Our life is a social book. But, that’s a stale fact. What’s hot? We post #InstaUpdates on our social platforms – “Feeling blessed”, “Having lunch”, “Watching movie”, “Checked in at the airport”, “Admitted in hospital”, and so on. There’s nothing new about it. What’s next? This social frenzy has been taking a toll on us all and we totally enjoy the ‘likes’, ‘comments’ and ‘sharing’ part of it. There are brands that use digital media to make us smile through their witty videos, quirky posts, and jaw-dropping campaigns. Yes, we’ve been seeing them for a long time now. Are they doing anything different?
The same question comes to mind when I think of what’s new in the tech world? Be it banner ads or boxy ads on websites, often called MPUs, YouTube channels or social media, marketers are making the most of ‘every click’ online. Gone are the days when banner ads were mundane and typical. FedEx proved this through one its creative banners. Find a few pair of hands exchanging delivery boxes, stacked in a way that it reflects the time in Hour-Minutes-Seconds format, which keeps ticking suggesting their delivery efficiency.
Living up to consumer expectations, marketers are going all out to woo more than 2.3 billion active social media users today. Be it Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat or Pinterest, brands are embracing technology like never before. Instagram recently introduced a ‘contact us’ button for business benefits. Can you imagine ‘googling’ on a social media platform or buying a product through a messaging app on it? Well, all I can say is let’s get ready for new experiences.
The power of technology is unimaginable. Advertisers are tapping into the world of innovation to portray brands in the most creative ‘avatar’ possible. I have come across so many campaigns that are a class apart. As observed, one of the famed cola giants, Pepsi, did something unbelievable with an innovative, rather interactive bus shelter that garnered over a million views on YouTube. Have you ever come across flying saucers, an attacking robot, a prowling tiger and other unlikely objects approaching you while you wait at the bus stop? Pepsi Max mind-blowingly executed this campaign by using augmented reality to turn a bus shelter’s wall into a fake window that reflected these bizarre things. Next time you wait for your bus, you could possibly encounter such a surprise too.
Marketers’ need to get well acquainted with consumers has led to them to not only tracking technological advancements but also, channelizing them for the best results. One amongst the trending strategies is ‘live streaming,’ which allows consumers to be part of a brand experience in real-time.
The next on the list is omni-channel marketing, a multi-channel approach to sales that is intended to amplify a customer’s shopping experience across mediums – web, mobile, telephone or in-store. While browsing through the WWW, I landed on Disney’s website. Disney used this strategy quite impeccably by integrating different interactive tools for consumers’ convenience –right from booking the hotel, to obtaining passes, ordering food, and providing them a photo storage device. It gained great insights into its customers’ routine life that helped it transform customer experiences.
When audiences like a campaign, it goes viral in no time. Remember the hot and sensational Isaiah Mustafa endorsing Old Spice? The brand got Mustafa on board who then invited fans to use Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms to ask questions that he would answer. The result? Looks like he ended up recording more than a 100 videos in response to the questions asked by fans. Fascinating, isn’t it?
There are a countless number of brands that communicate with us every second – some promote offers, some market attitude, some promise new experiences and some exhibit facts creatively. This reminds of a water brand commercial. Evian brought to life a simple fact – pure mineral water supports our body’s youth – in quite a literal manner by showcasing babies in nappies performing skating stunts to a hip-hop beat. An absolute pleasure to watch and an abundance of cuteness… these CGI infants are giants across the digital marketing landscape.
Digital media has today become the most influential platform for marketing. With multiple online tools available and advanced targeting options, it has elevated the tracking performance of a campaign that helps to realign strategies with accurate budgets. For improved chances of success for campaigns, advertising can be oriented by time, theme or interests, demographics, language or by geography. Moreover, brands can keep an eagle’s eye on the real-time results of their initiatives, giving them more control over their strategy.
Low on investment and high on value, ‘digital’ is the space every brand banks on for not only attracting views but also generating revenues. With each passing day, more brands join the bandwagon, only to explore infinite possibilities enveloped within this space .
I truly believe in what Scott Cook rightly said, “A brand is no longer what we tell it is; it is what consumers tell each other it is.” It is no secret that brands are all for real-time marketing, which reinforces the fact that brands are a man’s best friend. All brands need is the right marketing partner and ideas that appeal to customers and support sales.
Every marketer has to up the ante and deliver unique ideas. With brands on board, if we, the brand drivers, can’t be creative, who else will?
