“In an increasingly divided world, it becomes harder for a brand to tie a business together,” said Suresh Balaji, global head of marketing and communications, Standard Chartered Bank. “Great brands tend to be emotive, aspirational and about hope – the challenge for brands today is how they can unite in an increasingly polarised world.”

The audience is changing

Indeed, marketers today have reached a turning point, moving away from performance marketing towards more emotive brand marketing with a focus on storytelling, real-world experiences and partnerships. They now need to figure out how they can connect with their audiences to bring their message across and bring it to life.

“We see our clients in transition, with their media going from tactical ads into brand-led creative – because that’s the key to growth, said Marilyn Yeong, regional client vice-president, Assembly. “It’s important now to lead with the brand.”

According to experts in the industry, the first step in this endeavour is getting to know your customer.

“We always have to listen and understand our customers as a brand marketer or even as a brand,” said Rudi Leung, director and founder, Hungry Digital, during a panel discussion hosted by SCMP Advertising+. “We have to deliver the message that we share their values, and we have in our pockets something that the consumers need and want.”

Leung also advised others to take the time to understand their customers in their particular segments and try to use the right language and shared values to reach out.

Great brands are about hope

There was general agreement among the panel that brands themselves tend to be emotive and all about hope.

“I don’t think any brand exists today to bring evil to the world, let’s put it that way,” said Simone Tam, group CEO, dentsu Hong Kong. “It’s about speaking to the audience in a way that’s relevant.”

One of the key lessons, according to the panellists,is to communicate your purpose and find those shared values.

“When you start a business, you have a purpose for your business,” said Alex Law, marketing director, foodpanda Hong Kong. “It’s not just about making money. Every successful business is the same, they have a purpose, and even start-ups have a story to tell.”

Tam also noted that when she started with her agency, the company had a purpose, story and proposition to deliver, and all remain as cornerstones of the business. In today’s world it’s about how to bring those values to the audience.

“I think all emotive marketers are dreamers,” she said. “Everyone with a story has hope or a dream, and it will touch people’s hearts if you deliver that wholeheartedly and with passion.”

Future-proofing businesses

When it comes to future-proofing the business for the next generation, the study showed that tuning in to what engages customers is key. For example, today’s generation of consumers is highly concerned with environmental issues. How can your brand be part of that story?

“A lot of many brands are evolving because you can’t just start-up a company and get it right,” said Tam. “You need to look at its heritage, make it relevant and, moving forward, have a powerful connection with your consumers and stakeholders.”

To this end, Paul Phillips, strategy & insights director, South China Morning Post, and a lead on the research, challenged marketers to think about their roles and how they can use brand to be a unifying force.

“What has changed is the socioeconomic environment. What we need to do today as brand custodians - people who take care of brands - is to re-evaluate and reassess our relationships with our audiences and how our businesses connect and create value,” he concluded.