Zombie Brands

Under an onslaught of swiping, scrolling and spam, brands have lost their ability to seduce. They've become zombies, mindlessly screaming "BUY NOW."

The way advertising worked for over a century was simple: brands sought to make themselves as appealing to as many potential customers as possible. Technology, along with the collapse of broadcast and print media, upended that approach. Over the past decade, brands have abandoned persuasion in favor of targeting. Zombie Brands explains exactly how this happened, and how brands can regain their humanity and appeal by using some of the very same technologies that hollowed them out.

John Long, an award-winning creative director, explains how, in an era when smartphones are increasingly seen as harmful and social media channels are degrading, brands will have to rediscover their ability to connect with people emotionally if they want to survive.

Zombie Brands details:

• How brands lost their humanity and appeal and became zombified
• The five unmistakable behaviors of Zombie Brands
• What social media and digital ad formats are good for-and what they aren't
• How brands can use influencers and stunts in a way that builds lasting brand value
• The promise of AI and how it can enhance both strategy and creative in a way that builds brands