Part #1: A distorted brand reality

INTRODUCTION

This week I am starting the first part of a four-part series. A series that will look at the current and forthcoming cultural trends brands need to be aware of. Why is this important? Well long-time readers will know that fame, or getting people to talk about your brand, is the most effective path to brand growth. And that the best way to achieve this is to tap into what people are already talking about (ie culture).

If you enjoyed this edition please do me one small favour and share it with colleagues, friends, family, your existing agency who aren’t pulling their weight 😉 etc etc.

Enjoy.

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DECLINE IN TRUTH

The 2010s saw the world shift from legacy media to social media for its primary source of information and knowledge. This seismic shift saw an exponential rise in fake news and misinformation. The effects of this misinformation and distortion sparked ripples of discontent around the world. Vaxxers fought anti-vaxxers. Brexit leavers fought remainers. Trump voters fought Biden supporters. Societies had simply become more divided and fractured than ever before.

In 2024, the rise of fake news, misinformation, and the distortion of reality is likely to get far worse. As A.I. tools progress at an exponential rate and the barriers to creativity lower, we are going to see yet another seismic shift from the era of ‘deep fakes’ to the era of ‘cheap fakes’.

To those of you who think this is mere speculation, think again. In fact, this new reality is in many ways already here. Google’s latest Pixel smartphone already came packed with A.I. built-in—tools that enable users to delete unwanted objects and even people from any image taken by or uploaded to the phone.

At the same time, some of the biggest ‘break the internet’ moments of last year centered around A.I. and the creation of fakes. A mother was fooled into thinking her daughter had been kidnapped when in reality the whole thing was faked using the latest in A.I. voice technology. Later in the year, the internet went wild for what looked like the Pope wearing a puffer jacket, when in reality the image was mocked up in seconds using MidJourney.

And finally, one of the breakout social media stars on TikTok was @deeptomcruise, an account that wowed the world with its incredibly realistic, but ultimately faked, portrayals of one of the world’s most famous actors. Still not convinced? Well, consider the fact that some predict by 2025, 90% of online content will be created with A.I. The inconvenient truth is we are entering a new reality where it will never be easier, or cheaper, to fake almost anything. And in this reality, everyone will begin to question everything.

@deeptomcruiseSports!

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HOW BRANDS NEED TO RESPOND

How should brands best operate in the world? Whilst brands should embrace new A.I. tools to expedite creativity, we believe there is a bigger and more important role for them to also play. In a world where 68% of consumers are concerned about the spread of fake news and in a world where 78% of consumers think content created by A.I. should be clearly labelled, we believe brands should ‘seek the truth’. They should not only be true to themselves but also fight for the truth in their given category.

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THREE EXAMPLES

Dove successfully built on its long-standing brand idea ‘Real Beauty’ in 2023 with its ‘Cost of Beauty’ campaign, a campaign that called out social media’s fake beauty standards and the damaging effects it has on young women around the world. Brands can learn from this and should look to find ways to fight the fake in their category and the harmful effects it creates.

One of the biggest brand fails of 2023 was Bud Light’s partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The campaign was ultimately a cultural and commercial disaster, with AB InBev suffering a 10.5% drop in sales. Why did it end so badly? Well, in part because the brand simply wasn’t true to itself, neglecting the fact that most of its drinkers were middle-aged men and ultra-conservative. This result made this campaign feel like nothing more than cynical ‘purpose-washing’. Brands should learn from this, and in a world filled with fakeness, it has never been more important to be true to yourself.

One of the most exciting brand growth stories of 2023, and a client Defiant has been working with, is ZOE Nutrition. Through their fantastic podcast, the brand has grown exponentially in 2023 by revealing the truth about what does (and doesn’t) work when it comes to food and nutrition. Brands should learn from this and look to create informative and truthful content to educate a wider audience."