Innovation & NPD

Article • WARC Best Practice, April 2018

With many brands now using chatbots as a marketing tool, this article examines the benefits, purposes and future of chatbots.

How to develop a voice strategy for your brand

Article • Elizabeth Cherian and Jeremy Pounder, WARC Best Practice, July 2017

This article provides insights into consumers' current usage of voice technology and practical steps for marketers who want to take advantage of this growing trend.

Toolkit 2019: WARC's strategic insights for the year ahead

News • 12 December 2018

WARC today released its Marketer’s Toolkit 2019, an annual report outlining the priorities of, and challenges facing, brands in the year ahead and how to address them.

The Marketer’s Toolkit 2019: Strategy, tech and media for the year ahead

Article • WARC Trends, December 2018

WARC's Marketer’s Toolkit 2019 report outlines the key challenges facing brands in the year ahead, and guidance on how to meet them.

The Future 100: Trends and change to watch in 2019

Article • J Walter Thompson Intelligence, Research on WARC, December, 2018

This yearly report by J Walter Thompson Intelligence details 100 emerging trends across 10 sectors – including culture, beauty, and food and drink – that will shape the world of marketing in 2019.

Rexona: Mobile voice pack

Case Study • Oscar Maalihan, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships, 2018

Deodorant brand Rexona used NBA star Steph Curry and navigation app Waze to drive relevance and boost engagement in the Philippines.

Mobil 1: Captura La Bestia

Case Study • MMA Smarties, Silver, LATAM, 2018

Mobil 1, a brand of automotive lubrication products, increased the recall of the Mobil 1 brand using a Facebook chatbot in Chile.

Arcos Dorados Comércio de Alimentos Ltda: McBot

Case Study • MMA Smarties, Silver, LATAM, 2018

Fast-food restaurant McDonald's revived its once-popular tray liners in Brazil by making them the means to interact with an engaging Messenger bot.

Showcase: The Wentworth Rat

Case Study • Jack Smyth, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Use of Tech, 2018

Wentworth, an Australian TV programme, used a Facebook chat bot to engage fan and increase live broadcast viewers.

How do you measure a chatbot?

Article • Brian Carruthers, Event Reports, MRS Financial Services Research, November 2018

New channels and new touchpoints may require new measurement methods and those metrics often have to be considered across categories.

A sound presence boosts brand metrics

News • 20 November 2018

Marketers and agencies who overlook sound as a creative tool are often missing out on a crucial dimension of branding, a new report suggests.

Tuning in to sound: The under-used creative resource

Article • Neuro-Insight, Research on WARC, November 2018

Neuro-Insight found a new approach to planning and creative, which uses neuroscience principles tounderstand and harness the impact of sound, in order to boost campaign effectiveness in a changing media landscape.

'Alexa, what are we really using smart speakers for?'

News • 14 November 2018

Voice tech may still be a novelty for many, but it’s already having a big effect on millions of consumers’ media habits.

India's role in driving voice

News • 07 November 2018

India is emerging as an important crucible for the voice strategies of US tech giants as Google and Amazon roll out new products and services aimed at attracting brands and advertisers.

The opportunities and challenges around martech

Article • Amy Rodgers, Sophie Harding, Steve Lok and Damian Ryan, WARC Webinars, October 2018

Steve Lok, global head of Martech at The Economist, Sophie Harding, trends and insights director at Mindshare, and Damian Ryan, partner at Moore Stephens, discuss findings from the recent Martech Report.

Making Hay Where the Sun Shines: Making sense of today’s global digital madness through clever consumer insight methods that leverage technology and global social interactions

Research Paper • BV Padeep, Jayadev VK and Dushyant Gupta, ESOMAR, Congress, 2018

Unilever, a British-Dutch consumer goods company, experimented with digital communications by interacting with consumers worldwide using the same chat apps they use to communicate with their own contacts.

Alexa, Order Heineken: How voice technology challenges brand and channel management

Research Paper • Dirk Huisman and Joris Huisman, ESOMAR, Congress, 2018

Voice technology, used in products such as Amazon’s Alexa, makes for a faster user experience and has potential to become a dominant mode of accessing the internet – but brands wishing to capitalise on it need to adapt their marketing models.

From social to AI: how KLM Royal Dutch Airlines leverages tech for better customer service

Article • Emily Barley, Event Reports, Festival of Marketing, October 2018

The genesis of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines’ investment in social media and AI was the explosion of an Icelandic volcano which necessitated a crisis response to cope with passenger queries about cancelled flights.

Capgemini: Voice assistants are bringing a new era of commerce

Article • Reed Karaim, Event Reports, Shop.org, September 2018

Capgemini, the consulting firm, anticipates a new era of “conversational commerce” will arise as voice assistants transform the nature of digital sales.

Coverage Coalition: A Call To Action

Case Study • Jay Chiat Strategic Excellence Awards, Shortlist, Nonprofit, 2018

Coverage Coalition, a grassroots collective of creative and media thinkers, united to get the word out about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a healthcare reform intending to offer low-cost options to Americans.

The PatrónSpirits Company: Patrón Cocktail Lab

Case Study • Direct Marketing Association - US, Silver, 2018

Patrón, a brand of tequila, launched Cocktail Lab to serve up recipes based on personal preferences, behavioral insights, local trends, and occasions that successfully changed public perception of the brand globally.

Reckitt Benckiser: RexBot educates India's youth on healthy sex

Case Study • Direct Marketing Association - US, Runner Up, 2018

Durex, a condom brand, launched a chatbot on Facebook Messenger to help answer sex related questions from users in India in a credible and conversational way.

Bacardi: Martini DJ Bot

Case Study • Direct Marketing Association - US, Runner Up, 2018

Bacardi, an alcoholic drinks brand, created a Facebook chatbot integrated with Spotify to connect with millennials in the UK via bespoke playlists, and provide them the summertime feeling as winter approached.

Forevermark chatbot

Case Study • MMA Smarties, Bronze, North America, 2018

Forevermark, a luxury diamond brand, was able to drive consideration of its new product launch, The Forevermark Tribute™ Collection, and drive local jeweler discovery.

Hellmann's Best Foods Best Recipes

Case Study • MMA Smarties, Silver, North America, 2018

Hellmann's/Best Foods, a brand of mayonnaise, took itself into the homes of consumers, providing them with recipes for every occasions, leading to a 12% increase in brand favorability.