Innovative Marketing Strategies
Although we’re well into 2019, we would be amiss to neglect some of the most innovate feats of marketing ingenuity, we saw agencies and brands implement throughout 2018 (and earlier). True marketing innovation is a remarkable thing to see, as it genuinely shocks and amazes — effectively having the potential to single handedly put a brand on a map or ignite our Twitter feeds. Although this is something all marketing campaigns should do, this is unfortunately not the case.
Below is a gradient of my three top innovative marketing strategies of 2018, across every industry and marketing type, and what we can learn from them.
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Table of Contents
1. Guerrilla Marketing
They are spending money to advertise your product: what’s so special about that? Welcome to marketing — it’s a costly venture, as taking products to market can costs companies millions of dollars. So how did Tesla manage to make headlines internationally for free? They engaged in guerrilla marketing.
Tesla has always been proud to boast that it runs a $0 advertising budget. A brand with a declaration like that seems out of place in an article such as this. That being said, when Elon Musk put his own personal Tesla Roadster (paywall) driven by a dummy nicknamed “Starman” on Falcon Heavy, the flagship rocket of SpaceX, he scored a substantial cross-brand marketing win.
Although guerrilla marketing may not always be achieved for $0, Tesla is an incredible testament. The fact that intelligent, strategic and well-thought-out marketing can yield exceptional results, so it’s not always necessary to try throw dollars and expand your reach through traditional channels. Another older viral guerrilla marketing campaign included when Taco Bell falsely released a statement that they had purchased and renamed the Liberty Bell. As with all of these campaigns, companies can think outside the box, avoid playing by the prewritten marketing rulebook and create a fun, memorable presence for their brand.
2. Holistic Marketing Agencies
Siloed service providers are becoming a thing of the past. Marketing firms are becoming more efficient and managing client campaigns from start to finish. By leveraging industry connections, resources and expertise, firms can expand to include multiple service offerings all under one roof. The end-to-end service model can allow your firm’s clients to enjoy ease of mind and simplicity in executing their campaigns.
One company owning this model is Cycle Media, a marketing and media company that’s using this strategy to offer clients a plethora of services. According to a Fast Company profile, Cycle media does differently, is having talent management, creative, production. And distribution all under one roof. The holistic service offering also allows for firms like Cycle to work with various industries. And not get pigeonholed into a specific segment. They’ve used this strategy to attract high-profile clients such as the NBA talk show Buckets, ESPN, Papa Johns, Lincon Records and Capitol Records. Although not many marketing agencies. I know have adopted this practice, envision (an award-winning marketing agency in Canada). And upriseVSI of the U.K. utilize this holistic ideology.
Creating a holistic strategy and team may not be something a smaller agency can accomplish from the get-go. In my experience, the resources required to scale a cross-functional team properly successfully are significant; however, as your firm grows, ensure you succeed with this purpose in mind, as it can ultimately offer the best possible experience for your customers.
3. Social Media Marketing And Influencers
If you haven’t remained living under a rock for several years, you’re well aware that social media marketing is a significant way for brands to connect with customers. It has revealed absolutely no signs of slowing down. Two incredible examples of best-in-class social media marketing include the BBDO and Collectively. According to Fast Company, Collectively paired over 75 brands with 1,725 influencers and personalities and achieved a total combined 1.2 billion impressions for the year.
BBDO is no rookie when it comes to big brands and significant impact, either. Over the years, they’ve worked with household names such as Lowes. And created podcasts for GE, PSAs for Sandy Hook and dog adoption campaigns for Pedigree. Creating a noteworthy campaign with Bacardi was not something out of the wheelhouse of what BBDO was used to accomplishing, but boy — they didn’t disappoint. BBDO hacked Instagram stories to create a Bacardi DJ app through Instagram stories effectively. Users could make their DJ set on their device. It showed the brand’s commitment to its fun, music-infused brand.
Conclusion
Don’t be afraid to use exciting new marketing methods and move away from expensive traditional cost-per-mile (CPM) and cost-per-click (CPC) digital marketing initiatives. Influencer marketing, for example, can be incredibly effective if done correctly. Influencers should share your brand’s values and meaningfully connect with your target audience on social media. Hiring niche influencers can be a more cost-effective and strategic approach than spending dollars on the most significant name a budget can buy. When hiring influencers, consider using a group of influencers. Who can strategically communicate regarding your specific campaign to create the sense that your product. Or movement has permeated the market. This effect can create FOMO (fear of missing out) in your target audience. Leading to an effective and impactful influencer marketing campaign.
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