Creative content is occupying an increasingly strong position in growing strategy. Who needs a creative content strategy? what value creative content can bring to your brand? How to build your own strategy and make it work? And what can be used as a vehicle for creative content?
To answer these questions, we invited Chris Jessick, Holograph Creative Owner/Creative Director joined Emily Xu from XNode as part of our “In Your Shoes” series to discuss about the user journey through art, media and technology according to their own experiences.
One word to answer this question, EVERYONE. Unique Brand Identity is to figure out how to differentiate brand itself, all brands want to identify themselves uniquely from other people who did similar business. How to attract users by engaging user journeys and how to set up a corresponding creative content strategy will be the key questions we need to think about. This issue is also taken seriously by other people.
To better introduce how companies can build their own creative content strategy, Chris divided the session into a few sub-topics.
Rethinking brand activation means identifying what is the new way to get users follow your journey and make them excited about what you are going to do as a brand. Chris shared his insights on user experience and user interface. While user interface is just via phone or laptop at moment, user experience is logistic-based, it is about how people actually brand their products, which could be websites and other services, for example, how they manage their store, or how to make their consumer enrich their experience while visiting. There are also such masterclasses held in Shanghai to discuss essentially what it takes to the users, to develop the user journey and mechanisms to improve use experience.
When brand is making videos, Chris believes it's very important to figure out how to improve the stories telling of the content they want to share. When he does projects, he usually meets with all team members including illustrators, animators, graph designers, painters to discuss together to figure out how to tell the story. Everyone will share their advice from their aspects, and build up the story based on different perspectives.
It is hard to match all needs and share real values in an online environment. Especially for designers who may have virtual needs to paint something or create something in a physical environment. For example, when film directors recruit actors, they need to feel the connection between each other. Therefore, brands shall also run more offline events where users can physically experience what the brand is doing, which will leave people a clearer picture of the brand and build up more connections between people and the brand.
We need to rethink about how our screen speaks to us, and also consider how screens connect us with the world surround. We have used VR as gaming, however, when we are holding our phone in front of us, what will it react to the world nearby. There has already been some fun solution with screens and VR applied in e-commerce and malls, such as watch fitting, etc. Last year, when they couldn’t have people come offline to the events, some brand applied Google cardboard solution and did product demo via mobile phone.
Moreover, the interactive installation is also a considerable form to express the brand's creative content. As a film director, Chris thinks it is important to take video and motional export into other space. The interactive installation is very contemporary and has great potential to become an important form of artistic expression in the future. Videos are cool on screens, but we can also explore what they will react to other objects and surroundings.
Creative concepts, thinking outside the box, and innovation. You should be prepared for brain ideas nobody saw before. That's what my creativities base on. For example, if you are doing a two-week graphic design for a website or bushrues, you have to think about the user experience and consumers. So that's the biggest thing I would say, being nimble and being humble and knowing how to work well with others.
As designers, you have to be inspired by your surroundings. Sometimes you may get into a creative block, but similar to a writer's work, you can't just sit in your room and wait for inspiration to pitch you. You should get out to see the world around you to find more inspiration.
The most important is to have empathy and understanding, to understand local audiences' views and perspectives. I've worked on both sides between the education of China and New York. Key words as empathy, sympathy, open-mindedness. And always understand the challenge we are facing culturally, and always remember why you are here and your purpose in mind.
(Holograph Creative Owner/Creative Director)
Chris Jessick is a creative director, filmmaker and international marketing specialist currently living in Shanghai where he conducts business throughout China, and also across the global marketplace of art, design, fashion, new media and other related industries.
With an extensive background in higher arts education, primarily with experience in New York City for 15 years, and 5 years of experience across China developing intensive programs with visiting artists and designers, one of his main areas of expertise is building relationships with international institutions and identifying brand partners for professional development and other opportunities.
Through his own brand, Holograph, he works to bridge together companies and creators from all industries and disciplines to provide innovative creative solutions for brand marketing, events and other design campaigns.
In his positions as Chief Creative Officer, Creative Director and Event Host, these allow him to provide his expertise to organizations with regard to creative content strategy, both internationally and within the unique Chinese marketplace, and to host workshops and events to provide peer to peer education across all industries.
“In your shoes 创业有得聊” is a series of events for startup founders. We invite experts from different backgrounds as well as startups with pain points in their entrepreneurial journey, to meet, talk and share tips with practical tools and methodologies.
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