These are interesting times of change, indeed. New devices, products, services and apps are being introduced every day and we, as consumers, apparently cannot get enough.
But as marketers, we need to ask ourselves... how do we stay ahead? While not that long ago innovation manifested itself as "sparks of genius" meeting new consumer needs, now it is simply our day to day mantra. Our consumer isn't sitting around waiting for the latest new "blank"... they are searching, asking for, demanding or even inventing it themselves.
Speaking of change, even the definition of advertising has morphed. The once simple, witty art of pushing out messages and inspiring creative to drive purchase behavior is now a new combination of art+science+social+attitude.
Despite how fragmented, exciting and dynamic our industry and our craft of marketing has become, there is one thing that I believe to be more important than ever. That is the power of BRANDS. Successful BRANDS (yes, I am capitalizing the word given its current extreme importance) lead the conversation -- whether it be on-air, online, at point of purchase or on Twitter. The BRAND and its promise transcend the mix. They are the very basis of the what (we want) and the why (we buy).
For new brands with new products and new solutions it is absolutely all about innovation. They could be hot today and ice cold tomorrow. It all depends on how they evolve with the consumer over time.
For brand leaders that have been in the space for decades, like Telemundo, we need to build on our essence while innovating and transforming with our evolving consumer.
I believe that to effectively do this you need one key thing: INSIGHT (yes, another capitalized word) that allows you to listen to what the consumer wants and identify what they don't know they want, but that your brand could possibly provide. It could be a product, a service, an attitude, a look and feel or even a whole new brand definition. In our case, we want to redefine Spanish language media. We want to connect with the passion points that have led to our continuous audience growth, while creating a brand that speaks louder, bolder and more beautifully to our audience.... the fastest growing consumer market in America, Hispanics.
As leaders, marketers and creatives we also need to recognize that these are exciting times, and ours to redefine the meaning and power of ADVERTISING (my third and final capitalized word). Long gone are the days of pushing... and in my opinion, Hallelujah! We now have the tools, technology and wisdom to pull, to ask, to demand, to create, to shock and awe and inspire on a whole new playing field. One that is multi-platform, multi-cultural, multi-minded and everchanging.
One of my favorite quotes is by Will Rogers. It goes, "Even if you're on the right track, if you just sit there you'll get run over."
We, as an industry and as leaders, need to make sure we keep moving. And that we do it for the #1 reason... to serve and to connect with the consumers of our products.
¡Viva La Evolución!