Maybe you are an anti-momentum machine in the stock market. Source: provided
There is nothing better than good marketing. It's interesting, surprising, memorable, welcoming and makes you feel noticed and connected. Standing out in a crowded and more competitive environment than ever is no small feat.
The numbers change by the minute, but we see an average of 7,000 ads a day. While marketing should span multiple goals throughout the marketing funnel (from awareness to conversion), brands that aim for reputation have the biggest impact on your bottom line. Simply put, a 10 percent increase in brand awareness will increase market share by one-fifth.
It's pretty amazing. Startups without a budget have no choice but to be bold and ambitious to compete with their richer competitors. We're sure we missed a lot of them, but here are the top 10 marketing initiatives we'll hang our hats on this year.
1. Normal
Working in the sex industry is tough. Basic infrastructure such as web hosting and payment processing often excludes "adult industries". Not to mention the warning marketing platforms and their lightning-fast response to the removal of what they consider "inappropriate content". To overcome this hurdle during a particularly valuable time of the year for D2C business (hello Black Friday!), Normal created street signs with blurry and misspelled images of its sex toy range. The campaign poked fun at outdated censorship laws and the gender binaries behind them and delivered powerful creative that drew attention. The campaign exceeded all expectations in terms of effectiveness.
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“This is our first major campaign for Normal since we deliberately parted ways with our parent company, and we're so excited to start creative from scratch that it's a pleasure to do so! “We are also seeing significant improvements in marketing effectiveness, with our marketing spending appearing to be 6-7 times more efficient!” says Lucy Wark, founder of Normal and member of the AfterWork community.
2. Stranger Things x Dominos: Mind Organizing App
Stranger Things just got bigger and weirder to kick off its highly anticipated fifth season. The marketing mix was rich in a dynamic mix of activations and partnerships; For example, nose-bleeding Snapchat filters, or Lyft collaborations with haunted house-style cars hired by creepy drivers, or giant Mind Flayer art installations in public spaces like Bondi. Perhaps the best initiative was a collaboration with Domino's, where fans were invited to order pizza live. The app tracked your eye movements and used facial recognition software to help you order the perfect pizza without saying a word. This concept worked for both brands; In addition to restoring Domino's dominance as a tech gamer, they offer Stranger Things fans a new way to get to know the "food group" they care deeply about.
3. Tattoo Ovira for money
Ovira, a pulse therapy device for menstrual pain relief, has mastered the art of revolutionary marketing. It aims to correct injustices related to women's health; And it starts by challenging the taboo of menstrual pain. In her own words, her LinkedIn biography reads: “We are solving the problem of ugly women that society has forgotten about.” Through a combination of extended social media outdoor stunts, Ovira quickly amassed almost 6 million followers on TikTok. Not bad for a topic no one likes to talk about! One of the best efforts this year was when Ovira offered a stranger $500 for his tattoo. The volunteer didn't know what Ovira meant, but he went ahead anyway. This hack gained millions of views and immediately got into the press.
4. Airbnb campaign in Ukraine
This sympathetic business move has become a valuable piece of viral marketing for a company known for its marketing prowess. The company removed all booking fees for any fare made in Ukraine and then encouraged people from all over the world to book. The goal was to put the money directly into the hands of the citizens; quickly And in one month, he raised nearly $2 million. This initiative was quickly supported by Airbnb.org's campaign to fund 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. Airbnb is a prime example of a private business. Stands up for "his own" and carries this concept into all activities; In addition to the marketing department.
5. New shareholders of Patagonia
Similarly, Patagonia caused a global stir when CEO and founder Yvonne Yvon Chouinard announced that her family had decided to make planet Earth the sole shareholder in her A$4.5 billion business. The news generated widespread interest thanks to an impressive array of headlines, publications, influencers and sources of information.
6. "Maybay" by Up Bank
One of the oldest enemy tactics is to retreat while everyone else is zigzagging. UpBank learned this lesson when it took BNPL culture to heart and launched the MayBuy campaign. After research, it turned out that 25% of Australians regret buying BNPL. In response, he launched Maybuy; A feature that allows "Upsiders" to create savings plans for items of their choice. Once the savings goal is reached, they can purchase the entire product. Or no. To kick off the concept, Up opened a pop-up in Melbourne offering passers-by random cash payouts ranging from $10 to $500 for their failed purchases. The activation allowed Upbank to initiate a controversial conversation about BNPL culture; And create thought leadership for this.
7. Coinbase SuperBowl Ads
When a slot costs you over $5 million, you want to make sure you're doing what people are talking about. Coinbase eschews high-profile celebrities and funny stories, instead displaying a single QR code for a generic techno track on screen, much like DVD and Gameboy intros. 20 million people downloaded the mysterious QR code and received $15 in free cryptocurrency.
8. General marketing engine of Milkrun
We thank the Milkrun marketing team for constantly participating in discussions and finding ways to turn every interaction with a client into an opportunity to promote the brand. Social media trolls are offering coupon codes ranging from jumping on the bandwagon of the Mr. Adam meme ("Little Miss F*k It, Rose All Day Baby") to scathing comments about how Bondy can deliver his "bags" in less than 10 minutes. A cheeky name. . "faithful trolls"; It makes it a habit to take risks, overcome complacency, and embrace pop culture.
9. Barilla Spotify Playlist
Before you give up and think you need a serious budget to make a difference, let's listen to some inexpensive, promising activations! Pasta brand Barilla has launched eight playlists on Spotify named after different types of pasta. Each playlist is designed according to the cooking time of each pasta; With names like Boom Bap Fusilli, Moody Day Linguine and Pleasant Melancholy Penne. This simple activation was really helpful and a lot of fun.
10. Icelandic tourism ads will send your email
Iceland has built its brand on a dramatic landscape and quirky national characters. In its 2022 tourism campaign, Iceland combines both elements. In a breathtaking display of absurdity backed by real vision (nothing ruins a party like an email from your boss). So the tourist office has got three horses to answer your emails while you're on vacation; And put on a clean place with a giant keyboard.
Result? A very memorable OOD message to share, such as: “Melissa Miller has resigned. During this vacation, Melissa forwarded all work-related emails to an Icelandic horse named Hrimnir fra Hvammi to give herself more time for adventure.”
This article was originally published by Afterwork Ventures .