Right now marketing is going through a renaissance. The traditional means of advertising to customers is falling short, and in turn, businesses need to look for new and smart ways to reach out to the new generation of consumers. Modern consumers want to remember their experience, feel a place within the company, have a sense of duty and ultimately want to leave feeling like a winner.
Image by Andrei Krauchuk
How can you create a memorable adventure? How can your marketing tactics give them a feeling of unity with your company? And what can you do to convince someone they’re a champ? Keep reading to find out four lessons on how to adapt to the authenticity era.
4 Modern Marketing Tactics and How to Use Them
1.Heavy Participation
One of the keys ways to stand out amongst a crowd is to have a strong, clear call-to action. Encourage those looking at your marketing messages to participate in what you’re showing them by creating a one-of-a-kind experience.
Take Ikea for example; they create an advertisement for a crib that invites people who are pregnant to pee on the paper, revealing a discount when tested positive. Not only is the a direct request to those who are in the market to buy a crib, but the idea alone stirs up interest for anyone who reads it, and while it was a print, the humor instantly rendors it sharable content without directly requesting for it. Another major factor is the reward, because who wouldn’t want a huge discount on an item they will need?
Reebok took the same challenge by creating an outdoor case equipped with a speed camera that would unlock a new pair of shoes for anyone who could run faster than 10.5 miles per hour. This gave potential customers the sense of participation within the brand, creating an environment where they are encouraged to tell their friends about their experience; this spreads the word about a product in a much more authentic way, better connecting with those looking to buy, and exciting for those wanting to belong.
How can you use this strategy for your business? Start by thinking about who is buying your product and define everything you can about them: is it an expectant mother with a sense of humor or athletic runner that focuses on sprinting?
Once you define your target consumer, ask yourself, “What is one of the most symbolic experiences to their sense of self? Is it the moment you discover a life changing adventure, or is it an activity that’s taken up a fraction of your life?”
Determine the scenario in which you want them to discover why your product is going to improve their overall experience, whether it be a discount on a necessity or a gift for their abilities. Then to top it all off, add whimsey. The concept of peeing on an advertisement to receive a mark down or running as fast as you can in front of total strangers is silly, yet the lighthearted actions make the marketing itself seem less forced and more of a treat for all.
Social Media Comedy Sets
One of the driving forces behind internet culture is the ironic and almost subversive sense of humor developed in the age of memes. This contributes heavily to this generation’s immunity to traditional means of advertising. As a response we see companies such as Wendy’s or Denny’s riding this unprecedented culture wave all over social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and even Tumblr. The results as sassy, customized responses to customers.
This strategy has two methods working for it:
One-on-one customer service.
These companies are providing direct responses to those asking questions, sharing complaints or giving critiques, making it so the customer feels they have been seen, and others feel more welcome to voice their concerns via social media.
A No BS Approach
Instead of these brands opting for a “kissing up” strategy towards customers, they reach for straight shooter responses that are humorous, witty and eye-catching. The results are sharable and “memeable” content. The current climate of internet culture demands for certain forms of deprecating banter, creating the sense of transparency between the company and consumer, while also giving the brand a sense of power with their newfound awareness.
Ultimately, everyone wants to be in on the joke, so the best way to start using this method in your marketing strategy is make customer service on social media a priority, and don’t take yourself too seriously.
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It’s important to note the type of rhetoric big-name restaurants use is not going to be perfect for every brand. Take the city of Los Angeles for example; they put an advertisement out in search of a graphic designer specifically picking at the fact they were in desperate need of one. The result is a humbling, yet hilarious image that went viral.
Ultimately, it’s important you clearly establish your company’s voice and then use it accurately to target new consumers and provide excellent customer service via social media.
Have a Cause
Once again a key factor to standing out to customers is authenticy. So what do people consider authentic these days? Giving back. Consumers want to see the companies that they’re buying from care more about just increasing the bottom line; they want to know the businesses they give their money to care about something more.
Take Yoplait for example. They’ve had a campaign since 1999 that encourages yogurt eaters to send in leftover lids back to the company, donating 10 cents each to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The campaign has remained a favorite over the years and has thousands rinsing off the iconic pink tinfoil lids every fall.
The best way for your business to work this into your strategy is to start by looking at already existing foundations or campaigns. More likely than not there’s one out there that fits into the image if your business or is something you as the owner care passionately about.
If nothing obvious jumpst out, try starting a cause of your own. Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign sought out to offer access to beauty products and educate on self-esteem and body image; Dove knew their place in the beauty industry could have a huge impact on those who use their products, and instead of promoting “ideal” images of what people should look like, they made their cause about self-love, which ultimately sparked a new conversation for women everywhere about what they want out of brands like this.
The end goal of having a cause is to leave your customers feeling good about participating and using your business, which ultimately could give you a leg up on your competitors that don’t invest in the global community.
Create Competition
In general, people are competitive. Use that trait to drive a little bit of healthy competition and benefit your brand!
Part of what made the Reebok’s campaign discussed above so note-worthy is the sense of exclusivity. While it still encourages participation, the prize itself is only available to a certain few, making it so those who try, really try. Everybody likes free samples, but those who actually might buy your products want to feel like they earned their free prize.
Another example of competition for campaigns is getting users on social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram to share an image or video along with a hashtag you create in order to win or earn what you’re giving away. Not only is this is the perfect way to get your name around to potential customers, but requesting user-generated content will add that personalized experience that engages your existing customer to think about how they’re participating. Plus, by stating part of their participating is that you have the right to then use those images or videos in your marketing, you potentially have a wealth of compelling content to use in future updates.
What specifically should you request? Try asking social media followers to share stories, personal pictures, or art based on a topic related to your business; the more general the topic, the more likely you’re going to get a larger response, and the more creative the submissions may be.
Overall you want to remember that traditional, flashy, in-your-face advertisements don’t work anymore, and the best method to get noticed in 2018 and beyond is allowing for the very human side of your business to shine through. Modern consumers are no longer engaged by gimmicks, but instead by a relatable voice behind the brands they use.
