Andreea Gavrila (New Moon): Businesses seem more eager to being open to crafting branded stories which convey their creativity and edginess

2023 was a very dynamic and full year, until its end. But what should we desire from this year’s reality? BR sat down with Andreea Gavrila, Co-founder, Creative Partner & Creative Strategist at New Moon, in another series of interviews and talked about the Romanian marcomm industry, its evolution and what to be expected from 2024, at the same time not forgetting to touch the trends and agency’s side as well.

By Romanita Oprea

How was 2023 from a business point of view?

2023 was quite the rollercoaster. It was all about staying on your toes, being ready to pivot at a moment’s notice. An everchanging game plan. An endurance test of adaptability, agility, and recalibration for all that was to come.

To approach 2023 from a single point of view wouldn’t be enough, in my opinion. We know that great things happen when you find simplicity on the other side of complexity. And that is exactly what it felt like for us at New Moon. We were constantly on the move, breaking down big challenges, streamlining processes, and coming up with clever ways to tackle things – not just for our sake, but for our clients too. It was a full-on effort to stay ahead of the curve.

What were the most important changes & novelties in the agency in 2023?

In 2023, we made significant efforts in accelerating the value we deliver to our business partners, through the introduction of a new division focused on the production of short-form video content.

Showreel> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esjA3kXnTkI

Previously, our portfolio included video solutions produced either entirely in-house or in collaboration with partners specializing in long-form video production. This year, we wanted to level up our capabilities by integrating an in-house division that brings together conceptualization, screenwriting, production, and post-production.

The creation of this division will produce content specifically for Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok, with a range of service packages designed to meet diverse brand needs. These packages include options for compact, dynamic, narrative, or entirely custom formats, ensuring that the content is precisely tailored to each client’s requirements and business objectives.

What do you offer differently than the competition?

We put our agency brand mantra, “digital creative intelligence”, at the heart of everything we do, and thus we bring together the love for digital advertising with the passion and talent for creative communication. Our belief, “Always return to the brand strategy”, may challenge both creatives and clients, but we prioritize consistency in our work, even when crafting disruptive campaigns.

Our service portfolio offers full-service digital-at-heart advertising creative solutions, with a focus on brand strategy, employer branding, social media strategy, content creation and digital campaigns (from ideation, creation, to execution).

As a small team, we value maintaining our size, as it allows us to deliver on our promises and build relationships based on trust with clients who share our philosophy. Each client brief is treated with the utmost dedication, as if it were our own project.

We don’t do politics, we just do our jobs, and expect the same level of respect from our clients. We honor personal time, advocate for our employees’ rights, embrace modern working principles, and put humane collaboration first.

But most important, New Moon is not just another digital agency, but one backed-up by a creative-tech powerhouse ecosystem of sister companies which lead the way in state-of-the-art PR communication (GRF+), investor relations and corporate communications (Syzygy), software technology development, e-commerce platforms, insurtech (Life is Hard & Innobyte), BTL services (Kamrad), and data-driven influencer marketing (MOCAPP).

Generally, it was a very intense year in the marcomm industry with many projects and campaigns until the last days. Was it the same for your agency?

We did a lot of work before doing the actual work. The operational blueprint of our projects was generally 80% focused on planning, in-depth discussions, retro-strategizing, working on presentation decks, and re-budgeting, with the remaining 20% dedicated to execution and actual implementation.

This approach forced us to move into a more adaptive mindset, keeping our methodologies aligned with the market trends and client expectations. Our team worked in a state of heightened solicitation, to win more and secure the foundation for business growth.

What about the pitches you entered?

Paid pitches are not yet common practice, and so we choose them wisely. We tend to give 110% whenever we sit at a table with a client, and the effort involved in doing overtime feels worth it when it’s done for a client or industry that resonates with our team.

In 2023, we were on the lookout for big brands with well-structured marketing departments, the ones that can lay out a solid business challenge and give a detailed brief to work with. We are drawn to businesses that either boost the local economy, actively support Romania, or have a say at the global tech table. I believe that the local market is maturing, and we have benchmark companies who set the tone for how the CEE Europe’s economy can evolve.

This approach had led us to win exciting projects, such as local and regional strategy & creative communication services, alongside other local events, or one-off projects in fields such as tech, retail, education, and delivery services.

And there’s a special kind of pride that comes from being shortlisted alongside some of the big players in Europe for global brand projects.

We have also extended our services by creating branding strategies and packaging for consumer goods which will be soon launched on the Asian market. We are open for brands who articulate a purpose and whose lateral activity can have a long-term positive impact in society. It’s all about potential, and my role is to make clients see it clearly and include this potential acceleration within their marketing strategies.

What do you wish for 2024?

“Pitch less, win more.” We aspire towards more efficiency and impact, and aim to refine the pitching process, while focusing on quality business leads that guarantee a higher degree of campaign implementation and overall brand success. This year we want it to be less about the volume and more about the meaningfulness of interactions and campaign building, of solid partnerships and fruitful collaborations.

What did clients want the most in 2023? Do you see any changes in their approaches?

Last year, our clients wanted to define their own narrative. There was a significant request on CSR and employer branding campaigns, in all fields, from sports or oil & gas industry to – notably – the tech and IT&C fields.

I was surprised to see that clients understood why it’s important to have a prominent identity, as they recognized the need to break away from the traditional manner of employing talent. Businesses seem more eager to being open to crafting branded stories which convey their creativity and edginess, especially when activating in fast-changing business sectors such as fintech or software engineering, where audiences are hard to reach.

I anticipate that this trend will continue, with an added layer of more budgets and constant investments on how these business strategies are implemented. B2B or tech clients started to embrace thought leadership and seek out partners on whom they can rely.

What do you consider to be the latest trends that are arriving in the marcomm industry and why?

Purpose is dead. Long live purpose. For this I will reference the global research initiative recently launched by The Weber Shandwick Collective, “The Primacy of Personal”, an in-depth study on what we value and how the brand-consumer value equation is seeing a paradigm shift. The concept of purpose is evolving, while we recognize in the marcomms industry a lean towards more personal emotional values, concerning safety, security, health, and happiness.

Customers thus seek brands that resonate on a personal level, with a sense of personal benefit in their lives and the lives of the immediate communities. 3 out of 4 people say that what they value changed after the pandemic, so the challenge lies in the need for balancing communications for personal value without ignoring broader societal context.

Where do you believe to be our industry’s main problems and how can they be changed?

Personally, I think the industry must adopt a more civic-oriented approach to its purpose and media ethics, especially in an election year. Brands should prioritize their reputation and commit to responsible practices, focusing on societal contributions over profit maximization. This means investing equally in building brand equity and engaging in programmatic efforts that cultivate a more ethical and community-focused business environment, as well as an active involvement in ethical media practices and digital literacy.

The ethical integration of AI into commercial communication is another concern. It’s essential not just to embrace AI technologies but to also develop legal frameworks that regulate their use, ensuring that our approach to AI is both responsible and forward-thinking. This involves a deep understanding of AI’s importance and the influence our digital behaviors have upon its development and application in society.

Another area is the need for measurable marketing objectives as the starting point for any communication activity. This could mean data-driven campaigns supported by creative context, rather than the traditional model where creative efforts lead without a solid data foundation.

We’re also facing challenges in how client relationships evolve, the significance of authentic content, and the strategic deployment of user-generated content and influencer marketing within niche communities. The industry should also recognize the value of compensating for pitch efforts and respecting the work involved in meeting client demands.

How much of an important role are still having the consultancy and the strategy in 2024?

2024 has already started with the challenge of reprioritizing marketing budgets and overall alignment of business objectives, which has a direct impact in how clients manage their external relations and needs. In this sense, the value of consultancy and strategic planning is paramount.

It’s a time when listening and working together is not just beneficial, but essential. The winning brands are those that establish two-way conversations, making decisions not just on the spot, but with careful, strategic thinking beforehand. The foundation for success is still based on a long-term action plan, and this means thinking strategy first, while execution will follow.

What are the trends in media in 2024, from your point of view?

Audiences today are more diverse than ever, and they expect content that reflects the world around them. They are looking for stories that mirror their own experiences. This push for inclusivity and representation is not just a trend or a fad; it’s a shift in the fundamental way content is being created and consumed.

Generative AI is also making a significant impact, especially in e-commerce, through generative search. This technology is transforming how consumers find and interact with products, making shopping experiences more personalized and intuitive. By understanding user preferences, generative AI is redefining convenience. However, there are concerns on how the implementation of AI can also have a negative impact in sales, when it neglects the need for human connection, as it can affect the sense of identity for consumers, in relation to their passions.

There’s also a shift towards more owned platforms, where brands and creators can control the narrative and engage directly with their audience outside third-party platforms. This trend allows for a more authentic connection and interaction, giving creators the freedom to experiment with their content and distribution strategies.

What do you believe to be the main DONTs in 2024 and why?

Overlooking the power of micro-moments and sustainability—consumers are increasingly making decisions in these split seconds and are more environmentally conscious than ever.

Omnichannel experiences are no longer optional. Customers expect seamless interactions across all platforms, and overly promotional content can alienate an audience.

Also, the behavioral shift in using platforms like TikTok as a search engine highlights the importance of being where your customers are and understanding their behavior. Ignoring how the medium drives the format could decrease your impact.

Most important: having a personality and a sense of identity. A brand without personality is like a person without that je ne sais quoi—it’s forgettable. In an era where brand identity is everything, losing your sense of identity means losing your relevance in the market. Every communication should reflect the brand’s unique personality, helping it stand out in the cluttered digital landscape.

What drives your daily passion for advertising?

The people, the constant thrill, the what if. I’ve roamed the advertising field throughout a plethora of perspectives which led me to know myself better and unravel my true potential as a leader. There’s a vitality inherent in the world of advertising; it’s as if the industry itself serves as a fountain of youth. My relentlessness and overachieving mindset will always be followed by the hardships, the wins, the overall joy one feels when contributing, even in a small amount, to the shaping of societies.

This kind of freedom comes with great responsibility, especially when building an organizational culture which lays on a foundation of empathy and entrepreneurial spirit. It’s not all fun and games, but when I see I can inspire and encourage a team of intelligent, driven people who not only seek to match my zeal but also share my passion — I feel a richness which makes me truly grateful.

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