Tristan Brooks, head of Client Services and managing partner at Havas Entertainment, looks at how companies can maximise their advertising strategies in 2022.

“Be prepared for the unexpected” is Tristan’s first pointer, as he outlines how recent times have taught us the importance of having the flexibility to react and adjust plans at short notice. “Your agencies should have built flexibility into your plans for the coming year, giving the ability to adapt to changes with minimal disruption and cost,” he warns.

Tristan also highlights the need to change mentality surrounding audience and “think digital first” rather than going straight to kids’ TV in campaigns. He points out that with kids’ TV continuing to decline, there is more need than ever to pinpoint exactly where the required audience is, and invest in that approach.

This includes YouTube, which Tristan says is the top kids’ TV channel, yet many companies are not investing in it at the same level as broadcast TV. “Your approach to YouTube may well make the difference this year for the effectiveness of your campaigns,” he warns.

Creating the right content is also key to a successful campaign, and Tristan discusses the merits of other digital video platforms such as TikTok, Facebook and Instagram in reaching and engaging with a younger audience. With cinemas set to show a bumper crop of blockbusters this year after a Covid-induced lull, there is also advice about planning for big screen budgets.

Tristan also stresses the need to bring the “right people together from different disciplines at the right time” in order to ensure campaigns are successful and to agree on the role of agencies based on their competencies to ensure best delivery of campaign objectives. Making the most of data and innovation are also two other topics he tackles.

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