The pandemic has had the effect of multiplying the content found on the web. More than ever, people are fired up on their mobile devices or computers to consume the content that is being shared. This also causes a time shift on consumer behavior and the impact that has on brands.
I would simplify this disruption as follows: Things are moving faster than ever and people have a lot more choices when it comes to content. As the speed of content consumption accelerates, consumers are devoting less time brands as they used to. We become content hyperactive and we scroll from one publication to another like robots. We even think sometimes that we develop a lack of attention or a need for everything to happen quickly... we feel like we lack patience.
It's not just our patience with interrupted advertising, but with all interrupted communication. For example, a recent study found that Americans answer less than half of the calls on their cell phones.
Not only do we dislike interruptions, but we also know that any content we're interested in can easily be replaced with a click of a button. Don't like this TikTok video? swipe to the next one. Don't like that Netflix show? Go back to the menu and select something else. You don't get the answer you are looking for on a website? click back to Google to find another site with the answer you are looking for.
However, it is the "brand" aspect of this disruption that fascinates me the most. Is the lack of patience a passing trend or will our hyperactive content in the long run make the brands suffer? Will the amount of content published be reduced at the end of the pandemic?
In the 1960s, the average lifespan of a Standard & Poor's listed company was 61 years, according to McKinsey & Company. Today, it is less than 18 years. McKinsey estimates that within 5-6 years, 75% of S&P-500 companies will be acquired, merged or shut down.
With this rapid evolution, product and service brands have in many ways become more like start-ups, fashion or media because of the speed with which they are launched, become famous, gain the trust of an audience, and then weaken over time, burn out or are replaced by others.
In a way, the content brands launched (or acquired) by these companies become as important to the company as its products and services.
In conclusion I give you a piece of advice, which I apply myself on the spot while writing this article, keep generating content. Be concise to make it easier for your readers to get to the next publication as soon as possible! So under 500 words... but don't stop publishing.