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Relevant, irrelevant; I tell you these terms have created havoc since they have resurfaced with the Gen-Z. They’ve been adding quite a lot to the dictionary these days. Terms like cancel culture, slay, delulu, rizz and so many more have made their way to the millennials. And mind you, there’s a lot more floating around which will have to be accepted sooner or later.

With terms that defy a current generation, or a rather specific stratum of the generation there come a lot of ‘wannabe(s)’. Who are wannabes, you ask? Well, from a branding or marketing perspective, wannabes are the players who move out of their age-old, established positioning to ‘vibe’ with the new-age audiences, hence losing their credibility in the psyche of the audiences. So, in order to try and be relevant, they lose the chance to establish themselves uniquely. The ideology of being a brand that satisfies all, in reality, manages to reach none.

Technology-driven platforms are always going to treat you with avenues and innovations that will feel tempting and worth giving a try, but the novelty of these avenues should not be directly proportional to your approach. To put it simply, if you’re an FMCG brand carrying a legacy of 60 years, don’t just change your packaging to look cool on Social Media. The tonality, the touch points, and maybe even the face might not compliment the OG and you’ll end up creating a new positioning. And the vicious circle of awareness-sales-recall repeats itself. And if at all you are aiming to do exactly that, look around, contemplate, rethink, and do something absolutely revolutionary; otherwise don’t bother.

Staying relevant with the audience gives them a strange authority to dictate your next move, and ultimately it can lead to your death. Instead, moulding the audience according to your positioning via strong recall, collaterals, and visual communication can give you an edge over the wannabes of the market.

Everyone can make memes, casually change positioning, do collaborations with irrelevant influencers, talk like everyone (no one) does, and spend exorbitant amounts of money to get a face that doesn’t compliment the brand. It is just a few that make a place for themselves with positioning like ‘G maane Genius’ ‘Kuchh meetha ho jaaye’, ‘Amul doodh peeta hai India’ and make every generation vibe to their jingles.

Following baseless trends, taking an approach devoid of market analysis, and forcing associations has lead brands into uncleanable, unacceptable messes.

Staying relevant is about keeping on to be more of what you already are. Period.

In a blink-and-scroll world where attention span resembles fireflies flitting through the night – here, one moment, gone the next, the battle for engagement has reached its peak. The digital age – where the currency of success is not gold or silver but those precious seconds/minutes a user chooses to spend on your content. In this cursory dance of glances, two unsung heroes emerge from the shadows, donning capes woven from pixels and words – Content & UI.

Let’s take an example into consideration for both UI and content.

UI – the dance of pixels

UI acts as your charming host, the one responsible for creating that indelible first impression. Here, the design of your digital abode matters more than ever.

A sleek, intuitive UI is the key to seducing the fleeting attention of your audience. Think of it as the well-choreographed opening act of a show – it sets the stage, attracts the audience, and leaves them yearning for more. Navigating your site should be seamless like a waltz, not an obstacle course. Capturing attention without demanding it is the key.

But, keeping in mind people, let’s not forget the paradox of choice. Too many options can be overwhelming. UI is the silent symphony that guides users through the digital landscape, ensuring they linger long enough to discover the real gem—your content.

There’s another “but”.

You have the most visually stunning website, but if your content is akin to a bland monologue, users will swiftly exit stage left. Content is not just about words; it’s about crafting an experience or maybe a positive feeling. Be it a blog post, a product description, or a quirky about us page, the narrative should be a magnetic force, pulling users into the world you’ve constructed. Exactly like building a house.

In this world, where tweets have replaced the times, conciseness is the soul of the wit, and attention spans may be fleeting, but a well-crafted sentence, a compelling headline, or a thought-provoking caption can be the pixie dust. The current generation are not fireflies, they’re the honeybees searching for a flowerful of content to consume.

I read somewhere on Pinterest that the content should be a journey, not a destination – a series of delightful surprises that keeps users on the edge of their digital seats.

In this world, the marriage of Content & UI is not a luxury but a necessity. It’s the secret potion that turns a casual visitor into a loyal follower, a one-time customer into a brand evangelist. Because, the magic is not in the pixels alone, nor is it in the words alone.