How fragmented media can work as a cohesive and effective whole

Making sense 7 shows how UK media habits continue to become more diverse and exciting.

The content of TV, Radio, Print – once confined to the devices that bore their names – are now free to delight audiences in more moments on more devices than ever. So, it is no surprise that Mobile – the device where all media meets – is now top of the time-spent tree, and that today even older audiences split previously unified media time across a variety of platforms.

We’re fortunate that, amid the explosion of competing media metrics, the IPA TouchPoints dataset provides a comprehensive and trusted single source of truth. But the key question for advertisers remains – how can fragmented media be made to work as a single, cohesive and effective whole? Just like a Kintsugi vase, perhaps the answer lies in celebrating the glue that holds everything together, not just the pieces themselves.

Tom Roach and Dr Grace Kite (of Jellyfish and Magic Numbers respectively) have added much to this discussion with their concept of “lots of little”. Faced with a fragmented media landscape, brand growth no longer relies on a few blockbuster campaigns alone.

Instead, it can come from the accumulated exposure of many smaller, more targeted campaigns too – so long as advertisers balance social platforms’ demand for fresh, varied creative content with consistent brand cues that drive long-term business value.

So, in a world where the glue is as important as the individual pieces, what can this perspective add to the key take-outs of Making sense 7?

Use the power of public when building your foundations

Successful creative iteration first needs the solid foundations of creative consistency. It’s that consistency which drives the price effects that ultimately deliver profit.
Strong brands are built in public, so get out there! In a suitably memorable quote, Saatchi Strategy Chief Richard Huntingdon once described OOH’s larger
than life, real-world impact as perfect for “searing a brand onto someone’s mind”. It’s a line worth remembering.

In fact, OOH’s most celebrated recent work – BA and Heinz among them – combine these approaches to great effect, showcasing how the incredibly familiar can be made freshly novel.

Sound is your not-so-secret weapon

System1’s recent research with TikTok highlights the key role audio assets play in helping audiences quickly link short-form content back to the advertiser brand.

McDonald’s remain an evergreen example of the wider role brand sound can play. This summer’s “Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday” meme was another surprising but stand-out reminder of the same truth: in a quick swipe, entertainment-driven environment – where people or AI can generate hundreds of ad variations – audio brand assets (voice, sonic devices, music) have a unique power to bring it all together. So nurture them.

More is more

Returning to Dr Grace Kite’s excellent analysis, we’re reminded that the use of multiple channels is, in and of itself, a multiplier of campaign effect. But rather than following conventional wisdom and maxing out one medium before moving onto the next, her work shows it pays to go early when adding extra channels. Kantar backs this up: synergy effects now drive 45% of brand impact, up from just 18% in 2014. And this is where Audio and Outdoor really deliver the Kintsugi gold.

With a unique ability to wrap themselves around people’s daily lives at scale (together accounting for a third of the commercial media day), audio and outdoor don’t just deliver impact on their own, they help make everything else stick by reinforcing memories, building salience, and binding fragmented media into a coherent whole.

Mark Hatwell is Director of Commercial Strategy and Client Development at Global

The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and were submitted in accordance with the IPA terms and conditions regarding the uploading and contribution of content to the IPA newsletters, IPA website, or other IPA media, and should not be interpreted as representing the opinion of the IPA.