4 Unconventional, Creative Ways to Perform Market Research
Customer insights are solid gold. They unlock the door to commercial innovation, help you understand the latent needs of your target audience, and spark ideas for future products. It would be hard for any marketer to dispute the value of market research. What we are going to dispute is the misconception that market research has to be expensive. If you have the budget for it, there is nothing wrong with investing in big data, qualitative customer insights interviews, market reports, and high-powered consultants. All of these tools are very effective at gathering and aggregating customer insights. When an advertising agency harnesses these insights to a creative campaign, they can have a huge impact. But those aren’t the only ways to perform market research. Entrepreneurs, small- and medium-sized business owners, scrappy startups, and even frugal corporate heavyweights have plenty of options to collect remarkably accurate market research using lean methodology that does more with less. These four unconventional and creative ways to perform market research are as inexpensive as they are efficient. The best part is, they also yield near immediate results so you can go to market faster. Social Media for Market Research Social media isn’t usually considered a market research tool, but don’t let that fool you. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, are mini focus groups that allow you to read (and respond to) customer comments, giving you a real-time view into the cause-and-effects that actually influence customer behavior. You can also introduce questions about possible new features or products into your forum, share surveys and polls, and even reach out to customers for one-on-one feedback about their experience. All for free. Because many websites also use social media to enable single sign on customer login, social platforms have a wealth of data about where else your customers are shopping and socializing. While you may not be able to see the full picture or harness the full depth of that information without partnering (or paying) those platforms directly, you can conduct your own qualitative research by looking at what your top users and social advocates are doing online. We know it may sound a little old fashioned or labor intensive, so partnering with a digital marketing agency can make your life easier … but go ahead and do a little Facebook stalking, see what you can learn, and don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to learn more from time to time. Research Livestreaming If you want to enjoy similar benefits but take some of the legwork out of trolling social media sites for nuggets of information, research firm Harris Interactive’s new platform built for the modern digital marketing agency, Research Livestreaming, may be just the tool you were looking for. This tool offers a unique view into both your customers’ social media activity and more direct customer feedback. Customers opt in by linking their social media sites to the Research Livestreaming platform and then participating in surveys, polls, and discussions regarding various experiences and products. Customers are rewarded for their insights with monetary gift certificates or merchandise. The tool provides a much more holistic picture into the market’s behavior and how social actions correspond to real actions. Because users also choose to participate in the Research Livestreaming platform, you don’t need to worry about being perceived as pushy or soliciting unwelcome information. The downside is that you can’t completely control the users you get to interact with. Although these individuals are all willing to share information, you aren’t receiving information from customers who had a bad experience or those who may be less inclined to share. In reality, you aren’t receiving customer information at all. There’s no guarantee that participating in Research Livestreaming is representative of your customer segment. That said, because users choose how and where to participate on the platform, it’s safe to assume that respondents are self-selecting into experiences they would engage with in the wild and your digital marketing agency can help interpret results into actionable strategy. In this way, Research Livestreaming provides exceptional directional insight into customer behavior and broad market temperature. User Testing If you crave more granular information, consider using simple user testing software such as usertesting.com. This is one of our favorite customer research tools to gain insight into task completion and user experience functionality. Your content marketing agency can help you prepare product prototypes, show customers your actual homepage, or ask them to imagine themselves in a situation and complete a task such as purchasing a product or searching for information. Each testing session is recorded, so you’ll be able to watch (and listen to users comment on) their experience every step of the way. User testing provides a very narrow, but accurate view into market behavior. This can be invaluable when preparing for a product launch or revamping your online presence. Like Research Lifestreaming, you are somewhat limited by who signs up to participate on usertesting.com. It’s important to remember that while lean market research doesn’t give you an infallible look at customer behavior, it’s often faster and easier to collect. Responses from user testing are usually available within hours, rather than months (as is the case with traditional market research). With these tools, you can supercharge your testing and iteration process to meet your customers’ needs faster. Site Surveys And don’t forget about adding a customer survey to your homepage. You can ask simple questions like why they came to your site, or more broad questions like what they like or dislike your brand. Give them the option to respond with simple yes/no or radio button answers, or add their own verbatims. Survey creation software such as Qualaroo is easy to implement with a few clicks of a button, so everyone from a seasoned digital marketing agency to the most non-tech savvy companies can take advantage of this tool. No matter how you choose to collect market research, the most important element is that you are connecting and engaging with your customers. How
Creative and Media Under One Roof: The Agency Model of the Future
The decision to work with full creative brand consulting and media provider under one agency roof or many? It’s your choice…but make sure you chose wisely. Creative and media went their separate ways more than 30 years ago, when big New York agencies determined they could charge clients more money for distinct services. Today, however, we’re seeing a reversal of that trend: Large industry holding companies (Publicis Groupe, WPP, etc.) are organizing media and creative under one roof — a development that bears very close scrutiny for anyone in creative brand consulting. Why an integrated service model makes sense Synergy may be a buzzword, but it describes a very real advantage that can be seized when the individual parts of an organization work together to achieve more than they could in isolation. The recent “IHOb” ad campaign on behalf of the International House of Pancakes is a nice recent example of this process in motion. The campaign, which cleverly stoked social media buzz about a potential name change for the legacy pancake purveyor, was the combined creation of Initiative and Droga5, media and creative agencies working under the umbrella of IPG. The campaign, which earned industry praise, allowed IHOP to develop impactful creative work, and then increase the impact and reach of its distribution. This encompasses the overarching concept of consolidation within the space, in which ad clients are increasingly folding all of their needs into a single agency or holding company. Many observers contend that this model — which theoretically allows creative, media, and data analytics to work synergistically — is better suited for modern advertising. By rolling services together, campaigns can be adjusted in real time to account for the reaction of audiences. Campaigns can also leverage data to shape the direction creative takes, allowing for more refined messages and better audience targeting. Why is this shift occurring now? Delivering ad services in a piecemeal fashion has been a revenue driver for the last few decades, as companies could shift away from a flat commission model taken by separate on media and creative initiatives. Many of the ad industry’s new leaders, however, no longer believe this model is optimal, according to Madwell CEO David Eisenman. Eisenman told Adweek that 90% of the RFPs his agency received in the last year included creative and media elements. This change, he said, has been driven by Millennials, who are stepping into the advertising C-suite and bringing a fresh perspective. Publicis Groupe, one of the industry’s key players, has been pursuing an integrated model since restructuring its organization in 2015. The company streamlined all operations into four so-called “solutions hubs” that comprise all corporate business. Under this model, the holding company acts as chief business delegator, helping coordinate client services with its constituent agencies underneath. Ultimately, the talent spread across various agencies can be tapped to service a single client, allowing for the most efficient spread of resources. This, of course, benefits clients — why only have access to creative brand consulting in one talent housed agency when you can access teams spread across an entire holding company? Concerns and drawbacks While an integrated model seems to be a winner for clients, some observers have cautioned that excessive integration may lead to problems. Creatives may not always appreciate being spread across an organization, mercenary-style, to work on seemingly random projects. Additionally, if integration is handled poorly, quality may suffer. Firms that pursue widespread integration need to be certain that it is implemented carefully and methodically, given its potential for organizational disruption. The takeaway We take pride in our ability to provide clients with a sophisticated, engaging, end-to-end solution for their marketing and advertising needs. If you’d like to hear more about how our team of experts can best serve you through creative brand consulting, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.
Struggling for Good Content? Consider the UGC Technique
UGC is an underappreciated technique used by creative brand consulting firms, yet provides overly successful content creation for your brand. It’s a fact of life that creative brand consulting firms are always in need of fresh and compelling content. Unfortunately, they often struggle to meet these demands. That’s because it typically requires time, talent and money to generate high-quality marketing content. Here’s the good news: Agencies and brands are solving this problem with content generation strategies that ensure access to a consistent pipeline of high-value material. One of the most overlooked of these strategies is the use of UGC — or “user-generated content.” Who’s down with UGC? UGC is simply defined as any content created and shared by consumers, fans or any unpaid contributor. This content often takes the form of videos, photos, testimonials, social media posts, and stories. One recent example: Coca-Cola’s wildly successful personalized Coke bottle campaign. The beverage giant replaced its iconic logo with 250 popular first names and sold hundreds of millions of bottles of cola as a result. As part of its product rollout, Coca-Cola asked consumers to upload photos and videos of themselves drinking from their personalized bottles. Thousands did, giving Coca-Cola free content and advertising — and providing a great example of the power of UGC in action. Coca-Cola isn’t the only beverage company to use UGC to great effect. Pepsi’s “Max It Now” campaign was built around legendary NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon, who famously raced under the number 24. Pepsi asked fans to complete 24 social media challenges (such as Tweeting why Pepsi Max is better than Coke Zero in 24 words, or Instagraming a photo of themselves with Pepsi Max) in order to win prizes. This UGC campaign was hailed for the way it engaged with a dedicated cohort of so-called “superfans” a.k.a people with deep loyalty to Jeff Gordon, NASCAR — and now, very possibly, Pepsi Max. Tips for your next UGC campaign We’ve discussed one benefit of UGC — providing access to a stream of valuable content, an eternal need for brands. Yet there’s another important advantage: UGC resonates with audiences. Why? People perceive non-commercial content generated by people like themselves to be more authentic. Similar to word of mouth advertising, they also perceive UGC to be more trustworthy than conventional marketing or advertising. In today’s ad-soaked environment, more consumers than ever simply tune out anything with an overtly commercial feel. UGC cuts through this barrier. Additionally, a UGC campaign allows brands to place consumers front and center. Rather than dictate the story through a creative brand consulting firm, UGC campaigns allow consumers to play a key role in telling the brands journey themselves. When this occurs, brands create campaigns that connect on a more personal level, while also encouraging consumers to feel like they are invested in the campaign — and by extension the brand itself. So now that we’ve established why UGC works, let’s review a few tips for your next campaign: 1.Create excitement and anticipation This is one of the best ways to ensure that you receive strong user participation. Set a content submission date and spend the days and weeks ahead of that date building anticipation across all relevant marketing channels. 2.Offer creative awards for participation This is the key to engaging with people who aren’t already dedicated fans of a brand. Public recognition, company swag or prizes help people feel like their work is worth it. 3.Ensure your campaign is legally compliant Is your campaign a sweepstakes (random drawing) or a contest (with criteria to meet)? Depending on your jurisdiction, these may have differing legal requirements. Check with an attorney if you have any questions. Finding the creative brand consulting Firm Our team of creative renegades specialize in strategic UGC-based campaigns that move the needle. If you’d like to learn more about the power of UGC, please don’t hesitate to call us today.
Going beyond clickbait: How to really create a high impact ad
Digital ads sometimes get a bad reputation for relying on clickbait to generate views. However, we believe that a true high impact ad can drive consumer engagement and build a relationship with your brand. Successful high impact ad units are easier to build than you think once you know the types of content that motivate and inspire your audience. Our team can help you create engaging, content-rich ads that entice your audience to learn more. For inspiration, we want to share a few of our favorite high impact ad formats and when to use them. Pre-Roll High Impact Ads: There’s nothing new about pre-roll ads. They were one of the first high impact ad formats to hit the scene in 2007, just three years after YouTube.com web live. But they work. Pre-roll ads appear before a viewer watches streaming content such as a YouTube video, or a show on Hulu or Netflix. Because consumers are used to seeing previews before movies, the format isn’t jarring or unexpected. Most viewers have to wait a before they click out of an ad, giving your team an opportunity to show off their creative chops with something that will grab viewers’ attention before the dreaded “skip ad” button appears. If your content is good enough, viewers will want to share – not skip – your ad. Reactive Animation, Takeovers, and Splash Screens: Banner ads and pop ups appear statically and can be removed or avoided with the simple scroll of a mouse or or click of an “X.” By simply replacing these weak advertising tools with high impact ads you can lift viewer engagement by 67%, similar to a recent study done by Yahoo. Reactive animations (which slide down the screen in line with your content), takeovers (which disrupt the entire surface of the user’s tablet, phone, or monitor), and splash screens (which overlay a page’s content), are all more immersive options that force the user to take a pause and digest your content — hopefully deciding that it is worth their time — and exploring further. Push Advertisements: On the other end of the spectrum, push ads make advertising less intrusive by allowing the viewer to slide down a page’s content with a standard accordion or shelf feature. Viewers can open and close the ad depending on how relevant it is or how much time they want to spend on that content. Because this UX feature is common on many websites and apps as a way to organize information, it creates viewing consistency with whatever your audience is already looking at and makes ad content feel more natural. While making ads blend into the background may seem counterintuitive, this practice reduces negative feelings triggered by traditional ad units, making viewers more likely to focus on your message rather than automatically tuning out ad content. Interactive Banner Ads: In your next ad, try using gamification, allow users to drag and drop information in the ad field, or create a playful, interactive call to action that focuses on sharing knowledge rather than making a sale. Over 63% of consumers said they were annoyed by ads featuring overt sales pitches according to a study by HubSpot. Instead, viewers opted for ads embedded in rich imagery and interactive content. Interactive ads allow you to create a warm, welcoming experience rather than a transactional pitch, which will increase qualified leads and reduce bounce rate. Because clicks will result from genuine interest in our brand and content rather than a short-term promotion or sale, these visitors are also more likely to return to your site again. So, forget those static ad campaigns and get creative! If you need help generating ideas for your next high impact ad, contact our team for creative support or case studies showcasing what’s worked for businesses just like yours.
Why your business should care about Optimal GeoSpace
If you’re a digital marketer, you’ve probably heard the term “geofencing,” which refers to our ability to track and serve location-based advertising to customers. But, since July, there’s a new game in town: Optimal GeoSpace. UberMedia – known for pioneering the customer data and social marketing sectors – introduced a more refined version of geofencing that tracks the nuances of your customers’ behavior in real-time format. These insights reveal granular data about when, where, and how your customer journey evolves. This information helps marketers determine the type of campaigns that are most relevant to your customers and how they like to shop. Most importantly, it allows us to be at the right time, at the right place, with the right content. These breakthroughs are especially important for direct marketing initiatives as well as business planning and investing. Here’s how. Optimal GeoSpace for direct marketing: You wouldn’t email your customers about the hottest new winter coat in July (or maybe ever if your customers are based in South Florida like our team of Orlando marketing agency experts). You probably wouldn’t host a blowout sale on boating supplies in a landlocked, desert community. On the flip side, almost every major electronics store runs a Black Friday or Cyber Monday sale because that’s what customers expect. These are the basics of direct marketing. All promotional marketing should be relevant and timely based on your customers’ expectations, seasonality, and purchasing patterns so they are primed to purchase prior to receiving your offer. This concept is simple when you zoom out and look at annual business trends and sales cycles. But Optimal GeoSpace takes this concept one step farther. Now, imagine your restaurant’s peak hours are between 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm, but you want to begin offering a happy hour starting at 5:00 pm. Instead of blasting your promotional material to every passerby who may or may not be interested, Optimal GeoSpace can help you determine when your target audience’s foot traffic increases and when they area primed to receive a notification about your happy hour. Maybe your ideal customers take a long lunch nearby, so sending them a discount notice during lunch may increase your happy hour attendance. Maybe your restaurant falls on peoples’ commute home, so an invitation to escape rush hour with discounted drinks may serve your needs better. Optimal GeoSpace boosts location-based direct marketing techniques by refining real-time data so you can narrow your messaging and timing to reach the potential customers you want when they want it. Business planning and investing with Optimal GeoSpace: As your business expands, Optimal GeoSpace can also help you determine where to branch out. In the same way that this technology tells you when your customers are ready to receive a discount, Optimal GeoSpace can help you identify other areas where your customers are naturally congregating and conducting business. This type of information will help you perform business forecasting that will determine whether an investment (or even rental or leasing price) is worthwhile for a particular venture or expansion. Optimal GeoSpace can help you choose the best place to open a business so that your location fits your natural business model by highlight people that behave the way your best customers do. Once you’ve found pockets of like-minded customers, you can expand your business to meet and greet them, rather than waiting for them to discover you. Knowledge is power. And Optimal GeoSpace gives you deeper, more meaningful insights to understand your customers and satisfy their needs. It can give you a leg up on your competitors and help you plan for the future more carefully. Click here to learn more about the variety of analytics and insights tools our team uses to take your business to the next level.
It’s all Roman to me: Understanding CPM campaigns
CPM stands for “cost per thousand.” As in Roman numeral M. And if that sounds like Roman – we mean Greek – to you, you’re not alone. CPM advertising leverages the desire brands have to be seen. In advertising, media vendors charge brands based on every 1,000 impressions, or views, of a given advertisement. For example, a media vendor may charge $50 cost per thousand. Translation: that’s $50 for every 1,000 times your ad appears on a variety of websites, blogs, and digital news sources. But, just when you think you’re becoming fluent in digital ads, a vendor may charge $300 for that same cost per thousand. And you thought all roads led to Rome. The trick to understanding CPM units is realizing they are priced based on a variety of somewhat ubiquitous factors, including how often viewers tend to click ads, how narrow your ad audience is (i.e., did you choose the “spray and pray” model or hone in on blogs your target market engages with), or the ad placement itself. Even the ebb and flow of your own brand popularity may play a part in your vendor’s media pricing. To help you navigate your strategy, we’ve created a cheat sheet of all the basic information you need to know before launching any digital spend. BATTLE ROYALE: CPM vs. CPC CAMPAIGNS: Before we go any further, let’s get one common point of confusion out of the way. CPM is not the same as CPC. CPC stands for “cost per click.” In other words, this represents the actual price you pay each time someone clicks your digital ad and has no bearing whatsoever on CPM exposure. While these two terms may seem similar, they are as different as the Greeks and Romans. When launching digital advertisements, you can choose either a CPM strategy, or a CPC strategy. Not both. On average, CPM units tend to be cheaper than CPC units. For example: $50 CPM vs. $1.05 CPC, which would be $1050 per thousand. The reason is because even though your ad may appear on a page one thousand times, that doesn’t mean every viewer sees, notices, or interacts with your advertisement. In this way, a click is more valuable because it represents higher intention and a more engaged user. Sometimes. The distinction comes from knowing the goal of your media spend. If you simply want brand exposure, CPM may be the perfect, most cost-effective strategy for your organization. If you’re using digital advertisements to close a revenue gap, CPC may be more effective in getting you to your bottom line. SO WHY CHOOSE CPM CAMPAIGNS: We love CPM campaigns to help build broad exposure, increase loyalty, or generate interest and excitement. CPM campaigns are great for established brands hoping to keep their products at top of mind and new brands looking to grow their customer base. They are great for all industries and all types of products. Generally, we recommend ads as a complement to any comprehensive end-to-end brand campaign that touches social media, web, and maybe even traditional media such as print or television. What makes CPM campaigns so effective is that you can get hyper-granular about where your ads appear. If you’ve launched a new children’s clothing line, you can feature your ad exclusively on parenting sites and mommy bloggers. If you are a financial advisor, you can introduce your firm on trade sites, bank homepages, and the financial section of the news. Unlike print ads and billboards, you know exactly who is seeing your ads and whether it is aligned with their needs. HOW TO START YOUR NEXT CPM CAMPAIGN: We’re excited for you to get started on your next campaign too, which is why our creative team at your local Orlando marketing agency is on call to help you kickstart the work. As you look forward to launching a CPM campaign, make sure you set clear, measurable goals, choose your audience carefully, and time your campaign spend around your natural sales cycle. And remember, your local marketing agency always maintains tight relationships with regional and national media vendors so, when in doubt, call in the experts. We can help you do everything from negotiating fair pricing, to translating marketing jargon, and everything in between. CPM campaigns are the cornerstone of digital advertising; so don’t let confusing terms or uncertainty deter you from taking part in this powerful tool. Click here for more ideas and successful campaign examples.
Use your digital media waste for your market research
The rise (err, fall) of media waste strikes fear into the hearts of most digital marketers. You know the scene: launch day is finally here. Your team created a new advertising campaign, complete with digital banners, a new landing page, blog posts, and an ad spend to prove it. And then, just two weeks later, your analysts tell you that online conversion has dropped, your prospects aren’t signing up via your lead gen funnel, and you’re getting a low click rate on your ads. Cue: panic mode. Many people make the mistake of looking at media waste as … well … waste; but our team takes at different approach. Leave it to our data-obsessed team of Orlando marketing agency experts to put a new spin on an old problem. The reality is, you can’t avoid all media waste. As multi-device users surf and shop between their mobile phones, tablets, and desktops, some degree of media waste will occur naturally as the wrong customers are retargeted or even targeted in the first place. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to use that data to your advantage. Media waste is a phenomenal source of market research (without spending an additional dime than you planned to spend anyway). Here are three tips to turn media waste into solid gold data insights: 1. TEST EVERYTHING TO TURN MEDIA WASTE INTO MARKET RESEARCH: First, by launching any major campaign as an A/B test (either against legacy work that has succeeded in the past, or going live with multiple versions of your proposed work), you completely reduce media waste, while simultaneously reducing risk to your business. Yes, we just said that you could completely reduce media waste. Bear with us. No, that doesn’t mean that every test will be a winner, or that some campaigns won’t fail; but it does mean that you’ll gain insights into what KPIs are impacted which can, in turn, help you answer the pivotal “why.” Comparing one campaign to another helps you refine future creative direction and slowly build an understanding of how your market is behaving. 2. USE MEDIA WASTE TO FAIL FAST AND LEARN BIG: Sometimes, knowing what doesn’t work is as important as what does work. Even if you don’t have a full-blown testing team, you can use media waste to gain critical insights into what your customers don’t like. Eliminating media waste isn’t about eliminating failure; it’s about shifting your team’s perspective on what you do when you fail. It’s okay to fail fast so you can learn quickly and pivot boldly. If your team is never failing, you’re probably not taking big enough marketing swings to really shake up the business and inspire new trends in your team’s work. Our team believes that failing is just as important as succeeding provided you do it in a way that doesn’t jeopardize your bottom line, which is why we recommend testing or limited launch exposure as you roll out big ideas. Go ahead, launch that crazy campaign idea. If it works: congratulations! If it doesn’t: don’t retire that campaign into a media waste graveyard, instead, mine it for key customer insights to inform your next strategy. 3. DON’T BE AFRAID TO APPLY DIRECTIONAL LEARNINGS: Many marketers hesitate when mining media waste for market research because the volume may be low or insights may be murky. We like to call these “directional learnings.” Media waste may not provide conclusive market research, but it does provide granular insight into your audience. Tease out these ideas and then test them to validate your hypotheses. Even simple user testing or a social media survey can add a few more data points to your research base. It may take a little longer to confirm your data than purchasing market research, but it is a lot cheaper and leverages work (and spending) that would be thrown away otherwise. We’re so proud of the insights, and subsequent business wins, that have come out of our own missed campaigns that we’d be happy to share how our team has used media waste to drive learnings, or help you refine your past waste for future success. Shoot us a line and we’ll help you turn even the smallest failures into highly customized consumer insights.
5 quick trends CPG brands must embrace to win with millennials
If you aren’t sick of hearing about why you need to invest in millennials yet, you probably haven’t been paying close enough attention to their forecasted purchasing potential. Millennials are a unique generation with an emerging purchasing power unlike any generation we’ve seen to date. Their eclectic spending habits make them highly desirable and somewhat elusive. Often cited as “penny wise and dollar foolish,” CPG brands sometimes have a hard time breaking through the clutter to connect with these brand-loyal consumers. If your brand happens to be lucky enough to resonate with millennials already, you know how fiercely loyal they can be. If you’re a new market entrant or emerging company, however, catching millennials’ attention (and keeping it long enough to make a sale) can be a hurdle. Don’t waste another minute. These five quick and easy marketing trends will help you win with millennials and score for years to come. 1. Don’t try to win with price: Go ahead, throw out the coveted “Marketing Four P’s” you learned in B-School. As a consumer packaged goods brand, you’re never going to win through price with millennials. Unless you happen to be at the very bottom end of the pricing scale, your best bet is to distinguish yourself by adding unique value or meaning to your products. Millennials will shop for a bargain on goods and sundry items, such as CPGs, but often make an exception for brands that go above and beyond their expectations. Additionally, millennials are one of the least likely demographics to switch brands once they have found a product they like, even when that brand is out priced by competition. Colgate discovered that they could actually increase their prices above competition because millennials were so connected with their unique lifestyle messaging that other toothpaste labels simply didn’t stand a chance. And of course, prices are always going to fluctuate, which is why it’s smarter to invest in what makes your product special. 2. Do something that matters: Never think of your brand as “just another CPG.” Even the most mundane products can appeal to millennials when they connect with something larger than the product itself. Millennials often invest in products that are aligned with global issues or lifestyle causes they believe in. For example, the (RED) HIV/AIDS awareness campaign, which often lends its stamp of approval to CPG products willing to donate a portion of their profits to the cause, has generated wild success for everything from personal speakers, to food products, and clothing brands simply because it augments the product within the global community. 3. Invest in digital marketing: If you’re going to attract millennials, you also need to sell your products where and how they want to shop. Although consumer packaged goods were often considered a brick and mortar staple, the emergence of e-commerce giants such as Amazon have changed how millennials shop. Thanks to services like Amazon Pantry and home-grocery store delivery, these savvy shoppers often save time and money by purchasing CPGs online and having them delivered. To ensure your products don’t get overlooked during their next shopping spree, take time to invest in digital ads and social media that will keep your products top of mind and encourage millennials to go out of their way to purchase your items. 4. Don’t be afraid to buddy up: CPG brands can supercharge their image with a boost of edginess, allure, or excitement simply by partnering with endorsers or unrelated brands that already enjoy that reputation. For example, when Redbull partnered with the X-Games (a millennial favorite), they immediately shifted their market from overworked corporate travelers, to adrenaline-junkies and adventure seeking “Gen Y-ers.” Even if your CPG can’t generate (or sell) a certain emotion on its own, chances are, partnering with another organization could. Choose wisely when trying to attract millennials, however, to avoid unintentionally negative brand association with elitist or non-environmentally sound partners that will immediately turn off this audience. 5. Make your packaging an extension of your brand: If all else fails, learn from a CPG giant: Apple. Ensure your packaging is an extension of your brand values. Whether you want to attract millennials with quality or a certain emotional vibe, your packaging is your first opportunity to communicate who you are. Apple’s clean, high-quality packaging mirrors its products in many ways and is often photographed and shared on social media as an exciting addition to the product experience. Custom packaging may be a little more expensive, but it’s an opportunity no company can afford to waste. Although there’s no silver bullet to attract or retain millennials, our team of trend forecasters and cutting edge marketers have our fingers on the pulse of the latest tools and tips that win with the millennial market. For more ideas, or a customized millennial-friendly marketing plan contact us here.
Using user generated content: Let your customers do your work
Advertising evolved from informational sales tactics into carefully curated product representations and experiences in the 40’s and 50’s. Marketing executives a la Mad Men’s Don Draper worked with clients to capture their client’s essence and package it into a perfectly polished campaign. Ads could bend the truth in small doses to create a magical version of reality in which Dawn dish soap has the power to transform the average housewife into a beautiful domestic goddess. Times have changed. Today, customers have wised up to the alluring temptation of this type of advertising. Instead of looking to their favorite magazine for inspiration on what to buy, they ask their friends or surf their favorite bloggers’ websites. As a result, the emergence of review sites, social media, and peer-sharing has boomed. Now, customers have the power to influence a brand’s success simply by telling the truth. We’d like to think Don Draper needs a martini just thinking about that prospect. Luckily, we know you understand the value of harnessing your customers feedback as part of a healthy marketing mix. User generated content is one of the simple, most effective ways to channel positive customer feedback into advertising potential. As an added bonus, you get to give your creative team a break and have your customers do the work for you. STARTING THE REVOLUTION: A FEW EXAMPLES OF USER GENERATED CONTENT: Almost every industry can leverage user generated content. Beer producer Miller Lite had customers take short videos of themselves enjoying a beer and Tweet about the experience online. Miller the promoted the winning Tweets as commercials for their product. In addition to increasing their social engagement and reach, the user generated commercial campaigns also invited customers to be authentic, share their stories, and encourage other people like them do the same. Birds of a feather do, indeed, flock together. As consumers saw other individuals like them enjoying a Miller, they realized their own summer wouldn’t be complete without a six pack of this refreshing, light beer. Avantgarde hospitality brand The Standard Spa and Hotels took a similar approach. Over the Fourth of July, they asked customers to celebrate freedom and love by taking a video of themselves and their significant other kissing. The hotel Instagrammed user stories showing same-sex, multi-racial, and even just your “regular old” couples spreading the love. This campaign clearly expressed the hotel chain’s values, served as an invitation for guests to take part in their belief system, and – you guessed it – share their own stories. GIVE ME THE BOTTOM LINE, WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS: In addition to their great entertainment value, this user generated content is highly effective for your business. Increased engagement: One of the main benefits of using user-generated content is that it’s highly engaging. Potential customers flock to your website or social media accounts to interact with user-centric campaigns, post their own content, and like other user content they find. This means more people are spending more time on your site or social media accounts learning about and interacting with your brand. And you didn’t have to do a thing. Viral potential: Even more enticing is the possibility that some of this content could go viral. As customers engage with other user generated content, they may be inclined to share what they find (or share their own content). There are hundreds of thousands of creative people out there. It only takes one really incredible iPhone video to transform your brand into the next YouTube craze. And more exposure means more sales. Low cost, high impact: User-generated content also costs nearly nothing to produce. Once you think of a campaign that users would want to participate in, you simply have to promote that opportunity and your followers will do the rest. When timed alongside a holiday or dip in your sales cycle, the added bump of exposure can have a great impact on your sales. Authenticity at its finest: The best part is, your customers don’t have to take your word about your product. They can do what they do best: listen to their friends. Using user generated content lends an air of authenticity to any claims you make about your brand. It’s one thing for you to think your product is great, but it means a lot more when someone else does. Take advantage of that simple fact. To kick off a campaign using user generated content, you simply need an idea and an entry point for customers to participate. We have plenty of ideas to get you started, or would love to hear what you have been successful with in the past. Share your thoughts here or reach out to one of our social specialists for ideas.
5 awesome, unconventional marketing tactics you need to use
In a world where ROI and the bottom line rule marketing, sometimes it’s easy to forget about the fun, audacious, sometimes unconventional marketing tactics that probably drew you to the industry in the first place. We would never advocate that tracking your return on investment isn’t critical to the health and growth of your business; but rather, that we, as marketers, love to swing for the grand slam. For us, it’s all about finding the perfect balance between tried-and-tested marketing techniques and a few unconventional marketing tactics and campaigns with the power to disrupt the market and break through the clutter. Here are a few of our favorite awesome, unconventional marketing tactics. 1. Work for free: When you pose this idea to your financial planning analyst, you may want to put a little marketing spin on the verbiage, but we’re just going to say it: you can get something for nothing. Offering a free consultation, inviting customers to try your services or products before they buy, doing pro-bono work, or giving high impact lectures (gasp!) for free can attract prospective customers who might have otherwise been on the fence. This technique works especially well for products that can’t be sold as a necessity, require customer education such as consulting or dietitian services, or are new entrants into the market. If you’re stuck on what might be of value to your target audience, lean on your marketing agency or advertising agency to do some research about what “hooks” – whether it’s features, face time with the CEO, or freebies – would get them in the door. 2. Take advantage of the halo effect: It stands to reason that if you can be guilty by association, you can also look incredible by association too. The phenomenon in which a person or product enjoys increased brand association or a boost in perceived customer value thanks to alignment with another, more powerful or popular brand is called the “halo effect.” Established brands releasing a niche product sometimes use this to attract loyal customers to new markets, but any company can take advantage of this trend. On the local level, find charitable organizations, popular public figures or tastemakers, or trendy venues where you can host an event and start making connections. Most people and organizations are willing to exchange in-kind marketing collateral such as: access to shared email lists or exclusive discounts for your cross customer base when there is a mutually beneficial fit. This technique can scale all the way up to the national or global level depending on how dedicated you are. A good marketing agency will likely have pre-existing contacts and ideas on what might be a good alignment, so start there. 3. Build a memorable brand: Do something quirky. Make mistakes. Be human. Even the most corporate, buttoned-up organizations can benefit from moments of humanity. Recognizing that there is a time, place, and audience who responds to this type of marketing and balancing it against more conventional messaging and imaging is key. Perhaps you limit the funkiness to your Snapchat or Instagram feed, or maybe you run simultaneous campaigns that target both sides of the same coin. A great example of an organization that does this well is Geico. Ask any millennial or hipster and they can probably cite several of the silly “Switch to Geico – it’s what you do” advertisements featuring everything from an addled Tarzan, to a dog stealing spaghetti from its owners’ plates. None of these ads mention the comprehensive asset protection or excellent customer service Geico has built a reputation on. That information is reserved for prospective customers looking for a quote or surfing their online space. What these ads do is disrupt a mature, saturated market and raise awareness that then drives prospects farther down the funnel and into exploration mode. Trust us, they are laughing all the way to the bank. 4. Everyone loves a themed party: Think: product launches, fundraisers, new menu launches, release events, and more. The opportunities to host an event are near endless. Although the upfront cost and work of hosting an event can seem inhibitive, your marketing agency will help you offset this pain point and set measurable goals. Events often serve the dual purpose of raising brand awareness and generating leads. The trick is to host an event that speaks to your audience. Too often, organizations jump on an opportunity to attend an event without a clear understanding of who is actually in attendance. They generate leads by bribing unsuspecting bystanders to exchange contact information for freebies, but the quality of these type of leads is often low … people will do anything for a free t-shirt, right? Instead, get crisp on the type of customer you want to attract. If you are launching a new line of skincare products, consider hosting a spa party. If you’re releasing the newest issue of a community magazine, go for the hottest new venue in town. Everything from the theme to the event programming should speak to the people who would truly use your products or services. 5. Blog, blog, blog: And then blog some more. This is such a simple, low-effort marketing technique with tremendous potential. All you have to do is consider the amount of amateur marketers and online celebrities who are consistently making thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, garnering huge followings, and receiving coveted brand endorsements to see the potential in blogging. Blogging is still often overlooked in the marketing mix because it is sometimes hard to quantify the return on investment and requires nurturing to build a readership. That said, it only takes one person to find a niche topic that attracts prospective customers and brand partners (see above and remember that halo effect) to start a blog. Any good digital marketing agency or content marketing agency can support your in-house blog writing to ensure your content is relevant and consistent. If you aren’t ready for the full commitment, consider writing guest blog posts
