Susanna Kempe, CEO at WGSN, shared consumer insights for 2012 and 2013 at Cannes Lions 2011. Interestingly enough, key themes that jump out are beauty, simplicity, and technology. Kempe said consumers are looking for five things from us in 2012:

1. A new state of wonder. Ralph Lauren launched a campaign that showcased the ultimate collision of fashion, art, and technology in a 4D process known as architectural mapping. The outdoor advertisement had four perfume bottles that actually emitted real perfume into the air. Digital media is no longer restricted to the web, as now huge interactive displays are merging with architecture. 
2. Beauty at the core of all product and experience. Mulberry created beauty at the heart of its campaign. Mulberry used stop animation, repainting, and roto-scoping to make portraits come alive. Consumers were able to email digital flowers to each other, resulting in watching the flower bloom right before their eyes. After this campaign, Mulberry’s revenue was up 69 percent.
3. Creativity throughout the process and for all stakeholders. Diesel launched a campaign called Diesel Island which focused on creative interaction from online social networks all the way to in-person seminars.
4. A balance between the spiritual and the technological, the intimate and the visionary. Thai mobile network, DTAC, highlighted the negative qualities of technology as part of a balanced lifestyle to drive its services. 6 million people in the U.S. have recently deleted their Facebook profiles.
5. Products and services that enhance their lives in a unique and personal way. Estee Lauder recently launched a campaign featuring three global faces to celebrate differences rather than similarities. Their ads are simple but in one image, speaking to multiple regions.

These 2012 insights start to define even how 2013 insights will be shaped. Kempe explained in 2013 consumers will be looking for eco-hedonism, radical neutrality, and hyper culture. What does that mean? They want luxury to be redefined with natural ingredients and technology. They want honest, clean, and calm messages. They want mixed global influences and imagery. They want clashes to turn to collaboration.

• 2013 – What’s In: Naked luxury, deteching, gender fluidity, and global south.
• 2013 – What’s Out: Sandals and granola, banal broadcasts (Facebook cool), overt sexualisation, and cultural condescension.

Bruno Schwobthaler, Senior Vice-President at Warner Bros., and Adrian Margelist, Creative Director at Navyboot, joined the discussion to talk about how their companies are embracing these insights. “We look at how has it been done before (in the 1900s) and how can we apply that in the 21st century, and then it becomes something new,” said Margelist. This usually helps define a simple product, redefined for the consumer today. Schwobthaler said that for Warner Bros. it’s finding a way to use some of their key iconic properties that everyone is talking about sustainably. “Superman, Batman, all of them are stretchable as long as you come up with the right creative,” he said. 

Applying these insights to your advertisements is going to take creativity and technology. The key components of a great story make it one that can stand out, resonate and inspire.

Check out how the creative solutions at Microsoft Advertising can help you or contact our sales team.

Stay tuned for more great coverage from Cannes Lions 2011!

Best,

Kaila Lightner, Marketing Manager at Microsoft Advertising