Uni Vs Multi Directional Advertising

Back after a long hiatus! Content is all about continuity and consistency Many times, I am a culprit in flouting the same qualities I try and inculcate in my trainees and clients. That’s beside the point.

Today, I am writing to concretize a few thoughts that cropped up during an intense session with the senior management of a well-known Indian appliance brand. The context was the changing landscape of advertising and consumer engagement, and this brand’s struggle to develop an effective communication strategy.

We see major shifts in how modern consumers behave in a multi-channel world. Majority of marketers appreciate this shift but struggle to consider it while developing their strategies and media plans.

What are these landscape shifts?

-      Multi-Channel World: Consumers jump from one channel to another in search of relevant content and valuable communications.

-      Digital: Consumers today spend substantial amount of time in a day tethered to a screen – Mobile, computer, and distant last, TV.

-      Fragmented: Consumers are fragmented (and also self-select) around few channels. Previously: N consumers around few channels. Today: N channels with fewer consumers.

-      Social Influences: Given the clutter, consumers now act as filters, not only for themselves but also for others. Essentially, large numbers of consumers act as meta-layers between brands and other consumers. Social influences drive content consumption.

A big victim is advertising. Most brands have adopted digital channels as key conduits to reach consumers. However, this is still being done the old way – ‘unidirectional’. Typical media strategies today are all about reach and frequency – what I would like to term as ‘boil-the-ocean’ strategy:

-      Pick large segments of consumers

-      Identify several popular channels in which they reside/operate (FB, Email lists, Google, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TV, Print, and so on)

-      Bombard them with messages repeatedly and measure clicks and impressions. (It gets worse for traditional channels where the above metrics are just ‘hope to have happened’)

-      Rinse and repeat

The results are middling; at least for the majority of the media plans I have seen. Even if awareness occurs, it comes at a substantial acquisition cost.

What’s the solution? Creating awareness is terribly important, but it has to be ‘multi-directional’

Consider some of the most successful modern-day firms – Google, FB, Uber, Netflix, Amazon, and my favorite, DollarShaveClub. They have incredibly large user bases, are loved and revered by their users, and have dominated their categories. Interestingly, these firms never spent a dime on traditional advertising campaigns. In addition, old guards (P&G (e.g, Dove), McDonalds, and so on) have adapted to the new reality. Have they created enough awareness? Of course they did!

Below are some of the the qualities that distinguish ‘multi-directional’ from ‘uni-directional’ advertising campaigns? (with my favorite examples). These examples are deliberate. They prove that even old-world products can adapt to the new reality, and push large scale reach.

Emotional connection: Their advertising, both offline and online, is thoughtful, emotional and heartfelt. They make consumers laugh or cry. Example: Thai Life Insurance

Shareable: While being noticed on various channels in important, what counts for more today is how a brand is noticed. When consumers share content, the level of trust grows manifold, and gets implanted in others consumers’ minds. Think of how ‘fake news’ became a major phenomenon that many experts believe dramatically changed the US presidential election. Example: Dollarshave Club

Two-Way conversations: Marketers are still in the unidirectional messaging world. However, consumers now crave for two-way conversations. This applies even to advertising campaigns. Example: Hunter Shoots Bear campaign

Co-creation: Every customer segment has a group that we call innovators. They have great ideas for the betterment of products they consume, and are happy to share these ideas. Provided we give them an opportunity to do so. If not anything, imagine the excitement when consumers believe that their voice is being actively sought to set the direction for a brand! Example: #MyOreoCreation campaign

The positive outcomes are obvious: organic reach, greater recall and brand trust, and significantly lower customer acquisition costs. I don’t think there is a marketer in this world who wouldn’t want those!