The dawn of the internet, then broadband, then superfast broadband and smartphones, bought with them some incredibly exciting developments in the world of marketing, but they weren’t without their challenges. There were social networks to get to grips with, Direct Mail was dead, then it wasn’t, email came with beautiful HTML designs and then we had to learn spam triggers and so on; it all became a little hectic. The one thing these did provide was a platform to reach a far greater audience; but then everyone started shouting and now it’s much harder to be as effective as before!
To break the mould, a trend started to emerge which was simple, effective and not too costly, and which makes the most of ‘viral’ without actually needing to be exclusively ‘viral’. Instead of mastering a mammoth number of techniques, this trend takes us back to a time when marketing was much simpler and things were just well, more local. What is it we hear you ask? Well it’s the trend for offline marketing that gets attention online…
Think of it as a ripple; in 2014, brands started to look at key locations, experiences or events which provide a unique and interesting experience for participants. They then plan and implement these, and people locally get something cool or quirky that they’ve not seen before; they then share it online, tell their friends about it, and before you know it, everyone is talking about it, even if they didn’t get to try it first-hand! The only pitfall, these ideas do still need to be interesting and they need to be relevant and engaging enough that people actually want to talk about them. Here’s a few we think do it really well…
Norwegian Red Cab
In a move to encourage people to fly long-haul from Oslo to New York, this interactive billboard connected people in Oslo with a taxi in New York. Giving real-time tours of some of the sights, it’s quirky, engaging and has a lot of tangential benefits…
Swedish billboard for cancer charity…
Drawing on an original ad campaign by pharmacy brand Apotek, a Swedish cancer charity created an interactive ad campaign which reacted to trains at a station. As the train passes, it features a girl whose hair becomes windswept, revealing a touching, surprise pitch at the end. A fabulous campaign which got lots of people talking!
WestJet Christmas Miracles
It may be a little over a year ago now, but the WestJet Christmas miracles campaign is worth a mention! Canadian Airline Westjet set up a ‘Santa Chat’ box at terminals, with passengers telling him exactly what they want for Christmas. While the passengers are busy soaring to Calgary, WestJet shoppers rush to pick-up everybody’s Christmas wishes. Roll on to baggage claim and weary travellers are greeted not only by their luggage, but also by blue boxes with their name on, featuring their Christmas gift wish. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good flight!
KLM Cover Greetings
It seems airlines are top-notch when it comes to interactive marketing; this one’s from KLM at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. After bidding loved one’s goodbye, KLM whisked individuals off to write a message; KLM employees then take your message, rush it onto the plane and stick it to your headrest cover. When you board the flight, there waiting is a message from the loved one you just left behind! With more than half a million views, this video proves a little thought can go a long way!
Although these brands all use technology to best display and create their imaginative campaigns, you don’t need a big budget or the latest tech to make it happen. It’s the thought that counts, so make sure you think about the relationships you have with customers, the things that you know they’ll like and the little touch that will make a difference, big or small! Don’t forget to film it too!