The secret to how advertising is used to connect a human being to a brand’s image. Watch for the three off-beat advertising techniques that create a positive feeling about a brand in the minds of consumers.
Good times and happy feelings are the two things that make a human being feel alive. Amidst the chaos of daily life, people are constantly finding ways that will help them feel rejuvenated and make their present worth living.
While peace is something that cannot be achieved through mere consumerism, bubble bath, and spa trips, there are some good things about buying a product that can help a person feel good at heart. Confused how? Don’t worry. We have revealed the secret for you below.
Deep understanding of consumer psychology and needs
Have you ever reminisced when a song played in the background of a cafe? Or imagine you are in the car, traveling to a destination with your friends. Just then, Hotel California plays on the radio. What happens next is just magical. You travel back to the moment when you first heard the song.
If you are a Bollywood movie buff and a millennial, you know how movies like Kuch Kuch Hota Hain, Chup Chup Ke, and DDLJ are still so special. No matter how much times change, you still resonate with these movies. The truth is that some things always remain close to you. And the reason for that is none other than the feeling of ‘Nostalgia’.
Nostalgia is a process where a thing reminds you of special memories from the past and leaves a warm and fuzzy feeling in your heart.
Advertisers adopt a strategy called nostalgia marketing to connect a consumer with the good old days. Techniques such as imagery, good music, strategic branding of products and services, celebrity endorsements are used to develop an emotional response in the minds of people. A person is reminded of the good old days in return.
For instance, noticed how Coca-Cola bottles appear? Coca-Cola popularly uses nostalgia marketing. Plastic bottles are manufactured like the old glass bottles. The shape and color of the physical product are mimicked to remind the consumers of the old days. The moment a consumer sees the cold drink bottle, it reminds him of his summer vacations in childhood, birthday parties, or school days. A strong emotional response develops in the heart of a consumer because of the nostalgia generating techniques used.
Or take the example of the orange-colored Cheetos packet? Simply taking a Cheetos packet in your hand can make you travel back to your school days. Brands know the importance of nostalgia, and that is why they use nostalgia marketing to gain popularity amongst consumers.
Such techniques work even better considering the face-paced life we are living in at present. Reliving the sweet moments from the past can help you feel better. It can de-stress your mind and body, make your life feel more meaningful, and enhance your mood. That is the reason why advertising products with nostalgia marketing makes so much sense today.
Building a brand’s image with progressive marketing techniques
For the longest time, colour discrimination was ignored by our society until recently when certain brands had to adopt new marketing techniques. The beauty cream ‘Fair & Lovely’ decided to change its name to ‘Glow & Lovely’ because of a progressive-minded society. They were pushed to remove the word ‘Fair’ from their beauty cream as it is colour discriminatory. We want to live in a world with better values where human beings of all colours and all races matter. Regressive beauty norms are rejected by several of us at all costs. Therefore, to make a public appeal and to send out a positive message, a popular Indian beauty brand like ‘Fair & Lovely” changed its name.
The example given above explains the concept of brand activism as a powerful advertising strategy.
Meaning of Brand Activism?
Brand Activism is a process in which businesses put efforts to reform society with their brand. It can be economic, social, or environmental reformation. A lot of consumer brands are taking the initiative to manufacture their products ethically. Cruelty-free and ethically sourced products have gained a lot of popularity amongst the youth. Social media platforms and global connectivity through the internet have increased consumer awareness. Many are now educated about the social and environmental pros and cons of a brand’s product.
A brand’s vegan and cruelty-free makeup products are more likely to win people’s hearts against the commonly available products. A progressive consumer would not mind paying a little extra money. Also, if a product is supporting a good cause it creates a positive impact. This is because endorsing such a product makes them feel positive. Thoughtfully manufactured things add value to their life as it tells that they are doing good for society by opting for meaningful purchase. Brands promoting themselves as ‘organic’ and ‘plastic-free’ are trending to a great extent. With so much importance given to better things, a lot of companies choose to engage with consumers worldwide and give voice and visibility to their brand with such techniques.
Futuristic branding of things or High-Quality branding of things
Whether it is educational content or materialistic things, a high-quality experience is what matters to the people who consume it. Prioritizing the consumer experience over anything else is what leads to a brand’s success. Companies that personalized products after taking into consideration the ongoing market trends and the core consumer needs do way better than others in a hyper-competitive business world. Apple products sell better as compared to other technology brands. What is the reason that consumers are ready to pay thrice for Apple instead of a brand like Xiaomi? It is the brand name. And, also the high-quality experience that is promised by the brand.
Once the brand image is positively created, the scope of being skeptical while making a purchase weans off. Consumers would love to engage in a product that is high-quality and worth the given price. Buying high-quality products from established brands can even make a person feel superior due to the product value in society. Therefore, extra efforts must be made to promote a business with futuristic or high-quality branding of things.
Our final say is that companies must use good techniques for promoting brand visibility, have the right voice and engage consumers of all kinds to succeed at doing excellent business.
