. Add AI copy into the mix and you risk creating the biggest snooze fest your brand has ever seen. Creative work needs a creative director. That could be you. But please, have empathy for your audience. They’re not as interested in your product as you and your AI agent are. If it feels too long or complicated, it is. You’re here to charm, not confuse.
This is where the human touch becomes essential. AI can help us scale, but it’s our job to ensure the message resonates. To make sure it feels personal, relevant, and real. Because in B2B, we’re not just selling products or services, we’re building relationships. We’re earning trust. We’re helping people solve problems, make decisions, and move forward with confidence.
AI can distil complex reports into digestible insights, making it easier to communicate value to time-poor decision-makers. It reduces production time, improves consistency, and helps scale. But human oversight remains essential. We need to guide the narrative, shape the strategy, and ensure the message aligns with our values and our audience’s needs.
And remember: successful AI integration is iterative. Set clear KPIs, conversion rates, engagement metrics, pipeline velocity, and continuously evaluate performance. AI thrives on feedback. The best implementations evolve over time, guided by data and strategy. But also by empathy. By listening. By caring.
AI isn’t a silver bullet. But for B2B marketers willing to experiment, learn, and adapt, it’s a powerful ally. It enables smarter decisions, deeper personalization, and greater efficiency. Just don’t forget: in B2B, and especially in New Zealand, relationships still matter. AI should help deepen them, not replace them.
Because at the end of the day, what really sells isn’t automation. It’s connection. It’s understanding. It’s the feeling that someone gets when they know you’ve listened, that you care, and that you’re here to help. That’s what builds loyalty. That’s what drives growth. And that’s what makes marketing truly meaningful.
New Zealand’s business landscape is unlike any other. We’re a nation of SMEs, built on relationships, trust, and a shared sense of purpose. That means B2B marketing here isn’t just about selling products or services, it’s about solving real problems, creating genuine value, and connecting in ways that reflect our unique Kiwi culture.
Whether you're a SaaS provider in Auckland, an agritech innovator in Hamilton, or a logistics firm in Christchurch, your marketing strategy needs to speak the language of Aotearoa. I have put together a list of how to do it better.
1. Know Your Audience – The Kiwi Way
Understanding your audience is the foundation of smart B2B marketing. In New Zealand, business relationships thrive on trust, transparency, and shared values. Building detailed buyer personas helps you connect authentically.
Mapping the buyer’s journey, from awareness to decision, is key. In a market where word-of-mouth and referrals carry serious weight, your content should support relationship-building and demonstrate long-term value.
Segmentation matters. Break down your audience by:
This ensures your messaging hits home with each group’s unique needs.
2. Content That Connects Locally
Content is your voice and, in New Zealand, it needs to be authentic, relevant, and human.
Use a mix of formats: blog posts, white papers, case studies, infographics, and videos. And keep it timely; align your content with local events, seasonal cycles, and industry trends.
Pro tip: Speak like a trusted partner not a distant corporation. Embrace Kiwi values, like honesty, humility, and community-mindedness.
3. Optimise Your Website for Kiwi Users
Your website is your silent salesman. Make it work hard.
4. Multi-Channel Outreach Across Aotearoa
To reach decision-makers across the country, go multi-channel.
5. Measure, Test, and Improve
Smart marketing is never static.
Local Legends Doing It Right
Here are some NZ businesses nailing B2B marketing:
Final Thought
Smart B2B marketing in New Zealand is about understanding people, solving problems, and building trust. When you get that right, you’re not just selling, you’re helping Aotearoa win.
When was the last time a brand truly romanced you? Not just nudged you with a discount or waved a loyalty card, but made you feel something - curiosity, delight, even affection. Perhaps it was the thrill of discovering a product that seemed to understand you, or the comfort of a brand that always shows up with just what you need. Like any meaningful relationship, marketing is emotional, unpredictable and, when done well, deeply rewarding.
We often frame marketing in transactional terms: offers, conversions, retention. But beneath the spreadsheets and KPIs lies something more human. Brands are constantly courting us, using the timeless stages of romance to appeal to our emotional instincts. Because, let’s face it, we’re not as rational as we like to think. We’re wired to respond to emotion, and positive emotion is the elixir we chase, whether in love or in loyalty.
So how do brands build lasting relationships? Let’s explore the four stages of marketing romance.
The Pre-Stage: Brand Development – The Self-Discovery Phase
Before any romance begins, there’s a period of self-reflection. Brands, like people, need to know who they are before they can attract the right audience. This is the “getting ready” phase, where you define your values, polish your personality, and figure out what makes you special.
It’s not just about looking good; it’s about being authentic. What are your strengths? What makes you different? Who do you naturally appeal to? Not everyone will find you attractive and that’s okay. The goal is clarity, not universal appeal.
This foundational work sets the tone for everything that follows. Brands that skip this step risk coming across as inconsistent or inauthentic. Those that embrace it, like Dove with its “Real Beauty” campaign, build trust by standing for something meaningful.
Stage 1: Attraction – Making a Memorable First Impression
This is the “meet cute.” Your brand shows up - on social media, in a store, or through a clever ad - and makes someone stop and say, “Hmm, interesting.” First impressions matter, and they’re rarely about features. They’re about feelings.
Effective attraction isn’t about shouting the loudest, it’s about resonating emotionally. Air New Zealand’s safety videos, for instance, transformed a routine message into a cinematic experience. By infusing creativity and cultural pride, the airline not only informed but delighted, leaving a lasting impression.
At this stage, brands must speak to their audience’s aspirations, not their own attributes. It’s not about what you sell, it’s about how you make people feel.
Stage 2: The First Date – Delivering on the Promise
Once a customer engages, by trying a product, visiting a store, or signing up for a service, the brand must deliver. This is the moment of truth: does the experience match the expectation?
This stage is about consistency, clarity, and charm. Overpromise, and you risk disappointment. Underpromise, and you may never get the chance.
Stage 3: The Relationship – Nurturing the Connection
With trust established, the relationship enters a phase of growth. Brands must remain consistent, relevant, and emotionally attuned. This is where content, communication, and customer experience play a vital role.
Spotify excels in this domain. Through personalised playlists, wrapped summaries, and timely recommendations, it maintains a dynamic and responsive relationship with users. It’s not just about music, it’s about feeling understood and appreciated.
Relationships thrive on attention and empathy. Brands must stay interesting, responsive, and attuned to their audience’s evolving needs.
Stage 4: Keeping the Love Alive – Staying Fresh and Thoughtful
Even the strongest relationships need renewal. As customer needs evolve, brands must continue to surprise, delight, and adapt. Small gestures, like unexpected perks or thoughtful updates, can reignite affection and loyalty.
This stage is about deepening the bond. It’s less about grand gestures and more about thoughtful touches that show you care.
Conclusion: Marketing with Heart
Marketing isn’t just about selling, it’s about connecting. When brands approach their audience with empathy, authenticity, and emotional intelligence, they build relationships that go beyond the product. In a marketplace full of options, the brands that win hearts are those that understand the value of emotional resonance.
By thinking like a romantic - curious, attentive, and emotionally aware - marketers can create experiences that don’t just convert but endure.
Ah, love. That elusive, powerful force we humans chase all our lives. It’s not all we need - but it’s certainly up there. We admire it, we hold onto it, and we build our lives around it. But what if love isn’t just reserved for people? What if we could fall in love with brands?
At first glance, that might sound absurd. Brands are artificial constructs, right? Just logos, slogans, and marketing campaigns. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find something far more profound at play. There’s a reason we form emotional attachments to certain brands - they reflect who we are, and more importantly, who we want to be.
The Idea of Brand Love
A brand you love is more than a product or service. It’s a relationship. You trust it. You advocate for it. You remain loyal to it, even when alternatives arise. Why? Because it’s not just about what the brand does - it’s about what it means to you.
The Psychology Behind Brand Affection
To understand this, we need to stop thinking like marketers and start thinking like consumers. A good brand is an expression of your better self. It’s a wish fulfilled. It’s how you want to be seen.
Take kids, for example. They’re emotional purists. My 11-year-old wants a Santa Cruz hoodie - not just because it looks cool, but because he believes it will transform his life. And in a way, he’s right. That hoodie represents the version of himself he aspires to be. It’s not just clothing - it’s identity.
This is the essence of brand love: the brand I love is me - not as I am, but as I wish to be. Great brand loyalty, then, is an act of self-love.
Building Brands People Love
So, how do we create brands that people fall in love with?
The cardinal rule: branding should always centre on the person who uses the thing, not the thing itself. The user is the hero of the story. Your brand is the tool that helps them become who they want to be.
Think of LEGO. It doesn’t just sell bricks - it sells transformation. It turns users into creators. It builds a world where creativity is the highest value.
Think of the Liquid Death water brand, it sells the ‘living on the edge’ & being a rockstar and its water. Quite the marketing coup. You are buying rebellion.
This isn’t out of reach for any brand. Even in a uniquely Kiwi context, we have powerful examples:
The Romantic Playbook for Brands
If we were to write a romantic playbook for brands, it would include:
The Heart of Brand Love
All beloved brands share common traits:
Because when a brand truly believes in itself, we believe in it too.
If you want people to fall in love with your brand, you have to fall in love with it first. You have to believe in its purpose, its story, and its power to transform lives.
Because in the end, great branding isn’t about selling. It’s about connecting. It’s about building a world your audience wants to live in - and inviting them to become the best version of themselves within it.
When you open up emotionally great things tend to happen. People get to know the real you and they like it. People are impressed by your transparency and willingness to be vulnerable; it puts them at ease and the empathy can flow freely between you, becoming an ongoing conversation. It’s a conversation where we fill in the gaps to make a positive narrative because we believe you had the courage to be honest and lay bare who you are, without the concern of judgement or fear of rejection.
We have all experienced moments like this with friends or even a surprise moment with a colleague in a meeting. Moments of pure emotion offer a mirror up to the understanding we want and the acceptance we crave. It allows people to realise that is not only how they feel, but that you made them feel better and that is a deep connection worth fostering.
This sounds like it is straight off the psychiatrists couch but, honestly, if we are bold enough to apply this to our marketing it means we can truly connect. Great brands have cracked this code and we have our favourites; the ones we wear, we drive, brands we trust to give our kids, the ones we hold dear in our hearts. Think Toyota, Vogels, Anchor and add in the brand that moves you. Personally, I love Land Rover; it’s a car brand I keep going back to and they just have a perfect understanding of what I want and what is in my imagination.
All of these brands have something in common: they have a passionate and fearless marketer behind them. This marketer will pour their hearts into making sure the brand experience will connect on a deep level and pull triggers in our brain that really mean something for years to come.
What does it mean to pour your heart into a brand? Well, it means having an understanding of how your relationships in the real world mirror the relationship you want people to have with the product or service you are marketing.
You see, great brands are living emotional entities that forge deep relationships with their audience. For my kids LEGO has a very special place. They know LEGO ‘gets them’, and they want to spend hours on end with the brand, to the extent that they have posters on the wall and watch the videos. Having LEGO is like having a playdate; it is familiar, fun, has an emotional security and never lets them down. Those marketers at LEGO surely pour their hearts into their marketing and the products - you can’t fool a 9-year-old.
Vogels is a brand closer to home where you can clearly see the oodles of care poured into the experience from the marketers. How else could a bread embody a nation’s love, even from overseas? Each marketing chapter is lovingly crafted, it builds on the last - you can tell it really matters. It goes beyond the bread and enters into your consciousness about how emotionally close you are to your country and your family. It’s a Kiwi icon. This is a relationship that goes deep and is intragenerational. Something we can all aspire to with our endeavours. It certainly puts the pressure on when it’s your turn to take the marketing reins.
When you genuinely put your heart into your marketing, your brand becomes more authentic, which in turn builds trust and loyalty with your audience. This also means that you have meaningful, emotional messaging that resonates. This leads to a deeper connection which brings us back to fostering genuine relationships where we have moved beyond the merely transactional.
Finally, it’s clear that we live in a very crowded market place, but the one thing in short supply is passion. So, to truly differentiate yourself, the formula is pretty clear - open your heart and pour it passionately into your brand.
Afterall, what customers are really buying is you.
Over many years in strategy, I have been thrilled at the marketing campaigns I have had the good fortune to be involved with. All of us can agree that working in a team on the gem of an idea, to testing with consumers, and ultimately the big roll-out, is a hugely rewarding exercise. Creating emotional meaning is at the core of what we do.
It used to be that we began by ‘interrogating the product’ until its unique selling proposition came shining out and we could set sail. However, there are now a lot more service brands than before. If you ask yourself what products you love its easy, you have touched them, consumed them and grown up with them. However, the service economy dominates these days, with a surge in digital and on-demand offerings, leading to a plethora of service brands compared to traditional product-based companies. It’s not only SAAS brands taking the spotlight, many of your favourite products are now on subscription services, which themselves have bespoke marketing. Factor into that Telco’s, who technically offer a service, but certainly blur the lines. However, I do wonder if you love your telco the same way you love your iPhone? Probably not.
The obvious difference between a service and product is that products are tangible and services are intangible. Traditionally, a product is much easier to market as it can be shown, demonstrated, touched, and displayed. Tangible products were much easier for the audience to understand in terms of value or whether they were even needed. You can’t see or touch a service, so showing value to your audience is a very different proposition. A service is about an ongoing relationship, much more complex to navigate.
Clearly there are sub-categories here where services have a physical product - My Food Bag has a distinctly tangible (very tasty) product, but it is still technically a service. It certainly has a lot of love in Kiwi Households. Thanks Nadia.
When a business sells a product to a customer, the buyer takes it away with them. In the case of a service, you must go to the provider to enjoy or experience it. A service will always be connected to the business who provides it. In the case of My Food Bag, all of the produce in the box and the service are inseparable; tricky eh?
B2B services have some very distinct characteristics and, in many ways, are a more ‘pure service’ model. They, of course, have to sell the efficacy and values of their service, but the biggest currency they need to crack in the first instance is ‘trust’. Once they stand for this, you can move up the emotional hierarchy to like and love. As you climb, the balance sheet and sales funnel will be considerably healthier.
The traditional levers of product marketing; spreading the word, boosting sales and showing off features are clearly effective. But as markets have evolved, we see that translating features into benefits is more personal and more effective e.g. a long battery life in a phone is about freedom to explore. Service brands can benefit from this hugely.
What services and products both need is great emotional brand marketing. Work that truly understands the customer and is based on an insight that will trigger sales. Economies over the last 10 years have evolved. This means that it is not necessarily what the product or service does that will make it a success, but how it will make their customers feel.
To this end, marketing the master brand’s highly emotive appeal via a thoroughly researched insight will create a broader, more effective selling proposition. The specifics and product points underneath this master message will then be seen in a positive light, because the customer is pre-disposed to empathise with you and like you.
So back to our original question. Is it easier to fall in love with a product or service brand? Clearly in the times we live, the lines are more nuanced. The answer for me, is to market to the highest and most potent emotional need. People ‘love’ products and services that really take the time to get to know them, that really solve their emotional hopes and fears. We love products and services that actively court us with a relationship and then constantly exceed expectations. Amazon often gets demonized, as does Temu (whilst being annoying), me and my kids love it, great service and they really make the effort. With professional services you certainly have clients saying “Oh I just love my ad agency, they just get me” same goes for Insurance Brokers and Lawyers. You love the people you deal with and the best qualities of they deliver. This needs to be the core elements you amplify for the marketing. For services empathy, expertise & understanding are a winning formula. Dial up the emotion and be wildly ambitious for the needs you can not only meet but surpass. This will deliver the numbers and stand the test of time. Perhaps, it will even get you into the Marketing Association’s next 50 years of great ads.
With the times being what they are currently in Aotearoa, it’s far too easy to get a little down and just get on with the day-to-day, forgetting why you absolutely love what you do. That’s right, marketing is a passion business; we get to do amazing things and, yes, our core function is to make Kiwis and their families happy.
This is something to celebrate; let me explain.
Happy customers are the lifeblood of any business. They are the reason companies and brands prosper, they increase profit and margin - it’s a win-win.
In marketing it is our focus to build a happy customer base. We are the most qualified to do it and (dare I say) the most emotionally sensitive to the levers we have to pull to make people happy. Within this discussion it is crucial to know how we achieve customer happiness, that is to say how satisfied they are after interacting with your brand. Happiness comes when we take our clients beyond simple satisfaction. This is a winning metric every time. It will impact customer referral, brand reputation, retention rates and, ultimately, business success. It’s also a very friendly term for CEO’s, Boards and the C-Suite generally, because we all understand the nature of happiness and its impact.
Many countries now publish their happiness index and it is directly linked to how productive the country is; the figure generally correlates well with GDP. So as a nation, we need happiness to prosper.
Happiness strategies for marketing are empathy-based, so we need to delve into the emotional insights. Look at the pain points of your customers, the goals they are trying to reach, and then how your products or services can assist in accomplishing those goals. Can your product help them be a better parent, offer a reward for work well done, bring their family together, give them status? Answering any of these needs will lead to happy customers.
My goal is always to be a great Dad to my young boys, so I am constantly on the lookout for products and services that can help me. At the weekend I went to MOTAT, which was full of fun activities. It was bubble weekend and the silliness of this activity made us all happy. I saw the marketing and its promise, bought tickets, and the experience delivered. MOTAT’s marketing team made the Taylor boys very happy. They didn’t sell the product, but the benefit of the experience: happiness.
This brings me to marketing campaigns: will they make your target audience happy? Are your ads smiling? If your aim to sell happiness is genuine, then you’ve got to focus on selling the experience over the product.
Marketing to happiness, also known as joy marketing in the USA, should do what it says on the tin - create joy. It is aimed at strengthening the connection between the brand and the target audience via great emotional insights. Or what we would call good strategic planning in New Zealand.
This has definitely been in short supply over the last few years, and it feels like we have been cautious as to what we can say and whether it is appropriate to make consumers smile. This is understandable as times have been incredibly tough and this has taken its toll on the nation as a whole.
I am a big fan of the TRA (The Research Agency) and they recently published research on this very subject: https://www.theresearchagency.com/play
I thoroughly recommend having a read. They interviewed 2,000 consumers around the concept of joy and brands. They saw joy and happiness as a crucial tool and this makes sense - a moment of play or shared laughter triggered by a brand has beneficial effects for both. This is a great emotional exchange and, as we have said, happiness leads to a great place for both the business and consumer.
As we start our journey in 2025, people are seeking joy more than ever before. Pandemics and recessions have left us weary and hungry for a lightness of touch and a shared sense of humour. This is a year where things are getting better and peoples’ lives will improve. For us marketing folk, it is always easier to push on an open door, to be ahead of any wave, and what better strategy for our country right now than to be selling happiness. It’s something worth getting passionate about, and sure to bring a smile to faces.
2024 was the toughest year I have ever had in business. This says a lot as I started my agency back in 2010 during the GFC, so we have seen some drama. I am entering 2025 in a great position – the Agency has picked up a lot of new clients and staff have been simply outstanding. What this year has taught me is that marketing has changed; consumers have, in many ways, moved faster than us marketers could keep up.
This is not unusual. In recessionary times behavioural change is forced upon people simply because their resources are running out. That has been the defining nature of this ongoing downturn; it has been deep and just keeps getting harder for people. The latest GDP figures show another 1% contraction.
What is surprising is that the headlines in the press are in disbelief, and seasoned commentators have echoed this. Let’s be clear, this was forecast, it is here, and it is not going away until the second half of 2025 at the earliest. Remember the saying? Hope is not a strategy. To have survived in business over the last two years, this is most definitely true.
What has remained high is optimism; business and consumers do see things getting better and we do have a roadmap. Interest rates will come down further in February with a 0.5% reduction forecast; the aim is to get it to 3% by year-end (at this stage). All those of us with mortgages will be singing collective Hallelujahs.
Consumers have changed and so how should we change our marketing response? Consumers have been through an ‘accelerated culture’ and it has been rather profound. Many of them are on Temu now, and will never see the inside of a Warehouse or Briscoes again (go on admit it, you were shocked at the prices and have had a dabble). They have been forced to lower their horizons and have been pleasantly surprised. Online groceries and delivery has proven more cost-effective and these are only a couple of examples. We have to wonder what will change them back to their old ways.
The answer is that behaviour can always be changed, but we marketers also have to adapt. If the rules of the game change, you either take advantage of that or you fall victim to a competitor who evolved. The experiences we design for customers simply have to be better.
I don’t have a silver bullet, but as a fan of Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology I have a firm belief that the answers to our own successes lie within us all.
I took my two little boys on a camping tiki tour of the North Island over the holidays and we went to lots of different campsites. I made a point of listening to families. Really listening to their struggles and daily lives. The stories are both heartwarming and insightful. Kiwi family life is still joyful, but how and what they shop for has changed, so have their perspectives. They are hopeful, looking for things that will make their lives better, and happy to be done with 2024. They see the light coming and can’t wait. The best thing you can do as a marketer is get out of your bubble and your income bracket and interact, at length, with your target audience. They will surprise you, and the genuine empathy you will take away could be the key to your next successful launch. Remember, consumer insights are found through talking to people and understanding them, not via spreadsheets.
It’s clear that the politics of the USA and Aotearoa have changed in the last two years - the electorates have been pretty clear about that. What has been less talked about is that people have had a gut full of being told what is acceptable for them to think. Recession has shown people what really matters and they have little patience for unqualified experts preaching alien values. The politics of woke reached a zenith in 2023, the election of new governments were a clear reaction to that. People want to be able to laugh again and not have to check who is going to judge them. It is down to personal preference what you believe in, but I think Jaguar cars are certainly regretting pushing a laughable agenda down our throats. Simple rule, don’t push a narrow agenda-loaded message to a mass audience. You probably won’t sell much. (Full disclosure: I actually own a Jag). Marketers need to be ahead of trends, not behind. Inclusivity is a fundamental value we need to get across, until you push it so far that you start to exclude your core target consumers by pushing an agenda on them.
You need a live dashboard linking your marketing spend and sales data right now. This is a non-negotiable; how can you track the effectiveness of your sales and marketing efforts if you cannot see your results in real-time? Google and Meta have amazing resources you can tap into and having this at your fingertips is just a game changer. Think about it like this, if you are setting a KPI, isn’t it great that everyone who has a responsibility for it has access to the same data? It is super motivating and having visibility 24/7 is the key to evolved strategies. Accountability creates results.
We are seeing glimmers of hope on the horizon. What shape is your brand in and when was the last time you really looked at it? If we are going to win with our products and services we need to make sure they are still appealing and motivating for customers. Do we look up to date? Have we been out-maneuvered, whilst we held marketing funds back? Do our value propositions still work in this changed environment? All of these questions are absolutely valid because the playing field in which brands operate is constantly evolving and we need to adapt with it. When was the last time you sat down as a management team and really interrogated how effective your consumer propositions are? It is hugely important in today’s highly evolved digital environment that a brand’s look and feel is fit for all channels.
We recently won a large B2B retailer and, as preparation, I went out to interview customers at their workplaces. What we found was that their media habits had changed drastically compared to what was accepted. Also lots of the links that they clicked on went to the wrong web pages or simply did not work. These were relatively easy fixes, but it illustrates that you need to be constantly optimising your media channels so that they are fit for your audience. Recession changes what people watch, read and do. We need to be constantly open to what they need and how we can be ahead of the curve.
So there you have it. Not an exhaustive list, but certainly things that will help make sure you get through this recession prosperously to the other side. We are nearly there folks, good times are around the corner and we want to make sure that when the bigger customer dollars are being spent our marketing efforts are perfectly placed to help them out.
My little 8-year-old boy was in the window when I got home on the 26th November and said, “They’re selling Christmas trees down the road, can we go and get one?” I smiled, got back in the car and we got one straight away. It was early, but we dressed it and had a lovely time. I think I saw that as the start of the festive period for 2024 as we started putting presents underneath it. Customs and traditions are great, as they create deep positive emotional markers in our brains; we get taught these as young kids.
There are a lot of things that signify the start of the Christmas season. We are programmed to associate it with the very first sounds of the songs on the radio. For me, the start of the season was always seeing the Christmas adverts on the telly with my parents; so much love and care was put into these, they didn’t seem like commercial ventures trying to flog me stuff. They were little love letters to the holidays and made you feel awesome. What a trick to pull off, marketing actually makes the Christmas period better. They are something to look forward to.
Ads can simply be an annoyance, even for us marketers, especially in the digital age. However Christmas ads occupy a special place. By mid-November you are likely to see your social media feed with the big hitters and all the debate that goes with them. I can’t say I am a fan of the Coca-Cola AI ad, but I did share it. I have a great Client from Ireland and we must have emailed 10 times on the subject debating which was best.
Coca Cola ad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RSTupbfGog
This is a bit lazy for me and doesn’t really hit the spot
The really good ones feel different from other ads, and this is something we can learn for all of our marketing. Christmas ads should leave you warm and fuzzy, they don’t have a ‘hard sell’. They deliver nostalgia and really hit you in a place that perhaps you haven’t visited for a while; it feels good. Like a lovely, familiar family member visiting for the holidays with mince pies. You can see Agency and Clients have worked hard with human insight to really make us fall in love with them.
John Lewis lead the charge for me and I loved the Elton John piece a few years ago, there are just so many good ones.
John Lewis ad - Elton John
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DShEAPKV0EU
This hits all the right spots and is deeply touching
While the number of brands going for a deeper emotional connection is also increasing, the currency to go for is shareability. My personal favourite is this IRN-BRU ad featuring The Snowman.
IRN-BRU – The Snowman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yZOab5gl-4
Beautifully executed and very funny
So Happy Christmas and have a wonderful holiday. if you get time do a little search on YouTube to find your favourite, there are some great ones out there.
Millennials (those born between 1981-2000) are reshaping the business landscape. In the U.S., they now own and operate 40% of all businesses and represent 70% of new start-ups. As Gen X leaders, now mostly in their 50s, gradually transfer business ownership and leadership roles, Millennials are stepping up, bringing new perspectives and driving fundamental changes in how businesses operate.
Millennials operate distinctly from previous generations, which has profound implications for marketers and brands. They grew up in a digitally connected world, meaning their approach to decision-making, communication, and purchasing is vastly different.
Key questions for marketers include:
These differences in socialisation present unique opportunities for communication strategies.
Perhaps the most immediate distinction is that Millennials are true digital natives. They’ve always had the internet at their fingertips, shaping a preference for online interactions. They tend to handle everything digitally – from banking and travel arrangements to staying connected with family and friends. Their comfort with texting and social messaging makes digital channels more appealing than traditional in-person or phone interactions. Studies show that, when given the choice, Millennials overwhelmingly favour mobile apps over call centres.
As consumers, Millennials are avid researchers: 64% research products online before buying, and 12% turn to social media to seek advice. They value peer recommendations – even from online communities they don’t know personally – as these provide trusted input on critical life decisions.
They also process information differently, as they’re used to rapid, bite-sized content. Long-form ads are unlikely to resonate; instead, messages need to be short, engaging, and memorable.
Millennials were socialised in an era where social media serves as a constant mirror to their thoughts, experiences, and emotions. This has created a natural expectation that brands be ever-present and engaged in their social feeds. To succeed, brands must keep pace with their expectations and maintain a consistent, relevant presence.
Moreover, Millennials are highly adept at amplifying their opinions. With access to social platforms, each Millennial has their own media influence capable of both boosting your brand or highlighting its shortcomings.
Millennials are drawn to innovation. Having grown up during disruptive events like the financial crisis and COVID-19, they are always on the lookout for better ways to do things. They’re open to new technologies, such as AI, and bring a high level of tech-savviness to their businesses. Brands should meet them where they are, using channels they prefer and crafting messages that fit naturally within these platforms.
Shaped by challenging global events, Millennials are pragmatic yet idealistic. They value ethics and sustainability, gravitating towards brands with strong values and purpose. Companies like Allbirds and Patagonia resonate with Millennials because of their commitment to social and environmental causes. Millennials are willing to pay a premium for brands that align with their principles, making authenticity and corporate responsibility essential.
Millennials bring both fresh perspectives and high expectations as they take the reins of leadership from Gen X. They are looking for brands that can offer empathy, reassurance, and alignment with their values. By adapting to their preferences, businesses have an opportunity to build enduring connections with this influential generation.
As a parent, I’m optimistic about the future this generation is building. Millennials are leading with resilience, innovation, and a commitment to inclusivity and sustainability. Now is the time to connect with these dynamic leaders and align with their values. Contagion can help you reach Millennial audiences in meaningful ways – let’s work together to grow with the next generation. Get in touch with us today!
