Last year, Google users around the world asked ‘why?’ more
than ever before.
“Why is it called COVID-19?” “Why is everyone buying
toilet paper?” “Why is Australia on fire?” “Why is there a coin shortage?”
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This makes sense, of course: in a year filled with so much
of the seemingly inexplicable, people wanted answers. From the devastating
pandemic to the port explosion in Beirut, to countless other unusual and
extraordinary occurrences, people had a strong desire to make sense of the
unprecedented events happening all over the globe.
But this trend toward asking ‘why?’ also hints at a larger,
more interesting shift in online behavior—that, in addition to seeking out
information and entertainment, people are looking for deeper understanding of
the world around them. In an era when an unparalleled, infinite amount of
knowledge is readily available at our fingertips—and when there’s enough
content out there to entertain us for the rest of our lives—the answer to every
‘what?’ and ‘how?’ and ‘who?’ and ‘where?’ can be found effortlessly, and in a
million different iterations. In other words, information is easy to attain.
What’s more difficult to achieve in this information era—and, therefore, more
valuable—is insight. Understanding. Context.
For businesses everywhere, the lesson is clear: it’s no
longer enough for you to merely inform and entertain your stakeholders. You
need to be going deeper. But how does this lesson translate into action?
For one, it means doing more with your content and data. For
the most part, businesses today understand that content and data can add value
to the customer experience. Whether through reports, white papers, blog
content, social media posts, or multimedia, brands are going above and beyond
to give consumers something more. But are they going far enough?
If the data you offer up to consumers is little more than
facts, figures, and statistics, it may certainly be interesting—but it might
not be very insightful. The truth is that, in an era of big data, numbers can
be found everywhere: statistics and figures are easy to come by. What’s more
difficult to find are intelligent analyses of this data. You might, for
example, observe an increase in social media commerce, but why? Why are
consumers suddenly more willing and eager to shop via Instagram? And why is
this important for brands? How can they leverage this kind of insight in a
meaningful way? And what does it really mean? The increase in social
media commerce itself—that is, the information—is noteworthy, but it doesn’t
tell a complete story. And that’s what people are looking for: a coherent,
compelling narrative.
Turning data into understanding requires strong
critical thinking skills—but it also requires strong data. That’s why agencies
like VMLY&R Amman are investing in robust data resources like the Global
Web Index. With the Global Web Index, VMLY&R Amman has been able to
transform huge amounts of data into actionable, insightful analysis and
understanding—in a way that adds incredible value to its clients. As a result,
the agency has been able to expand its reach and operations considerably,
acquiring several new, high-profile local and regional clients.
Wavemaker Amman is another agency that is cleverly employing
data and strategic thinking to add value to its clients. The company’s
proprietary global audience technology allows Wavemaker to analyze complex
consumer data in a way that’s designed to derive real, meaningful, valuable
insights—which ultimately allows its clients to maximize the ROI of their media
spending like never before.
But content and data aren’t the only areas where brands need
to be providing answers to why-oriented questions: perhaps more importantly, it
means doing a more comprehensive job of explaining your brand’s values and
actions. Stakeholders want to know more than what you believe in and
what you stand for: they want to understand your rationale for these beliefs. They
want to get to the very core of your values: how did you arrive at those
values? What’s the story behind them? Why do you believe what you believe?
Establishing these kinds of values early on can be extremely
beneficial. When marketing communication agency Wunderman Amman helps new
brands establish their corporate identities—or when they’re helping long-time
clients reinvigorate their operations through rebranding—they’re constantly
working to build a strong, resonant narrative that gives customers an answer to
every ‘why.’ The agency engages in rigorous branding exercises that go far
deeper than creating an eye-catching logo or a clever slogan. Why did you
use those colors? Why did you choose those particular words? At the heart
of every decision is a rationale that cuts to the core of the client’s
identity. Everything is careful, deliberate, and—most importantly—meaningful.
And if your company is engaging in new projects, launching
new products or services, or entering new markets or verticals, explaining
‘why’ is also crucial: what needs are you trying to meet? What opportunities
are you looking to leverage? What goals are you aiming to achieve? Why do
you do what you do?
But even if you’re not looking to rebrand your entire
business or introduce new products and services, your communication efforts still
need to be aligned and unified in ways that demonstrate coherence and meaning.
Once again, the importance of a consistent narrative comes into play. That’s one of the reasons why MENACOM Jordan has established
a centralized strategic planning department, building a team of experts who can
provide integrated communication planning services for the group’s clients. This
allows MENACOM’s clients to benefit from more holistic strategic insights, so
that they can communicate their answers to ‘why’ more purposefully and uniformly.
Of course, it’s still important to keep your customers,
employees, and partners informed about what you’re doing—but if you’re
not getting strategic about explaining why, then your stakeholders are
going to be left wanting. In the information era, the way to distinguish
yourself is by being able to provide understanding. Ultimately, answering ‘why’
means telling your whole story, in a way that connects and resonates with your
audience.