Entertainment, the evolution of screens

By Hernán Sampó , Executive Content & Marketing Director and Bruno Macri , Executive Creative Director

Digital marketing specialists are facing a radical shift in the social media landscape. Over the past three years, we have witnessed a significant transformation in how brands interact and engage with their audience online. This change is not just about the introduction and production of short videos or the development of generative artificial intelligence, but a fundamental shift in the approach to social media marketing: we are moving away from direct interaction and towards pure entertainment. 

In the early days of social media, the main goal for brands was to foster community building, then came the strong emphasis on driving user interaction and engagement. Platforms rewarded the number of comments and "likes," leading brands to focus on generating content that elicited a direct response from their audience. However, with the implementation and improvement of algorithms, this approach has evolved. Now, platforms are more interested in the time users spend consuming content rather than simply interacting with it. And that's the key to what's coming. 

The arrival of TikTok has been fundamental in this paradigm shift. This platform has changed how brands and users interact with content, focusing on entertainment through short, public videos. It's no coincidence that TikTok sees Netflix as its main competitor. It doesn't see Google, and neither does it see Meta. It focuses on everything entertaining, hence the focus on streaming and content. 

TikTok has redefined how all social media platforms operate. Now, instead of focusing on direct interaction, brands must focus on creating highly entertaining content that captures users' attention and time. This means moving away from traditional engagement generation practices through comments and "likes" and adopting a more entertainment-oriented approach. 

But what is the specific impact of TikTok on the world of digital marketing? TikTok has proven to be a platform where content can quickly go viral, giving brands the opportunity to reach a massive audience in a short time. Additionally, TikTok's highly visual and entertaining nature has forced brands to rethink their approach to content and adopt a more informal and fun tone. 

The introduction of AI-driven recommendation algorithms on platforms like Instagram and Meta has accelerated this change. These AI-powered algorithms analyze user behavior, preferences, and interaction patterns to deliver personalized content. As a result, much of the content users see on these platforms now comes from recommendations rather than posts from friends and family. This transition has marked a significant shift in content consumption dynamics, as users increasingly rely on platform recommendations to discover new content. However, this dependence on algorithms has also led to a decrease in active user engagement. As content is personalized according to each user's individual preferences, direct interaction with other users' posts has decreased, especially among younger audiences who tend to trust recommendations more than posts from their direct contacts. 

As social media evolves towards a more entertainment-oriented approach, brands find themselves at a crucial moment of adaptation. It's no longer enough to simply generate interactions; now, the challenge lies in captivating and retaining the audience's attention in an increasingly saturated content environment. In this new digital landscape, where the competition for user attention is fierce, brands must step up their game and offer content that is not only entertaining but also relevant and meaningful to their audience. This paradigm shift demands a deep reevaluation of marketing strategies, where creativity and originality become key elements to stand out amidst the digital noise. It's necessary to abandon obsolete approaches and embrace new ways of connecting with the audience, making the most of the tools and functionalities offered by social media platforms. Only then can brands excel and stay relevant in a constantly evolving digital landscape. 

To adapt to this paradigm shift, brands must leverage emerging trends on social media. For example, the rise of user-generated content offers a unique opportunity for brands to engage their audience in an authentic and meaningful way. By collaborating with influential content creators, brands can amplify their reach and increase their credibility in the digital space. 

Examples like Red Bull illustrate how a brand can build its identity around entertainment. Red Bull not only sponsors extreme events, such as the Red Bull Stratos where Felix Baumgartner jumped from the stratosphere, but also creates high-quality content that resonates with its audience. Its YouTube channel, for example, is filled with videos of extreme sports, music, and culture. With over 16 million subscribers and millions of views, Red Bull has demonstrated the impact a well-executed entertainment content strategy can have. They build an entertainment world around a product, with a clear strategy to position themselves as an entertainment company beyond beverages. Similarly, brands like Taco Bell in the United States have used entertainment as a central part of their digital marketing strategy, harnessing the potential of platforms like TikTok to promote their products. Taco Bell adopted a tone oriented towards how the audience consumes content on that platform, creating entertaining formats that quickly go viral. Taco Bell has embraced a creative and casual approach, using trends and viral challenges to interact with their audience authentically. Their videos not only promote their products but also seek to entertain and emotionally connect with users. This strategy has proven effective in increasing brand awareness and audience engagement on the platform, reflecting the power of entertainment as a powerful tool in digital marketing. 

In summary, success on social media now depends more than ever on brands' ability to captivate their audience with relevant and entertaining content. Those brands that can adapt to this paradigm shift and create content that informs, excites, entertains, and surprises are on the right path to achieving and surpassing their goals. But most importantly, they will have the key to connect in an unparalleled way with their audiences, establishing deeper and more meaningful relationships with their follower base. The ability to create content that resonates with the audience and makes them feel part of a virtual community is crucial in this new digital environment. Brands must strive to understand the needs, interests, and desires of their audience to offer them content that is relevant and appealing. This way, they can not only increase their reach and engagement on social media but also build stronger and more lasting relationships with their target audience.