Fans have new expectations.

• They demand streaming options & a diverse media ecosystem, completely bypassing traditional sports coverage.
• They are seeking increased avenues for interaction with the games themselves, desiring immersive experiences that go beyond mere spectatorship.
• They also crave more opportunities to engage directly with their favorite players, fostering a sense of connection and intimacy. A dunk isn’t enough, they want to get to know Lebron.

We’ve identified key changes in Gen Z sports preferences in the areas of Consumption, Participation, and Human Values. And we’ve added recommendations and real-world examples for each from McLaren Racing, the NBA and more.

We’re Experience.Monks.

As experts in brand experience design, we work to elevate and innovate your brand through every single consumer touchpoint. We are your consultancy, agency and production arm all in one, specifically designed to help modern brands looking to disrupt, differentiate, and innovate everywhere customers interact with them.

It’s not a coincidence that the platform attracts these audiences and also humanizes brands by encouraging them to show a more genuine side. To put it simply, TikTok stands out among other platforms by not only connecting with younger audiences but also providing brands with unique opportunities to establish emotional connections, showcase their authenticity and effectively reach new potential customers in creative ways. Moreover, it serves as a fertile ground for creating trending content and attaining viral status within seconds—resulting in the highly sought-after “sold out” scenario that every brand aspires to achieve.

In a marketing landscape that is constantly evolving, having a presence on TikTok is not just an option, but a wise decision for brands aiming to differentiate themselves and stay relevant in the face of an increasingly demanding digital audience. Surprisingly, though, many have yet to fully tap into its potential. Worry not—whether you’ve tested the waters already or are just thinking about dipping your toes into the platform, this guide will help you succeed in your TikTok campaigns.

Stage 1: Initial Preparation

Before venturing into TikTok from a brand perspective, it is essential to actively engage on the platform as a user. Becoming familiar with the language and dynamics of TikTok is the first step toward achieving success. Whether you are a brand owner, employee or part of an agency, absorbing the essence of TikTok is crucial.

Success on TikTok requires synergizing a distinctive tone of voice with the unique social essence of the platform. The brand voice, which may be cautious and dependable elsewhere, can (and likely should) become inspiring, lighthearted and humorous on TikTok. That’s the only way to break down barriers and establish a relationship with consumers that’s built on trust. Ultimately, TikTok provides the ideal environment to unravel untapped aspects of the brand.

Some of the ways brands can actively participate on TikTok include:

1. Creating an organic profile on TikTok:
   
   This strategy involves building a brand profile on the platform and consistently sharing organic content. It requires meticulous planning, as the videos should resonate with TikTok’s audience and align with their interests. 
   
   
   
   While it demands a high level of dedication, the benefits outweigh the effort. By having an organic presence, the brand’s profile becomes a testing ground, enabling the brand to extract valuable insights from videos, explore topics that intersect with diverse niches within TikTok and receive real-time feedback from users. These learnings can then be applied to paid content, ensuring its effectiveness is maximized.
   
    
2. Using TikTok ads:
   
   Another alternative is to invest in paid ads on TikTok.These ads can appear in the discovery feed, just like organic videos, but there are also special formats that provide a prominent position on the homepage, as well as sponsored challenges. The lack of an organic account doesn’t necessarily affect the performance of these ads, making this a great choice for brands that want to test the platform without fully committing to it yet. It’s also an effective tactic to amplify seasonal campaigns.
   
    
3. Partnering with TikTok creators:
   
   Partnering with creators not only serves as an alternative for those unable to choose one of the previous options but also acts as a complementary strategy that can and should be combined with the others. Content creators on TikTok are native to the platform, meaning they possess expertise in producing content that truly resonates with audiences. By partnering with the right ones, you can gain an intermediary that effectively translates the brand’s message while also attracting potential customers from their trusted follower base.

There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to collaborating with creators. Instead, it’s important to avoid a cookie-cutter style and focus on customizing strategies to accommodate individual differences and cater to specific needs. More often than not, creators complement brands’ strategies through dark posts, but increasingly, they are involved in the early stages of the campaign, helping to determine the best way to introduce it on the platform.

Stage 2: Beyond the Top of the Funnel

Recognizing that TikTok isn’t just restricted to the initial phase of the marketing funnel opens up space to plan a comprehensive strategy with videos that address all stages of the customer journey, which can be even more effective. 

When we think about TikTok, it’s not uncommon to associate it with the awareness stage, in which brands can leverage the viral nature of the app to capture the attention of a wide audience. However, it doesn’t end there. In the conversion stage, brands can incorporate clear call-to-actions within the videos or in the captions, directing users to visit a website, make a purchase or sign up for a newsletter. 

To drive ad communication, though, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of campaign objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs). What is the core message we aim to convey? What will be the call to action (CTA)? These considerations will guide the development of an effective campaign.

Stage 3: Detailed Research

Research is a powerful ally in shaping a TikTok strategy. It is crucial to collect and save relevant references, templates and resources for future adaptations. Analyzing consumer-generated content, both from the brand and others in the industry, provides valuable insights into what resonates with the audience.

By exploring the different hashtags and trends that are closely related to the campaign theme, you can join the conversations that organically align with the strategy. Attentively listening to customer feedback, identifying recurring themes and evaluating overall brand perception will guide the path to success. 

Stage 4: Key Considerations for Planning

During the planning phase, brainstorming with the team is key to selecting the best ideas. From there, it is necessary to identify the required resources—including roles such as store employees, content creators or celebrities—as well as materials such as sets, props and products. These resources will be used in filming, adapting existing content, or recording videos at home.

Not long ago, we successfully brought Kopenhagen’s Easter campaign to TikTok. The Topview announcement in particular had an impressive reach of 4.1 million people, exceeding expectations. In addition, the click-through rate (CTR) was 35% higher than the standard benchmark. The impact was even more remarkable as the proportion of new users visiting the brand’s website increased by over 60% during the period when this format was utilized. In short, this broad visibility, coupled with a significant CTR, resulted in a notable growth in the number of potential customers during one of the most important dates for the brand.

Another crucial aspect is the development of a well-defined timeline, encompassing the entire process from the initial creation to the launch of the TikTok campaign. In doing so, it’s necessary to dedicate enough time to each step, ensuring they are properly distributed within the available time frame. This helps avoid last-minute planning for seasonal campaigns.

Stage 5: Creating Impactful Content

When it comes to creating content for TikTok, every second counts. Unlike other platforms, where longer videos are favored, TikTok is all about agility and action, which means that the first three seconds are particularly crucial in capturing the user’s attention. That’s when you should be highlighting offers, promotions, coupons and even free shipping—maximizing efforts to attract and engage the audience effectively.

By understanding the language and trends, conducting comprehensive research, carefully planning and creating relevant content, brands can achieve outstanding results on TikTok. While harnessing its full potential may not be as easy as it seems, when executed effectively, it becomes a formidable marketing tool. The platform’s evolution has made it essential for successful campaigns. Let’s embrace creativity, innovation and strategy to fully unleash its power.

Those of us who work hand in hand with brands in the audiovisual realm understand the significance of aligning film productions with their strategies to amplify reach and foster audience engagement. Customizing each asset produced facilitates this, as each platform has its unique format and language. Gone are the days of addressing everyone solely through a captivating TV commercial; now, we require numerous personalized assets tailored for multiple platforms and devices. Accomplishing this outcome demands meticulous planning—from creative ideation to pre-production, production, post-production and adaptation. Throughout this journey, we rely on skilled talent capable of optimizing resources to their fullest potential and delivering the best craft.

Inspire interaction through multiple formats. 

The possibilities for creating audiovisual content are limitless. As part of the Studio capability within Media.Monks, I work alongside producers, post-producers, animators, designers, visual effects artists, editors and sound designers who can bear witness. One day, we may be working on a commercial, only to produce digital content the next, as well as tabletop shoots for food and beverages, always-on content, live streams, event coverage or even an AR billboard.

While each production is unique, one constant remains unchanged: the imperative to tell impactful stories that resonate with the audience. You don’t only want to captivate them with beautiful pieces but also engage them and motivate them to have a dialogue with the brand—whether that’s through a short film competing at Cannes or a social post.

During our collaboration with KFC on The Battle of the Chickens, we witnessed the direct impact of culturally relevant creativity on audience engagement. TikTok, in particular, proved to be the platform that showcased this effect the most, with numerous interventions. On a personal note, this also represents one of the pieces my team is most proud of, as it was awarded by IAB Mexico and, more importantly, it was made 100% in-house with emerging directors, executive production and post-production all done internally.

Unlocking speed and value through a multilocal team. 

As exemplified by The Battle of the Chickens, a crucial factor for success in 2023 is the creation of culturally relevant content. However, for brands to actively co-create culture alongside their audience, it is essential not only to tell compelling stories in diverse formats but also to develop them rapidly. To tackle that challenge, we developed a global production network based on an end-to-end model combining internal expertise with the skills of independent directors (both established and emerging), which allows us to swiftly adapt to any format and stay ahead of the curve.

Moreover, the combination of a robust ecosystem of global talent and local expertise forms a foolproof formula for executing exceptional productions at a reasonable cost. By seeking the localization of production design in LATAM, we can maximize budget efficiency. While working with a Mexican director for a local brand, for example, our people in New Delhi may jump in to help from their virtual production studio specializing in Unreal Engine, and the post-production team in Buenos Aires may give the final touches for a faster turnaround.

“In 2022 alone, our team shot more than ten commercials for the US in Mexico City,” says my colleague Octavio Gortazar, who is Executive Producer for Media.Monks.

Producing captivating content that knows no time, size or budget constraints.

In our industry, there seems to be a growing trend of shrinking budgets and increasing demands, and to a large extent, this is true. As a result, production teams are faced with the challenge of efficiently handling projects of various scales, delivering them in the shortest possible time, and managing costs effectively. While having a diverse team with local expertise is advantageous, it is also crucial to rethink and transform conventional production processes in order to unlock a higher level of innovation and speed.

We define this strategy with a single word: Nimble. In a nutshell, Nimble represents an in-house production model that effectively caters to the content requirements of social media in the local market. It provides an agile and compact production design, characterized by its cost efficiency and perfect craftsmanship. From covering an event with a content creator to developing a marketing shoot for a series or producing one-year content for a digital campaign, it always allows us to maximize the possibilities of a set with the highest level of craft.

An example of this is our work with Santa Clara, a renowned dairy brand in Mexico that needed to connect with its diverse audiences through social media. Knowing that tabletop can be both costly and technically demanding, we combined our Nimble and tabletop teams to devise a more efficient shooting plan. In just three weeks of pre-production and five days of filming, we delivered 80 photos and 100 videos tailored to the various communication channels across different digital platforms.

Shootings for automotive brands, as well as marketing productions for series or artists, can also leverage a Nimble production design to generate efficient, crafty, and creative content.

In constant transformation.

Another way of generating efficiencies is experimenting with new technologies. Today, AI is pushing us to revolutionize traditional approaches and co-create new processes with other disciplines. We are making progress in experimenting and training our teams in the new AI-powered tools that enhance and enable creative developments. This powerful tool is utilized across various applications, enabling us to generate text-to-image content, create precise storyboards, expedite post-production processes and even streamline back-office operations, even in its early stages of development.

Today, brands have countless opportunities and formats to connect with consumers thanks to agile and innovative production efforts that allow for personalized scaling of each project, enabling interaction with multiple audiences. Content is supported by creators, the community and technology. That’s why we continue to democratize access to diverse and young talent on set, regardless of scale. We engage in dialogue with the community and constantly update ourselves collectively with our partners, colleagues and clients.

On Twitter (now controversially referred to as “X”, but that’s another story), the number of verified accounts has grown from 5,000 in 2010 to over 424,000. This leads us to ponder whether there will come a point when everyone is verified, or if the platform will offer content authenticity as an inherent value without relying solely on badges. While nothing is certain, here are some of the advantages and disadvantages that come with seeking verification.

The importance of verification in ensuring the authenticity of information.

To understand the pros and cons of verification, it’s worth looking back at where it all began. One significant turning point was the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal. While that case highlighted a larger issue pertaining data privacy and the use of personal information, it also sparked discussions about the spread of misinformation. Among other things, Cambridge Analytica utilized personal data to create targeted political advertisements and present users with tailored messages—amplifying content from dubious sources in the process.

The scandal emphasized the need for stricter verification measures to ensure credibility of information. While it’s part of a broader effort that includes education, fact-checking and privacy policies, verification plays a crucial role in distinguishing legitimate sources of information from fake profiles.

More recently, there have been other instances where verification has been employed for positive purposes. For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic, verified accounts—such as that of the World Health Organization—have been instrumental in ensuring users have access to reliable information during the pandemic. Plus, platforms like Facebook and Twitter partnered with some of these reputable organizations and outlets to append reliable information to related posts.

Similarly, verification plays a role in amplifying and legitimizing the voices of individuals and organizations involved in specific movements. With Black Lives Matter, verification provided a means to distinguish genuine accounts from fake profiles that sought to undermine or misrepresent the movement.

The pros and cons of verification in social media profiles for brands.

All things considered, let's analyze the advantages and disadvantages of obtaining verification in social media profiles. First, let’s begin with the pros.

• It serves as a credibility check. The main benefit of verified accounts is the credibility they bring to social media platforms. In an environment flooded with impostors and anonymous trolls, the blue verification badge is a knight in shining armor, shielding users from fake profiles and misleading information. It is worth mentioning that the phenomenon of virality can sometimes create a false sense of authenticity, but reaching a verified source generally helps halt the dissemination of falsely amplified information.
• It offers VIP access to privileged circles. Having a verified account unlocks a world of exclusive privileges: from accessing restricted features and joining unique communities to enhancing the reach of the content itself (as emphasized by Mr. Musk). For brands and individuals actively engaged in social media, this serves as a ticket to participate in elite conversations. (You can't sit with us!)
• It’s an extension of your business model. Monetizing exclusive responses for verified accounts is just the tip of the iceberg of the controversial add-ons that platforms plan to implement; a glimpse into the future of advertising where verified content and brand safety will be paid for.

Now, we cannot discuss the benefits of verification in this era without considering the disadvantages. For example:

• It can turn into a Game of Thrones of verification. In most platforms, obtaining the coveted blue badge is no easy feat; and if it’s achieved through payment, there’s no guarantee that platforms won’t revoke it at some point. An uncomfortable truth is that the verification system has been criticized for being exclusive and favoring established figures. There have also been cases where verification has been granted to fake or parody accounts, causing chaos within the network, as exemplified by Disney.
• At times, the unverifiable is verified. The blue badge is not an infallible shield against deception. Recent incidents have underscored the vulnerability of verified accounts to misinformation. For example, a fake image of an explosion at the Pentagon, shared by verified Twitter accounts, caused confusion and even triggered a stock market downturn.
• Advertisers missing in action. The possibility for verified accounts to obtain monetary benefits through Twitter ads raises concerns regarding the authenticity of sponsored content. It becomes difficult to distinguish whether a celebrity’s endorsement of a miracle product is genuine or simply the result of Photoshop or AI manipulation.

In conclusion, verification provides a crucial safeguard against identity impersonation and enhances the credibility of brands and influential individuals. However, the verification process can be exclusive, and verified accounts are not immune to the propagation of misinformation. The introduction of ads in replies can bring economic advantages, but it also raises concerns about the authenticity of sponsored content.

Finally, a question that has crossed every marketer’s mind: Does verification have an impact on our metrics? At least for now, the answer is yes. On platforms like Instagram, verified accounts can experience up to 30% more engagement, according to a study encompassing over 6.5 million accounts. However, other platforms like Twitter may show smaller increases. Therefore, dear friends, proceed with caution, as not everything that glitters with a blue verification badge is gold.

And let us not forget, in the tumultuous realm of social media, where truths and falsehoods often intertwine, it is always prudent to approach every tweet and post with a healthy dose of skepticism, a touch of humor and a discerning eye for the truth.

If you missed it (or could use a refresher), no worries—we’ve collected insights from across the week that set the agenda for what brands and their partners are focusing now and into the next year. Want to see the key themes at a glance? Find our deck at the bottom of the page.

Surprise: everyone was talking about AI.

It’s no surprise that among all the themes covered at Cannes this year, generative AI was the toast of the town. Our programming at Les.Monks Café centered on how marketers are using the tech now—or how they can lay the foundation for the revolutionary effects of AI in the very near future. “AI: Powering Transformative Customer Experiences” was one panel touching on these topics.

At the top of the conversation, Jay Pattisall, VP & Principal Analyst at Forrester, shared insights from his recent forecast report co-authored by Michael O’Grady. “In Q1, 19% of marketers in the US have used generative AI in their marketing execution. By Q2, that grew to 56%. There’s a really substantial growth,” he said, noting that early use cases include content development as well as media strategy and buying.

But what does this look like? Carlos Ricardo, Sr. VP Marketing Services & Creative Production at HP, laid out the brand’s strategic balance in identifying opportunities now versus building toward future goals. “We established what would be the potential business impact in terms of prioritization,” he said. “So, we determined 14 different work streams that we are currently working on which we call ‘Day Zero’—experiments that have already started.” In addition, the team has mapped out plans for 30, 60 and 90 days into the future to keep its AI transformation on-track.

Solange Bernard, Sr. Director/Head of Marketing Communications at Tim Hortons, also offered a peek behind the counter at how they’re using AI: “The way we’ve been approaching it is twofold. One, you see it as an opportunity to be more efficient. And then there’s also creative content development—there’s a lot of excitement in what we could be doing.” Bernard noted AI tools have enabled the team to take their first steps into virtual production to scale up creative.

AI plays a key role as an integrator that unlocks growth for brands.

As Pattisall shared, AI is more than unlocking creative content at scale—there’s also great potential in media. Later in the panel, Media.Monks Co-Founder Wesley ter Haar explained that when you bring both disciplines together through dynamic creative optimization, you truly unlock AI’s revolutionary impact. “For me, it brings to the front the original intent and promise of digital advertising: this idea that we can be real-time responsive, have highly personalized goals, and highly targeted feedback loops.”

This sentiment was echoed at our “TuesdAI Breakfast Session” with our EMEA CEO Victor Knaap and EMEA Chief Growth Officer Maria Nordstrom. With the discussion focused primarily on the basics of generative AI, Knaap explained the importance of integration across the business to “make an enterprise-ready pipeline where we can go all the way from insights to the assets that run on media,” and that he expects to see brands implement structural changes from the top down to accommodate.

One example: the work we’ve done with BMW and Mini, in which “atomic assets”—bits and pieces of creative, like the car model or environment featured—come together based on user profiles and data. “So, you get an infinite amount of assets that can be served into media,” says Knaap, noting that this infinitude can even resonate with audiences you haven’t formally targeted—leading to newer insights along the way.

The secret to cultural relevance? Leaning into communities that align.

AI wasn’t the only topic for discussion at Cannes this year. There was also a lot of talk on building cultural relevance and authenticity, especially when it comes to serving a movement or community. This is already top of mind for many brands during Pride Month—but the 50th anniversary of hip-hop during August this year offers a case study of this concept in real time as brands lean into the culture.

This was a key topic in our panel “Hip Hop 50. Then. Now. Forever,” hosted in collaboration with Billboard, ADCOLOR and Sony Music Group. “Any time a brand wants to utilize or activate a culture, it’s got to be really thoughtful, and it’s got to have intention,” said Eric Johnson, Executive Creative Director, North America at MassiveMusic. “It’s really important for brands to honor the culture and understand the culture.”

With the group diving into legendary brand collaborations in the early days of hip-hop—like Run DMC’s historic signing with Adidas in the 80s after endorsing the shoes in their songs—Cashmere President and Chief Creative Officer Ryan Ford expressed the importance of seeking these natural alignments. “We’re trying to help brands understand where the authentic alignment is already. It’s not just about slapping a ‘Hip-Hop 50th Anniversary’ logo on your product, right?” Instead, he says, you need to think hard about how to show up for the cultural moment.

Mike Van, President at Billboard, offered one approach. “[Hip-hop culture] is inherently entrepreneurial, it’s bootstrap culture all the way. It’s all about financial independence and empowerment, and you have a whole generation now of consumers and fans of hip-hop who are thirsting for that kind of content.” The opportunity: brands can become arbiters to build knowledge within the culture.

Real purposeful marketing focuses on real solutions. 

One area where cultural relevance is key is purpose-driven marketing, which shows no sign of slowing down on the award circuit. That said, the nature of what passes for truly transformative, purposeful work has evolved from previous years. “We’ve moved beyond just raising awareness for good causes. We need tangible solutions,” Sara Cosgrove, our Global Director of Awards & Creativity, on our “Women Connect” panel.

Cosgrove was joined by Jo Wallace, Global Executive Creative Director, and Ashley Knight, Strategy Director, in the panel, which was moderated by Luciana Haguiara, Executive Creative Director, Latam. With Wallace and Knight having served on juries this year, the group pushed back against work that tacks on a cause. “It has to have absolute relevance,” Wallace said. “We’re noticing a real disparity between brands that have a genuine purpose and a reason to function in that space and to bring good, and brands where there’s some laziness—you’re trying to bolt on this purpose and it shows.”

A favorite piece of work among the team is our Havaianas Pride Research project, where we teamed up with Havaianas, Datafolja and All Out to create Brazil’s biggest LGBTQ+ survey. Questions related to community had been excluded from Brazil’s official census, so the survey was designed to make the community and its needs more visible. Its findings were released on a beautifully designed web platform developed by the Media.Monks team. 

There’s no single definition of “good” creative.

Speaking of impactful work, the leadup to Cannes this year didn’t have the single frontrunner that was expected to sweep all the awards—but that’s not a bad thing, because it’s indicative of more diversification of what “good” creative is. An increasingly diverse talent base, plus more diverse and representative juries at the festival, will continue to affect what work is awarded and further challenge industry norms and expectations.

“It all comes down to empathy. There’s never been as many diverse crises we’ve been facing as a group of people, as an industry, and I think the expectation is creativity needs to do more to create empathy among these groups,” Knight shared. “Having more diverse perspectives that can speak to other people’s circumstances and needs can only be a good thing and that’s where I see a lot of change in the work this year.”

So, what makes outstanding work? The Women Connect panel made a rubric: have a clever insight that links to the brand, don’t overcomplicate things, play to emotion, and give newcomers the chance to challenge their more established peers. This helps bring new perspectives to the fore that can uniquely relate to audiences.

Supporting green talent is the idea behind our NextUp.Monks competition, in collaboration with Cannes Lions, which aims to elevate up-and-coming creative talent. This year, teams competed by answering a creative brief from Meta, "VR for Good," which challenged participants to transform how Gen Z thinks about VR and show how a headset can change minds and transform lives. We finished the week with a toast to the six competition winners—Vasyl Ilba, Mykyta Zolotoverkhyi, Ashwin Paul, Jorene Chew, Anna Zhang and Yazad Dastur, Jr.—who touched on their processes and experiences bringing the brief to reality.

One interesting tidbit came from Dastur, on zeroing in on an idea that has an impact. “While we wanted to do something different, we didn’t want to do something big. We aligned really quickly that we wanted to focus on a very small problem that would be able to help everyday life.”

Looking ahead, brands are planning their transformation strategies.

Throughout Cannes, we got a glimpse into what brands are thinking about right now. But what should they be doing now to prepare for next year—and beyond? S4 Capital Executive Chairman sat down with Salesforce President Sarah Franklin and Diageo Chief Digital Officer Susan Jones to speak on “Gathering the Transformation Trio” and aligning C-suite leadership across agency, technology and brand for continued success.

Franklin kicked things off by touching on the evolving role of the CMO. “You’re seeing more CMOs as more strategic in the business, the pathway to these more strategic roles, even the pathway to the CEO which, I think, speaks volumes for how much is on the shoulders of the marketeers and how strategic they are,” she said. Sir Martin Sorrell’s advice to building more strategic brands: be agile, take back control, and invest in first-party data.

On agility, Jones spoke on the need of continually evaluating and re-evaluating your activities. “Test new things as they come long to understand how they work, and then take a step back and go, ‘Is this sustainable? What’s a better way?’” This agility helps empower teams to reorganize around changed or emerging needs.

When it comes to in-housing, Sorrell notes that the important thing is bringing teams together to work far more efficiently—something that AI can help unlock. “Being able to disseminate knowledge across the organization on the assumption that you’ve ingested the right data, and that you’ve opened it for access to all, is the really powerful thing—and it means you’re going to become a much more singular force for agencies to deal with,” by breaking down the silos and politics that typically slow things down.

Finally, “You have to have a strong foundation of your data. Your data has to be in order,” particularly when it comes to setting up artificial intelligence. But as the lifeblood of your brand, a solid data foundation can accomplish even more. Franklin mentioned Formula One, whose “Drive to Survive” Netflix series brought in a new fanbase, many of whom are women. “So you see how something which is very orthogonal to their actual business, which is a TV series, created this whole new community of fans for them. And what they’ve done from the data side to be able to really drive that personalization has been really impressive.”

The festival captured an industry at a pivotal moment.

While AI dominated the conversation at Cannes this week, it’s important to consider some of the pre-requisites touched on elsewhere throughout the festival: getting your data in order, integrating the business to achieve new outcomes and ensuring you lead with authenticity with everything you do. The beautiful part? Once you’ve made a solid foundation on each of these, you’ll be prepared to fully unlock the potential of technologies like generative AI. 

That’s it for Cannes this year—and we can’t wait to see how AI, more intentional creative and greater diversity on teams will continue to influence creativity next year.

When it comes to creating work that works, the key is in the details. We need a strategic process that allows brands to optimize for performance and apply learnings to future projects. But generic approaches only produce generic results, so while we require a systematic process to guide us, it’s important to open ourselves up to new opportunities. Sounds challenging, but the results can be impressive: Klarna, for example, garnered 4+ million views in the Playing for Keeps livestream partnership with Snoop Dogg and Twitch streamers. Here’s how you too can turn needs into actionable strategies, split into three digestible phases. 

Phase 1: Discovery 

First, we need to lay the groundwork: understanding the performance of your brand’s existing social media content, competitor mapping and social listening on topics that are relevant to the brand. This will provide your team with a better grasp of how the brand is truly doing on social media compared to the market and industry benchmark. 

We apply the discovery methodology not only for client work but for a number of trends and culture reports too, such as The Power Of Fandom Is Not Random, in which we dive into the rise of fandom culture and how brands can act on its potential. In the discovery phase, it’s crucial to define the brand’s problems and business objectives regarding social media, to then establish goals and target metrics. 

Phase 2: Brainstorming 

Armed with a baseline understanding of where your brand stands and where you want to take it, it’s time to think about your target audience. No industry, market or brand is the same, so this analysis should be tailored to yours. For example, you could start by asking your partners, the team and yourself the following questions:

• Who are we talking to, and how do we define them? What do we know about them?
• Are we targeting the audience demographic in specific markets and/or regions?
• What are the audience's pain points and motivations?
• What should our persona and voice be like on social media?
• How does this ladder up to our brand and vision?

With the answers to these questions, you can then determine a strategic proposition and creative platform to address Gen Zs in their specific contexts. 

Phase 3: Creation

You now have all the building blocks in place to create content that Gen Zs can’t resist. The final phase is where the magic happens. What you will be producing at this stage are conceptual proposals, mock-ups and communication plans that string all the pieces together to reach your audience across various touchpoints. The best briefs are co-created, so brand-agency alignment is crucial to the success of each campaign or strategy. 

Through the three-phase process, our team created Ally Island, a branded space within the game Animal Crossing, which peaked during the pandemic. Packed with minigames showcasing different aspects of Ally, the space educated visitors on money management while helping to promote the bank’s services amongst youths. The cherry on top? The participation of a popular Animal Crossing streamer, Kang, who taught gamers how to make money work smarter. In the end, the activation was featured on the front page of Twitch for three weeks, won The FWA of the Day and even bagged an Effie Award. But most importantly, it achieved 1.38+ million individual viewers and 112+ hours spent with the brand by the target audience.  

Similarly, the German fintech company N26 teamed up with us to bring their YouTube content strategy to life. To show you how the three-phase approach played out in that case, here are the outcomes of the workshop and brainstorming sessions:

• Audience pain point: There’s a huge disconnect between the values of our consumers and the financial system as a whole.
• Audience insight: Our audience has new lifestyles and changed expectations towards banking, asking for solutions that fit their life versus the other way around.
• Audience motivation: Confidence, relevance.
• Point of entry: Show N26 as a way to achieve our goals, instead of a barrier that keeps us from our goals.
• Role of brand: Be the finance partner for an entire generation.
• Strategic springboard: Making you the expert. We’ll leverage Gen Z’s desire for personalization by building talking tracks around N26 being the financial partner that caters to this generation’s values. 

After the brainstorming sessions, we moved into the creation stage. The result? A YouTube content strategy that was introduced in five markets and featured content series like “Talking to friends about money,” which resulted in a 289k average view rate for the fintech company. 

It all boils down to the idea that crystallizing everything into a single brief allows teams to address the heart of the matter and inspire creatives. A lot can be achieved with purpose and intention, especially when it comes to winning with Gen Zs. Trust building shouldn’t be hard—at least not if brands are staying true to their mission. So follow these steps with confidence and remember: generic approaches breed generic work. A willingness to embrace new opportunities can lead to impressive results.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month takes place in May because of two key dates: May 7 and 10. The former marks the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in the United States, whereas the latter—also known as Golden Spike Day—recognizes the completion of the US transcontinental railroad, connecting East to West. Nearly twenty thousand Chinese immigrants supported the construction of this incredible project, working under brutal conditions in the Sierra Nevada for very little pay. It’s critical that they are given recognition for their courage, hard work and dedication, today and into the future.



The AAPI umbrella term represents cultures from the entire Asian continent and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. AAPI Heritage Month is an annual celebration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions that individuals and groups of this descent have made to the United States—and there are many. From science, literature, art and sports to government, politics, activism and law, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have significantly contributed to and enriched various facets of American life. Over time, AAPI people, stories, and traditions have become more visible, with Michelle Yeoh taking home an Oscar for Best Actress, Bong Joon Ho winning Academy Awards for both Best Picture and Best Director for his film Parasite, Marvel launching its first-ever Asian superhero, and Kamala Harris becoming the first AAPI (and female) Vice President of the United States.



As our people spotlights show, representation matters—especially since AAPI people have such a long history in the United States. Records show that Asians first migrated to what is now known as the United States over 15,000 years ago, crossing the Bering Land Bridge that connected Asia with North America. This defeats the painful stereotype that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are perpetual foreigners, which entails the idea that they are inherently foreign, other and not truly American.



At Media.Monks, we empower our employees to build, innovate and work together as one team where everyone can feel like they belong and have a voice. Our focus is on fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment by treating people the way they want to be treated, encouraging colleagues to raise their voices, and working together to complement our differences and learn from one another. This ultimately helps create space for employees to share their unique identities and affinities and celebrate both contrasting and common life experiences.



In recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month—and the fact that AAPI people are the fastest growing racial group in the United States—members of our AAPI community have come together to reflect on and celebrate their unique histories and heritage.

Nikki Azuma, Office Support Assistant

San Francisco, California

I’ve been with Media.Monks for: 

1 year.

What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you? Why is it important?

AAPI Heritage Month is a chance for me to celebrate not only my heritage, but other people’s Asian heritage as well. For the longest time, being Asian wasn’t cool—and as I reflect about those early years, I realize that the lack of representation in American media was a huge factor in feelings of self-loathing. It wasn’t until anime really started making a mainstay that I started to appreciate and connect with my Japanese heritage. I think it’s really important to be proud of your heritage, to be able to share aspects of it with others in a safe environment, and to show respect to people who are from different cultures and upbringings. Often in discussing these things, we realize we have more similarities than differences!

What advice would you give to aspiring AAPI professionals?

My mom wanted me to graduate college, become a nurse and settle down with a nice Asian boy. Only one of those things happened. The choices I have made throughout my career have allowed me to discover what I really love and excel at: administrative work. Follow your heart, don’t feel like you’re trapped in a box of expectations, and have faith that the decisions you make will eventually work out. 

The theme for AAPI Heritage Month in 2023 is “Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.” What does that mean for you?

It all starts with an opportunity, doesn’t it? I was given the opportunity to join this company, and now I feel like I’m thriving. My manager is amazing and gives me ample opportunities to make the office a better place than it was yesterday. Opportunities only take you so far though; it takes recognition and support from those who work both with and “above” you to be successful and make an impact. Every day, I am thankful that I was given this opportunity—but I also recognize that I was afforded some privileges that are not available to all people. The essentiality of recognizing privilege and using that to help uplift others allows me to feel more like “we advanced” versus “I advanced.”

How will you celebrate AAPI Heritage Month this year?

I will celebrate AAPI Heritage Month the same way I celebrate heritage every month: by developing a unique ethnic menu for our office’s lunch program, thereby supporting people of that heritage and promoting their brick-and-mortar restaurant (if applicable) by sharing information about it with our team. I often think about how I would like my heritage to be represented, and make sure to apply that same respect in representing another culture. So this month, we’ll be supporting all Asian-owned businesses!

Who inspires you from the AAPI community and why?

While not Asian American, I really love and respect Michelle Yeoh. I remember being in 6th grade, watching Wing Chun and realizing that being an Asian woman could mean kicking @$$. Watching her acceptance speech for winning an Oscar really deepened my love and respect for her, because she earned, deserved and most importantly OWNED that win.

Describe (if you have one) a moment in your family's story that can serve as an inspirational historical moment. 

I’m also half Chinese with strong females on the maternal side. My great-grandmother was a living legend. She lived through two world wars, watched us go from rotary phones to cell phones, and immigrated here as a paper daughter. She lived to be 109 years old, traversing the steep inclines of Chinatown until she was 95 and being in complete control of her faculties until she was 102. Her history of survival, struggles, and finally successes reminds me every day that I am also strong and that I can also overcome challenges.

Jeffrey Leong, VP Biz Ops

San Francisco, California

I’ve been with Media.Monks for: 

7 years.

What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you? Why is it important?

AAPI Heritage Month represents an opportunity to learn about and celebrate the diverse cultures, histories and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. It's important to me to celebrate as many cultures as we can and show respect to all backgrounds.

What advice would you give to aspiring AAPI professionals?

Identify what goals you want to achieve and then create a roadmap to reach those goals. Separately, if it is important to you, embrace your cultural identity—your heritage is an integral part of who you are, and it can be a source of strength and inspiration in your professional journey. 

The theme for AAPI Heritage Month in 2023 is “Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.” What does that mean for you?

It's important that we give opportunities at Media.Monks to folks of all different backgrounds. We seek to be a merit-based organization and this theme embodies that ethos.

How will you celebrate AAPI Heritage Month this year?

Food! My favorite way to celebrate my own culture and those of others is by experiencing cuisine with other people. 

Who inspires you from the AAPI community and why?

My parents and family for their work ethic, perseverance and unity. 

Describe (if you have one) a moment in your family's story that can serve as an inspirational historical moment. 

My grandmother was the first Chinese-American Woman to own her own real estate brokerage in San Francisco. My family and I are very proud of that and of all the hard work and determination that went into that achievement.

Vivian Huang, Senior Strategist

San Francisco, California

I’ve been with Media.Monks for: 

4 years.

What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you? Why is it important?

AAPI Heritage Month is an opportunity to reflect on our roots and honor our heritage. It's a time for us to come together and share our experiences as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to celebrate our diverse histories and identities. It's an important time of the year because Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders contributed a lot throughout American history, but our accomplishments and contributions are often glossed over. As Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, it's our job to be vocal and proud about who we are and what we bring to society. 

What advice would you give to aspiring AAPI professionals?

Do not be afraid to go into a field that is “untraditional.” Culturally, we are often told that a career such as being a doctor or an engineer is the only path forward. While those fields are certainly respectable, they’re not the only option. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders can be artists and entertainers and so much more—we have just as much right and talent as anyone else to exist in every industry. By breaking the mold, we can pave the way for future generations to explore things that they're passionate about and chase their dreams.

The theme for AAPI Heritage Month in 2023 is “Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.” What does that mean for you?

“Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity” means improving access to executives and influencers for AAPI professionals. It's about breaking structural barriers as well as the misconception that AAPI professionals are hard workers, but not good leaders. It's also about creating a safe space and a platform for AAPI professionals to be more vocal and visible. This starts with organizations understanding the diversity of the AAPI workforce and what barriers or challenges we face, addressing mental health needs or concerns, and truly analyzing whether leadership within an organization is systematically alienating AAPI professionals.

How will you celebrate AAPI Heritage Month this year?

I love podcasts and I've started to listen to a new one—AsianBossGirl (ABG)—which is a podcast by three Asian women about the modern day Asian-American female experience. In addition to that, I will definitely try to support more local Asian-owned businesses and look to connect with fellow AAPI professionals as much as possible.

Who inspires you from the AAPI community and why?

Bernice Chao and Jessalin Lam. They're the co-founders of Asians in Advertising, which is a community created for AAPI professionals to foster connections and opportunities, thereby helping Asians elevate to higher positions within the advertising industry. In an industry that's traditionally been a “boys only club,” it's really great to see two Asian women, who are both in positions of leadership within their respective organizations, help bring an underrepresented community together.

Sterling Stovall, Art Director

San Francisco, California

I’ve been with Media.Monks for: 

3 years. 

What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you? Why is it important?

I think AAPI Heritage Month is a special time when we can come together to celebrate everything the Asian community has done and how it continues to influence our culture today. It means a lot to me that we are continually seeing more and more Asian representation in our everyday lives, whether that’s in mainstream media or just in the workforce. It’s important because growing up, I didn’t really see as much representation happening, so it’s nice to see that progress is being made.

What advice would you give to aspiring AAPI professionals?

My advice would be to lean into your culture, take risks with what you can do, and be unabashedly yourself. The world and the workplace are a lot better when we have people bringing their unique personalities and perspectives to the table. Also, don’t base your status of success on where someone else is in their journey—we all walk our own timelines and that’s okay.

The theme for AAPI Heritage Month in 2023 is “Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.” What does that mean for you?

To me, this theme means that we’re trying to do better by giving qualified and deserving candidates the opportunity to succeed and represent our country—because right now, it still seems that diversity is a problem in our government representation. I can only hope that as we move forward into the future, we not only have more Asian representation, but our government is an actual representation of what our country looks like.

How will you celebrate AAPI Heritage Month this year?

I will celebrate by spending time with my family, watching a bunch of Asian-influenced movies, and eating delicious Asian cuisine.

Who inspires you from the AAPI community and why?

Growing up, I was always inspired by Jackie Chan. My mom introduced me to him when I was very young and I just loved how he infused his martial art movies with comedy. The fact that he was tough and silly at the same time was something that I really looked up to. It’s amazing to see his dedication to the art and all the work he puts into his stunts, no matter how much it takes to get the perfect shot.

More recently, the cast and crew of Everything Everywhere All at Once inspired me, because they took an insane concept and executed it to perfection with barely any budget. I love all the recognition and awards it’s getting and how it has blasted to the forefront of the entertainment industry.

Describe (if you have one) a moment in your family's story that can serve as an inspirational historical moment. 

My mom is an inspiration to me because she immigrated to the US from Vietnam when she was only 14. While she didn’t know the language, she was trying to spearhead a better life in the States. She worked hard to develop a life out here and raise her kids. She taught me the value of kindness and hard work and I’ll always love her for that. She makes me proud to be a Vietnamese American.

In the field of tabletop, which typically refers to the shooting of objects in great detail, products such as food, drinks, cosmetics or other liquids serve as the actors. But because they don’t live, talk or respond to our cues, we need our technicians on set to make the products move in the ways that our tabletop directors want them to. Using specialized equipment, our engineers can work their magic on said strawberry to not only let it wiggle, but do so perfectly timed and in focus. In other words, every day we have to fight gravity on set to keep our actors in control—all to tell a tasty-looking story that resonates with the audience. Let’s take a look at how.

Appealing to the audience takes tickling the right taste buds.

For the purpose of this piece, let’s focus on the shooting of food, keeping the strawberry in mind as the hero of our campaign. It all starts with defining the taste appeal of a brand and its product. With every client, our team’s goal is to help them translate their brand strategy into food imagery with the aim to create distinctive taste appeal—and there are various routes to arrive at this destination, each with their own expressions and associations. 

“We help brands build recognizable and earnable taste appeal, for instance through tools such as movement,” says our Film Director Catherine Millais. “Should the product move in an explosive or elegant way? Should it breakdance or do ballet? Should it jump, hop or only ever fall? When you’re thinking about how you’re going to present the food to a consumer, those are the types of questions that you have to ask, so that you can start defining a set of visuals for your design, sonic rules for your sound, and behavioral rules for your product.” 

It’s important to keep in mind that food is inherently cultural, social and emotional. As such, the visual language of food products is constantly in flux—it reacts to geography and changing sociocultural attitudes, to what’s happening in popular culture, and even to technological advances. As filmmakers in marketing and advertising, it’s crucial to be sensitive to the changing aesthetics of food and the different ways in which taste appeal can be delivered. In fact, it allows us to view taste through new lenses. Above all, it helps us understand how our clients can establish their own take on deliciousness.

Enter the scene: our toolbox of taste, which we’ve developed for our clients to understand how we can play with various elements to determine the taste appeal of a product. Various tools help us define this, such as movement, camera speed, sound, setting, or even food styling, just to name a few, all of which we have readily available at our studio. Our first job is to sit down with the brand’s marketers and make sure we translate the brand voice and creative brief into a commercial that’s in tune, impactful and tasty-looking. 

The main challenge is how to stand out in a sea of deliciousness. The first thing that will make your commercial distinctive is the creative concept. The second is how you leverage the tools at hand—and this is where our SFX specialists come in.

Need to cause a controlled explosion? Just call our SFX team.

The special effects are a critical part of a tabletop shoot. Our SFX specialists control the motion of the objects we are filming, like the automatic release of liquids or the explosions of products—all with millisecond precision. Each movement has to happen in the exact same place each time so that it’s always in focus. Try telling that to the strawberry that’s meant to jump onto a creamy bed of yogurt.

Before our specialists can start testing and setting up any effects, they first need to understand the director’s vision. Our SFX Specialist Jesse Dermout tells me that “a director’s idea can be quite abstract, which can make it hard for me to understand what exactly they’re after. Once we’ve talked it through and we’re aligned, it’s a matter of finding the right tools to get the desired effects. For slow movement, for instance, I would use an electric motor that’s programmed to do very precise steps, while for something more explosive, I would use pneumatics, which is pressurized air to blow stuff away with.” 

In essence, our SFX team provides support to our directors and other engineers on set, like our robot operators, which makes the special effects work both creative and technical. “Though my role is mostly technical, the creative side of it is thinking about how to make effects work in a ‘film’ kind of way, meaning that it has to be maneuverable, the movements have to be very small, and there can’t be too many things in frame,” says Dermout. In other words, SFX is about getting past the boundaries that film itself poses, like lighting, the set, the frame and so on—all the while making sure the effects work. 

The way to realize this is through rigorous testing. Once the director’s creative brief is locked and loaded, our SFX specialists do test after test after test—then conducting stress analyses, creating rigs in modeling software, 3D printing prototypes and testing out the physical version of a rig—until they finally get the director’s brief to work in practice. Safe to say, it takes not only a solutions-oriented mind and an eye for detail to be an SFX specialist, but also lots of patience.  

Robotics, the strawberry on top.

Without specialized equipment, such as our custom-made rigs to move materials in specific ways and our high-speed cameras, tabletop wouldn’t be possible. But there’s one more tool that our team can’t do without: our robot. Tabletop requires you to get each element under control, and motion control is key. Mo-co refers to computer controlled motion and can be used to move the camera, the object you are shooting, lighting or all of the above simultaneously. In tabletop, this gives us repeatable and precise accuracy and speed, which helps, since it often comes down to the millisecond. A robotic mo-co arm can travel smoothly at a speed of 1 meter per 0.5 seconds, meaning that you can repeatedly follow your wiggly strawberry and move the camera around the fruit as it falls. 

A human hand will never drop something in the exact same place and at the exact same time. So, you have to limit all your variables to not only achieve a certain effect, but do so in focus, in the right way and at the right moment. You're engineering a product to do something that it wouldn't naturally do, which is a challenge in itself. But people in the field say the real challenge is fighting gravity, because tabletop is where creativity and physics meet. Fortunately, our team of food creatives, directors, engineers, editors and producers is tight-knit and trained to work closely together, from exploring taste identity with a brand’s marketers, to using high-end equipment to deliver delicious and distinguishable commercials—and all the messy moments (literally) in between.

Understand the importance of trust.

Market volatility has been a withstanding theme that our entire generation is still learning to grapple with—a concern shared with Gen Z, who in the US identify “level of trust and security” as the top priority when choosing a financial service provider. And while 50-80% of smartphone-owning Gen Z in the US use mobile banking, their preference for mobile and digital service doesn’t mean they’re uninterested in traditional banks. In fact, traditional banks and payments remain more trusted and preferred for Gen Z.

Traditional banking and payment brands already have the trust of Gen Z, but that doesn’t mean there’s little to no work to be done for these brands—especially in light of the recent banking crisis in the US. As we progress through myriad uncertainties—stagflation, rounds of layoffs and more—even the most established names need to stay vigilant. Thankfully, Gen Z has clued us in to what’s important to them: namely the desire of personalization, speed and simplicity of engagement. Delivering on these needs boils down to the fundamental concept of building brand trust, of which social media can play a big part.

Focus on the content that matters most to your audience.

A generation brought up by the internet, more than half of Gen Z seek financial advice online through social media, with TikTok and Instagram having the greatest pull. Roughly two thirds of Gen Z cannot answer more than 50% of general financial literacy questions correctly, meaning content that focuses on areas of financial literacy (and shared through emerging formats) would best benefit Gen Z audiences.

This gives brands the opportunity to position themselves as a source of truth and thus, demonstrate their competence with the shared knowledge. And while the range of content on social media is big, it doesn’t hurt to start small. Simply start with the basics and continue to iterate from there.

Keep language consistent and coherent.

To succeed on social channels, brands need to establish strong social media principles, content focus and tone of voice. Without a social media strategy, they risk falling into the trap of focusing too much on tactical promotions. Here’s what not to share:

• Marketing speak that is difficult to understand (“Get up to 3.5% rebates”)
• Promotions with inaccessible fine print (“Limited redemption for the first 100 customers weekly for each outlet”)
• Rules that are confusing to understand (“Stand a chance to be eligible for up to 8% per annum interest if you qualify for more than three categories”)

Keeping things simple might be one of the most challenging tasks for brands in the financial services industry. But it’s incredibly fruitful: just look at how Gen Z have skewed towards “buy now, pay later” options over credit cards thanks to their simplicity.

Transparency is key to maintaining trust.

Investing in greater transparency on social media goes a long way toward building trust. In fact, 53% of consumers say a brand’s transparency on social media would prompt them to consider that brand for their next purchase, and 37% say they would purchase more from a company that is transparent on social media.

Moreover, social media’s predilection for connection makes it easier for brands to track sentiment and results from campaigns. Approaching content in a friendlier, youthful persona helps reflect Gen Z’s demand for more authentic content. Breaking down the “fourth wall” between brands and consumers requires decision makers to act with integrity and respect the standards of interaction on each channel.

Through each of the tactics above, we’ve explored key ways financial service brands can build trust with their audiences. From supporting consumers early on their journey to financial literacy, to focusing on simplicity and transparency, brands can build strong, trustworthy voices to connect with consumers.

From expecting a higher degree of honesty and authenticity to how more people are choosing to live alone, this report covers the main mindset shifts we’ve observed in APAC and offers practical advice for brands looking to build or maintain their cultural relevance. With insights from our regional team of experts, you’ll learn how to embrace these changes and celebrate with customers in ways that are actually meaningful to them. 

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One of the most important lessons for any brand looking to engage with consumers in the APAC market is that the region is not a monolith. It’s a collection of cultures, histories, languages and, most importantly, moments of celebration. Lunar New Year, which is one of the biggest celebrations in the calendar, has just passed—but the opportunity for marketers to truly understand what consumers want from them during these festivities is still there.

The APAC calendar is incredibly rich and diverse in regard to festive moments. There may be a few specific dates that take the vast majority of our focus. Still, with brands having to build more and more local relevance, there’s value in considering a wider pool of these crucial moments to connect with customers. 

In Singapore, you may start with Lunar New Year, which is followed by Easter, Ramadan, Vesak Day, Diwali and even National Day, to name a few. In Thailand, the first thought might be Songkran, but what about Māgha Pūjā and Loy Krathong? Over in India, brands often congregate around a wide selection of days, including Holi, Diwali, Gandhi Jayanti, Independence Day or Republic Day, cementing a new normal for hyper-local strategies. 

As you try to win the hearts of consumers in APAC around these dates, it’s important to understand how each market connects with brands and what they expect from them today. For example, we’ve found that many consumers are moving from wanting instant gratification to taking their time and pausing for consideration. We’ve also surfaced a mindset shift in people using digital media for honesty and transparency, rather than validating through positivity. 

To understand more about these mindset shifts, we’ve created a report with practical advice for marketers that will help them navigate both the diversity of APAC’s festive calendar and the common mindset shifts that are uniting a need for a new approach.