“2017 was a momentous year for the advertising and branding industry. A lot of emphasis was placed on customer’s experiences and delivering the brand promise. Use of AI and Augmented Reality drove the industry to achieve new levels of intimate personalization. For 2018, use of Artificial Intelligence to micro-target consumers will continue. Campaigns will be more design-led and integrated with social and other platforms. With millennials emerging as major consumers, brands will now more than ever will work towards capturing their attention and gain an understanding of their behaviour and preferences." Said James Pass, Managing Director of JPd.

In an interview with MediAvataar MENA, James asserted some brilliant thoughts on trends that the branding industry has seen in the past and how it is evolving in the current friable scenario.

Here is the complete Q&A……

MediAvataar: Advertising and branding has surely taken some interesting turns over a period of time, what has been your most liked evolvement in the last ten years?

James: Evolution of digital platforms and their use in advertising and branding efforts has to be my favourite. Multimedia platforms allows us to be more creative and with each platform brings infinite possibilities to breathe life into a brand. Use of Artificial Intelligence and micro-targeting consumers is another trend that I am really enthusiastic about. Not only has this allowed us to gain more insight about consumer behaviours but also helped us to create campaigns that are more effective and achieve a higher ROI for clients. 

MediAvataar: Which trends according to you dominated UAE’s Branding Industry in 2017?

James: 2017 was an exciting year for the branding industry. From influencers marketing to hyper-targeting the audience, the industry saw many radical trends emerge during the last year. 

One of the most prominent trend for 2017 was to redefine authenticity through story-telling. In past brands were just adding buzzwords such as authentic, authenticity and artisanal instead of providing real experiences. Social media platforms, particularly Instagram and Snapchat, augmented the need for brands to provide a narrative and deliver on their brand promise

MediAvataar: Was branding always what you wanted to pursue?

James: Yes, Always. Going through a challenging experience of building my own identity as a child, I was fascinated by the process of identity building. My curiosity to know more about the process and to help business owners and large corporates create brands that stand for something and leave a long lasting legacy behind led me to pursue a career in branding. 

MediAvataar: Tell us about your career journey so far.

James: Dynamic and challenging. Learning and staying on top of this fast-moving industry has helped me grow in my career and elevate the industry standards further. 

MediAvataar: What drives you to deliver creative and high-on-value campaigns

James: The whole process of finding a solution for the client that brings value to them, pushing creative boundaries and seeing the impact of a campaign and being recognized for the work is what drives me - every day. 

MediAvataar: What excites you the most in your current role?

James: My role as the Managing Director of JPd gives me the opportunity to constantly learn – about clients, trends, businesses and industries. Learning from the process and finding creative solutions to help businesses grow is something that I look forward to waking up every day. 

MediAvataar: Advertising when you started off and today, how has been the transition like?

James: Immense! Advertising campaigns today are creative, targeted, and have the capabilities of reaching out to each individual customer. Social and multimedia platforms have also developed and over the years evolved to become a major part of any brand’s campaign. 

MediAvataar: Which are your all-time favourite campaigns?

James: “Live There” by Airbnb. With their new brand identity and focus on design, they are reshaping previous notions of travelling and are influencing the entire tourism industry. 

MediAvataar: How was the year 2017 for advertising and branding, your predictions for this year?

James: 2017 was a momentous year for the advertising and branding industry. A lot of emphasis was placed on customer’s experiences and delivering the brand promise. Use of AI and Augmented Reality drove the industry to achieve new levels of intimate personalization. For 2018, use of Artificial Intelligence to micro-target consumers will continue. Campaigns will be more design-led and integrated with social and other platforms. With millennials emerging as major consumers, brands will now more than ever will work towards capturing their attention and gain an understanding of their behaviour and preferences. 

MediAvataar: One thing you wish you had known when you started off? 

James: Fail often so you can succeed sooner ☺ and investing in the right people.