The Paley International Council Summit took place on November 21-22 in New York City and brought together thought leaders and influencers in the media and entertainment industries. Friday morning, Tom Doctoroff, CEO of JWT Asia Pacific, presented insights on brand advocacy in an era of digital empowerment. He drew from his insights and experience in Asia as one of the region’s most respected and well-known marketing professionals.
He underscored the importance of investing in the relationship between brands and consumers as the key to success. Encouraging the audience to think of ROI as “return on involvement,” he recommended that brands focus on building effective, long-lasting connections that do not confuse the consumer.
Consistency in communication is the golden rule: “Consistency is like a marriage – it’s bilateral, it’s equal between consumers and brands, and it shape-shifts but always remains true to its soul,” Doctoroff proposed. He used the example of ANTA, a sports brand popular in China largely due to its consistent messaging across all platforms from TV to digital. ANTA’s loyal fans are willing to pay a price premium because of the brand’s clear messaging—Doctoroff called this valuable relationship “the holy grail.”
He also urged marketers to acknowledge two models of communication: top-down and bottom-up. The top-down model is declarative and clearly defined, whereas the bottom-up model is less manageable, but more intimate. Both are fundamental to establishing brand loyalty.
Ultimately, the most important goal in brand advocacy is harnessing the power of online influencers. By targeting influencers, or “efluencers” as Doctoroff has termed them, marketers can much more successfully identify impactful ways to grow. By harnessing the power of the leading fashion bloggers or tech writers that already thrive online, brand advocates are likely to substantially increase their return.
Watch the insightful presentation below:
Hear more recent insights about advertising and television in China from Doctoroff in the Wall Street Journal.
— Tom Doctoroff is the CEO of JWT Asia Pacific. He published a book last year titled What Chinese Want. Read about it in our interview here.