From ethics to the environment, consumers’ values are shaping the future of marketing

What is it that sets good ads apart? ‘The idea’ is usually the default answer. If we learnt one thing from Don Draper it’s that an ad lives or dies by the quality of the idea and the human insight that informs it. It was true in Don’s day and it’s still true today - but it’s far from the whole story.

In 2024, the human insight marketers can tap into is far beyond what Draper and his peers could ever have dreamt of. Powerhouse creative ideas still take precedence in brilliant ad campaigns, but personalisation has become a vital factor too – allowing marketers to resonate with audiences in timely and relevant ways.

This is evidenced by the fact that people expect their favourite brands to align with their values intentionally and authentically, with 70% of consumers proactively looking to support brands that they see as good citizens, according to Amazon Ads’ 2023 Higher Impact study. Whether it’s embracing sustainable practices or championing inclusion, communicating what a brand stands for is key to unlocking deeper consumer relationships, trust and loyalty.

As a result, genuinely understanding their audience’s values has become a top priority for marketers. In fact, the rise of values-based consumers is the single biggest factor shaping agencies’ strategies in the UK, with 45% citing it as their top priority in a study by Amazon Ads and Forrester Consulting.

The report recommends that marketers consider going beyond surface-level demographic-based targeting and delve into the more nuanced and complex aspects of their values and beliefs. Yet just 17% of the respondents positively rate their ability to do this and only 20% of agency respondents feel equipped to help their clients tackle the challenge.

This begs the question: how can advertisers put this into practice? We’ve turned our attention agency-side for essential insight and some myth-busting from the experts.

Test new ways of thinking

A willingness to challenge established practices is essential to getting beyond surface-level demographics, according to Emma Withington, Chief Planning Officer at Manning Gottlieb OMD. “You need to be able to have potentially uncomfortable conversations about the shortcomings of your previous targeting approaches, and reporting and measurement capabilities, as well as the bias that exists in many of our targeting technologies”, she explains, pointing to the industry’s historical over reliance on survey-based data as a barrier to deeper audience understanding.

She adds that resonating with consumers’ values requires commitment and time to ensure the right data is selected. To that end, a focus on understanding communities is helping MG OMD connect with people’s multifaceted identities. “People aren’t a data point or a static demographic,” Withington says. “Our research has found that there are on average seven factors that make up someone’s identity - from their lived experience to their passions - so we have to be mindful of this when thinking about the audience targeting strategies we use.”

Use the richest insights available

For Daniel Coleman, Head of Strategy at Starcom UK, leveraging quality and relevant data is also key to “addressing diverse groups who, until now, have felt excluded by the advertising industry”. He explains that by “using the richest possible data sources, such as Publicis’ Epsilon CORE ID, we're able to match the right advertising to the right consumers in the right context at the right time” - ultimately allowing for “more effective mass personalisation”. This strategy is enhanced by the fact that we’re living through a golden age of media where “high quality, relatable content is available to everyone” - whether that be via immersive games, podcasts or streaming platforms.

AI can help enrich understanding 

While resonating with consumers’ values is rooted in human understanding, Erfan Djazmi, Chief Digital Officer (EMEA) at Mediahub, points out how artificial intelligence can enhance brands’ understanding of consumers’ values if it’s customised appropriately. While “large language models (LLMs) use web-based data focused on traditional demographics”, brands can change the outputs if they integrate “scalable custom research on diverse beliefs and values” into LLMs. The result? “These models can power synthetic surveys that extract more multifaceted audience insights at pace. A competitive advantage for brands that get it right.” By taking a considered approach to the information you put into LLMs, you can drive more useful and representative results.

Harness STV’s first-party insights

Krishan Patel - Managing Director, Agency & EMEA Business Development at Amazon Ads - encourages the development of “analytics, data science, and business intelligence skills” to further understand consumers’ values and forge deeper brand-consumer relationships. He explains how the wealth of pseudonymized first-party insights available via subscription TV on-demand (STV) services can be leveraged: “With entertainment solutions like Prime Video, you can tap into billions of available signals across a wide range of events and behaviours – from streaming to purchase. This deeper understanding of consumers can enable advertisers to deliver relevant, well-placed messages that ultimately resonate." 

What it all means for you…

It’s clear that by taking the time to truly understand their consumers’ values, marketers can unlock deeper and more authentic relationships that last. There are a multitude of ways to do this – as outlined above – but all are rooted in developing a holistic and nuanced picture of the people you’re trying to reach. The research from Forrester Consulting and Amazon Ads reinforces the advice from our experts and identifies key practical steps for marketers who at the beginning of this process, including:

• Auditing and bolstering intelligence foundations to ensure that data and the processing of it provides relevant and actionable insights - beyond standard demographics – to inform better decision-making
• Fully embedding these insights throughout an integrated strategy so that marketers can select meaningful metrics and optimise their activity accordingly
• Executing full-funnel marketing strategies that engage customers along nonlinear buying journeys – this will help create a more holistic picture of the end consumer

More information on the research: In December 2023, Amazon Ads commissioned Forrester Consulting to evaluate the changing dynamics in the marketing landscape and brand/agency relationship. Forrester conducted an online survey with 525 marketing leaders and 530 agency leaders in Brazil, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States to understand their evolving priorities and challenges.