In the dynamic realm of content marketing, where innovation meets strategy, Shailja Saraswati, the Chief Content Officer at Omnicom Media Group, India, stands as a beacon of expertise. In this in-depth conversation, Saraswati shares insights into the pivotal role of storytelling, the impact of cutting-edge technologies, and the intricate balance between human creativity and artificial intelligence.
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What in your opinion makes for compelling and engaging content in today's digital age?
Content creation in the digital age is a multifaceted process. To make successful content solutions in today's age, one needs to delve deeper and understand the brand's audience, objectives, consumer passions, journey, and other vital metrics. There are instances where, in a single campaign, we might need to create, collaborate on, or curate content that adds real value while aligning with the brand's strategic goals. This includes amplifying content across different platforms, especially against the backdrop of today’s ever-evolving social media landscape.
Arresting audiences’ attention and piquing their interest effectively entails a variety of approaches that involve authentic storytelling, emotional and visual appeal, humour, interactivity, personalization, and data-driven insights. To generate engaging and relevant topics, it is equally important to partner with influencers, conduct original research, and utilize diverse formats and mediums. Ultimately, I believe these form the key elements for crafting compelling and engaging content in the age of digital.
How does the agency stay ahead of content trends and technological advancements to keep the content strategy innovative and relevant?
At Omnicom Media Group, we have always made it a priority to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to content trends and technological advancements to keep our strategy innovative and relevant. Through our Omnicom Group Content and activation practices, we harness our available resources - technology, commerce, digital expertise, and creative capabilities to provide clients with modernized content solutions. These include strategic guidance, digital activation, and advanced analysis, all with a focus on delivering a positive return on investment (ROI).
We have had the pleasure of collaborating with exceptional forward-leaning global and local brands like Apple, Mercedes, Diageo, Royal Enfield, Volkswagen Group, Nissan, Renault, Nivea, Philips and Acko - helping craft impactful content solutions across diverse channels and platforms, with a sharp focus on achieving tangible business results.
At every stage of the journey, our approach is grounded in three core principles-
Adaptability: We respond with pace to evolving client and audience needs, leveraging data and insights to continually optimize campaign performance.
Integration: As a globally integrated practice, we harness the scale and local expertise within Omnicom Media Group. Collaborating with agencies and partners, we deliver holistic solutions spanning media, content, creative, digital, social, experiential, and commerce.
Innovation: Our steadfast commitment to driving innovation ensures we seek new ways to create value and stand out from the competition. Embracing emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Anamorphic, 3D Projection Mapping, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Blockchain enables us to enhance our offerings.
Can you share a specific example of a successful content campaign the agency has run and the strategy behind it?
The ethos of Omnicom Group's Content Practice is seated in driving innovation and content strategies that cultivate resonance for brands in today's dynamic marketing environment, and a testament to this are some of the recent award-winning campaigns brought to life for our roster of clients. These activations and partnerships have been strategically executed to reinforce brand values and create impactful experiences. Some notable examples include:
Škoda Auto India celebrated its journey of 20 glorious years in India with an innovative 'Conquering the Unconquerable' campaign. To highlight the brand's commitment to consumers, we created a never-seen-before 3D projection for the brand at the iconic Rohtang-La at a staggering altitude of 10,942 feet. Besides the impressive execution, we succeeded in growing the UBA by 100 BPS.
The grand launch of HSBC Global Private Banking called for a tapestry of resonant experiences and so we curated an event centred around a private garden concept, fostering progress and growth. It featured the renowned chef, Julien Royer, of the three Michelin-starred modern French restaurant - Odette, cocktails curated by Masque, and a mesmerizing performance by the Blue Journey from Amsterdam involving projection mapping and choreography. This immersive experience showcased natural elements and left a lasting impact.
For Audi, we brought the brand's global digital IP - A Story of Progress to life, by celebrating individuals like Virat Kohli, Nayantara Jain, Dia Mirza, and Prateek Sadhu, who embody Audi's focus on luxury, design, sustainability, and technology.
To showcase Apple's product features; notably its camera technology, we partnered with India's visionary filmmaker, Vishal Bhardwaj, to shoot an entire film, Fursat, with an iPhone, highlighting the device's extraordinary capabilities. This innovative approach brought technology to the forefront and was amplified through hoardings.
For Mercedes-Benz, we aligned influencer marketing with the brand's image through the collaboration between Haute Wheels and designer Gaurav Gupta. The extravagant event celebrated the grand launch of the All-New E 53i Cabriolet, featuring stars and creating a memorable experience.
Last but not least, to extend HSBC's brand reach and establish a lasting presence, we welcomed Virat Kohli as the brand ambassador for HSBC India, both nationally and globally - a strategic move that significantly contributed to expanding the brand's awareness and affinity amongst Indian consumers.
How do you identify and understand the target audience for different content campaigns?
We are known to employ a range of customized strategies to thoroughly understand our target audience's specific requirements. These include conducting in-depth market research to gather valuable data on their characteristics and behaviours, collaborating closely with our clients to receive detailed product and audience briefs, leveraging data analytics and social listening tools to analyze which content formats connect with our audience and how we can improve it and conducting competitor analysis to unlock new opportunities and stay on top of emerging trends.
We also build buyer personas with the help of surveys and feedback collected from customers to craft effective content strategies, marking our commitment to deliver personalized content that delivers results by continually tracking user behaviours on various digital platforms and staying updated on cultural and industry trends to ensure our content remains relevant and engaging.
What strategies does the agency employ to enhance audience engagement and interaction with the content?
Our content and activation practices at Omnicom Group Content focus on creating memorable content that not only captures the audience's attention but also keeps them thoroughly engaged. Our strategy blends a combination of tactics, that include: Focusing on producing high-quality, well-researched and value-driven content tailored to specific audience segments and employing attention-grabbing headlines, multi-media elements, technologies and storytelling techniques, to craft visually appealing and relatable content.
We also encourage audience interaction which remains a vital priority for us. We achieve this with strategically placed calls-to-action and interactive elements (AI, AR, VR, 3D, and CGI) to keep consumers engaged.
Additionally, we actively promote our content on social media platforms and maintain a consistent publishing schedule with diverse content formats. Our commitment to continuous improvement ensures we deliver top-notch, industry-first, innovative yet timely results for our clients.
In your experience, what role does storytelling play in capturing and maintaining audience attention?
I could never stress enough about the importance of storytelling and what a pivotal role it plays in creating truly compelling campaigns today. Storytelling encompasses several key elements that contribute to capturing and retaining audience attention. Firstly, unexpected twists are
essential for maintaining engagement. A captivating story thrives on surprising plot developments and unexpected turns. When we consistently challenge audience expectations, we are able to leverage storytelling on a whole different level, keeping them intrigued and eager to discover what happens next.
Furthermore, relevance and relatability are vital aspects of effective storytelling. Crafting a narrative that connects with the audience's needs, aspirations, and dreams enables them to resonate and empathize with the characters and their struggles. This connection fosters a sense of investment and genuine care, making the content more impactful and memorable. The use of rich detailing is another powerful tool in storytelling.
Employing specific and vivid language to describe settings, actions, and emotions, helps content creators transport the audience into the narrative. This immersive experience allows the audience to visualize and emotionally connect with the story on a deeper level. Emotional depth is the cornerstone of compelling storytelling. By evoking a heady concoction of potent emotions, such as excitement, fear, amusement, or genuine emotional engagement, stories have the power to leave a lasting impact on the audience. Emotionally resonant content creates a memorable and meaningful connection, enhancing the overall impact of the campaign.
What are some common challenges faced by media agencies regarding content creation, and how do you address them?
In a media agency, the content function encounters challenges across fronts such as, the need to stay agile, adapting with pace to emerging trends and audience preferences, navigating evolving platforms, reducing customer churn, measuring ROI, scaling content production and streamlining workflows, among others. Over time, we have struck a balance of addressing these by leveraging data and technology while embracing interactive and immersive content to deliver impactful solutions. Furthermore, employing innovative methods such as authentic storytelling, optimizing influencer plans, maintaining authenticity and transparency, adopting a multi-channel approach, and consistently nurturing relationships with influencers and partners is key to circumventing these concerns.
With the rise of technologies like AI and VR, how do you see them shaping the future of content creation and consumption?
In my opinion, the future of storytelling in the era of AI and automation presents a range of possibilities. One scenario involves AI-assisted innovation, where AI tools enhance human creativity, allowing for greater speed and efficiency in content development. Collaboration between humans and machines, if implemented for the right purposes, offers possibilities to scale productivity. On the other hand, there are concerns about the monopolization of creativity by machines, potentially overshadowing human-generated content and stifling genuine innovation.
A critical question in this scenario is how to maintain authentic human creativity. We should remember that it ultimately boils down to striking the right balance between human and technological involvement, which has the potential to yield remarkable results. AI can assist and enhance human creativity rather than replace it. Alternatively, a scenario emphasizes the value of human-made content, showcasing a societal pushback against algorithmically generated content. It recognizes the unique dynamism of human creators and places a premium on authenticity and the human touch. These scenarios demonstrate the potential impact of AI on storytelling and highlight the importance of balancing automation with the distinct abilities of human creators.
Are there any specific innovative technologies the agency is exploring to enhance content delivery and user experience?
Omnicom Media Group is committed to leveraging innovative technologies to enhance content delivery and provide an exceptional user experience. Among our notable technologies, Annalect offers in-depth data and analytics solutions, including audience segmentation and media optimization. Additionally, Omni Studio - OMG's precision marketing and insights platform is designed to identify and define personalized consumer experiences at scale to drive superior business outcomes for clients across different practice areas, including creative, CRM, and media.
Further enhancing Omnicom Media Group's tech stack is Omnifluence, a full-stack influencer marketing platform, which helps ensure brand safety, alerts on fake accounts, measures influencer suitability through a score, tracks influencers' past content creation and brand associations, and seamlessly facilitates communication and execution management.
How do you analyze data and user feedback to iterate and improve content strategies for future projects?
The key to analyzing data and user feedback effectively is the ability to adapt and evolve based on the insights gained from data and feedback, resulting in strategies that consistently meet audience expectations and business goals.
At Omnicom Media Group, we harness the power of our precision marketing platform - Omni, in combination with data analysis and insights powered by capabilities from within the Group - to strengthen our content strategies. As Omni excels in audience segmentation, media optimization, and dynamic content adjustments, we find ourselves more inclined towards harnessing it to deliver improved content strategies for projects. Likewise, OMG's Annalect offers vital insights, such as brand awareness and engagement metrics, with tools like the Content Effectiveness Index (CEI).
Based on your experience, what do you believe is the future of content marketing, and how can businesses prepare for it?
The ever-changing content landscape is accelerating toward a future defined by personalization, immersive experiences, the ascendancy of video, voice-driven search, and a relentless pursuit of authenticity.
In anticipation of these transformative trends, brands and content practices alike need to continue to invest and focus on data and analytics, wholeheartedly embrace emerging technologies, coupled with a laser focus on the caliber and relevance of our content, formulation of a multifaceted approach, foster a strong partner ecosystem while nurturing of invaluable relationships with people of influence and of course, an unyielding spirit of agility and adaptability to pivot to a bold new tomorrow with confidence and innovation.
