The Financial Express
The pandemic has brought about notable shifts across industries, and the case has been no different for marketing. Today, digital marketing has become a crucial aspect in order to acquire new customers and retain existing ones. In our weekly BrandWagon Ad Talk series, industry experts highlight what has changed over the past three years and more importantly, are these changes here to stay. Harshna Pasari, head of marketing, BlueStone, talks to BrandWagon Online, about the dos and don’ts of digital marketing, best marketing campaigns, and more.
What is the difference between launching a brand in today’s digital era versus earlier?
Launching a brand in today’s digital era offers broader reach, enhanced engagement opportunities, and the ability to leverage data and analytics for better decision-making. The digital age has fostered a greater emphasis on engagement and interaction. Still, at the same time, it has accelerated the shortening of attention spans, so it takes sharper targeting and in-depth personalisation to grab eyeballs even when creating quality advertising.
What are the recent best marketing or advertising campaigns you have seen and why?
A recent advertisement that stood out to me was Brooke Bond Red Label’s World Social Network Day spot. When you think about it, tea and social media have nothing to do with each other. However, the brand identified such a powerful insight and paired it with a heartwarming story of building human connections. What’s more interesting is that this story resonates with the masses as the conversation around digital overstimulation keeps gaining momentum.
Which brand in the last year has made the best use of digital and how?
Swiggy is a prime example of a brand acing digital marketing. Right off the bat, their product solves multiple user needs, whether it’s groceries, deliveries, or food orders. The peripheral communications, too – delivery tracker icons, app pushes, WhatsApp, and emails – have set the standard for innovation and insight. More importantly, their ability to pick apart user behaviour and tell deep stories from within their universe wins hearts and brand loyalty. A few favourites of mine are ‘Why is this a Swiggy ad?’ and ‘Wrong Address’.
In a post-Covid world, what are the dos and don’ts of digital marketing?
Dos:
Adapt to changing consumer behaviour: Stay informed about consumer preferences and behaviour shifts. It could mean tailoring your purely-digital strategies to omnichannel, personalising the purchase experience, and exploring new platforms and touchpoints to meet your audience’s evolving needs and expectations.
Focus on empathetic communication: Today’s digital marketing must reflect empathy and understanding. We’re seeing EQ being leveraged in terms of brand personification. We see brands courting transparency, founders showcasing the raw behind-the-scenes reality, and consumers counting on brands as friends. In a complex world, consumers know that no brand can be perfect and are willing to accommodate the intricacies as long as the business espouses humane values.
Don’ts:
Rely solely on automation: While automation and AI can be beneficial, marketers shouldn’t overlook the importance of human touchpoints. They should balance automated marketing efforts with personalised interactions and human customer support. Automation can come into play at the level of testing and optimisation.
Ignore the power of storytelling: Digital marketing should go beyond product promotion. Marketers should leverage storytelling techniques to create emotional connections, share authentic narratives, and build a strong brand identity.
One recent bad case of advertising you have seen, and why?
Advertising is a creative art, and we see it go wrong frequently. As a medium, there is a reliance on humour, hyperbole, and other forms of speech; however, they should be accompanied by a sense of corporate, moral and social responsibility. An example of a brand that got it wrong horribly was Layer’r Shot Deo. Their ads tried to be humorous but fell into the chasm of misogyny.
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