The marketing world, as we have defined it, is split into two camps. Traditionalists, most notably Bob Hoffman at The Ad Contrarian believe that nothing has really changed except the tools. After all, while there has been a revolution in technology, basic human nature remains the same, though adaptation is underway. Review these case studies that will help merge many of the recommendations from this post and to evaluate a new marketing concept.
Marketing used to be pretty simple. You developed a compelling message, used mass media to broadcast that message to large audiences, and grew market share. Mostly, you aimed for the meaty part of the curve, where the law of averages conspired in your favor.
Then came the cable TV era. Audiences fragmented and targeting became the order of the day. Instead of starting with the message, marketers thrived on consumer insight and tried to identify a specific emotional trigger that would win them, loyal customers.
Now mass marketing has shifted to mass personalization and messaging and targeting have given way to activation. It is no longer enough to simply grab attention, we have to hold attention. Today’s marketers need to inspire movements in which their customers become their best salespeople. We need to make a fundamental shift in mental models.
To start, watch this short video on core marketing concepts.
Digital revolutionaries, on the other hand, are sure that the realm of communication has changed so completely that the old rules have little meaning in the new age.
They believe that the traditionalists are just fooling themselves, grasping at any straw in order to avoid changing their old means of influencing people.
Having spent time in both camps, I have some sympathy for both points of view. But I certainly lean to the digital revolutionary way of thinking. I’m get quickly frustrated with those who try to fit new media into old models and those who think that every shiny object represents a new paradigm.
Nevertheless, it’s clear that something fundamental has changed and it starts with marketing’s most basic assumptions.
Let’s review these case studies to shed some further light on this discussion.
Starbuck’s Marketing Makes Social Media a Difference Maker
When choosing to learn from other social media strategies, it is always helpful to choose one of the top dogs in social media.
Meet Starbucks. They have been successfully executing their social media marketing plan since the first days of social media and social commerce. For almost a decade their strategies have played a significant role in their growth. They clearly are digital revolutionaries.
An introduction to Starbucks is unnecessary.
With more than 18,000 retail locations in 60 countries, the coffeehouse is the picture of success.
Starbucks rode the baby-boomer trend in the 1990s, the swelling ranks of mid-age professionals that created the need for a third place, ‘ an affordable luxury’ where people could share and enjoy a cup of coffee with friends and colleagues, away from work and home.
In my opinion, the company has inserted itself into the American urban landscape more quickly and craftily than any retail company in history. And not by accident mind you. It has forever changed the way companies market themselves to customers. Here is how we feel they have been so successful:
Marketing concept … market segmentation
The company has stayed with the upper-scale of the coffee market, competing on comfort rather than convenience, which are the case with its closest competitors, McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts.
Execution
The company continues to focus on its original product bundle that includes good coffee, quality service, and a nice environment to hang around. They keep their focus on paying attention to the details of great execution and service.
Related post: How to Frame Marketing Messages for Optimum Engagement
Social Media
One of the earliest adopters of the use of social media for marketing and social commerce, Starbucks has certainly taken a leadership position in the world of digital revolutionaries. Their social media strategy is built around their company website and 6 additional social platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, G+, Youtube, and My Starbucks Ideas.
We will review Starbuck’s social media strategy in detail below.
Adaptation and Innovation
Starbuck’s business crowdsourcing, via its My Starbucks Idea website, has been a huge success. Why may you ask? Because they have combined the concepts of change, experimentation, social media, customer engagement, and market research and made the results key components of both their brand as well as their marketing strategy. Have you given My Starbucks Idea a try? What did you think?
Starbucks has clearly embraced the digital realm. With a strong presence on multiple social networks, the brand has set a high bar when it comes to being social and engaging its customers. They are at or near the top of nearly every major brand ranking in social media.
Starbucks’ ability to wear so many hats corporate success, “local” favorite, and Internet sensation warrants strategic examination.
Why is Starbucks such a social media marketing success story? There are seven key reasons their social media strategy is a successful difference-maker for their marketing campaign:
Here is my take on why:
Customer relationships
Instead of solely focusing efforts on accumulating new customers, it cultivates its current relationships. This ensures more fans/followers in the long run, as well as the continued existence of brand advocates. This holds true across the board: In-store experiences are highly valued, along with online engagement, emphasizing the importance of customer service.
Going to its customers
When Starbucks takes a photo, it shares it on Instagram, posts it on Facebook, tweets it on Twitter, and pins it on Pinterest. It clearly goes to where all its customers like to hang out. Cross-promotion is more valuable as the world becomes more digitally focused.
Each network provides an opportunity to reach a new audience, and integrating your strategy on each is crucial to increasing visibility and promoting the brand.
Employ lots of customer engagement.
Customer engagement
They believe in letting customer engagement and conversation occur as naturally as possible. They listen carefully, observe, and apply new ideas from what they learn.
Encourages sharing
Happy customers are eager to share good experiences and offers. For example, the Starbucks frequent promotions like “buy 1 get 1″ garner an extraordinary amount of engagement on social media through comments, “likes,” and shares.
Marketing concept examples … My Starbucks Ideas
The My Starbucks Idea website, where Starbucks does its business crowdsourcing, has been actively engaging customers for over 4 years now. It encourages customers to submit ideas for better products, improving the customer experience, and defining new community involvement, among other categories.
Clearly, Starbucks has seen and believes what Peter Drucker has to say about business adaptability.
Customers can submit, view, and discuss submitted ideas along with employees from various Starbucks departments ‘Idea Partners’. The company regularly polls its customers for their favorite products and has a leaderboard to track which customers are the most active in submitting ideas, comments, and poll participation.
The site is at once a crowdsourcing tool, a market research method that brings customer priorities to light, an online community, and an effective internet marketing tool.
Experience customization
Starbucks provides its unique experience through programs such as My Starbucks Rewards, personalized “signature” drinks, and localized store experiences. Their social sites, in particular, Pinterest and Instagram, encourage users to share their Starbucks moments’ whether it be the return of a favorite holiday drink or just an artsy coffee cup shot.
Taking a stand
Giving consumers a charitable reason to buy that steaming cup is beneficial for all. The takeaway from Starbucks is to know your customer and tie that in with what matters in the world … so, pay attention to how your brand can fit into trending topics.
Starbucks reflects a mission
Its mission is “to inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.” They believe lifting customers up will lead to more customer loyalty. It’s ‘The Way I See It’ quote campaign is a perfect example.
Lots of ideas here that can be easily replicated … which ones do you feel could benefit your business? How could you improve the Starbucks Coffee Social Media campaign concept for your business?
Learn from these awesome commercials.
Awesome Commercials That Employ Emotional Appeal
Does your business use emotional appeal to win the hearts of your customers? Have you ever given it a try? David Freemantle says feelings have a critical role in this regard. Yet few of any ads will make an emotional appeal.
They will try to amuse and dazzle more than touch the heart. Which factor do you feel is most effective in drawing attention to your advertisements? There are many to choose from, aren’t they?
This is a critical missed opportunity in my view. We have studied and evaluated commercials for more than 5 years. Our focus is somewhat unique; we aren’t interested in entertainment value, we are interested in business impact. We study each spot and evaluate its power to build the business and to build the brand. And evaluate which camp it is in … traditional or revolutionary.
While emotional spots are not common, they are some of the most effective we have seen. Consider these emotional spots:
Jeep
Last year Jeep ran a remarkable commercial saluting the troops fighting overseas. The ad was serious and emotional. It noted:
“There will be a seat left open, a light left on, a favorite dinner waiting, a warm bed made…because in your home, in our hearts, you’ve been missed. You’ve been needed, you’ve been cried for, prayed for. You are the reason we push on.”
Jeep touched deep emotions about loss and longing. And the spot worked to build the brand; it made people feel proud of Jeep and its values. A traditionalist approach, don’t you think?
Budweiser
Perhaps more than any other marketer, Budweiser knows the power of emotion. Over the years the brand has run a series of emotional spots featuring the iconic Clydesdales. The 2013 spot, for example, highlighted the emotional bond between a horse and its trainer. It was one of the top spots of the year.
It isn’t easy to create an emotional spot for any commercial. Many environments are fun and energetic and people aren’t primed for serious themes. And, in many ways, the safe approach that many brands will take is to air funny and lively commercials.
But, if we are lucky, some brands will tap into our emotions. And if they do it well they will emerge as some of the most effective spots. Budweiser certainly does it very well as a traditionalist and as a revolutionary.
New world marketing concepts … Guinness shines
In this commercial, Guinness uses an inspiring story to convey its emotional influence. Like great stories, it has a beginning where sympathetic characters encounter a complicating situation, a middle where the characters confront and attempt to resolve the situation and an end where the outcome is revealed. It does not interpret or explain the action in the story for the audience.
Instead, a good story allows each member of the audience to interpret the story and its emotion as he or she understands the action. This is why people find good, emotional stories so appealing and why they find advertising that simply conveys facts and information boring.
Here is the Guinness ad video to refresh you or for you to review in case you haven’t seen it.
Guinness’s marketing story based on emotion has flipped traditional beer advertising on its head by getting rid of the template and telling a story – a real emotional story – that connects with people. The responses were overwhelmingly positive … customers and particularly the target customers are looking for meaningful stories.
The emotion in this marketing strategy certainly is addressing this end state in our opinion. Guinness represents a traditionalist beginning to break out of its mold.
Zillow
The family in this ad is looking for a new home using the real estate company Zillow. It eventually is able to find exactly what they are looking for. What the mother and children don’t expect is what is waiting for them on moving day.
Some of the best emotional stories effectively use the element of surprise like Zillow has done here. Zillow is a relatively new business born in the digital marketing age.
Here is a four-minute Samsung ad with 15-20 new features shown for their iPhone. No talking. And so simple that you quickly grasp the features and don’t lose interest. And the coordinated music has a way to keep you tied in emotionally. Creating customer interest doesn’t get any simpler than this, does it?
Creating customer interest doesn’t get any simpler yet still emotional based on the music, does it? A great ad design emotional element is to match what viewers see with what they hear.
People expect and prefer coordinated audio and visual messages because those messages are easier to process, feel, and understand.
A very simple, yet entertaining design, don’t you think? And very reflective of their digital revolutionary industry.
Key takeaways
The higher the degree of emotion creates more differentiation and makes it easier for your brand to project uniqueness and its word of mouth messages.
Emotion is the secret language of the brain … work on emotion if you want to improve your persuasion or influence. And note that it can be used effectively in either world.
Bottom line
So … guess what? The strategy behind these commercials is a winning one, is it? But certainly, while they have a look of traditional, they capture all the elements of the digital revolutionary world.
