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. Abhishek Tiwari, global business head, NetSetGo Media, 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?
Marketing a brand in today’s world is not what it used to be before. Among the things influenced by the effect of the digital landscape are new opportunities and challenges that influence brand introduction strategies unlike any time in history. Traditionally, brand launches were dominated by television, radio, and print; they were measurably limited in reach and speed of feedback. Now, with the digital space, the playing field becomes global for any brand looking to make its debut.
Probably the most prominent would be the digital presence that comes with it. Contemporary brand launches involve creating a robust online presence—through a well-built website and established social media, with strategic digital marketing efforts—in a very different way than earlier campaigns focused around physical marketing pieces like brochures and billboards.
Data and analytics are, in relation to traditional brand launch methodologies developed prior to the digital age. Today’s firms have real-time insights into the tracking and measurability—very much so—to witness the effectiveness of branding efforts. This data-driven approach affords speedy adaptations and very personable marketing strategies in contrast to generalizations that are less measurable in nature under the earlier framework.
The velocity and the swiftness of digital platforms let brands engage very fast in trends bared by markets and consumers. In doing so, within this fast-moving setting, an engagement with customers over comments, reviews, and social media interactions empowers them to respond in real-time and fosters a line of direct communication that was previously unimaginable.
Another hefty advantage of launching a brand in the digital era would be cost efficiency. In most cases, one derives higher reach at lower costs with digital marketing channels compared to traditional ones, democratizing the process of branding and hence letting smaller players compete globally.
The digital age also challenges in terms of relentless learning, adapting quickly to fast-changing digital trends, and striving to be noticed in an overcrowded online space. Nevertheless, never were the opportunities for brand growth and engagement sharper than in this era of the digital age; therefore, it is a very interesting time for brand launches.
What are the recent best marketing or advertising campaigns you have seen and why?
Of the many stimuli, two recent marketing stimulation activities are remarkable in approach and, in this regard, the large impact: the Barbie movie promotion and the release of the teaser for Grand Theft Auto 6.
The Barbie movie campaign—with its humongous budget of $150 million—showed the perfect epitome of approaching modern marketing with the blend of a nostalgic and contemporary theme. A weighty experiential marketing strategy lies in the omnichannel strategy: what was originally a social media takeover cascaded into real-life “Barbie Dreamhouse” experiences, kind of like a cultural phenomenon. Indeed, the self-aware humor of the campaign and the ability to address such iconic, at the same time controversial, views of Barbie’s history went to another level beyond the superficial look of the figure, sparking discussion about gender roles and societal expectations.
On the other side, the release campaign for the GTA 6 teaser proved the power of anticipation and cultural significance in the playing industry. Rockstar Games got into a blockbuster movie release approach in demonstrating modern-day gameplay as cinematographic in characteristic of a phenomenal movie. The YouTube teaser, released in December 2023, gathered more than 19 million views in a couple of weeks, indicative of super-cinematic graphics, a nod at real viral clips from Florida. This tactic really played into the cultural clout of the game because, even before the trailer was released, studios from all over the industry were making reference to GTA’s designs.
The success of the GTA 6 campaign was also achieved through such effective work with social media. Archiving all posts but the one with teaser pictures of the trailer provided an air of exclusivity and built the atmosphere of anticipation—perfectly targeting their core audience, as 62% of GTA fans are interested in films and cinema, which is 27% higher than the global consumer.
Both campaigns are based on insights and activation created around audiences, immersive experiences, and driving conversations around culture in modern marketing.
Which brand in the last year has made the best use of digital and how?
Of late, Nike’s “What the Football” campaign establishes one of the finest uses of digital marketing. In this creative campaign, it is vividly observed how a global brand such as theirs can take advantage of digital platforms in order to create engaging, interactive, and culturally relevant material that their audiences covet.
At its core, “What the Football” was a program about deepening the celebration of diversity and creative expression in soccer through social media—in effect, deftly using platforms like TikTok and Instagram to encourage football lovers worldwide to show off their own unique skills and interpretations of the sport. This gave a fillip to engagement and formed a wider sense of community among Nike’s audience, making passive consumers of the brand story active participants.
The campaign worked due to the perfect mix of celebrity influence and grassroots participation. Having professional footballers in the mix but also everyday players enabled Nike to create a relatable story with an aspirational tone. Particular effectiveness belonged to short-form video content, which was in line with current social media trends and general consumption habits, hence easy to share and go viral.
It took Nike a step ahead of social media by infusing its digital strategy into its mobile app, providing users with exclusive content and offers that would help engage both sales and customer engagement. Integration of augmented reality features, allowing users to ‘try on’ football boots, brought the gap between digital interaction and physical product experience very narrow, succinctly showcasing Nike’s commitment to innovative technology.
In these digital platforms, Nike has not only increased its brand visibility but has also gone further to increase the depth of the relationship with this audience. The “What the Football” campaign showed that if done creatively and strategically, digital marketing can transcend conventional practice in advertising and become a cultural movement—truly cementing Nike’s place as a leader both in sports and in digital innovation.
In a post-Covid world, what are the dos and don’ts of digital marketing?
Looking forward into the post-Covid digital marketing landscape, certain habits can be looked upon as the most vital key practices. Basically, the dos of digital marketing would now include:
Adopt an Omnichannel Strategy: Make sure it is a seamless journey across your various digital platforms such as social media, website, and/or mobile apps.
Leveraging data: Collection and analysis of customer data for the purpose of offering personal, relevant, and timely service as well as for noticing trends and patterns that will be helpful in the development of pertinent strategies without infringing the customer’s rights on privacy.
Invest in Content Marketing: Write up high-quality, relevant content that has value for the audience by building trust and authority within your niche.
Prioritize organic growth by focusing on search engine optimization and App Store Optimization to enhance visibility in search results and app stores.
Mobile-first optimization: Adopt an app-first approach by realizing the growth of mobile and take advantage of this trend as a stepping stone for further growth.
Foster online communities around products or services and encourage community participation to create pockets of loyalty-based customer retention.
On the other side of the coin, don’ts of digital marketing in this day and age:
Changing trends: Always be ready to improvise on new digital trends and consumer behaviors.
Overpromotion: Avoid bombarding your targets with promotion-rich content. It tires them out, and they then tune off.
Neglecting customer feedback: Have in place a very strong customer complaint redressal team, and address their problems efficiently and without greed.
Ignoring user privacy—There needs to be transparency in data collection and its usage. The post-pandemic times raise even more concern over users’ privacy. Skip Testing and Optimization: Test the digital strategy in a continuous loop for optimal performance.
Grossly Neglecting UX and UI: With so many alternatives available across categories, a poor user experience might really turn things sour enough to send the customers flying out of your door. By doing these dos and avoiding these don’ts, building closer ties with their audience, long-term growth will be much within reach for the brands eyeing to turn post-COVID challenges into their advantage in the digital landscape.
One recent bad case of advertising you have seen, and why?
While the subject calls for sensitivity, one such case of advertising that drew a lot of flak was the Pepsi advertisement featuring Kendall Jenner, released a few years ago but still discussed as a cautionary tale in marketing circles.
The ad, where Jenner joins a protest and hands a Pepsi to a police officer, has since faced a lot of criticism over how it believably marginalizes serious social justice movements. It seemed to say that any complex problems in society can be solved by sharing some soft drink. For many viewers, this is simply tone-deaf—insensitive to the ‘real’ battle fought by protesters on ground level.
The campaign failed at many levels:
Socially contexted misconception: It trivialized and commercialized such significant social movements by revealing a complete ignorance of the extent and complexities of these issues.
Poor timing: The ad was published at a time when there was social strain, and the lighthearted attitude toward serious issues seemed piercing.
Inappropriate celebrity face: Kendall Jenner, an individual having nothing to do with activism, leading a protest scene looked incongruous and opportunistic.
Limited diverse perspective: The ad seemed to have next to no contribution from people who have really worked within social justice movements, hence making the activism presented shallow. Failure to anticipate public reaction: The brand seemed not to be prepared for the backlash, an indication that no rigorous testing or consideration of the possibility that this ad could have a negative interpretation had taken place.
This case most powerfully illustrates the sensitivity, long documentation, and multiple perspectives that advertising, more so that touching on large social themes, needs to embody. In the view of this case study, it can be realized how brands must turn honest, socially conscious, and sensitive to the broader implications of their messages.