...and Why You Need One
In today's fast-paced agency marketing scene, the ability to craft and highlight "hero moments" has become a crucial way for agencies to distinguish themselves in a crowded field. Our Chime Agency 2024 Benchmark Report sheds light on agencies' challenges and opportunities in the current market environment. It finds that hero moments hold immense commercial value as they streamline a single piece of high-value thinking, elevating agencies up the value chain. In a landscape where agencies must do more with less, hero moments are powerful for driving full sales funnel activities, from lead generation to client nurture and beyond.
Integrating the creation of hero moments into a cohesive content strategy fills critical gaps in content execution and consistency. Yet, with only 26% of agencies embracing this approach, a vast expanse of untapped innovation and connection still needs to be explored. As we delve into the significance of these hero moments, it's clear that they are not just achievements or milestones but pivotal instances that redefine an agency's narrative, impact, and trajectory.
Why Agencies Are Creating Hero Moments
Hero moments are extraordinary creativity, innovation, and impact that distinguish an agency in a sea of competitors. These moments are pivotal for several reasons:
Differentiation and visibility: Hero moments help agencies break through the market clutter, showcasing their unique capabilities and creativity.
Client engagement and retention: By demonstrating their ability to deliver groundbreaking work, agencies attract new clients and deepen relationships with existing ones.
Industry influence: These moments position agencies as leaders and trendsetters, enhancing their standing within the industry.
Celebrating Hero Moments: A Reflection of Agency Resilience and Innovation
Hero moments in marketing and advertising often manifest as innovative campaigns, groundbreaking research reports, or significant content initiatives that drive engagement and set new industry standards. These moments resonate across the market, showcasing an agency's or brand's unique ability to capture the public's imagination, shift perceptions, and influence behaviour. Here are a few real-world client examples that have left a lasting impact:
Spotify's "Wrapped" Campaign:
In-House/Agency Collaboration
Spotify's annual Wrapped feature transforms user listening data into engaging, personalised summaries of their year in music. This campaign encourages widespread sharing on social media and strengthens user engagement and loyalty by personalising the Spotify experience in a fun, shareable way. The campaign repeats each year and fuels advertising and marketing campaigns throughout the year, including billboard advertisements calling out particular listener trends, gamification and other innovative concepts.
"This Girl Can" by Sport England:
Agency: FCB Inferno
Launched to encourage women of all shapes, sizes, and abilities to get active, the "This Girl Can" campaign successfully tackled the fear of judgment that prevents many women from exercising. The campaign's powerful message of empowerment and inclusivity led to increased exercise participation among women across the UK.
"It's Time to Talk" by Time to Change:
Agency: Ogilvy UK
Aimed at changing the way people think and act about mental health, this campaign encouraged open conversations about mental health issues. By leveraging specific days like "Time to Talk Day," and supplementing these with year-round social media content, public events, and educational resources, the campaign maintained its momentum and engaged audiences throughout the year.
"Come Back Stronger" by Gymshark:
In-House Campaign
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gymshark's campaign focused on resilience, community, and the shared goal of coming back stronger. The fitness apparel brand used social media challenges, motivational content, and community engagement activities to keep its audience motivated and connected. By continuously updating their content to reflect the changing situations and milestones of the pandemic, Gymshark kept the campaign relevant throughout the year.
These campaigns showcase the importance of a sustained engagement strategy, where content is not just a launch-and-leave but evolves in response to audience interaction, cultural moments, and ongoing goals. By creating flexible, responsive campaigns, these brands and agencies could maintain interest and engagement over extended periods.
How to get your own hero moment
Our report highlights a crucial gap in how agencies leverage their marketing prowess and the untapped potential of hero moments. With 46% of agencies not practising what they preach and a notable decline in content marketing quality among 60%, there's a clear call to action for agencies to refine their approach, embrace innovation, and communicate their unique value propositions more effectively.
By creating and celebrating hero moments, agencies can not only navigate through lean times but also emerge stronger, more visible, and more attractive to clients. As the industry continues to navigate the complexities of the digital age, these moments of creativity and impact are more important than ever, reminding us of the transformative power of marketing when executed with clarity, purpose, and boldness.
In a time where differentiation is key to survival and growth, hero moments represent a beacon of innovation and creativity for agencies. Our report serves as a reminder of the importance of these moments and the need for agencies to harness their marketing capabilities more effectively. As we look to the future, creating and celebrating hero moments will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping the agency landscape, driving growth, and fostering a culture of innovation and excellence.
Find out how Chime Agency can help you with your hero moment and access the full 2024 research report.