Brands and agencies need to shake the habit of serving up dull, one-size-fits-all marketing,  according to Vayner Media MD Sarah Baumann.

Speaking at MAD//Fest and New Digital Age’s 99//Club Digital Festival, Baumann drew the analogy between individual ice cream flavour preferences and the industry’s preoccupation with giving everyone the same vanilla marketing. Baumann believes marketers must gain a more nuanced understanding of their customers’ tastes in order to successfully emerge stronger from the coronavirus pandemic.

“Everyone likes a different flavour of ice cream and the same is true of human behaviour yet the traditional marketing model seeks to whip up the biggest, most fancy serving of vanilla even through what people wanted was chocolate or blueberry,” she said.

“As we come out of Covid, there is no excuse not to come out with a bigger understanding of people’s individuality.”

Baumann also emphasised the need for authenticity when brands communicate with the various groups that  make up Gen Z.

You can view all the 99//Club Digital Festival sessions here.