The pandemic has brought about notable shifts across industries, and the case has been no different for marketing. Today, digital marketing has become a crucial aspect in order to acquire new customers and retain existing ones. In our weekly BrandWagon Ad Talk series, industry experts highlight what has changed over the past two years and more importantly, are these changes here to stay. Amit Saneja, CEO, Educate Online, talks to BrandWagon Online, about the dos and don’ts of digital marketing, best marketing campaigns, and more.
What is the difference between launching a brand in today’s digital era versus earlier?
Launching a brand in today’s digital age is very different from previous approaches. Digital strategies, in contrast to traditional models, forgo spray and pray techniques, allowing precise targeting from target generation to ROI analysis. Elaborate storytelling is now the lifeblood of messaging, unhindered by the expenses of TVCs or print ads. Brands can choose hyperlocal or global strategies with similar rigor and frequently similar prices thanks to digital’s wide reach. Consumer response in real-time promotes agile brand positioning, facilitating rapid adjustments based on immediate feedback, —a capability that was not possible in previous times.
What are the recent best marketing or advertising campaigns you have seen and why?
There have been various good marketing campaigns in recent times and a few remarkable ones were those of Dream 11, Facebook, IPL, and Cred. These campaigns succeeded due to their strong brand as well as product recall, and compelling calls to action that enabled measurement. These campaigns also featured creatively crafted messaging that encouraged repeat viewership without irksome, while also infusing credibility and trust into their respective brands.
Which brand in the last year has made the best use of digital and how?
It is difficult and will be unfair to pinpoint a single brand or initiative because digital effectiveness is too large an area to wager a guess. For instance, for the brand Mahindra, a tweet from Mr. Anand Mahindra can surpass year-long content efforts from others. However, brands like Dream 11 and Cred effectively utilized digital spaces to gain a large consumer base by leveraging social media platforms, influencer marketing, and engaging digital campaigns. Havells also notably established brand credibility through its campaigns, showcasing a strong utilization of digital platforms in the past year by using targeted advertising, interactive content, and building an online community.
In a post-Covid world, what are the dos and don’ts of digital marketing?
In the post-Covid landscape, understanding the symbiotic relationship between digital and offline methods is crucial for marketers. While digital media witnessed unparalleled velocity during the pandemic, offline methods remain valuable partners. First and foremost, the primary rule is not to overlook offline solutions’ efficacy and secondly, to seek hybrid approaches for enhanced effectiveness. It is also essential to be mindful of the costs as digital media and solutions are not as inexpensive as they once were.
One recent bad case of advertising you have seen, and why?
Advertising campaigns can go wrong for many reasons, and the moment we can bifurcate the reasons it becomes easy to identify the faults. One reason is incongruent messaging which is the biggest pitfall because it ranges from exaggeration to outright misinformation and questionable selling. The other reason is overemphasis on creativity where the product’s purpose gets overshadowed and leaves consumers recalling the advertisement but not the product itself. The choice of celebrity ambassador further compounds the issue, as their connection with the target audience falls short. Additionally, rushed production leads to poor content, featuring insensitive and cringe-worthy elements that damage the brand’s image. Hence, it becomes necessary to consider and understand the importance of cohesive messaging, appropriate celebrity usage, and thoughtful content creation in advertising campaigns to avoid any pitfalls.