UM launches Full Colour Media with a focus on brand-building and growth

Global media agency network UM, part of IPG Mediabrands, has launched its ‘Full Colour Media’ proposition and philosophy, offering a proprietary growth model and research that revolutionises the way marketers build brands in the era of AI.

The new proposition heralds a new set of behaviours, approach and products across UM’s global network—embedding a growth mindset across the organisation.

Susan Kingston-Brown, global brand president, UM, explained, “Full Colour Media is an omni-channel planning proposition designed to combat the existential threat of brands becoming bland. It unlocks the power of human ingenuity in a world where AI’s normative mechanic threatens not just a race to the bottom, but a race to the mean. To win the growth race for our valued clients, we need strategies that ‘Stand Against Bland’."

Kingston-Brown added, “This new approach seamlessly blends the visibility of high-quality media impact with the vibrancy and variability of smaller, deeper touchpoints, creating a spectrum of media stories that come together to drive brand growth,” she continues. “In a world dominated by algorithm-driven media, it challenges outdated linear models and black-and-white decision making to drive real ‘difference’ and brand growth.”

Full Colour Media is underpinned by a body of custom research on brand building in the era of AI. Conducted with more than 10,000 brands and with 5 million data points, the research culminated in a bespoke ‘Brand Patterns’ marketing theory and proprietary model designed to grow and differentiate brands.

UM’s new model and research builds a clear understanding of the complex pattern of a brand, with insights into how to apply ‘difference’ and the ‘variance’ of that brand successfully. This deeper understanding means that AI learns more effectively, driving increased marketing efficacy.

“Before we push the AI button, we must understand exactly what differentiates a brand so that we can train that AI to work effectively for us and make a Stand Against Bland,” Kingston-Brown said.

She added, “Brand patterns enable us to understand the complexity, nuances and uniqueness of every brand—allowing us to elevate and distinguish them within their category—ensuring our communications deliver a disproportionately positive effect in market.”

"This is a game-changer for our clients and for the industry as a whole." said Leigh Terry, CEO IPG Mediabrands APAC. "UM's Full Colour Media approach is a powerful example of how the network is driving innovation in the media landscape. By embracing the power of data and human ingenuity, UM is not only helping brands stand out in a crowded marketplace but also shaping the future of brand building."

Full Colour Media: The research

Working in partnership with Associate Professor of Marketing, Felipe Thomaz, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, UM analysed a data set of more than 10,000 brands for the last three years to identify how unique networks of brand associations and behaviours called ‘Brand Patterns’ drive brand growth, defined as Purchase Intent and Consideration.

The research revealed that brands are not purely funnel-based but reflect complex, unique and differentiating patterns. Every brand has its own unique, nuanced pattern informed by the interdependency and synergy of metrics across three essential components, the “3-Vs”:

• Visibility: Includes metrics like Attention and Ad Awareness that cultivate distinctiveness and is the main driver of brand growth (64%).
• Vibrancy: Measured through metrics like Social Engagement, Buzz and Word of Mouth, delivers brand relevancy through its connection with culture, and is an important accelerator of growth (11%).
• Variability: Containing metrics like Positive Impression and Quality, is key for incremental growth (25%) and differentiation by generating customer intrinsic value.

Thomaz said, “As we studied whether brands were using suitable go-to-market strategies, we found that even though all brands have unique patterns, they are often using similar media strategies, meaning they are not making the most of their Brand Pattern,”

He added, “According to our research, Brand Patterns can provide marketers with new insights to illuminate their differentiated path to brand growth.”

A version of this story first appeared on Campaign Middle East.