2013 was a big year for digital communications and marketing in Asia as the disciplines continued to mature rapidly – with the continued deepening of user penetration across the PC web and Mobile web – especially with Mobile as a platform. There were further innovations with both consumer device hardware and software (OS), as well as with connectivity as 3G became even more widespread in certain key markets. Brand experiences across digital platforms became much more robust and meaningful in 2013 – bringing new opportunities for brands to connect with their consumers. Digital and mobile advertising also took a few steps forward in the past 12 months with the refinement of targeted inventories and new opportunities for better display and search marketing than ever before across local digital channels. What will 2014 hold for digital marketing and communications? What trends will we see that will impact brands and the regional marketplace?

1. WE Studio D APAC
Predicting
Digital in
2014
Eight Awesome Digital Trends
That Will Create A New Normal For
Marketing-Communications in India and
across Asia-Pacific
By Soumya Dev and Zaheer Nooruddin

2. About the Authors
Soumya Dev
Zaheer Nooruddin
India Head of Digital
WE Studio D
Waggener Edstrom Worldwide
Asia-Pacific Head of Digital
WE Studio D
Waggener Edstrom Worldwide
WE Studio D APAC
About WE Studio D Asia-Pacific
Comprising of 40+ digital planners and analysts, content developers, graphic designers
and video producers, WE Studio D Asia-Pacific delivers integrated brand storytelling
across digital, mobile and social media channels and influencers, using measurement
to empower real-time content marketing. To learn more, visit accelerateinfluence.com
About Waggener Edstrom Worldwide
Waggener Edstrom Worldwide (WE) is a global, independent integrated
communications agency that has developed strategic communications programs
for innovative and world-changing clients for nearly 30 years – working to influence
markets, inspire people and improve lives. WE APAC specializes in the Consumer,
Technology, Healthcare, Corporate and Digital communications sectors. WE was
recently named APAC Consumer Consultancy of the Year 2013 by The Holmes Report.
In 2012, WE was named Mid-Size Network of the Year at the Campaign Asia-Pacific PR
Awards for the second year running, APAC Technology Consultancy of the Year by The
Holmes Report, and in 2011 Best Digital Campaign of the Year by The Holmes Report’s
Asia Pacific SABRE Awards. The agency has more than 800 employees in 19 offices
around the world including Beijing, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Shanghai
and Singapore in APAC. Its Global Alliance partners expand the agency’s reach
to more than 80 additional international markets. To learn more, visit http://apac.
waggeneredstrom.com.

3. WE Studio D APAC
data
Rocks
1DataSocks Off
the
2014 Digital Trend #1
Comms.
2014 will be the year when communications and public relations
truly come of age as data-endorsed disciplines. It will be the
year in which the application of performance-based analytics
and data to mine real-time, predictive insights fuel content
development and brand storytelling. Brand communications,
shaped by data and insight, will sit at the table alongside the art
of brand storytelling – across platforms.

4. WE Studio D APAC
2 If Content Is King,
then Contextual
2014 Digital Trend #2
Content
Is King Kong.
Content has always been a key driver of brand marketing and
corporate communications. What will change in 2014 is that content
will begin to exist in a more meaningful planning ecosystem – one that
is fueled by data-driven insights to provide context to communications
and brand stories.
Rich content will be at the heart of digital communications with three
core pillars: Creativity, Context and Care.
In 2014 branded content will be more creative, more contextual, and
more targeted.
We will see the continued rise of visual storytelling. Micro-videos will gain
momentum and infographics will become the norm for brands to share
ideas and concepts, internally and externally.
As news outlets use more visual content, the brand newsroom will
require new skillsets.

5. WE Studio D APAC
ROI
KPI
3 Fully-Measured
Brand
2014 Digital Trend # 3
Engagement
Brand engagement in all its forms will come under the scanner of ROI.
CMOs and organisations will seek more measured value out of platforms
and channels. This will force the ‘KPIs of Engagement’ to be much more
than “Click-throughs, Likes and Number of Fans” across the spectrum
of agency deliverables. Measurement will require the integration of
agencies under a single ROI model for the business.
Business impact will be the new flavor of choice for brand
communicators in 2014. Digital, mobile and social media strategies will
evolve to be linked to tangible business goals.

6. WE Studio D APAC
4 Ubiquitous the
Mobile and
2014 Digital Trend # 4
Hidden Trove
Much has already been written about “the ubiquitous mobile device” –
but without much meaningful action by brand communicators in India
and Asia-Pacific. 2014 will be the year when brands uncover this hidden
trove of mobile brand communications. Instant Messaging (IM) and
“Chat-based” social networks such as Whatsapp, WeChat, SnapChat, LINE
and others will be utilized for brand communications, as a way to carry
branded content to audiences in a targeted manner. Where possible,
mobile advertising and other forms of brand engagement across IM
platforms will become a dominant feature of digital plans.
While it will take time to become the new normal for brands, in 2014 there
will be a few campaigns across Asia-Pacific that will reveal the true power
of these mobile networks for brands in the region.

7. WE Studio D APAC
Social Care
5 Social Customer
Relations &
2014 Digital Trend # 5
Service
In 2014 we will see more consumer-driven agenda and purpose
marketing. Brands will continue to struggle to cope with customer
reactions in real-time. Social CRM will at last become truly meaningful
in the context of the allied growth in big-data systems, predictive
analysis modeling for brands, and social-driven e-commerce.
The much-overused and hyped concept of “Online Reputation
Management” will find few takers in 2014 – instead, “Social Care” will
be the new mainstream of service-lead communications; only a lot
smarter, more insightful and linked inextricably to the traditional CRM
and customer loyalty solutions of brands and businesses.

8. WE Studio D APAC
6 Digital’s New
Normal:
2014 Digital Trend # 6
Omni-Channel
The new year will witness omni-channel, transmedia campaigns as
the new paradigm in how communications and marketing works.
Importantly, multi-channel campaigns will be mapped against how
consumers consume branded content to make decisions and form
opinions around brand consideration, advocacy and purchase.
This new process for campaign development will be a triumph for
communications and marketing ROI.

9. WE Studio D APAC
7 Communications
Creates
2014 Digital Trend # 7
Commerce
As brand marketplaces across platforms mature to the point of no
differentiation in any feature other than pricing and branding, brand
communications will take its rightful place as a key differentiator and
driver of commerce across platforms.
Technology-aided interventions will get stronger through compelling
storytelling that delivers brand, customer experiences and targeted
product content more seamlessly.

10. WE Studio D APAC
8 Hybrid Teams
2014 Digital Trend # 8
Birds of the same feather flock together. Well, not really! Marketing
and communications teams within organizations and agencies
across Asia-Pacific will become hybrid in 2014 – to bring in
diverse skillsets while collaborating across the development of
transmedia, omni-channel brand campaigns.
On one hand, this will mean that specialized agencies will come
together more often to collaborate at campaign ideation stage.
On the other, integrated agencies will invest to acquire the
skillsets of specialized agencies in an attempt to deliver to the
promise of full-service offerings across a complex, increasingly
fragmented digital landscape.

11. WE Studio D APAC
1. Campaign Development
2. Creative Services
3. Digital Strategies
4. Measurement Solutions
5. Consumer Insight
6. Market Intelligence
7. Digital Advertising
8. Digital Training