Brand Fatigue Is Proving a Problem for those in Marketing Recruitment

Momentum Worldwide recently released a report detailing the latest trends in consumer behaviour. Featured in Marketing Weekly, the results suggest that people living in countries with developed economies, and benefiting from long-term consumer spending power, have a diminished connection to brands when compared to those living in countries with emerging economies. In short, people are simply switching off as a result of sustained exposure.  

Over 50 per cent of survey participants from the US, Japan and Britain were indifferent towards well-known brands. Prestigious global organisations are not inspiring the developed markets. And if this is proving a problem for the big brands, their smaller counterparts are sure to be feeling the effects tenfold.

According to The Body Shop’s Brand and Values Director in the UK, Sam Thomson, this brand fatigue is exacerbated when companies expect marketing campaigns designed for above-the-line to be simply copied and pasted into social media and other newly developed marketing channels. As the numbers of channels increase, consumers are becoming bored of seeing the same campaigns repeated over and over. Mr Thomson stresses the need to make sure that content at every level is relevant and in tune with both the lifestyle of consumers and the method of communication.

The implication of this for marketing recruitment is that organisations must bear in mind that new talent needs to be able to deliver content that is different. It must be personalised, customer-led and unique. Sourcing marketers who are willing and able to produce customised campaigns that also feature genuine sincerity is key to dealing with those markets where brand disillusionment is common.

While it is accepted that a unified approach is best for shaping the consumer experience, allowing them to use a smartphone in the same way as they would a desktop, a marketing campaign should be designed individually according to the channel through which it is being delivered. For this reason, employing a social media specialist to tailor campaigns around the appropriate media platform would be a valuable investment.

It is recognised that things happen more quickly within developed markets. The UK, for example, is ahead of emerging markets when it comes to products, trends and brand recognition. Generation Z (the latest Millennials) are especially likely to be disengaged, having grown up with access to vast amounts of information via the internet. People no longer feel they have to stick to one product or service, and brand loyalty is significantly harder to win.

Those looking to secure jobs in marketing should not be put off, however. They instead need to remember that one size most certainly does not fit all. Communicating to a range of demographics will require those with jobs in marketing to create messages that are engaging, authentic and consistently relevant — a concept echoed by Patrick Hourihan, Research Director for Yahoo.