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The business world has been forever transformed by ever-evolving customer expectations, while the digital marketing sector opens its eyes to the importance of staying current and on trend. As younger generations make their mark and add their own unique spin to campaigns and initiatives, companies are quickly realizing that quintessential quirkiness is the key to truly engaging today’s market.
Following in the footsteps of brazen businesses like Slack and Skittles, more organizations are ditching the status quo and opting out of generic corporate jargon and professional fluff when communicating with customers by asking themselves: Why be beige when you can be brilliant—and maybe a little bizarre?
Going for Gold By Being Bold
When it comes to today’s digital marketing space, there is a misconception that professionalism equals seriousness—even when it relates to how creativity is infused into initiatives. Gone are the days of stiff, stereotypical business brochures that evoke more yawning than yearning as audiences crave more personality, stronger connections, and real interactions. By playing it safe and sticking to the norms, companies miss out on the unique opportunities that come from viral posts, out-of-the-box social media campaigns, and authentic audience appeal.
As the cornerstone of competitive distinction, creativity is the spark that blazes the trail for organizations to differentiate themselves from the rest of the herd. Playing it safe makes companies blend in with the crowd. Being bold is what gets you noticed and requires innovative approaches to building a brand that catalyzes conversation and curiosity. The aim is to have audiences feel more involved, as opposed to merely being targeted.
Curiosity Killed the Cat, but Satisfaction Brought It Back
To tap into the minds of their consumers, businesses first need to identify what their audience’s true interests are by deriving rich insights from existing engagement. By leveraging this data, enterprises are able to craft more compelling content and share intriguing anecdotes that pique audience attention. In turn, digital marketers can respond to reactions by refining strategies to cultivate a more dynamic environment where curiosity thrives. Businesses are then better positioned to remain relevant while traversing a constantly shifting marketplace. It all boils down to how companies can connect with their customers.
Picking up the Slack in Productivity
Slack is championing this approach by throwing caution to the wind—funny bone first, so to speak. This digital workspace application is known for its commitment to powering communication remotely, but has quickly captured the hearts of their audience, both pre-existing and potential, but injecting humor into their digital marketing campaigns. From automation to collaboration, Slack sought to skyrocket the salience of its product features by bringing them to life through song and dance with a captivating comedic musical called “The Big Meeting”.
By partnering with Brand New School’s Chris Dooley, Slack wittingly depicts how their workplace communication platform propels “productivity without the big production”—with the main character insisting on preparing for a customer meeting with a major musical number as his colleagues utilize Slack tools to complete their tasks, all before he realizes that all he needs is Slack. In this way, the memorable collaboration playfully portrays and pivots from the fallacy that non-stop work leads to optimal productivity—while punctuating Slack’s whimsical and strange spirit.
Getting Comical in Digital Marketing
Taking a comical and strange approach to digital marketing doesn’t directly translate to randomness for the sake of it. In an era where the same tried and tested techniques can lead to audience fatigue, businesses must dive deeper into what’s possible when they slink away from standard flat lays and user-generated content. The last thing modern customers want is lifeless and predictable content. While you can’t get lost when you stick to the map, you’ll also never discover hidden gems or forge your own way if you don’t stray from the path.
By loosening the reins on digital marketing campaigns, companies can unleash higher levels of longevity and brand differentiation that might have been lost had they stayed in their comfort zones. With over 40 television advertisements depicting half-sheep hybrids and anthropomorphic piñatas, Skittles is a pioneer for the power held in the stranger side of marketing. By embedding whimsy into their initiatives, this confectionery company has cracked the code on quirky creativity, as evident through the 30-year run of their “Taste the Rainbow” campaign that leaves audiences in awe.
Mitigating Monotony with Memes
Another way companies can grab the modern customer’s attention is by drawing from iconic pieces of pop culture, highlighting their relevancy and trend-awareness. Using such graphics evokes feelings of nostalgia and serves as a reference that clearly communicates to consumers in a way that feels natural and authentic, while meeting the audience’s need for familiarity and storytelling.
Known for its often controversial and tongue-in-cheek ads, Nando’s uses memes to add political and social commentary to its marketing initiatives. By doing so, this company sparks public conversation while generating buzz around their own offerings—bringing the audience into the experience directly. Savanna Cider has also been successful in audience inclusion through meme culture by establishing a dry humorous tone throughout their campaigns—echoing their slogan “It’s dry, but you can drink it” and reinforcing their brand identity.
The question is: Why does meme marketing work so well today? The answer is because it emphasizes the human side of business in a genuine manner. With millennials spending an average of over 200 minutes online per day, the usage and sharing of memes possess a unique viral quality that offers higher organic engagement rates due to their relatability. This form of outreach also spreads faster than any other type of content, with audiences constantly resharing what resonates with them—thus boosting its reach and brand visibility.
Conclusion
The conventional approach to digital marketing is no longer cutting it. Winning over audiences by embracing the strange and whimsical is carving the path for more engaging and memorable customer interactions and stronger brand loyalty. Predictability is the silent killer of digital campaigns, but the good news is that they can be easily revived by breathing new life into them through the magic of mitigating the mundane.
When companies let go of the expected corporate facade in favor of brazen branding, audiences are more captivated and inclined to engage. Above all, catapulting the creativity of digital marketing campaigns unleashes an organization’s ability to stand out from the competition and forge stronger, more authentic connections far above customer expectations. Why play by the rules when the audience is constantly rewriting them? While the risk of missing the mark may seem daunting, diving into the deep end and daring to be different can open a world of opportunities otherwise left in the dark recesses of the comfort zone.
