Judging the LIA Awards, the Power of TikTok, and Engaging Gen Z Authentically

Rita> It's been a brilliant opportunity for me to meet people from around the world. I feel very privileged and lucky to be here. I love that the process of shortlisting entries involves all of the jury members and requires us to see all of the entries and then discuss them all later. It means we're all part of the process which creates a really lovely environment for us – it’s very laid back but we’re also serious about wanting to recognise and celebrate great work.

Rita> We received a total of 550 entries, with a lot of case studies submitted. And I really did enjoy watching them all. It's such a privilege to judge social work, particularly digital and social. The Bratwurst campaign for Field Roast from No Fixed Address is a great example from this year’s crop – simply put, it's just a normal outdoor ad but it resonated on a wider social level and really was one of my favourites in the category. And it really spoke to the Brat summer social phenomenon, which made it socially spot on. We should all be learning from Charli XCX and her epic album rollout. It can be very hit-or-miss with brands to tap into cultural trends, especially when they try to be relevant with gen z. Their efforts can flop so easily and campaigns can end up feeling a bit cringe. You can always tell if a brand is trying too hard to connect to gen z – and if it's made by someone in their 40s, you can feel that dissonance. 

Rita> It helps knowing how it feels to be on the other side, to receive the work fresh and to watch a case study with new eyes. Now, I've seen so many case studies, I know what makes them stand out and how to really sell the work to the judges who are seeing entries in the hundreds. Personally, I’m interested in the process behind the case study, understanding the impact the campaign has had and what mistakes, if any, it went through. 

Rita> I'm currently looking at how to really speak with and engage gen z authentically. And it’s a tough one to crack. As long as our talent keeps getting younger, we’ll need to keep hiring young people to get their perspectives for remaining relevant. It’s what wins our consumers’ hearts but I don't know if this approach is enough to win awards. I’m starting to see advertising for nuts and butter on Tiktok because apparently it speaks to gen alpha, right? And gen z in a novel way. But it's very surreal. That kind of work would never make it to review at an awards show and maybe it should, because it speaks to the age of people at awards journeys. 

I'm trying to show my clients the business results that can be achieved on social and show them that it’s good for actually solving business problems. All of our client briefs are about connecting to gen z and gen alpha, because of case studies examples set by brands like Duolingo and Ryanair. Really, these brands need to be studied and turned into prime examples of realising business results through connecting with consumers and not taking themselves too seriously. That's what I love about Tiktok, it's a platform where brands don’t take themselves seriously and can have fun, while experimenting with what it means to be a brand. Tiktok has destroyed our perception of how brands should behave and allowed brands to rebuild themselves in a new way. The ephemeral part of the platform means you can just play around because posts then forever disappear. I’m excited for more brands to play and get creative in this space.