Elena Klau | Chief Strategy & Analytics Officer, NA, Momentum Worldwide

What are the most innovative trends happening in advertising now?

The innovative trends happening in advertising now revolve around one commonality: collaboration. Brand-to-brand partnerships are the “new B2B” and key to creating an immersive and effective brand experience. Another innovation is to “reverse the course”: today’s brands should prioritize Experience First Marketing, designing the experience and then adapting it to fit other channels. Personalization through precision segments Is also key, as well as responsive experience design, or creating unique experiences that identify and anticipate customer preferences. Sensorial experiences are also in demand. Past experiential work typically engaged one to two senses. Now, brands are fully enveloping all five, if not more. Did you know that we actually have around 20 senses? Experiential marketers are taking them all into consideration. 

How do key cultural moments shape your creative decisions?

Staying on the pulse of key cultural moments is an innate job component. But cultural moments only reflect what’s current. We, as an industry, need to be keenly aware of not only what is happening in the current moment, but what’s ahead. With technology advancing at lightning speed, consumers expect brands to move just as fast. Creative needs to reflect this same pace, if not faster, in order to be perceived as ahead of the curve. Trendspotting and insights play a key role in creative briefing in order to get all key players in the right mindset.

What are some tips for a young creative to stay innovative and bring fresh ideas to the table?

● Know your audience. You might have the best creative, but if it doesn’t pertain to the audience, it’s useless. Use experience-based archetypes when designing experiences. Our research shows that consumers have specific experiential propensities. Understanding those propensities tied to traditional need states helps marketers design the right experiences.

● Create your own insights sourcing. While subscribing to outlets that provide cultural and societal updates and trends is important, it’s also critical that you have your own finger on the pulse to identify those opportunities that other brands can’t simply subscribe and learn about.

● Learn more than just your client’s industry. Inspiration may spark where you least expect it.

● Notice common interests among audiences. This could prompt an unlikely partnership