Advertising best practice, evidence and insights

Guide to decoding consumer content preferences for brands

Article • Sangeeta Tanwar, Event Reports, Asia Tech x Singapore virtual conference, July 2021

Globally, mobile is emerging as the preferred device for media consumption and this shift from the big screen is accompanied by shorter attention spans, posing a problem for brands hoping to engage consumers.

Milo: Homecourt

Case Study • Cherrie Mae Serranillo, WARC Awards for Asian Strategy, Shortlisted, 2021

When the COVID crisis threatened to cripple the country, chocolate beverage brand MILO Philippines created a purpose-driven campaign that built an entire sports ecosystem in partnership with the local community.

SK-II: Timelines

Case Study • Leo Bovaller, Julia Blomquist, WARC Awards for Asian Strategy, Shortlisted, 2021

Skincare brand SK-II grew sales and engagement among young executive women in China, Japan, South Korea and the US with the creation of a digital docu-series fronted by journalist Katie Couric.

Kreepy Krauly: My Kreepy Teacher

Case Study • SABRE Awards, IN2, EMEA, 2021

Kreepy Krauly, a swimming pool cleaner brand, launched a campaign in South Africa to help the national sentiment be more positive.

European Investment Bank: Climate Solutions – Actionable climate expertise for every citizen

Case Study • SABRE Awards, IN2, EMEA, 2021

The European Investment Bank, a banking brand, launched Climate Solutions to reinforce that long-term investment and personal lifestyle choices needed to be directed at 'building back better' for a future where climate change could improve.

Hulu: Shaping the future of black history

Case Study • Cannes Creative Lions, Entrant, Creative Strategy Lion, 2021

In the US, Hulu, a television network, began a multi-year journey to better serve Black audiences through content that spoke to the entirety of the Black experience.

Google year in search 2020: The search for why

Case Study • Cannes Creative Lions, Entrant, Creative Strategy Lion, 2021

Google, a technology company, coordinated a debut alongside US late night television shows and social channels, with the aim to share 2020's high and low points with the broadest possible audience.

IKEA: The scrapsbook

Case Study • Cannes Creative Lions, Entrant, Creative Strategy Lion, 2021

IKEA, a furniture retail company, launched the 'IKEA Scrapcooking movement' in Canada to inspire people to incorporate food sustainability into their lives and homes.

Goldfish Crackers: Finn & friends

Case Study • Cannes Creative Lions, Entrant, Creative Strategy Lion, 2021

In the US, Goldfish, a cracker brand, decided to turn its cracker snack into a multi-channel world of entertainment, including an animated TV series, 'Finn & Friends', game, mobile app and experience.

What we know about native advertising

Article • WARC Best Practice, August 2021

Provides marketers with information and guidance about using native advertising.

Airbnb: Gay chorus deep south

Case Study • Cannes Creative Lions, Shortlisted, Creative Strategy Lion, 2021

Airbnb, a vacation rental company, increased awareness of discriminatory laws in the US by partnering with San Francisco's Gay Men's Chorus to launch a documentary film that followed their tour of some of the most discriminatory states in the country.

LEGO: Green Instructions

Case Study • Cannes Creative Lions, Bronze, Creative Strategy Lion, 2021

LEGO, a brand of plastic construction toys, launched its Green Instructions campaign in Poland, whereby it included additional instructions to existing LEGO sets which made objects more environmentally friendly.

Abu Dhabi: Do not disturb, currently on staycation #InAbuDhabi

Case Study • Angela Hundal, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Entrant, 2021

Government authority, The Department of Culture and Tourism, drew domestic travellers for an Abu Dhabi staycation with a data-driven campaign in UAE.

EGBank: 120 days of happiness

Case Study • Dina El Dessouky, Yosr Khalifa, Salma Ezz, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Entrant, 2021

Egyptian bank EGBank turned traditional thinking on its head to appeal to young people in a fun way, generate leads and boost take-up of its loan offer.

Jawwy: The Fairness Show

Case Study • Mario Morby, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Entrant, 2021

Mobile telco brand Jawwy focused on fairness to increase brand equity and grow sales in the cluttered Saudi telecom category.

L'oeuf marocain: The Eggspiracy

Case Study • Manar Bikdir, Quods Ouaissi, Safaa Lharti, Hamza Benyoussef, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Entrant, 2021

L'oeuf Marocain, the national awareness-raising programme for egg producers in Morocco, confronted a culture of misinformation around eggs head on with its Eggspiracy campaign.

Jacques Chirac School Group: Streamlining school admissions

Case Study • Safaa Lharti, El Mehdi Ben Lakdame, Mouna El Azim, Tawfik El Mernissi, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Entrant, 2021

Groupe Scolaire Jacques Chirac, the school, reimagined its admissions process to help parents and create preference in Morocco.

Dettol: Fight to protect

Case Study • Tahaab Rais, Tina Sioufi, Hadi Khuzam, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Entrant, 2021

Dettol, the disinfectant and antiseptic brand, transformed the popular narrative from one of fear to one of confidence to gain share during COVID-19 in the Middle East.

Saudi Telecom Company: Welcome to STC

Case Study • Dana Alkutoubi, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Entrant, 2021

Telco brand stc used a creative multi-channel execution to communicate developments as it relaunched across KSA, Kuwait and Bahrain.

90% of brand TikTok videos have product placement

Data • Rob Clapp, WARC Data Points, July 2021

An overview of brand posts and their performance on TikTok.

Shell: Creating Compelling Customer Communications

Case Study • SABRE Awards, EMEA, Gold, 2021

Shell, an oil and gas company, focused on the people behind the industry with its customer marketing campaign.

Brands and ads: Creating content to be the ad

Article • Mukta Lad, WARC Exclusive, Marketing Influence 360 Conference, April 2021

Instead of focusing on creating ads, brands may consider looking at building content and there are ways to create great content that can be the ad itself.

Brand strategy: The need to humanise content

Article • Mukta Lad, Event Reports, Marketing Influence 360 Conference, April 2021

The pandemic has changed the way people consume content and look at brands, and TripAdvisor shares how brands can humanise their interactions with customers.

Produce, amplify and analyse: Content marketing’s three building blocks

Article • Mukta Lad, Event Reports, Marketing Influence 360 Conference, April 2021

Content marketing is a long-term activity that doesn’t deliver immediate success but it is effective and JLL’s Gauri Jaisingh explains how organisations can be persuaded to invest in and support it.

Consistency is the missing pillar of successful influencer marketing campaigns

Article • Aaron Brooks, WARC Exclusive, July 2021

Looks at three pillars that make up a successful influencer campaign.