Great digital marketing campaigns are not only memorable and enjoyable to watch, but they bring in real results for businesses willing to invest in marketing efforts. They have the power to generate conversation, encourage brand recognition and of course, convert buzz into actual sales. Considering the money, time and effort that marketers invest in advertising campaigns, it is always a bonus to exceed your end goal. So, what is it exactly that makes a campaign so memorable?
Some common findings among consumer research suggest that ads with the following contain more appeal and are usually more memorable.
What Makes Ads Successful
- Humour
- Campaign with a catchy tagline or jingle
- Iconic characters
- Emotional appeals
- Entertainment value
Of course, while developing a good campaign is important, customer relationship management shouldn’t be forgotten. A brand can have a great marketing campaign, but at the end of the day, the customers will be loyal to a brand that shows it thinks about its consumers. That being said, over time there have been some great, memorable campaigns that have made us laugh, cry and feel entertained. To walk you down memory lane, here’s a look at some of the best digital marketing campaigns that have graced various types of screens over the recent years.
1. Alexa loses her voice
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNxvsxU2rJE[/embed] Undeniably, one of the most memorable ads to come from the Superbowl 2018 was Amazon’s campaign for their new voice assistant device ‘The Echo’. Making the Echo memorable was none other Alexa, everyone’s favourite AI voice assistant. Featuring a number of high profile celebrities and comedians, including Australia’s beloved Rebel Wilson, the campaign became a social media hit.
The ad was not only extremely hilarious, but really utilised the power of influencer marketing and the use of social media channels. In the lead up to the big Superbowl reveal, the featured celebs all posted brief teasers on their respective social media accounts, which built hype up around the product and event. No doubt, this exposure also had a positive effect on Amazon, building brand awareness and a favourable brand image. Not only did the campaign boost brand reputation, but it actually had a massive return on investment. Following the campaign, sales associated with the Alexa voice assistant boomed. According to Market Watch, Amazon’s figures following sales and rising stock prices contributed to a new valuation for the company of possibly $700 billion. Alexa? Please design my next marketing campaign.
2. Crocodile Dundee 3
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvmcWPeQwIc[/embed]While we’re discussing Superbowl and celebrity power, who can forget the hilarious Dundee Campaign from Tourism Australia? The Dundee Campaign also featured a host of recognisable celebrities including our very own Chris Hemsworth, Hugh Jackman, Margot Robbie, and honourable Aussie, Danny McBride. Evidently, 2018 set the new standard for highly creative (and expensive) Superbowl ads. Much like Amazon’s campaign, Tourism Australia opted to use social media as well as other digital channels to exhibit their ad. Celebrities on Instagram also teased the “trailer” to build up excitement and speculation in lead up to the Superbowl. After the disappointment of realising the star-studded cast was not in fact creating a Croc Dundee sequel, there was generally positive feedback to the campaign. And of course, some positive results.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the campaign was viewed by a whopping 890 million people across various platforms. That, along with the 12,000 articles generated, contributed to an advertising value equivalent of $74 million dollars. On top of the media coverage and brand exposure, the number of website hits for Quantas doubled over 24 hours, and tourism websites saw ongoing enquiries.
3. Rhonda and Ketut
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85ubtVs5n6A[/embed]If, like for many Australians, the names “Rhonda” and “Ketut” need no introduction, then you can already recognise the excellent marketing on behalf of AAMI’s 2013 campaign. AAMI’s ads used the powerful marketing technique of storytelling to sell the holiday romance between Rhonda, our classic dorky but endearing Aussie lady (who is also a very safe driver mind you), and Ketut, the charming Balinese waiter. Now, since this was 2013, traditional media was a much more established and powerful medium. Therefore, a majority of AAMI’s efforts focused on TV, radio and print.
However, the hype around these ads was so intense that a fan page was made. The unofficial fanpage, entitled “The sexual tension between Rhonda and Ketut”, generated 100,000 likes within a week of it’s conception. That’s just how influential a great campaign can be. On top of that, YouTube hits for ad were higher than other competitors’ TVC ads, showing an increase in customer engagement. The campaign also saw an increase of 56% in spontaneous consideration for AAMI such as quote enquiries and a 21.7% in business opportunities. Over the years, there have been several additions to the comical storyline. Rhonda became a strong focus for AAMI, as her character become instantly recognisable to Australian households. Over that time, since the initial ad ran, AAMI app downloads have increased by 1782%. What does this show us? Evidently, AAMI’s marketing campaign shows how effective storytelling can be. Effective storytelling not only holds the audience’s attention, but have the ability to sway their emotions, and further persuade them to align with a particular brand. Positive emotions fostered by a strong narrative become associated with a brand and encourage customer loyalty and pride.
4. Dumb Ways to Die
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJNR2EpS0jw[/embed]The ‘Dumb Ways to Die’ Campaign was designed to address safety concerns from Metro Trains in Melbourne. The ad consisted of adorable animations that illustrated horrific ways to die, including taking a spin in the washing machine and sticking a fork in the toaster. Most memorably, the ad contained a light, catchy track to support the animations. If you were to remember anything from the ad, it would undoubtedly be the song. Unsurprisingly, jingles have a strong appeal to many consumers, who find them very memorable. One study looking at the impact of music and jingles on advertising and brand awareness found that 89% of their respondents found jingles effective.
The ad, which served as a public service announcement to train passengers, was displayed across various platforms and channels. In addition to being broadcast on YouTube and across display ads around and inside train stations. The YouTube video alone amassed 147 million views. The song featured in the ad was also released for download. In some countries the song even entered the charts within the hottest 100. In addition to this, a game was adapted from the ad to be played on IOS devices. The aim of the game was to avoid dying, in which case the user earned points for their survival. This made it extremely popular with the youth.
In fact, the game ranked number 1 across 31 countries around the world. Stats show It was downloaded a total of 97 million times and played 1.6 billion times. But the question stands on whether it was successful. In regards to brand awareness and advertising equivalent values, the campaign earned $60 million in media impressions and reached 46% of its target audience. The most incredible statistics, however, relate to the number of incidents reporting following the ad’s distribution. Metro Trains reported a reduction in the number of rail-related incidents by 20% since the beginning of the campaign in years following.
What really boosted this campaign was its distribution across mediums that were selected with purpose and intention. The strategic selection of medium - none of which included TV, radio or print media - helped save on costs and lead to its shareability.
5. The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE[/embed]Another ad campaign that went viral was 2010’s ‘The Man Your Man Could Smell Like’ campaign by Old Spice. Promoting Old Spice’s Red Zone After Hours Body Wash, the ad featured Isaiah Mustafa, an American footballer, delivering a brazen monologue throughout various locations and extraordinary situations. The ad was originally broadcast during the half-time Superbowl break, and went viral only hours afterwards. In addition to showcasing their video during the Superbowl, Old Spice also used a range of modern platforms, primarily social media channels, YouTube in particular was an effective platform to distribute the ad. Old Spice also promoted the campaign with their own website, which of course gave the audience the opportunity to purchase the product as well.After the ad became viral, collecting 50 million hits on YouTube, a number of spin-offs were generated which also became viral. The parodies included “the sausage your sausage could taste like” which promotes a spicy mustard and “study like a scholar, scholar” which features the Harold B. Lee Library. Interactive elements were included in the digital campaign with the Old Spice Guy (Isaiah) posting personal video responses to fans online.
Regarding the success of the campaign, not only did Old Spice reinvent their image, but they also boasted concrete results. The success of the campaign directly related to sales in the Old Spice Body Wash, with sales rising by 11% and steadily increasing.
So, what can we learn?
These campaigns weren’t just pulled out of thin air. Marketers spend time researching and developing strategies. The marketers behind these campaigns did their homework and earned themselves an A+ for creativity. Are you in the process of developing a digital campaign? Here are some general tips to help you define what you want to achieve and set strategies in place accordingly.
Outline your business goals
Do you want to build brand awareness? Increase social media followers? Improve your SEO and Google search ranking? Set some objectives you want to reach - short term, and long term. Don’t forget to identify KPIs (how you’ll measure your business reaching its goals). It’s a good idea at this stage to perform a good old fashioned SWOT analysis. No doubt, you’ll need to position yourself well amongst a lot of competition and it’s a good idea to know what differentiates you from your competitors.
Identify your target market
The more you know about your demographic, the more you can appeal to them. Invest in thorough research in this department. This includes identifying the persona of your ideal customer.
Set a realistic budget
Make an assessment of how much you are permitted to spend. Depending on the size of your budget, using every possible platform may not be feasible. You may need to narrow down to one of two to focus on as a start. Do a little research on advertising prices, or talk to an agency. If you choose to enlist an agency to help with your marketing efforts, they will usually create a proposal with a budget breakdown.
Look at KPIs and analytics
Lastly, don’t forget your KPI’s. Checking in with metrics every now and then is good to see if your campaign is tracking well - otherwise you may need to make some adjustments. Looking at website analytics is a good way to measure your website traffic and conversions, as well understand which content works and which doesn’t. Feel like you need a little help? We can help you set up your next big digital campaign. Get in touch with us to discuss how we can grow your business.
