Finding An Authentic Way to Connect: Graham Lang + Liam Steuart, JP\TBWA
Utilizing unconventional media can make way for fruitful connections between brands and consumers. We sat down with Graham Lang, Chief Creative Officer and Liam Steuart, Managing Director, Precision Marketing at Juniper Park\TBWA to discuss JP\TBWA's approach to new media.
The rise of social media platforms has made them key to brand recognition. In what ways does your agency utilize social media to inform/engage your audience and how do you see that evolving?
Social media has been extremely important to showcase who we are as an agency. We share unglossed moments of our culture, allowing us to show our human side to prospective clients and talent. We use it to share thought leadership pieces, our podcast series and important news stories and updates from the TBWA global collective. Internally, we make use of Facebook’s Workplace to share, question and build together. This community building has become especially important as we continue to work remotely.
How has the pandemic affected the way consumers use social media and which platform is the most relevant to your agency?
Consumers were already leaning towards social media for entertainment, purchasing decisions, social awareness and, for better or worse, to get their news – and the pandemic has only expedited this. While being stuck at home, social media has also been increasingly used as a creative outlet. Brands have caught onto this fact, realizing that creative content generation is no longer reserved for influencers. This is especially true on TikTok, where creator culture thrives.
TikTok has been the most notable platform for us in recent months. Our Signal For Help campaign completely collided (in a good way) with TikTok’s creator culture. Much like a dance routine to the latest song, the Signal For Help provided an opportunity for users to generate their own versions of our PSA, which helped spread it to every corner of the globe. In fact, the signal is now synonymous with the platform, with many referring to it as the “TikTok Signal For Help”. We are humbled by how much awareness the platform has generated for such an important message.
To what degree does the innovative use of media by agencies and companies shape the way new media evolves? (eg: interactive campaigns)
We see this as an interdependent relationship: agencies coming up with innovative ways to use media shapes the evolution of new media, just as much as the evolution of new media inspires agencies to innovate. For instance, we were inspired by the blockchain and NFT space. In our recent work with Nissan, we used tried and true methods, such as social media and PR, to generate hype and conversation for a car sale that took place on an innovative medium – an NFT auction site.
Brands can dip their toes into new media by using proven channels that audiences are already familiar with to introduce them to new concepts. Building this bridge provides a seamless transition into the “new” without alienating audiences along the way, and still allows us to innovate and experiment with new concepts.
How do you utilize data analytics to create more engaging campaigns?
We have always placed significant value on using data to maximize the impact of our creative ideas. The pandemic further reinforced the importance of effective data utilization as the digital space continued to grow at an unprecedented rate. Our dedicated precision marketing practice, Scalpel, ensures we stay at the forefront of this important discipline for our clients.
We begin each campaign leveraging our proprietary data engine to identify potential subsegments we can design our creative solution around. Where possible, we integrate first party data from our clients, which allows us to develop advanced modelling to drive hyper-relevant campaigns. With a data-first focus, we inspire our creatives to ideate around more progressive channels and techniques. Finally, a robust test and learn measurement framework is a part of everything we do, ensuring a cycle of constant optimization.
What contemporary forms of new media are you planning on using to reach audiences?
At Juniper Park\TBWA, and in fact throughout the global TBWA collective, innovating with the latest media, cultural touchpoints or technology is built into our DNA – it is the foundation of our Disruption® methodology.
One great example of this is NEXT, TBWA’s innovation platform, which, among other things, explores new media to find meaningful ways to connect with audiences. Rather than rushing into a fad, our global team – including our team in Toronto – analyzes, decodes and disseminates information on the world of NFTs, gaming, AR/VR immersive media, and yes, the metaverse, to ensure that when we play around in these spaces, it results in impact. We are open and excited to use any and all forms of new media, as long as it provides the most authentic way to connect our clients to their audiences.