Good to know MWL19 deliver when you’re peckish for some hearty insight.
In March, we managed to take a break from creating and get our chops around some tasty insight at 2019’s Marketing Week Live event in West London. Surrounded by a wealth of industry experts and brand spokespeople, the two-day show promised to deliver some Michelin star rated marketing know-how and we’re delighted to share some of our tastiest takeaways with you. So, grab you knife and fork and dig in! Warning: May contain traces of tenuous puns.
Game-on and Chips
At Zero Degrees West, we are advocates of using gamification to sell. Its power as a key marketing mechanic is often overlooked by brands, with marketers feeling a playful angle might not be right for their audience or message. However, done in the right way, this type of brand interaction is proven to grow brand trust, improve product recall and generate sales.
But what exactly is gamification? In a nutshell, it consists of borrowing elements of gameplay and applying them to your content to create the same levels of concentration you would usually see in a state of play. And let’s be honest, everyone likes games in some form or another.
Reflect Digital served us some great stats as to why gamification is a key ingredient for any campaign. When they spoke to 2000 British consumers, 58% said that online ads had little or no influence on their buying behaviour.
“The big issue, that people simply aren’t engaging with traditional advertising”
Reflect Digital
This is where gamification steps in, “At it’s most basic level, gamification taps into the very human need to play…60% of consumers said they would be more likely to buy from a brand if they enjoyed playing a game with it, rising to 86% for those who had experienced gamification before”.
Instagram appears to be the pioneer platform for social gameplay with ever-developing interactive tools in Stories such as polls, sliders and question stickers, making it even simpler for brands to create captivating content.
Here at Zero Degrees West, we have used gamification across various campaigns to engage our clients’ audiences, such as our Happy Death Day 2 U ‘Tap to Blow Out the Candle’ asset which used playful interaction to evoke the movie’s “Groundhog Day” context and give audience’s a reason to keep consuming.
Peeking Fo-Longer
We spent a portion of the show hearing from Lumen Research, who help their clients understand, through eye-tracking, whether their ads are demanding the right amount of attention. According to their research, only 4% of digital ads get more than 1 second of attention. “Attention is a finite resource. Just because people can see something does not mean they will see something.” – Lumen Research
Only 4% of digital ads get more than 1 second of attention
Lumen Research
With consumers overwhelmed by digital ads everyday, they have become adept at ignoring them; only 1 out of every 5 ads is actually looked at, which is a worrying stat.
Their advice? If in doubt leave it out. Avoid over-complicating content by keeping copy short, imagery clean and products clearly visible. This goes for both digital and physical advertising; your consumer is time poor, they have picked up a paper to look at the articles – not to read your print ad. So, make it as easy to digest as possible.
And it’s not always the product or offer that needs to take centre stage. Lumen tested the digital ads used by British Gas in their latest campaign and found that by simply including their cute campaign mascot, Wilbur the penguin, in the background of their digital ads, they saw an 80% rise in visual salience. As Lumen puts it, “You can always entertain your audience into looking at your ad”.
Video Vindaloo
Video marketing experts Brightcove delved into the hottest video formats that can help guide your consumers down the purchase path. And with video able to generate a 50% faster revenue growth for companies (Aberdeen Group, 2017), we picked three case studies that we hope will make you hungry for some fresh consumer facing content.
Live Video – Lush Cosmetics
Two years ago, ethically minded cosmetics brand Lush made a bold leap into the world of live streaming, creating up-to-the-minute content on issues their customers care about and, in turn, becoming much more than just a retailer. They started producing live-streamed content showcasing staff and “like-minded gamechangers”, delving into topics spanning human and animal rights, sustainability and the environment, bringing with it a wealth of new opportunities for the brand.
The success of their live content led to the creation of their very own streaming platform Lush Player, consisting of five channels hosting a range of informative and engaging video content from creators world-wide and garnering them a subscriber followship of 173k.
Adding to that, Lush recorded a brand turnover of close to £1bn last year. Matt Shaw, the man behind Lush’s new entertainment creation arm Lush Presents told Advanced-Television.com, “This is a huge opportunity for a company that strives to be in the vanguard of good business practice and we’re seeking like-minded partners to help us create content that entertains, inspires, informs, shocks, amuses, but above all speaks the truth.”
Courtesy of @lushcosmetics
Lean Forward Video – Berluti
‘Lean Forward’ refers to those moments in your consumer’s day where they have enough time to focus their attention for more than a few seconds but not enough to watch long form content. So, your video needs to be short, impactful and deliver your desired effect quickly.
To elevate Berluti’s already desirable high-end clothing line, they chose to add video into the consumer’s online browsing experience. Drawing the consumer’s eye to specific products and creating an added (albeit subtle) element of engagement. In these ‘lean forward’ arenas, users are waiting to be engaged as they “mindlessly” scroll so this is where video can make a real impact.
“Use ‘Lean Forward’ video formats when your ad’s objective prioritizes brand awareness.”
Edelmen
Lean Back Video – Salomon Apple TV
As you might have guessed, the ‘Lean Back’ experience refers to periods in your consumer’s day when they have time to settle down and delve into longer form content, whether it be on platforms such as YouTube, Netflix or news outlets for example.
Sporting goods brand Salomon has been investing in long form video for a while and recently launched their very own TV app full of unique stories tailored to their brand loyalists. Covering a range of sporting activities, the content also features specific product lines championed by Salomon’s athlete ambassadors.
Thomas Decieux, VP New Business, Accedo, the company hired to bring Salomon TV to life commented, “Relationships between consumers and brands are evolving and companies need to adapt business strategies and innovate in order to win the hearts of their customers. Salomon has recognised that video is a great way to increase customer engagement and OTT Flow has helped expand the possibilities of the brand’s content.”
After walking away from Marketing Week Live full to the brim with insight, we do hope we managed to tantalise your content taste buds with our top marketing takeaways. But, if you are after another helping of expert advice from our team, why not contact our Senior Account Director Emma at emma@zerodegreeswest.com to find out how we can help with your next campaign.
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