Promotional Content and Modern Marketing

Traditional marketing techniques are all about the push and the hard sell. And to be completely honest, these tactics are ‘traditional’ because they worked and worked well, but they don’t necessarily work well now. This doesn’t mean you can’t sell directly to a certain demographic. It simply means people no longer want, nor will they tolerate having products and services shoved down their throat. There are several reasons for this, but the main one is a change in consumer thinking and spending habits.

Consumers have almost gone backward in time with their spending. They no longer just want to buy a product. For them, it’s almost like buying into a company. They want to buy from a company they can trust and rely on to be there, and I’m afraid using the same tactics as your local used car salesman doesn’t conjure up images of trust or reliability.

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Advertising Isn’t About You, It’s About Them

I figured if anything could be considered the ‘best advertising;, it should be Super Bowl ads. With a single 30 second ad expected to cost more than $2.5 million this year, they would have to know what they’re doing, right?

That’s when I came across a recent study by Dr. Rama Yelkur and Dr Chuck Tomkovick of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (Report Available By Request).

After studying 462 Super Bowl ads from as early as 2000, the professors found the amount of focus on the products during an advertisement could actually harm the success of the ad. According to their study, the best ads were full of creativity and held some entertainment value with a minimal amount of information about the product. Interesting thought, don’t you think?

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Marketing in the Social Sphere

Social Media Marketing is all about engagement, blah, blah, blah. Let’s face it, Pepsi dropped its Super Bowl Ads and moved to the social sphere because it figured out the connection it makes with its ideal customer is better on the various Social Networks than on television during the Super Bowl. And when you consider Social Media Sites are experiencing continual growth while users are increasing the amount of time they spend there, this makes sense. But it isn’t just about where you are these days; it’s how you present yourself that’s making the difference.

(Before we go any further, I’d like to say that I’m a firm believer in the idea that SM is NOT for everyone. A recent study by Cone Research revealed that an estimated 41% of Americans don’t use websites, blogs, social networks, and other New Media. An additional 8% only use New Media once a year! So, if your ideal clients are in this 49%, chances are your money would best be spent elsewhere, but that’s another post.)

What Pepsi has done is take its brand out of the untouchable, ‘I’m a massive company you can’t touch’ shell and injected itself into the homes of millions while opening the door to becoming a part of every community in America. What they did is take $20 million of their ad budget, started a website, and asked people to go there to suggest community projects it should invest in. Smart. Freaking brilliant, if you ask me.

Now, they will have numerous non-profits and community organizations singing their praises in addition to the connections they’re making on the various Social Networks. Granted, their brand is plastered absolutely everywhere, but it still takes a back seat to their customers. I think we could all learn from that.

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Engagement and Non-Profits

Cone Research found that cause marketing had a profound effect on the results of a company’s marketing campaigns. They learned consumers who supported various cause marketing campaigns were also more likely to interact with brands through various electronic mediums. And while 28% of marketers think green marketing is more effective, only 22% of consumers have supported environmental causes. Hmmmm.

Bottom line, companies need to show they’re interested in more than just making money and selling products, even if they are! Marketing with mutual benefits has much more effect on consumers, and why wouldn’t it? After all, they’re no different than marketers. They only want to do things that have a direct benefit for them, even if it’s the warm-n-fuzzy feelings of giving to someone who needs it more than they do. They want to be entertained and informed.

So, whether you’re writing a guest post to promote a new product or starting an entire new marketing campaign, forget the cheesy selling and put some thought into it. The creativity definitely pays off.

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