“Be bold. The world is too riddled with safe.”
— Heather Combs, Head of Brand Strategy at Adobe
the challenge.
Develop a fresh, breakthrough brand campaign that will help [Adobe] build lasting connections and establish ourselves as an invaluable partner to small businesses (50-100 employees) for years to come.
methodology.
In order to gain a deeper understanding of the role Adobe plays in the lives of SMB owners, we conducted interviews and surveys to mine further insights into what Adobe means to them.
findings.
We found that small business owners we spoke with are content with the tools they’re already using, and are largely unaware of what Adobe does, and how it can help them run their business.
Based on the current climate, we created a 2x4 to clarify what audience within the SMB segment is particularly primed for creative partnership.
The opportunity thus lies in digital pros who remain unfamiliar with what Adobe can do for their businesses. They see Adobe as this distant creative tool for “high-level professionals,” not knowing there are tools in the Adobe Creative Cloud that can meet all of their creative needs. Who is considered a digital pro?
the pivot.
Adobe asked us to explore the 50-100 employee SMB audience. However, we observed that the small business and “communicators” audience they had identified are already content with their current tools.
Furthermore, through our surveys we found that 81% of respondents were under this employee mark, considering themselves freelancers or solopreneurs.
Considering the current climate and [Trendhunter’s report with] Microsoft’s data showing that 40% of people globally are considering leaving their employer this year, we recognized an opportunity to serve a different audience; these are the microbusiness owners, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and freelancers.
So, how can Adobe build relevance with small businesses?
How can Adobe build relevance with the solopreneur?
audience.
In order to grasp this opportunity, we want Adobe to appeal to the future generation of business builders and storytellers, the digital natives, the digital pros — Gen Z.
Gen Z is expected to become the most entrepreneurial generation in history.
At their core, Gen Zers use social platforms not as a sole representation of their identity, but as a mode of communication, amplification, and expression. They seek to do things in a non-traditional way, dedicated to reimagination and progression through innovation.
From this audience, we identified a few central cohorts.
Comprised of individuals like these, Gen Z is primed to become the fastest-growing generation in economic power than any other, their income estimated to increase five-fold in 2030.
There are thousands (if not millions) of Gen Z creatives that fall within these cohorts, who have similar needs, concerns, and motivations.
As a frame of reference, the current Gen Z world population is 2.47 billion, and of that, approximately 72% hope to launch their own businesses.
Keeping this in mind, it’s also estimated that by then around 30% of the global workforce will be Gen Z.
Given the innovative nature and significance of this generation, it’s important to recognize that 91% of Gen Zers feel that technology is the most important job factor for them. This leaves Adobe with a HUGE opportunity to insert themselves into these young business people’s lives.
the campaign.
The campaign will reach the Gen Z leaders of tomorrow through traditional advertisements (OOH, print and television) and an 8-part mini, docu-like series on YouTube, which can then expand to other online platforms like TikTok and Instagram reels.
We selected four influential creators and four celebrities as partners to help execute the idea. The 8-part mini series will showcase how these individuals use Adobe programs to execute the creative components of their businesses from start to finish.
Introducing the “Adobe Is” Campaign.
A brand isn’t just about a brand, it’s about the people who use it. For decades, Adobe’s tools have enabled creators to tell their stories in a multitude of ways. They are the Mt. Everest of creative software, and Gen Z content creators like Emma Chamberlain, Bretman Rock, Cody Ko & Noel Miller are making moves on their platforms that align with their mission statement of changing the world through digital experiences.
Our call to action is “How do you Adobe?”
growth trajectory.
Increase Adobe product utilization by 25% (according to our survey, only 13% SMB owners utilized Adobe products for their business operations.)
Increase brand recognition and utilization amongst our audience cohort of Gen Z solopreneurs.
Increase in awareness across various small business sectors, both new and established.
Adobe’s mission is to change the world through digital experiences.
So is Gen Zs.
