19th February 2015
BlogDavid Hunt is CEO of HAVAS LYNX EU. David is a recognised international figure within healthcare digital marketing having launched a series of industry firsts and collected numerous prestigious innovation awards. Responding to the evolving landscape, David works closely with the team to maintain HAVAS LYNX’s position at the forefront of innovation within healthcare.
Participate in something greater, by David Hunt
“Content is King” is a great expression; catchy, weighty, easy. It’s also misleading, absent of substance, and wrong on many levels. As of January 2014, the Internet has 861,379,0001 websites, or if you prefer Google has indexed 200 Terabytes of data2 which is just 0.004% of the total Internet. Either way, there is no shortage of content. There is, however, an appetite for relevant, topical, bespoke content delivered as part of an expert brand strategy – the social world requires brain not brawn.
Content is a form of advertisement, albeit positioned as a more sophisticated strategy. The objective remains to elicit an emotion that drives an action. However, despite this universal truth, the world has changed. It is more connected, more social, and ultimately more judgemental. It is no longer enough to tell stories; we need to craft a collaborative narrative. Being instant lacks longevity and durability. Producing content without emotion and relevance dilutes and devalues brands. Today, more than ever, the market requires insight, imagination and innovation. Our Havas colleagues in Australia produced what I consider to be the best social campaign in healthcare: The world’s most powerful arm.
Great agencies are more, not less, critical to the brand building process. So too is a genuine brand. We can no longer manufacture our image, we can no longer limit the format of our customer interactions, we are exposed, open, and unintentionally honest. A strong authentic brand personality is essential. It must represent the values of a business and be aligned to the personality of their customers. Fonts, colours and high-gloss photographs, pale-away versus behaviour and conduct. Social success today relies more than ever on the principles of brand development.
The scale of the Internet is infinite, standing out from the crowd is harder than ever, unless of course you join the crowd. Become more than just an isolated part. Participate in something greater. Unite your community through a shared ambition. Do more. Social success is inextricably linked to the power of the collective to make a difference; it requires more than a content production line.
1.http://www.techmadeeasy.co.uk/2014/01/18/many-websites-january-2014/
Connect with David through @DavidHuntLX, LinkedIn and follow his blog here.