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next in
Creative
Next in Creative Globe Content Studio

About the report Who we are

Next in Creative is an annual, forward-looking publication, Globe Content Studio is the content marketing division of The
revealing and contextualizing the emerging trends that Globe Globe and Mail, a Canadian media and technology company.
Content Studio considers the future of content marketing. Our mission is to elevate brands and drive business results
We offer ideas for brands on how to use these insights to through premium journalistic storytelling.

drive opportunities.

Our aim is to inspire you to elevate your content


marketing campaigns.

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Next in Creative
Our methodology
To collect insights for this report, we leveraged The Globe and
Mail’s AI-based content performance platform Sophi, surveyed
members of our Globe Insiders panel, and interviewed experts
in their respective fields. What follows is a list of what we expect
to be some of the strongest themes across key categories,
influencing content and creativity in 2023 and beyond.
Globe Content Studio
About Sophi: From automated content curation to first party
data activation and dynamic paywall engines, Sophi is an
artificial intelligence system that helps publishers make vital
strategic and tactical decisions to transform their businesses. 
About Globe Insiders: Globe Insiders is a customer intelligence
panel that currently includes more than 4,000 members. The
Globe and Mail reaches out to them for real- time feedback
and insights about content, reader experiences, category
trends and advertising influence and effectiveness. In October,
2022, we asked the Globe Insiders panel for feedback on the
emerging trends the Globe Content Studio team identified
heading into 2023.
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Next in Creative Globe Content Studio

Fads, trends and Sustainability E-commerce

fundamentals climate consciousness, the

longevity and durability of
practices and products
the necessary presence
brands must occupy in the
digital marketplace

This report focuses on trends. A trend is established by its staying power

and its long-term impact. While a fad is more of a short-lived craze – like
TikTok’s temporary fascination with butter boards – trends stick around
longer, and they have a lasting effect on our culture.

When a trend remains consistently relevant, it becomes a building block Nostalgia Authenticity
for new, emerging trends. We call these fundamentals: former trends a marketing cornerstone that ensuring each element of every
that have become ubiquitous baselines you must incorporate leverages relatability and the execution ties back to the basis of
authentically into your brand or marketing in order to be relevant. Years familiar in innovative ways
your brand, or your core pillars, so
ago, topics such as sustainability, diversity and nostalgia were seen as you are ‘walking the talk’ 

emerging. Today, they are foundational and they underpin the new
trends. The trends in this report don’t exist without them.

The following fundamentals serve as the cohesive link that makes each
trend timely and culturally relevant – we would argue these
fundamentals will remain, even as new trends emerge.

Diversity, equity Mental health

and inclusion and wellness
across gender, race, ability, going beyond commodified
age, size, sexuality
self-care to prioritize balance

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Next in Creative Globe Content Studio

table of

Experience IRL, buy URL 06

contents
Automakers get on the grid 13

From business to bleisure 18

The new laws of social 24

Where in the World Wide Web 3.0 are we? 30

Young money problems 37

Designing for the Third Dimension 44

 Next in Creative 2023 - Experience IRL, buy URL

The Trend

buy url
experience irl,

01
Next in Creative - Experience IRL, buy URL
The way we shop has changed
tremendously in the past few years.
Lockdowns accelerated the adoption
of online retail exponentially, and it’s
clear that many of our new shopping
habits are sticking around. In a
survey of Globe readers conducted
in November, 2022, 90 per cent of
respondents said they bought
physical items online in the past 12
months (not including subscriptions
or non-material purchases).
Source: Pexels
Globe Content Studio
At the same time, people have not
abandoned in-person shopping:

46 per cent of Globe readers
surveyed said they have been
doing the same amount of
shopping in store and online over
the past three months. But when
they do make the effort to go to a
store, experience matters, whether
it’s a frictionless and easy trip or an
added splash of entertainment.
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Next in Creative - Experience IRL, buy URL Globe Content Studio

Embracing the
At the same time, we’re seeing “dark stores” emerge as a trend globally – meaning retail locations that are only used for online
fulfillment, with either pickup or delivery, but no customer browsing allowed – as a way to make the most of physical retail space
while streamlining online shopping operations. 

omnichannel In a fun twist, we’re also seeing a re-emergence of the old-fashioned paper catalogues from retailers, including the likes of
Amazon, which now publishes one for toys for the holiday season. E-commerce websites are everywhere and consumer inboxes
are drowning in promotional emails – but a shiny, attractive, aspirational paper catalogue in the mail can break through the noise
While the idea of omnichannel – where all shopping modes and digital clutter to reach consumers in a more long-lasting, impactful way. 

are seamlessly integrated, whether it’s in person, online or

anything in between – has been around for a while, years of
retail disruption have kicked the trend into overdrive.
Retailers are feeling the need to be everything, everywhere,
all at once, and it’s not just about traditional brick-and-
mortar businesses making sure they’re also offering The key when looking at expanding into new territory is to
fantastic e-commerce. The flipside is happening more think strategically about where your brand can stand out,

often, with online-first retailers making the move to open
physical stores, pop-ups or showrooms in a trend as opposed to fading into the background.

sometimes called “clicks to bricks.”

Amazon is a prime example: Following on the heels of the

Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh brick-and-mortar
convenience and grocery spaces launched in the past few
years, the company launched its first Amazon Style store in
California in 2022 – a physical clothing store with myriad
high-tech bells and whistles to offer a truly omnichannel
shopping experience. Shopify, known best as an e-
commerce platform, is also spreading its wings into
physical retail with the 2022 launch of its new agile point-
of-sale system, POS Go, which promises to allow retailers to
“move seamlessly between in-store and online retail.”

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Next in Creative - Experience IRL, buy URL Globe Content Studio

Payment flexibility

Retailers are finding they need to offer an increasingly wide array of payment options to meet
customer expectations. Traditional credit cards and debit cards still reign, with a 2022 Payments
Canada report showing they’re used in 33 per cent and 30 per cent of all transactions
respectively (with cash a bit of an afterthought at just 10 per cent). But digital wallets, payment
apps, e-transfer and a variety of other options have become part of the retail-payment table
stakes. Payments Canada’s report confirms that “digital, contactless and mobile payment
adoption” is rising fast, with mobile payments notably growing by 13 per cent between 2020

and 2021.

One up-and-coming trend in digital payments is “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) – a modern twist

on the old “layaway” model, where consumers buy items online but pay for them in smaller
installments. BNPL startups such as Afterpay and Klarna allow consumers to buy items from
their network of retailers and then pay in installments over time without accruing interest (as
long as payments are made on time). Most of these apps don’t check credit scores, making it

an attractive alternative for those who might not have the “right” credit scores for traditional
credit cards. 

Source: Klarna

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Next in Creative - Experience IRL, buy URL
According to U.K.-based
Juniper Research, there
were about 360 million
people using BNPL
worldwide as of 2022, and
that number is projected
to more than double over
the next five years.
Globe Content Studio
For Canada, Payments Canada’s study showed that 8 per
cent of merchants currently accept BNPL, with another 48
per cent saying they’re interested in offering it. And 59 per
cent of Globe readers surveyed said they were either
“extremely familiar” or “somewhat familiar” with BNPL. As
younger generations move away from credit cards, and
with a potential recession on the horizon, it seems BNPL
apps are poised to take off in the year to come.
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Next in Creative - Experience IRL, buy URL Globe Content Studio

Retail as entertainment

two ways: accelerating conversion (some companies are

reporting rates approaching 30 per cent, which is up to 10
Using “retail-tainment” to attract consumers to in-person times that of traditional e-commerce methods), and
shopping experiences is not new – think pop-up events at improving brand appeal and differentiation, particularly
clothing stores or high-end cooking demos at grocery stores among younger audiences.

– but experiential retail is making its mark on e-commerce as

well. “Livestream shopping,” sometimes called live commerce Why does this matter?

or live video shopping, is a prime example, where shoppers

watch a live host online, showing off a particular product in
an entertaining way, and viewers can press a button to
purchase directly. For older generations, think of it as a
throwback to TV’s old-school Shopping Channel popularized
in the 1980s. For Gen Z, it could be seen as an extension of
the “unboxing videos” they grew up watching on YouTube –
except the host is engaging with the audience in real time,
and viewers can instantly order whatever product they’re
seeing on screen.
No matter how amazing your brand or product is, it won't
resonate with its target audience if it's not reaching
consumers in the right places. The time is past for thinking
of e-commerce and brick-and-mortar as an "either/or" –
instead, it's about identifying what brand experience you
can offer at each consumer touchpoint. Determine where
people will first encounter your brand, where they'll learn

details, and where they'll actually make that purchase

decision. Your customers should never go looking for
This trend first took off in China about five years ago, but it’s something you don’t offer – and that goes for payment
now reaching North American audiences with more big methods, too. Ensure you are engaging and retaining their
retailers trying livestream shopping events. Clothing and attention at every touchpoint.

accessories brand Ardene has embraced the trend, for

example, by putting on regular shopping “events” online led
by young and stylish hosts, featuring special “perks’ and
exclusive deals for livestream viewers only. Looking at China’s
experience as a guide, McKinsey is predicting sales from
livestream shopping could account for as much as 10 per
cent to 20 per cent of all e-commerce by 2026. The
consulting firm says live commerce is a boon to retailers in Source: Instagram

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Next in Creative - Experience IRL, buy URL Globe Content Studio

Like retailers, view content marketing through an omnichannel lens: Think about what type of
content best suits each environment. Whether it’s a TikTok video, an online listicle, a long-form
magazine piece or a practical “how-to” guide, make the format fit the purpose and environment,
and meet your audiences in the places where they want to be

What does Embrace alternative, surprising or “old school” mediums such as print catalogues to break
through the cluttered, noisy online space and reach audiences with impactful, aspirational
content they’ll spend uninterrupted time with

this mean
 Another format for content marketing to try: Livestream shopping. Done right, it’s fun, attention-
grabbing live video that promotes brand awareness but also takes the audience directly to the

for content
point of sale. It eliminates that step between marketing and purchase – where it’s easy for
customers to get lost – because audiences are basically already at the “store” prepped to buy.

marketers?
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 Next in Creative 2023 - Automakers get on the grid

The Trend

Automakers

get on the grid

02
Next in Creative - Automakers get on the grid Globe Content Studio

Between environmental concerns Drivers are also wary: Owning an

and prices at the pump, drivers are
more inclined than ever to
consider or purchase an electric
vehicle (EV). Nearly half of Globe
readers surveyed (47 per cent) are
considering an EV for their next
car. That is a massive jump,
all-electric car means
compromising, mostly due to a
lack of range and insufficient
charging infrastructure. These are
the two biggest reasons Globe
readers reported were preventing
them from buying or leasing an EV.

considering just 5 per cent of

Globe readers surveyed currently
own an EV, and just 8.4 per cent of
new vehicle registrations in Canada
in the third quarter of 2022 were
EVs and plug-in hybrid electric
vehicles, according to data
compiled by S&P Global Mobility.
Source: Pexels

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Next in Creative - Automakers get on the grid
Thinking
beyond the car
These are new problems for automakers, which have
traditionally only been responsible for the vehicles
themselves. They were not faced with range problems
when selling gas-powered cars. With EVs, adding range also
adds a significant amount of weight to an already heavy
vehicle. While many automakers are investing in research
into lighter, longer-lasting solid-state batteries, they are also
working to improve the infrastructure piece of the range-
anxiety puzzle, stepping into a space typically managed by
oil companies (as it relates to gas stations) and
governments (when it comes to electricity). 
easy to access and more convenient for charging in cities
Tesla has its Powerwall, a battery that stores energy, and
can be paired with solar panels. General Motors just
announced the creation of GM Energy, a new business unit
that will offer stationary battery packs, solar panels,
electric-vehicle chargers and other energy-management
products for homes and businesses. GM will debut its
project in early 2024, with the sales launch of the new
Chevrolet Silverado EV. Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, BMW,
Nissan and Toyota are also leveraging their battery
technology for residential storage and they have unveiled
Powerwall competitors. Expect more brands to follow.
Globe Content Studio
The key to making it all work as a long-term solution is a
battery in the car, a battery around the house and solar
panels, all of which contribute to or take from the grid

as needed. This is where much of our future charging

will happen.
The importance of infrastructure
Automakers can’t sell the promise of freedom and escape
without bolstering the public-charging network. GM, Ford
and others are following Tesla’s lead by building out their
own charging networks at dealerships and in communities
where people spend time parked, such as grocery stores
and gyms, through collaborative partnerships. Automakers,
gas stations, retailers and charging networks are working
together to build infrastructure in ways that will make it
and on longer road trips. Retailers like Parkland, which
operates brands such as Chevron, Esso and Pioneer, are
planning to offer shopping and food options, as well as
spaces to work, at their charging stations.
Source: Pexels
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Next in Creative - Automakers get on the grid Globe Content Studio

A new interior

Investors and drivers are rewarding

The increase in available space inside vehicles that don’t
have engines or driveshafts can be used more creatively. companies on the forefront of the
It’s an opportunity for auto designers to reimagine the
possibilities. With battery packs that can sit under the
floors, passenger and storage space can be transformed
electric shift.

into comfortable, high-tech living rooms. For example,


Audi is offering virtual reality entertainment on select
models in some markets, including Canada. This type of
execution can change travel time from boredom into
opportunities for passengers to get lost in gaming worlds
or a TV series. It may end the dreaded question, ‘Are we
there yet?’ and provide an opportunity for advertisers to
target people passing through unfamiliar destinations with
relevant content. 

Why this matters

Before committing to an electric vehicle, drivers want to

know they won’t wind up stranded on the road. Knowing
automakers are working on improving charging
infrastructure will help sell cars. It also positions them as
thought leaders in the energy ecosystem, leading the
charge to a greener future. Toyota sold more than 10 times
more vehicles than Tesla, but Tesla as a company was
worth almost three times as much at points in 2022.

Source: Pexels

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Next in Creative - Automakers get on the grid Globe Content Studio

While about half of Globe readers are unaware of home battery products, 59 per cent of
those surveyed said they are somewhat or very interested in learning more. Automakers
seeking to establish themselves as thought leaders at the forefront of these industry
changes can take this opportunity to educate readers on their approach to shaping the
entire charging ecosystem, particularly reaching consumers interested in reducing their

What does
carbon footprint without being forced into significant lifestyle changes

We need chargers in readily accessible public destinations that drivers already frequent.
The advent of out-of-home vehicle charging will have ripple effects for commercial and

this mean

residential real estate and retail locations, such as grocery stores, malls and gyms.
Developers, retailers and brands that partner with those that are establishing charging
infrastructure - and make themselves integral to messaging about enabling access to

for content
charging - will firmly establish themselves on the right side of the electric revolution

With new interior vehicle designs come in-car marketing opportunities. Kids and other
backseat passengers may actually look forward to long car trips with options beyond flip-

marketers? down screen and tablets. With more time on screens, as opposed to looking out the
window, companies will have an opportunity to advertise, perhaps even with geo-targeted
advertising tailored to the destinations ahead.

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 Next in Creative 2023 - From business to bleisure

The Trend

to bleisure
from business

03
Next in Creative - From business to bleisure Globe Content Studio

Three years ago, business travel In Canada, there were

ground to a halt as millions were approximately 20 million more

forced to move to remote work. trips in the first quarter of 2022

When restrictions began lifting but than in 2021, and that number is

offices remained largely closed, a expected to rise in 2023, as people

digital nomad lifestyle took hold as feel more confident hitting the

people of all ages found ways to road for fun and business.

marry work and life by traveling to Destinations are looking to

new places. Barbados received a lot recapture the shorter-term visitor

of attention after announcing its 12- who wants to bring this work-from-

month remote work visa. As anywhere approach to day- or

recently as November, 2022, Cuba week-long trips. Some businesses

launched a 90-day tourist visa for are making the most of the desire

those who want to live and work in to travel by offering it as an

the country. attraction and retention play.

Source: Pexels

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Next in Creative - From business to bleisure Globe Content Studio

Bleisure takes off

A poll by Global Business Travel Association found that more than

78 per cent of travel managers expect the number of business

trips by employees to be much higher in 2023 than in 2022. But it

won’t be all work and no play.

“Bleisure” – a word that combines business and leisure – has been

a predicted trend in the travel space for a few years now, but 2023
In
a G
is the year it will really come to fruition. As a more grounded and lob
e I
ns
ide
realistic iteration of the “revenge travel” trend of embarking on rs
su
rve
y

74%
lavish, once-in-a-lifetime trips to make up for lost time, bleisure

allows visitors to make the most of trips that satisfy business and

leisure goals.

Workers heading out of town for conferences or jet-setting for

client meetings are more likely to tack on a day or two to relax and
of
re
explore once they’re off the clock. In a Globe Insiders survey, 74 sp
on
de
nt
per cent of respondents said they were likely to add a leisure day s s
da aid
y t th
o a ey
to a business trip within the
 bu we
sin re
es lik
s t ely
next year. 

rip to
wi ad
th d a
in
th lei
e n su
ex re
t y
Destination marketing aimed at the business traveller audience ea
r.

will need to shift focus from siloed experiences that separate

work and play and instead encourage a holistic approach to travel

that improves both personal and professional well-being. 

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 Next in Creative - From business to bleisure Globe Content Studio

showcase unique meeting spaces in town alongside interesting food and culture experiences that can round out a corporate visit.
Turning the work trip into time

Hotel partners of the destination have reported an increase in hosting team-building and ‘incentive’ trips, particularly for
to connect

companies that have not returned to their offices.

Businesses that operate without Zoom, Slack, Microsoft

Companies that take these destinations up on their offers to re-engage their workforces in person will set themselves apart from
Teams or Google Meet are few and far between. At the
competitors still pushing the ‘return to office’ narrative without offering any real justification for doing so.
same time, companies that have invested heavily in these

technologies are having a harder time justifying the need or

expense for business travel – and employees are not

necessarily convinced that they need to meet colleagues

face to face to achieve their goals.  

 
Using semi-regular, in-person incentive trips as connection
Business travel can’t just be about the ‘business’ any more –
touchpoints while still fostering a hybrid or remote day-to-day
it has to be about making connections, building and

maintaining relationships, and offering experiences that get speaks to the contemporary reality of the average employee.

employees excited about their workplaces again. A Globe

Insiders survey revealed that 64 per cent of respondents

were less comfortable with travelling for business since the

onset of COVID-19. To blunt discomfort, business travellers

are looking to find additional reasons to take trips, adding

moments of leisure to support personal wellness. 

Tourism operators are applying that thinking to their

content marketing campaigns. Blue Mountain in the

Canadian province of Ontario developed a narrative

suggesting teams have “outside the box” meetings where

employees take it outside, literally, and enjoy the luscious

scenery that surrounds the resort. A similar appeal was

made by tourism officials in Quebec City, in which they

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Next in Creative - From business to bleisure Globe Content Studio

Is ‘opportunistic travel’ the new
 running by highlighting their approach to sustainability –

and even signing a pledge to that effect.

slow travel?


The sudden pause in travel brought some relief to over- Why does this matter?

toured destinations and the environment overall in early

2020. While the desire to explore again is certainly stronger
than ever, travellers want to do so responsibly.
Organizations with strong ESG principles and targets need
to ensure that these priorities are reflected in their internal
travel policies. This might include purchasing carbon
offsets alongside plane tickets, perhaps through Air
Canada’s Leave Less program in partnership with
CHOOOSE. Or, it could involve eschewing flights altogether
in favour of rail transit, which results in less emissions than
flying, and is predicted to become a more popular method
of transportation this year according to Pinterest.
Just as work expectations have changed in the past few
years, the bleisure trend represents a shift in what a
business trip should be in 2023 and beyond. Fast, reliable
technology and meeting spaces are table stakes. To stay
competitive, tourism operators need to speak to the overall
guest experience, particularly as economic challenges
persist and companies are looking for trips to provide
maximum value. Companies should treat travel as an
incentive that connects remote and hybrid workers, while
travellers should see business trips as opportunities to

maintain an integrated approach to work-life balance.

From a traveller POV, taking advantage of a planned

business trip and turning it into a vacation – either on
evenings and weekends while working remotely, or by
attaching vacation days to a working trip – can serve as a
way of reducing travel-related emissions. Inspired by the
idea of slow travel, where visitors experience new places
like locals do, with an emphasis on integration as opposed
to consumption, this could be thought of as ‘opportunistic
travel:’ Make the most of a planned trip related to work,
therefore reducing the number of trips you might take
overall. Destinations can further put themselves in the
Source: Pexels

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Next in Creative - From business to bleisure Globe Content Studio

Travel and tourism marketing should dispense with siloed approaches to business and

leisure: vacation travellers may be remote workers seeking high-speed Internet and quiet

places to take video calls, while business travellers make the most of their evenings and

weekends exploring what their destinations have to offer

Companies returning to business travel should leverage it as a value proposition for

employee engagement and retention. Effective brands don’t just articulate their priorities,

What does they model them – highlighting semi-annual corporate retreats at an otherwise remote or

hybrid workplace does the work of illustrating a company’s commitment to connection and

community without ignoring the widespread desire for remote work opportunities

this mean
 Speaking of walking the talk: Travellers (and employees) are increasingly likely to choose

destinations (and employers) based on how dedicated they are to sustainability. Don’t leave

for content
them guessing where you stand.

marketers?

23
 next in creative - The new laws of social

The Trend

of social
The new laws
04
Next in Creative - The new laws of social Globe Content Studio

Party’s over. In the current climate, social media can no It all amounts to an extremely fraught environment for
longer afford to be the wild child of marketing. It’s time to brands. These days, being a social media marketer feels a
get responsible - in part, by being experimental. 

little more like being a legal policy analyst. Compliance is

the new KPI, and every strategy needs a backup plan. 

In early 2022, social media companies were riding an

unprecedented high: Meta (formerly Facebook) cracked
the $100B revenue mark, TikTok became the world’s most Users run for cover

downloaded app, and even the smallest platforms were

growing their ranks or investing in fancy R&D, buoyed by The other big loss was tracking. Apple iOS14 got the ball
record ad revenues and a surging user base. 
rolling, nixing the ability to target ads to effectively half the
 
mobile audience. The Cookiepocalypse has been stayed
What a difference a year makes.

until at least 2024, but users are not waiting: increasingly

worried about how companies use their data, they’re
proactively beginning to limit what they share.

Big Tech gets knocked back

To counter, many social platforms have started launching

The first dump of cold water came from governments.
their own version of a “conversion API” - a data tool that
Laws such as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation
should allow advertisers to capture events that are
(GDPR) and Australia’s News Media Bargaining Code were
increasingly evading traditional browser pixels. They’re a
merely prelude to waves of global legislation aimed at
promising piece of futureproofing when cookies go kaput,
reigning in big tech’s power. In the U.S., antitrust
but still in early development. 

crackdowns have begun, and politicians are calling for

Section 230 - a law that provides sites near-immunity for
how they choose to moderate (or not moderate) user
content - to be rewritten or scrapped. Here in Canada, Bill
C-18 (the Online News Act) could force social media
companies to share profits with publishers. Despite
TikTok’s popularity, concerns over how it collects data and
censors users is sounding alarms, and the U.S. government
Source: Pexels and schools have started banning it, with more looming on
the horizon.
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Next in Creative - The new laws of social Globe Content Studio

How Globe 49% clear their cookies/cache

Insider’s

protect


their data: 31% Use “incognito” or “private” browser mode

Approximately 22 per cent of Canadians now use

a VPN, 35 per cent use an ad blocker, and more

43%
have turned to alternative search engines and
Use an ad blocker
browsers (such as Firefox, which beat Chrome to

the punch and killed cookies in June) for digital

peace of mind. Many of these rates were higher

among our surveyed Globe Insiders.

25% Use a VPN

53% Delete apps that seem unsafe

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Next in Creative - The new laws of social Globe Content Studio

RIP social As if these factors weren’t challenging enough, a massive

economic downturn, fueled by war in Ukraine and the pains
self-reporting social media habits, but data.ai’s analysis
revealed that it’s still the No. 1 most-used app among Gen Z

media?
of post-pandemic recovery, mean advertiser budgets are in the U.S. Kepios’s data suggests that Facebook’s teen
shrinking, and the tech “giants” are suddenly becoming
 audience is continuing to grow globally. No ‘mass exodus’
less so.

here.

It’s causing some experts to ask the unthinkable: “Is social What has changed more meaningfully is our relationship
media dying?”

with social. Different apps serve different needs, but

overall, 47.6 per cent of people now say they mostly use it
Things may feel grim now, but the evidence suggests it to stay in touch with friends and family, as opposed to
won’t stay that way. The Kepios “What 2023 holds" report “news or entertainment” as they did in years previous. This
shows that in spite of all the chaos, social media use and is especially true on Meta’s platforms. 

growth around the world has been remarkably stable.

Approximately 4.6 billion people - 58.4 per cent of the That will mean more engagement moving to DMs, closed
planet - are now active users, and that’s projected to groups and private spaces. Brands may have a tougher
increase to two out of three people by the end of this year. 

time joining the conversation and finding their future

customers in these hidden environments.

That growth is reflected in the business world, too. In

Meltwater’s survey of 1,700 marketing pros, 52 per cent said
they think social media will become more important for
them due to economic uncertainty, and almost 43 per cent
plan to increase their social spend.

Social media in general is doing just fine, so maybe legacy

platforms such as Facebook are on the decline?

Surprisingly, no. Facebook is still by far the world’s most-

used social platform, with 2.9 billion active users (21 million
Source: Pexels
in Canada). Younger users claim they’ve ditched it when

27
Next in Creative - The new laws of social Globe Content Studio

The new wave

In response to our changing digital desires, there’s a steady stream of fresh-faced networks
popping up to fill the market need. See: BeReal (the “authentic” alternative to overly curated
Instagram feeds), Gas (the refreshingly positive alternative to “troll”-filled sites) and the return of
Mastodon (an alternative to commercially centralized apps). These all prove that social media is
not going anywhere. We continue to have a fervent need to connect online - we just may not
want to do it in one obvious, public place any more. 

Why this matters

For some, the current state of social is giving off real “dot-com crash” energy. But don’t forget,
tough times often lead to the greatest innovations. Most of today’s tech leaders were born
during hard economic periods just like this. How did they beat the odds? By working lean,
adapting fast and thinking unconventionally to solve problems.  

Marketers can succeed by taking a page out of this playbook. Instead of depending on major
platforms to deliver a stable audience, find them on your own terms - leverage first-party data,
partner with creators and publishers for contextual opportunities, experiment with how and
where you tell your story. Play with visuals, rewrite your copy, explore new apps and
environments. Most importantly, keep up with new policies and prepare to pivot - the tools and
apps you love could literally disappear tomorrow.

Source: BeReal

28
Next in Creative - The new laws of social Globe Content Studio

Diversify what platforms you use, and what you use them for, to reduce your dependence and

help “disaster-proof” your campaigns

Audience trust is at an all-time low. Prioritize authenticity and credibility in your brand

storytelling to win over increasingly skeptical customers who will question more of what they

see on social media

What does Take the opportunity to ramp up your first-party data and experiment with more creative

formats (social ads still have a relatively low cost of entry) to get your message to the


right people.

this mean

for content
marketers?

29
 Next in Creative 2023- Where in the world wide web 3.0 are we?

The Trend

World Wide

Where in the

Web 3.0 are we?
05
Next in Creative - Where in the world wide web 3.0 are we?
Amid debate about
cryptocurrencies and NFTs, Web3
is sometimes written off as
vapourware – software being
advertised that only exists in the
heads of crypto’s biggest fans. But
Web 3.0 goes beyond the
blockchain to represent the future
of data ownership, community
and the Internet.
Source: Pexels
Globe Content Studio
Platforms, apps and even
operating systems in this third era
won’t be owned by a central
gatekeeper, but by users, “who will
earn their ownership stake by
helping to develop and maintain
those services,” Gilad Edelman
explains in Wired. Whether you
believe this online ecosystem will
be based on the blockchain
determines if you are building
toward Web3 or Web 3.0.
31
Next in Creative - Where in the world wide web 3.0 are we? Globe Content
Page number
Studio

Web3 vs. Web 3.0

In his explainer on Web3 for Slate, Aaron Mak defines Web3 as “a
potential new iteration of the Internet that runs on public
blockchains, the record-keeping technology best known for
facilitating cryptocurrency transactions.” The term was coined in
2014 by Gavin Wood, a founder of cryptocurrency Ethereum.

Web3 is heavily linked to cryptocurrencies and NFTs (non-fungible

tokens). These tokens would be the ownable, trackable currencies
that allow users to make decisions, effect change and accrue
value online. “[The blockchain] provides the ability for a brand to
make a digital asset have a level of scarcity in a world where all
digital assets were in abundant form,” explains futurist Mitch Joel.
Using technology to give digital files a form of provenance creates
scarcity, which creates value.

But Tim Berners-Lee, the computer scientist credited with

inventing the World Wide Web, says he does not believe the

next iteration of the Internet will be built on blockchain. Berners-
Lee shares Gavin Wood’s goal of facilitating the reclamation of
personal data from Big Tech, but he is setting out to do so
independent of the blockchain. He coined the term Web 3.0

back in 2006.

“[Blockchain protocols are] too slow, too expensive and too

public,” Berners-Lee says. “Personal data stores have to be fast, Source: Pexels

cheap and private.”

32
Next in Creative - Where in the world wide web 3.0 are we? Globe Content Studio

When asked what

terms they associate
with Web 3.0: 42% of respondents
This illustrates how the average person conflates
selected “NFTs”
Web3 and Web 3.0.

%
60%
4 3
of res p o nd
to
e
c
nt s se
urr e n
l
c
e c
y”
ted
of re
spond
ents
selec
ted “
blockc
hain”

“cryp

33
Next in Creative - Where in the world wide web 3.0 are we? Globe Content Studio

Don’t get hung up on the blockchain

Decentralized data doesn’t mean death to community

Discussions around Web 3.0 (and Web3) to many
onlookers appear to be an inevitable pendulum swing.
“The Internet's evolution always has been a tug between
fragmentation and centralization,” James Grimmelmann,
a Cornell University professor who studies law and
The crux of the Web 3.0 project is to recapture that foundational tenet of decentralization and its promise

of data ownership, without losing the mass reach brands have become accustomed to. “What made social media so amazing is
real human beings having real conversations with other real human beings,” Mitch Joel says. “That is what social created. It allowed
brands to move from press releases and advertising to tweets, to blogs, to podcasts.” What we want now, he argues, is direct
relationships between brands and customers, as opposed to mediated ones.

technology, told NPR. As software engineer Molly White

points out, decentralization was a founding tenet of the What will that look like? Lindsay Angelo points to Niche Club as an example, a platform in beta that purports to facilitate the
Internet and it is not necessarily something only (or best) creation of interest-based clubs that are owned by its members. “Don’t just build an audience,” their website advertises, “build a
achieved with the blockchain.
community.”

"Blockchains are interesting and solve some difficult “It's more of a self-governing community where you own it, you have a stake in it, versus having, say, a TikTok account, where
problems in new ways," Grimmelmann says. "They're you're uploading your content to TikTok and out to the matrix it goes and then it's all ad driven,” Angelo says. “It's disrupting how
probably going to end up in the toolkit that the next current social media platforms monetize, what the business models are, how they think about their consumer.”

Internet is built out of, but that doesn't mean the Internet
is going to be built around them.”
The emphasis on users as community members rather than audience members is key. “There is this shift happening from
 
minimum viable product to minimum viable community,” Angelo says. While current common practice is to develop the smallest,
Separating the aims of Web 3.0 from the blockchain leanest product possible, get it in front of users and test it, the idea of a minimum viable community is to start with the users, not
allows us to work beyond the limitations of the product.
cryptocurrency, which has struggled publicly, in part
because it has proven to be much more centralized (and
perhaps in need of regulation) than it claims to be.

“Build the community first and then let the community tell
you what the product or service is. And maybe they own part
of that product,” Angelo says.

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Next in Creative - Where in the world wide Web 3.0 are we? Globe Content Studio

Why does this matter?

Community building will look different for Web 3.0 brands:

consumers want niche, personalized experiences and
authentic, conversational relationships. “Those are things
that Web 3.0 actually enables and facilitates better than
ever, more secure conversation,” Angelo says.

When it comes to playing in the fledgling world of Web 3.0,

Mitch Joel says brands need to understand where their
audiences live. “If you have a brand that can be acclimated
to an early adopter consumer, it can never hurt. When you
say, ‘we are the first brand to do this,’ it absolves you of
whatever happens next, good or bad. We have to be more
pliable to a world with many media channels, where brands
are both content creators and developers, and also
sponsors or advertisers. I wouldn’t dismiss the value of not
being left behind.”

Source: iStock

35
Next in Creative - Where in the world wide web 3.0 are we? Globe Content Studio

Facilitate data ownership – while social remains a key community hub for connecting
with your audiences, start creating ways for your users to offline themselves at their
own pace. Channels like newsletters, RSS feeds or experimental platforms such as
Niche Club are all on the table. Treat these touchpoints as community spaces

What does
Take an old motto to heart – quality over quantity. Foster quality consumer
connections instead of amassing the largest audience possible, especially as reach
capabilities deliver increasingly large – but less valuable – volumes in pay-to-play

this mean

operations

Don’t blindly rush into the metaverse just to say you have a Web 3.0 footprint – play in
the spaces that are on brand for you. But give yourself room to experiment in those

for content
on-brand spaces.

marketers?

36
 Next in Creative 2023 - Young money problems

The Trend

young

money
problems
06
Next in Creative - Young money problems Globe Content Studio

When it comes to personal finance While fundamentals about

milestones, Gen Z and millennials
feel the cards are stacked against
them: they’ve done everything
“right” but they still can’t get a leg
up compared with previous
generations. Globe calculations
show that in order to buy a home by
their mid 30s in many Canadian
personal finance – the importance
of an emergency fund, or paying
down debt – may have stayed the
same, economic reality has
changed and personal finance
advice needs to consider the
complex nuances of this age group
or risk further alienating it. 

cities, today's 25 to 29 year olds

need a minimum annual household
income of $140,000 to $230,000.
This generation can be expected to
work 10 to 20 years more than
boomers did to save a 20 per cent
down payment for a first home.

Source: iStock

38
Next in Creative - Young money problems Globe Content Studio

A complicated highly educated, they’ve paid down debt and they followed
the same personal finance principles their parents did –

economic
and yet they can’t catch a break. And they’re angry about it.
Cody, a millennial guest on The Globe’s personal finance
podcast, Stress Test, encapsulated this feeling with his

landscape
Canadians are paying more for everything from groceries
to gas with recent inflation topping 6 per cent. Interest
rates went on a steady and unrelenting rise starting in
comments on the show’s episode, “Is the middle class dead
for millennials and Gen Z?”: “I don’t understand the barriers
to entry for getting my first house and getting going. I’m 33,
my income is basically the average in the province, with no
debt. What is the problem here? I feel like I’m still just
getting started, even though I’ve been worried about it for
a good 10 years.”

March, 2022, further complicating housing affordability in

Canada. It’s been tempered, but some economists are still As Paul Kershaw, the founder of Generation Squeeze,
predicting a recession. Expected job losses have come to Canada’s voice for generational fairness, writes: “The data
pass in the tech industry.

 are clear: Hard work pays off less for young people today.
Younger Canadians go to school far longer, to land jobs
A recession has cross-generational impact, but for younger that pay less, only to face runaway home prices.”

Canadians, specifically the Gen Z and millennial cohorts,

this feels personal. These two generations have arguably
been hardest hit by our economic climate: the cost of
home affordability, let alone rent, has greatly surpassed the
increase in wages. Since the late ‘70s or early ‘80s, median
wages have not kept pace with the overall growth of GDP.
More and more young Canadians are working contracts
with limited to no benefits. For many, retirement feels like a
distant dream.

These generations have largely been following the path laid Source: The Globe and Mail
out for them by the boomers and Gen X blueprints – they’re
39
Next in Creative - Young money problems Globe Content Studio

The old rules don’t apply, and the rise of DIY

The feeling that what worked for other generations isn’t working for them has led many Gen Zs and millennials to bypass
traditional sources of personal finance advice and tools. Studies show they’re more likely to search for financial information
online, like on Reddit, where the Personal Finance Canada subreddit has more than 1.1-million members asking and answering
questions about money, taxes, investing, saving and real estate. 

“The start of the pandemic was when retail investors really started doing their own research on investing,” says Nicole
McKnight, public relations manager at Finder.com, which surveyed young investors about their sources of financial advice. “And
we were surprised to see that a lot of people were moving away from their financial advisers.”

A 2020 report by MSCI Inc., a U.S. finance company, describes millennials' interest in using a robo advisor as “more than any
other generation of investors.”

Robo advisor providers have seized on this interest by marketing specifically toward this generation. The latest campaign from
Questrade, for example, features a 60-second video that demonstrates how millennials feel “increasingly left behind by
stagnating wages and financial institutions that don't seem to have their best interests at heart.”

While previous campaigns positioned the company as a viable alternative to traditional financial institutions, the new campaign
focuses on a more positive note. “In response to the financial challenges and opportunities in today’s climate, this evolution of
our brand campaign focuses on value creation through lower fees for better returns and empowering Canadians through
education – inspiring them to think differently in order to take control and achieve those seemingly impossible dreams,” Stella
Ladizhinsky, director of brand and marketing strategy at Questrade, told Strategy Online.

Source: Reddit

40
Next in Creative - Young money problems Globe Content Studio

advice as being impersonal and one-size-fits-all, whereas

Information overload – but not always
the creator-led advice leans into relatability.

the right kind

One flaw of FinTok is that content creators, while

The rise of social media has undoubtedly transformed presenting as experts on the platform, do not necessarily

personal finance by giving young Canadians access to a have the same credentials you can expect a financial

community of creators that are at similar life stages. advisor to hold. Like any information on social media,

Forbes commissioned a survey that revealed 79 per cent of there’s a risk of misinformation. And when it comes to

American millennials and Gen Z have sourced financial financial decisions, those can be pricey lessons.

advice from social media. And as discussed in a recent

episode of Stress Test, many young Canadians are using But we shouldn’t assume younger personal finance

platforms such as TikTok to get personal finance advice. consumers are media illiterate, or that they simply take the

One of the show’s guests shared that FinTok (financial information distributed on social media at face value. As

TikTok) actually convinced him to open a TFSA. 

Anthony, a 25-year-old TikTok user, has shared, the

platform serves as “a main jumping off factor,” but he

For many, the appeal is putting the personal in personal doesn’t rely on it for his final decisions. “A lot of times, you

finance. “I feel like a lot of the information out there does get all the stimulus from TikTok and you funnel it down to

not take into account who each individual person is. What ‘Okay, these are the four or five main points that interest

their identity is, how that identity impacts their money, me. I’m going to Google them and find sources that are

how their identity will impact the way they make financial more traditional to authenticate or elaborate on those

decisions,” says Ellyce, a 27-year-old financial TikTok ideas,” he explains.

creator. “I think that a lot of the traditional personal

finance advice really views finances in a vacuum. You just

have to work harder and make more money and save more

and that kind of thing. Without understanding that

finances are intertwined in basically every single aspect of

your life. I felt like that was really missing. And that’s kind of

the gap that I’ve been trying to fill.” In essence, financial

TikTokers (and their audiences) see traditional financial

Source: TikTok

41
Next in Creative - Young money problems Globe Content Studio

Why does this matter?

The revolt against fees, coupled with unlimited and

overwhelming access to information online, is resulting in
young Canadians increasingly turning away from traditional
financial advice, but not necessarily equipped to handle
their own finances. 

Brands that want to recapture the trust – and investment –

of younger generations need to explicitly acknowledge the
difficult economic realities they’re facing, and ensure
they’re speaking to this audience, not at it.

Source: Pexels

42
Next in Creative - Young money problems Globe Content Studio

For these young investors, feelings inform finances. It doesn’t mean they’re not rational
investors; it means they feel largely unheard and unsupported by traditional financial
institutions, so they take their money elsewhere. Empathize with them. Talk to them, not at
them
Consider whether your marketing reflects their lived reality. Are your commercials running

What does
on cable TV while trying to reach cord-cutters and cord-nevers? Do your ads depict young
families sitting down for kitchens in sprawling, 4-bedroom detached homes? How many
millennials are living in spaces like that today
Be an approachable voice of expertise that will help Gen Z and millennials sift through the

this mean

mountains of information available to them online. By leveraging personalities that reflect
the real world, and presenting the information in a way they relate to, you’ll cultivate a
highly engaged and loyal audience.

for content
marketers?

43
 Next in Creative 2023 - Designing for the Third Dimension

Designing

dimension
for the third
07
Next in Creative - Designing for the Third Dimension Globe Content Studio

Over the past three years, video has become the content format you can’t
ignore, but brands that put off hitting the record button continue to feel
squeamish at the idea of launching a TikTok or YouTube channel. Even
those that dove in head first find themselves fighting to stand out in an
increasingly saturated digital space. That’s where the world of motion
graphics, animation and 3D come in, which are easier than ever for
designers and small-scale brands to access.

45
Next in Creative - Designing for the Third Dimension Globe Content Studio

Video has
entered the chat

If content is king, video and motion graphics are quickly becoming the mediums enabling it to
hold that position.

While not new on the design scene, they have both become mediums that brands can’t ignore
in 2023. ‘Moving design’ captures the attention of audiences, who have more content to choose
from and are more easily distracted or quick to walk away, according to Meta’s best practices.
The key to success for a contemporary brand is how engaged their user base is, and video has
proven to be the most engaging form of content compared with static design: Meta Platforms
states that users spend five times as much of their scroll time watching videos versus static
content on both Facebook and Instagram.

While you can scroll past a video or motion graphic much like you could a photo, it allows a
brand to accomplish something that’s more difficult with a single static image: start telling a
story instantly. It makes the user want to stick around and find out what happens next. Bringing
a design to life with movement not only makes it more visually appealing, it can make it easier to
understand, and therefore accomplish more for your audience.

Brands that are killing it in the video game include Microsoft, which introduced its Surface
Laptop 5 with a sleek marketing short incorporating motion graphics with 3D design of multi-
coloured abstract textures (read on for our dive into 3D design!). Airbnb has a series called
‘Airbnb it’ where it creates 3D animated shorts in a campaign to target new hosts looking for
extra income.
Source: Airbnb

46
Ditch your 3D glasses
3D here

47
Next in Creative - Designing for the Third Dimension Globe Content Studio

For several years, 3D has been creeping into the world of
design. It’s moved well beyond the sort of experience that
requires you to wear blue and red glasses at a movie theatre.
Today's 3D design is more akin to what you see in fledgling
metaverse experiences on platforms like Roblox, or on social
Generation Report, which revealed that 92 per cent of Gen
Zers are interested in using AR for shopping. These consumers
need more than just a 2D rendering of what a product might
look like - they want to be able to try it out in the comfort of
their own homes. 

media sites such as Instagram that allow you to create a 3D

avatar.

Forward-thinking brands like Cash App and Wealthsimple have

According to a in-depth study on the rise of 3D design
conducted by Adobe, 97 per cent of the 88 creatives it
surveyed expect to see increased demand for 3D skills in the
coming year. Part of what makes 3D an exciting focus of
contemporary design is how versatile it is. 3D can lean into
the hyperrealistic and bring a physical product to life in a
simulative digital world, or it can be used as a decorative,
abstract element that pushes the boundaries of creativity.
With the rise of the metaverse and the distinction between
already integrated 3D elements into their branding. Late last
year, CashApp’s website went from an already-acclaimed flat
2D design to an updated homepage with 3D silhouettes,
psychedelic colours, and monochromatic textures.
Wealthsimple, meanwhile, has featured its signature 3D coin
trailing down its website for years, as one of the early brands to
adopt the use of 3D in commercial branding. It updated its
branding to push the 3D elements further, which now include
organic 3D shapes, textures and a rainbow of colours
interacting with its signature Wealthsimple coin. 

reality and the digital world becoming more and more

blurred, 3D design has become one of the key principles to
bring these two worlds together.

3D is also useful for filling the gap between the two worlds.
The beauty industry is a great example of an early trailblazer:
Behemoths like MAC and Tarte are using 3D in a unique way
by letting customers virtually try on products at home using
augmented reality (AR). Tarte has seen massive success with
incorporating this strategy with a “triple gigit increase” in time
spent on site, 30% jump in add-to-cart using virtual try-on. We
can gain even more insight into how 3D and AR are shaping
shopping experiences through Snapchat’s 2022
48
Next in Creative - Designing for the Third Dimension Globe Content Studio

Access for all

With brands integrating 3D so quickly, designers have had to work fast to acquire the necessary skills, and most are

teaching themselves. 3D is often costly, and learning how to use pro tools like Cinema 4D requires investments of time and

money. Software companies have taken notice of the increased demand for 3D design capabilities and they are creating

free-to-use tools that lower the barriers of entry. 

Spline is a standout: cloud-based software that allows you to design and even animate 3D objects directly in your browser

while collaborating with team members. Tools like Spline or Womp are free and web-based. They’re sufficiently powerful to

develop most assets you’d need for branding, and they don’t require the same time or suped-up computer capabilities for

rendering.

What’s more, these software programs have spawned very active Discord communities, allowing designers to connect,

share tutorials and resources, and offer the software companies direct insight into the needs and wants of their user bases.

3D here The emphasis on community and free access to information is very similar to the early days of Figma, free illustration and

design software. In the same way Figma proved to be a serious competitor to Adobe Illustrator - Adobe ended up acquiring

it - we believe software such as Spline will be direct competitors to expensive counterparts like Cinema 4D.

Why this matters

Even if you’re telling the world’s most interesting story, you have to convince people to watch it or read it to have an impact.

In a digital age where content has become so abundant, the ways in which creators consider and implement story design is

more important than ever for initial audience engagement. Forward-thinking, on-trend design can draw someone in and

hold their attention, ensuring the content shines the way it should. The ambitions of the design need to match the

ambitions of the content. How you showcase your content through design can amplify its success.

49
Next in Creative - Designing for the Third Dimension Globe Content Studio

Content marketers should explore how video and motion can be incorporated into their
campaign strategies from the beginning of the process. There is no one size fits all
approach to video, so test, learn and iterate to see what resonates with your audience - but

What does
ensure you’re treating video as an integral element of the campaign, and not an
afterthought
Give your designers opportunities to explore 3D asset development: If diving into a rebrand

this mean

feels too drastic, start by testing out audience reception to 3D assets on single campaigns,
or organic social posts. Be prepared to pitch forward-thinking clients ideas that involve 3D
design elements

for content
Don’t get carried away and begin designing for design’s sake. Determine the story you’re
telling first, then consider what format best lends itself to telling that story, whether it

marketers?
involves video, animation, 3D design or something else entirely. If the design feels divorced
from the content, it won’t successfully retain audience attention.

50
thank you