1) The pause in digital advertising spend and a return to more trust in television delivery was a wake up call to those who jumped on the digital bandwagon too early. We’re hearing from numerous advertisers who want sales conversions and have become disillusioned by the digital sales narrative that’s heavy on reaching a consumer base that has no money to spend. Eventually all the platforms will wake up and realize that the most coveted demographic is 55+ because they control 75 percent of the country’s wealth and dominate purchases in most of the import consumer sectors. The biggest lie in media is that the 25-54 demo is all important. The first significant media company to own the 55+ crowd wins.
2) The American dream continues to be redefined and the world view gap between Millennials and Boomers seems to be ever widening. The housing market is an obvious manifestation of that gap. For instance, we continue to see massive interest from those under 40 in the tiny house movement that has broadened to include a wide variety of evolving structures—ranging from custom modified containers to old buses and abandoned cabins. Hence, our hit Tiny House Big Living series on HGTV spawned Tiny Paradise which gave rise to Containables and Bus Live Ever. Millennials and Gen-Z kids crave freedom and mobility and happily trade it for possessions and debt.
3) Messages with heart that awaken what’s best in us and bring us together stand out in a world where our institutions seem both dysfunctional, self serving, and chaotic. Any advertising that can create a personal relationship between a brand and a consumer always stands out and the Ram Trucks’ Super Bowl ad with Paul Harvey, ‘So God Made a Farmer’ stands out as a classic winner.
4) The massive repositioning of retail is and will continue to have profound ramifications on advertising, the overall economy, and how we live. Digital for digital’s sake will be replaced by lifestyle empowerment, community and inspiration through digital. Brands will continue to build their own media presence, cultivate their own communities, and will rely less and less on others to reach their consumers for them.
5) Validates the old axiom that emotion + information = communication…whether it’s a TV series, ad campaign, or a political campaign.
6) We continually experiment with new video and camera technologies that are helping transform the viewer experience. It’s a dynamic field and requires a corporate devotion to continuous improvement.
