By Caroline A. Berryman, CMMP — Editor-in-Chief
It takes a lot of time and effort to develop and maintain a marketing campaign that resonates with your intended audience. Marketers need to be strategic thinkers and developing marketing campaigns requires a thoughtful process with many considerations. Fortunately, there are several tactics available in our toolbox today and deciding which one to execute requires us to be up to date on the latest and greatest industry trends.
Developing partnerships has a number of benefits to help drive a marketing campaign. They are cheaper to create and expose your brand to new audiences. A good example is pop-up events that are quickly becoming a popular way for retailers and brands to increase engagement with consumers. In 2017, Bacardi Canada Inc. partnered with the LCBO which provided a great opportunity to show off its Grey Goose Vodka brand during the holiday season.
Collaborating with influencers is another tactic that needs to be considered in your marketing campaign. Local influencers are relatively inexpensive when compared to large scale ad campaigns and if their values line up with your brand, you can gain a new audience of potential consumers. Home improvement retailer Lowe’s actually gave well known home designers and renovators, as well as mom bloggers the opportunity to take over its Instagram account for a few days at a time. By allowing these influencers to share inspirational content, Lowe’s was able to tap into a new audience.
How can helping your customers solve a problem turn into a marketing campaign? Seems simple but you need to be creative. Orca Chevrolet did just that in Brazil. Chevrolet partnered with a local towing company to rescue stranded drivers by arriving at the scene in their new Orca vehicle. Not only did Chevy save the day, it also gave drivers a chance to test drive the car.
Don’t be shy when trying out new channels and platforms to promote your brand. Four Seasons introduced the Pin.Pack.Go program on Pinterest. This was an industry-first campaign that allowed guests to co-curate a customer travel itinerary through a Pinterest board.
Have fun with your campaigns! Dollar Shave Club did just that when they released a very funny video on YouTube. Their honest approach won them a large following of young millennials that continues today. In 2015 the colour of a dress caused a social media frenzy when a Scottish singer called Caitlin McNeill posted a photo of her dress on Tumblr, asking for people for feedback on the color of the dress. Was it blue and black or white and gold? People responded across multiple social media channels and national news stations to voice their opinions. Brands even jumped on board including Dunkin Donuts who took advantage of this opportunity to gain some attention by posting white, gold and blue and black glazed donuts.
Think differently! By thinking outside the ‘marketing toolbox’ you can create interesting events. A new radio station in Glasgow, Scotland set up empty guitar racks throughout the city. Each rack had a sign that read: “Free Air Guitar. Take One” with the radio station’s logo on each rack. It was a unique way to engage with a potential audience with a perfect brand match – playing air guitar when listening to the radio.
Today’s marketers need to think strategically in everything they do and focus on building marketing campaigns that audiences can connect with. Consider some of these strategies to help increase your audience and build brand awareness in your next marketing campaign.