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Dan Takacs

Mintel's Associate Director of Macro Trends in the EMEA region

Icon calendario 21/10/2025
Icon orologio 5 minuti
Immagine Dan Takacs
    1. To understand the present and look to the future, it is necessary to promote open-mindedness, self-analysis, and individual reflection, combined with the ability to continuously find original solutions, and to share information, opinions, and experiences with all stakeholders: clients, partners, employees, suppliers, local communities, associations, foundations (Total Experience), through meticulous attention to the context, to what is outside.
      What are the "Pop" elements, both in terms of tools and the values conveyed by the content, that make a brand recognizable?

      In today’s social media-fuelled marketing landscape, visual appeal is more important than ever – videos are the most popular content format on social media, highlighting the crucial role of aesthetics in branding and product discovery. These days, many consumers discover brands and products through short-form visual media, such as TikToks, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.
      In CPG marketing, packaging is doing a great deal of heavy lifting. Packaging is the vehicle that carries a brand’s message and communicates its identity and values. In the luxury segment, spanning categories such as high-end fragrances and Champagne, packaging plays an oversized role. Since the inherent value of these products is difficult to communicate, brands tend to rely on visual cues – logos, colours and design – for differentiation.
      Sounds can also help create emotional connections with audiences. The Netflix intro sound, for example, is a core part of Netflix’s brand identity. In addition, using specific genres or nostalgic tunes in advertising can evoke memories or a sense of place and time. Coca-Cola's ‘Holidays Are Coming’ Christmas ads offer a famous example of a brand using music to this end.

    2. If a brand is no longer just a product but the story of a company's values, communication must take into account two main elements. The first is dialogue with the existing community of people who already love the brand. This is a type of institutional communication, which in Anglo-Saxon language is called "top-down": the company communicates its message, controlling the narrative in terms that are most congenial to it. The second is more complex: the company must try to understand what language is most suitable for the audience it intends to reach, and what is the most appropriate means to do so to create a distinctive positioning.
      How does a brand differentiate itself from competitors? What are its distinctive brand assets? What creative strategies does it adopt?

      Brands should be crystal clear about what they want to achieve – how they’ll generate value for their consumers and profits for their parent companies. A great product idea will mean nothing if it doesn’t address relevant consumer needs.
      Brands should always tailor their communication strategies to the unique needs of either existing or potential consumers to differentiate themselves from the competition. Established brands should adopt different communication strategies than emerging brands: legacy brands should lean into their long histories to boost brand affinity, while new brands should focus on building brand awareness and trust.
      Ultimately, though, brand differentiation depends on the particulars: the brand, its target audience, its competitors and the market in which it operates. Brands must consider all of these factors when identifying their USPs.

    3. Rosser Reeves, one of the most famous advertisers in history, is the inventor of the concept of "Unique Selling Proposition" (USP), the technique of basing advertising on the assertion of the single element that makes a product unique compared to the competition.
      Today, there is a large quantity of similar or "perfect substitute" products on the market, most of which have nothing truly unique or distinctive in terms of ingredients, materials, production techniques, or specific functions to define a valuable USP and influence consumer choices.
      What constitutes the uniqueness of a brand and how can it "incorporate" it into the product or service it offers? How can a brand's product/service activate value co-creation practices with the people it addresses?How can a brand use transmedia storytelling to create an integrated and engaging communicative experience?

      A successful brand’s uniqueness lies in its emotional connection with its audience – the thoughts, feelings and associations it creates in consumers’ minds. While a brand’s USP is, by definition, singular, uniqueness is actually derived from a combination of factors creating a coherent whole; it’s derived from the brand's purpose, name, logo, positioning, history and messaging working together. To highlight their uniqueness, brands should align each of their touchpoints with their individual identities: it’s consistency and coherence that builds trust.

    4. AI and the use of new available technologies are an increasingly present dimension in every aspect of life, work, and processes.
      What evolutionary possibilities do you see in the impact of new Artificial Intelligence technologies on the development of creative brand strategies?

      Brands should distinguish between internal and external use of AI – in other words, between corporate and consumer-facing AI use. As generative AI is still a novel technology, brands sometimes confuse the two. In practice, this means mixing up efficiency, which is a corporate goal, with convenience, which is a consumer need. This confusion results in consumer alienation and missed opportunities. Think of it this way: a brand may use AI to design a product label, which is cheaper and quicker than hiring a designer. But does this actually benefit consumers? And does it align with the brand’s identity?
      As for the impact of AI on the development of creative brand strategies, AI can help identify trends and white space, allowing brands to innovate more quickly. AI also allows brands to create personalised marketing at scale – think tailored ads, product recommendations and guidance.
      However, brands should be aware of continued consumer scepticism surrounding AI. Brands must prioritise transparency by clearly labelling AI-generated content and emphasising the human element in their creative processes.