With each passing year, customers and companies continue to engage each other more often and more directly. The marketing industry is shifting; classic methods of advertising such as radio, television and newspaper media are now largely defunct. This has led many companies to explore and experiment with social media marketing and other forms of online advertising… and often to great effect.
Infographics
In 2014, Titanbet Casino released “What Do We Know About UK Gamblers?” The infographic was an instant success despite the relatively “dry” content it exposed, and it’s an excellent study for any marketer interested in developing their infographic skills. Infographics are an area of marketing in which you really need to succeed if you are to have any effect at all. The information presented in an infographic is often grey, drab and dull, but it needs to be spun into something compelling and unique. A boring infographic is toxic to an advertising campaign, but a well-written and excitingly composed infographic will be shared again and again.
The infographic begins by posing an intriguing and, more importantly, specific question, targeting its audience from the beginning as UK gamblers. It then leads with unexpected information–that women are better gamblers than men. Expertly illustrated, the infographic features a pleasing array of colours and moves quickly from one topic to another, never letting the audience become distracted. Finally, offering a series of cited references bolsters the infographic’s credibility substantially and encourages sharing.
Viral Media
YouTube is quickly becoming the most valuable platform for viral media and social content marketing, with high user engagement and an extremely diverse audience. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was a fantastic example of marketing taking on a life of its own; within weeks this challenge had spread like wildfire, provoking everyone from celebrities to politicians to engage their viewership. In fact, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge even drew in people who disagreed with the premise of the ice bucket challenge, who would then often donate money directly to the cause.
Why was the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge such an incredible success? Because it inspired people to share something about themselves. Everyone wants to be a star, and the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge gave people their fifteen minutes of fame. (Also, it’s fun to watch people dump ice on their heads–especially if they’re rich or famous.)
Going Dark
Taco Bell had perhaps one of the most unique campaigns of 2014: it simply disappeared from all social media platforms. When you have a brand as large as Taco Bell, it’s difficult to imagine an advertising campaign that could really get you noticed and get people talking, especially in a non-offensive way. Taco Bell tackled this difficulty by taking down its social media pages and website while announcing its new Taco Bell application.
The results were fantastic–and it’s an excellent example of marketing out of the box. Taco Bell was able to take its greatest asset–its incredible market saturation–and remove that asset in order to garner attention and press. By taking down its sites before the revelation, it encouraged gossip and interest among its fans.
Discount Tweets
Everyone likes a good deal. Domino’s took advantage of this very simple truth with their “Tweet for Cheap Pizza” campaign, which garnered followers a discount on their pizza for tweeting on the hashtag “#letsdolunch.” Financially, it only makes sense: the company received an overwhelming amount of exposure, interest and free advertising, for coupon codes and discounts that, let’s face it, it usually has up on its site anyway. And since Domino’s has a lot of foresight, the discounts were only available for a large pepperoni pizza–easy enough for its restaurants to make over and over again without getting slammed.
What can companies learn from the most creative marketing campaigns of 2014? Simple is often better: starting off with a core idea that really resonates with the audience is better than trying to create a complicated marketing scheme. When it works, you’ll know it works. Occasionally this also means throwing a lot to the board to see what sticks. But marketers should take heart: there are many creative ways to engage users today, possibly now more than ever before.
