January 17th, 2024 | By Robert Andrews
LAS VEGAS – Social media have sped up the proliferation of cultural moments, transforming digital images into viral memes and turning everyday people into celebrities overnight. Marketers can participate in these moments, making themselves relevant to consumers who spend their time with digital media.
“We integrate cultural data sets that really give us an understanding of trending topics, and how those topics reflect certain audience segments,” George Manas, chief executive of Omnicom Group’s OMD Worldwide, said in this interview with Beet.TV’s Andy Plesser at CES 2024.
“We know the demographics are changing rapidly, not just in the U.S., but outside of the U.S. We also know that the media ecosystem is changing just as rapidly,” Manas said. “You can imagine how rich this data is if you can bring together behavioral data and cultural data so that you can then look at programs that can really reach and engage diverse audiences.”
Creative media are experiencing a rebirth, giving brands a way to connect with a diverse range of audiences, Manas said. During the pandemic, consumers had a chance to try new brands and different media channels.
“Marketers have gotten quite transactional because they were reacting to the business realities that the pandemic brought,” he said, “But now that we’re through that, what they’re recognizing is that along the way, they’ve lost brand relevancy, brand heat, brand connection.”
The key to reconnecting with consumers is through creative breakthroughs, Manas said.
“Creative media is really an opportunity for us to innovate with our partners,” he said. “While we’re targeting more precisely, our content is also addressing the specific insights we have about those segments or audiences.”