A lot has happened in 2020: the Covid 19 pandemic has reached its peak so far and has changed the way people deal with digital media. Many personal encounters had to be avoided and contact at work and in leisure time was largely shifted to social networks.

At the same time, new media formats have emerged: TikTok conquered the American and European markets more and more, while the established networks reacted to the new competition with functions such as Instagram Reels. Along with TikTok, YouTube channel’s engagement increased rapidly and it’s still going up this year.

The biggest challenges for companies lie not only in the new formats, but also in dealing with social changes and the growing political awareness of young users. But it is also clear: With the skillful use of social media, just as many opportunities arise from the increased requirements.

So that you recognize your possibilities in good time, we are investigating which trends are currently developing: What will the social media landscape look like in a few months? Which values ​​are important to the next generation? And how can you use all of this for your brand communication?

How brands let the new generation speak for themselves

Apps (such as TikTok, Koji or Instagram Reels) have created a completely new culture of “remixing”. It’s not about mixing music. Rather, it describes the way in which users convert existing content on the Internet so that something new is created.

Basically, this practice is nothing special: Pop culture itself is based on the transformation and interpretation of existing individual parts into a new whole. What is new, however, is the target group and the availability: The growing social media generation in particular uses the technical possibilities of the apps to express their interests and personalities and then to disseminate the content quickly.

Online marketing is still in the starting blocks to take advantage of this trend, but successful campaigns should only be a matter of time. The prerequisite is that brands manage to provide (branded) templates for users. On this basis, the target group can create their own content and thus not only spread their ideas, but also the brand message of your company.

The “4  C-s” of the C ovid-19 content

Covid-19 will affect people’s lives and the media landscape at least into 2021. Brands have to adapt their communication accordingly. The “4 C’s ”  of contents are:

• Community (Community)
• Contactless
• Cleanliness (hygiene / cleanliness)
• Compassion

These values ​​are reflected both in the way it is marketed and in the content itself. Anyone who thinks about these four points and incorporates them into communication is not only a good partner in a difficult situation, but also benefits from the zeitgeist – many companies have already recognized this.

Memes? Yes, but monitor it closely.

Granted, memes are really nothing new. Nevertheless, the image content created by users continues to gain importance. 43% of 16 to 29 year olds regularly share the pictures and videos, 37 percent are convinced that they are art. Companies will therefore try more and more to make use of memes in the future.

It’s not that easy. Sensitivity and caution in dealing with the often political internet (sub) culture are required. Otherwise it can go the same way as with Wendy’s , who in ignorance shared the anti-Semitic coded Pepe the Frog. 

A good example is Vodafone, who manage to bring the entire brand message to the point in a humorous way in a simple image. Ideally, the community disseminates and exploits brand messages independently. Social media monitoring of the images is very important – otherwise companies lose sight of the marketing results, trends and possible sources of risk.