The new iProspect Future Focus Report explores the intersection of consumer attention, commerce and data

Last week, iProspect, a Dentsu company, officially launched Future Focus 2021: Brands Accelerated as the essential read for conscientious marketers seeking to explore and exploit the latest consumer and industry advancements for brand growth. The 75+ page report, which is free to download, addresses some of the most pressing aspects of modern marketing including the battle for attention, wholesale changes in data privacy and the emergence of assisted commerce.

Combining evidence-based research with interviews and responses from over 200 brand marketers in 29 countries, the Future Focus 2021: Brands Accelerated report delves deep into the challenges and opportunities faced in the current global climate and within the immediate media landscape. And, convenience and relevancy of media to the consumer is key, as 61% of marketers, polled for the report, considered ‘building a highly convenient experience for the consumer’ as the most powerful lever to generate business growth.*

Although this is the sixth edition of the Future Focus series, this is the first large scale report released by iProspect since it launched as a new digital-first end to end media agency last month and its content typifies the intricacies of bringing brand and performance together to achieve growth.

Amanda Morrissey, global president of iProspect, comments: “Despite the challenging times we live in, I believe there have never been so many opportunities in media. With our new and unique approach to performance-driven brand building, we are firmly optimistic about the future and resolved to make it happen, today. With Future Focus 2021: Brands Accelerated as their guidebook, I hope all marketers will be able to leverage the growth potential afforded at these significant intersections of media, data, commerce and culture.”

The findings showed that around two in five marketers (42%) still think the linear path to purchase is as relevant today as it was decades ago, despite the rise of digital. While at the same time, 32% of marketers feel that expanding commerce capabilities was important for the 2021 roadmap, however, 26% see this as one of the most difficult challenges to face this year.*

Practical advice to marketers

In addition to discussing and dissecting the impact of major global industry trends and innovations, the report spotlights the relevancy and opportunity for brands, regardless of sector, to capitalise on these seismic shifts in the media landscape.

Examples of the report’s advice and guidance for marketers worldwide include:

Commerce is everywhere

Organisations should strive to build and maintain an accurate picture of their commerce capabilities across five key dimensions: desirability, availability, findability, buyability and repeatability. This will help them define the most profitable commerce model for their brand, better integrate their e-commerce and stores into an actionable omnichannel strategy, explore new growth channels and turn media opportunities into transaction opportunities.

The battle for attention

Brands should consider factoring attention into their media optimisation and measurement efforts to elevate the impact and efficiency of their investment. To maximise audience attention, they should ensure the content and experiences they design truly align with consumer intent, and that the campaigns they develop do not relegate diversity and inclusivity as afterthoughts.

The new data playbook

On the data front, organisations should embrace the new privacy-conscious world by re-evaluating the value exchange they offer to their audiences and anticipate technological changes to minimise business disruption. This is the occasion to explore opportunities for automation, evaluate the quality of the data they collect and process, and more broadly reflect upon how data is effectively used to inform decisions.

The last point is of particular significance as the report found in some circumstances there are huge disparities between what the consumer and brand marketer think, when it comes to assessing data value. Only 9% of marketers believe helping a company improve products or services is an incentive for consumers to share their data, while 44% of consumers believe it is a good enough reason to release personal identifiable information (PII) to the brand.**

Commenting on the launch of Future Focus 2021, Clare Trafankowska-Neal, managing director at iProspect South Africa said: “As the new iProspect is positioned to accelerate growth at the intersection of media and through performance-driven brand building; it is befitting that our 'first' Future Focus report includes a robust exploration of consumer attention, commerce and data as well as their collective impact on driving brand growth."

For more information about the new iProspect and to download the Future Focus 2021: Brands Accelerated report, visit www.iProspect.com

*Proprietary omnibus survey: iProspect, 2020 Global Client Survey, 12 Oct–11 Nov 2020, 202 respondents
**iProspect 2020 Global Client Survey (October 2020) and iProspect and Microsoft Advertising, Consumer Privacy and Data Survey (March 2020)

About iProspect

iProspect, a Dentsu company, is a global digital-first end to end media agency. Its unmatched mix of media strategy and storytelling with digital expertise and audience knowledge defines the new territory of performance-driven brand building. By delivering human-centric solutions, iProspect accelerates growth for the world’s most iconic brands including Sonos, Cox, LG, Hilton, Levi’s, Budweiser, Microsoft, and Procter & Gamble. The iProspect team works across a network of more than 8,000 media and performance specialists spread across 93 global markets.

www.iprospect.com

About Dentsu International

Part of Dentsu, Dentsu International is made up of six leadership brands – Carat, Dentsu X, iProspect, Isobar, dentsumcgarrybowen and Merkle – all of which are supported by its specialist divisions and scaled services. Dentsu International helps clients to win, keep and grow their best customers and achieve meaningful progress for their businesses. With best-in-class services and solutions in media, customer experience management (CXM) and creative, Dentsu International operates in over 145 markets worldwide with more than 45,000 dedicated specialists.

www.dentsu.com