The Fine Line of Digital Marketing Effectiveness
What makes for a good digital marketing campaign is easy to see. It is very hard to define. And who defines it may be different than the one who approves the campaign. Very often our favorite advertisements are the ones you typically would never imagine that someone would allow to happen. Case in point, the Geico commercials (almost all of them), Taco Bell’s recent colorful ads, or the long running Old Spice commercials. These are very entertaining, very memorable, but would you ever believe they would be approved if you had to pitch that idea?
Digital Marketing and Branding
The phrase “stay on brand” creates more constraints than guidelines. And though a house can keep you safe it is not always best to spend all your time inside. A glimpse of this is seen on social media where accounts like Wendy’s often become playful, conversational and at times snippy. And the more and more relaxed brands become, the more entertaining they are. Another example of this is the Dallas Renegades. The new XFL team took to their bio to be snarky and playful to Houston, a rival in all sports inside of Texas. If you are anywhere from Texas you know this is in good fun and the banter is non stop in any city you visit within the state. So going for a little more attention in this way, rather than just a sales pitch inside the bio, is very good.
As we watch more brands do this successfully, you also see more copying “getting out of the box”. At a certain point in the near future most brands will not be as regulated. Getting attention is only getting harder. The further you stray from the box will become more home run or strikeout. The number of outs you are allowed before the boss is unhappy will determine more about marketing in the next year than anything else. By the numbers, and what is trending, is too hard to do.
Ride the Wave
Because knowing which digital marketing campaign is going to hit, you need to be ready to ride it if it does, and capitalize in every way possible. Something that resonates should instantly be repackaged into new mediums and channels. And then after pushing the scale you must capture the engagement, create feedback loops and have another mini campaign in the works to reinforce the current. This takes agility and responsiveness.
Be sure to have your team with flexible time to allow for this. If you are in the middle of a marketing audit, or too focused on the calendar, many opportunities may go to waste. Be communicative with your employer about such needs for when the iron is hot, you must strike.
Digital Marketing with a Twist
Online and offline media are integrating more and more. And art and creativity are being trust into the center. Do not be afraid of the new era, but rather be afraid you won’t have the speed to keep up with your success.