Diving deeper into Meta’s five “brand implications”

In a report we covered from Meta Foresight, formally Facebook IQ, social media platform Meta outlined a range of “brand implications” that have come about due to the pandemic.

What got less attention was the proposed suggestions on how to deal with these brand implications, which were hastily added at the bottom, almost as if an afterthought. But we think that there is no point in presenting a problem if you don’t at least attempt a solution, so we’re diving deeper into these “brand implications” and what you can do to offset some of the negative effects.

What are the brand implications?

Meta, having created a report around the effect of the pandemic, has outlined five “brand implications” for marketing purposes amongst its report. After conducting a survey of 36,000 adults across 12 markets, Meta Foresight has outlined five trends they’ve seen in their data that are a reported result of the ongoing pandemic.

When it comes to the users themselves, people found they were reprioritizing. We saw that in the real world as staff members left unfavourable working conditions or looked to change careers, but online, that meant 72% of users started to reprioritise their closest friends due to the isolation of the pandemic and 37% were reassessing their life priorities due to the pandemic.

It’s worth mentioning that the report also found that younger people were more open to the idea of using immersive technology to create connections, like augmented and virtual reality.

But what does this mean for brands?

1. Brand loyalty and trust are changing

We have already seen a shift in users’ attitudes to brands. They are researching brands they don’t know, making sure that their priorities align with their own, or simply making sure that they are trustworthy to not offer a shoddy service/product for a big price. Too many scams and shady business operations have made users cynical to brands.

However, the pandemic also forced users to clear out their following collection and prioritise brands they do trust and want to see again. You might have already seen a few followers stepping away from your brand.

It’s important to relay just how trustworthy and worthy of their time your brand is to users. There are a lot of ways you can do this. Expressing uncontroversial political preferences in your content is one way. Focus on issues like animal cruelty, eco-friendly, supporting small businesses, and anything else you want to weigh in on to show your audience you’re not just a stone-face corporation. Another way is to create content around your team. Show off the diversity within your team by making content about them as people.

2. Brands are facilitator in relationships

In an isolated world, even without a pandemic, users are looking for any way to facilitate relationships. A valuable brand to a modern-day user in 2022 is one that can contribute to creating relationships and celebrate differences in values.

So, you’re not only creating content that hits the target of creating a relationship with your audience but creating relationships among your audience. Play up any aspect of your products or services that can benefit relationships.

This will be easier for some more than others. If you are marketing a social media platform or a hospitality venue, you will have the idea of creating and nurturing relationships built into the concept, but others might need to work at it. One that comes to mind is Wickes DIY store, which offers a full kitchen refurbishment so that you aren’t embarrassed to show your home on a Zoom call. Cleaning products, typically aiming for the housewife image, can maybe lean into the idea of inviting people over to a newly and easily cleaned home, etc.

3. There is to be a “dawn of a new collective memory”

Meta outlines “Blursday” as “the blurring of time due to fewer distinct markers”, which would certainly describe the pandemic. Time seemed to snail by when lockdowns were in force, and then seemed like a distant memory that went in so quick when the doors reopened.

Meta suggests creating opportunities for people coming out of Blursday to create new markers with your product. Emphasise that your blow-up pool toy can be great for a weekend away, or your bottle of wine can mark date night, etc.

4. Matching immersive technology with audience needs

It’s no surprise that Meta wants you to get into immersive technology, considering how gung-ho it is about virtual reality and the Metaverse. However, it does stress practicality. Get into immersive technology when you think it suits your audience. You wouldn’t start a Zoom meeting for something that could have been an email, would you?

Find out more about marketing on the Metaverse here.

5. Expand your creator ecosystem

This is where affiliate marketing really shines. Meta suggests expanding your creator ecosystem in order to feel more authentic.

There are a lot of ways you can do this. Affiliate marketing is the most useful and effective, but you can also look into curated content and user-generated content as a rubber stamp of approval from more creators.

If you’re interested in more affiliate marketing advice, take a look at our blog for more deep dives. Or, for a more personalised approach, book a free call with a member of our team. Also, there is still time to get your tickets to our Elevate Summit, kicking off tomorrow. There will be plenty of affiliate marketing insights to share from the various talks, panels, and workshops.