The luxury industry quickly positioned itself in this booming NFT market, as did certain media and communication agencies.
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FThe French magazine Stratégies intended for communication professionals is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the publication of a special issue, available on the media website. He sees 50 personalities from the communications and media industries describe the new worlds they see taking shape. Strategies editorial director Gilles Wybo talks to ETX Daily Up about the latest major trends in the media landscape.
Q. Strategies has been following the evolution of the media and advertising landscape for half a century. What do you think the 2020s will look like for these sectors?
Influencer marketing is a trend that has grown steadily in recent years. Brands are now embodied by one person. This phenomenon gained momentum during periods of confinement. We had to spend a lot of time in front of our screens and therefore to be influenced by what we saw online.
Avatarizing our lives is probably the next step. We are witnessing a rise in the virtual power, which is not without raising many questions. For example, if we follow a virtual dog on social media, we don’t know exactly what values it embodies. This problem has already arisen with the rise of animal influencers, which are followed by millions of Internet users.
Then avatars are another step forward. These virtual characters are specially created to unite a community around them. We are only at the beginning of this trend, but it will undoubtedly be very successful.
Q. Apart from virtual avatars, NFTs and Metaverse are also becoming popular in the media. Do you think this is a lasting trend?
It’s still hard to say, but there’s no doubt it’s a real phenomenon. The luxury industry quickly positioned itself in this booming NFT market, as did certain media and communication agencies. The same is true for games, which is not surprising given that video games are the pioneers in this field.
However, it is social networks that show the most interest in these new technologies. We saw it with Facebook which announced its intention to rename itself Meta and recruit 10,000 people in Europe to work on the metaverse. The giants of technology see it as a real project for the future.
We still lack perspective on whether NFTs are just a gadget allowing brands and the media to achieve a “marketing stunt” or a much deeper change.
Q. What are the reasons for your reservations about DFTs?
They are due, in large part, to the lack of education around these digital tokens. There is a very technical side to this new technology, which slows down its adoption by the general public. I also wonder about the marketing impact of TVNs and the impression they leave on consumers. Do they create a real link with a brand? I am not yet convinced, and I find that we are almost in the process of switching to events with these digital objects.
Q. Audio is another big trend in the media. How do you explain this big comeback of sound in our media consumption habits?
It is a response to the feeling of visual saturation that many consumers experience. While people are spending more and more time on social media, they’re not giving up on radio and podcasts. On the contrary. We listen to them more and more, when we are busy doing household chores or just passing the time.
Podcasts, and audio in general, can also tap into a certain nostalgia for the stories we were read in our childhood. It is a very vivid memory. These audio formats allow us to revive it. That’s the power of audio.
Brands must use it intelligently to tell us stories that interest us and make us grow. They must stay in the background: they cannot put themselves forward like they do in traditional advertisements. They can perfectly support podcasters in the creation of new programs, of which they guarantee the content. This attitude allows them to create a certain bond of trust with the listeners.
Q. The coming year will see another presidential election in France. What changes will this bring about in the media world?
I think we will pay special attention to social networks. And above all, to see if they do not interfere in any way with the result of the presidential election, as has been the case in the past. The public authorities will be particularly vigilant to ensure that there is no interference or attempted hacking from abroad.
The question of preserving democracy online is also a key issue. Social networks play an increasingly important role in candidate communication, and many creators no longer hesitate to offer content on politics. This is the case of Jean Massiet, a streamer who hosts “questions to the government” live on Twitch.
These are subjects that interest Internet users, even the youngest. Those who started using social media as a teenager are now of voting age. They’ve grown up, so it’s no surprise that they’re looking for more serious content.
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