The days of conventional brand storytelling are over, thanks to the democratization of content creation and the rise of image and video over text.
When conventional brand storytelling is dead, success (however you wish to measure it) will depend on putting people at the core of content to tell stories. A human-centered design approach is a powerful framework for creating compelling content.
Why it matters: The response by companies and publishers — create yet more content — has been misguided. Not only is it not enough to simply produce more of the same, it's also no longer just about producing high-production-value content.
Three key lessons to heed from content saturation:
- Just because you create content doesn't guarantee an audience
- Success is not always driven by the highest production-quality content. Brand owners love glossy content, but they will have to get over themselves if they are to fully embrace consumers' growing preference for content that is rough and ready.
- Live rocks! Live video allows the audience to participate as the event happens, and their participation helps shape what you do next – driving three times the amount of engagement over pre-recorded video, according to Forrester Research.
What to watch: Brand owners will need to step back, stop driving conversations and instead make room for audiences to shape their own stories. Expect content that's more personal and instant and expect it to play out as short stories and live video.
George Marcotte is the Managing Director and Go-to-Market Lead for Accenture Digital UK and Ireland.