Top 5 ads of 2019 that swept all the awards, and hearts.
A good commercial has the power to increase your brand value, new customers and generate sales. Catchy phrases, jingles, creative taglines and more can draw mass attention and become history when done right, bring the companies higher returns.
2019 saw some of the most interesting and brilliant concepts and with digital media growing, we are likely to see even more fantastic campaigns in 2020.
With digital and online consumption growing, Hubspot research states, “Turn your Customers into your biggest advocates and promoters.”
Image Credit: Hubspot
Still, wondering or creating a plan for your 2020 campaigns to reach the goal and get the ROI?
We have gathered a few of the best ads of 2019, take a look and get which may get you inspired for your next. It can be helpful to learn from these award-winning, revenue-generating campaigns and implement a few strategies or elements in your next ad campaign.
In the world full of competition and ads literally everywhere, let us delve into the details of the finest campaigns and embark on your creativity for 2020.
1. IKEA: Real Life Series
Image Credit: The Drum
A brilliant concept of cross-referencing and recreating the living rooms of iconic TV shows to capture the cultural imagination of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Unlike the U.S and U.K, where the brand has a strong presence and is a retail novelty, gaining mass attention and relevance in UAE is a little difficult.
The brand selected Publicis Spain to recreate the set of living rooms of the classics ‘The Simpsons’ or ‘Friends’ and ‘Stranger Things’. The print ads show real furniture from the store’s inventory, modelled and edited using 3D software to give the real effect.
The project ‘Real Life Series’ is on IKEA’s social media and catalogues and even appears in stores in the Middle East. It has launched a website that offers exact iconic decorating pieces from the shows.
The tagline ‘For Real families’ highlights the diversity in Ikea’s products among the diverse population of the UAE. As per the press release, it aims to prove it can provide relevant solutions to all cultures.
2. Tetley -Now We’re Talking
A classic example of Rebranding and Brand Positioning.
To help the brand target a wider and more diverse audience, the tea brand decided to create a mire meaningful positioning, fresh identity and a creative campaign that would win the hearts and minds of the nation.
The concept of the ad campaign was developed on the premise of the emotional territory of ‘togetherness’ with a strategy around conversations flowing. The idea is Tetley Tea can get anyone talking even, an unlikely friendship of a dog and cat. As soon as the owners leave the house, the dog puts on the kettle. He and the cat enjoy a cup of Tetley over everyday conversations that people have on the sofa.
While the Tetley Folk represented the brand, the new brand assets cat and dog represent regular people and their conversations. The brand wants to remind us of this campaign that it feels good to have a face to face conversation over a cuppa.
The mission is to rebrand Tetley Tea more modern and for everyone by implementing an emotionally engaging idea that can connect everyone and anyone. As soon as the ad went on air, the brand’s social page was filled by the people with love for the furry twosome.
Here is a small selection of comments on the Sparks 44 website.
3. Casper, Sleep Puzzle
Image Credit: Adweek
Don’t be surprised if mattress brand Casper is a part of your subway commute. Confused? No trendy campaign or strategy to sell mattresses but PUZZLES at subways stations.
The answer to the above is SN +Booze -B =Snooze and F+Vest-V =is Fest. Snooze Fest. These puzzles with many more are strategically being placed in trams and stations. This has caught the attention of many bored, idle or tired travellers.
What makes this idea brilliant is the simplicity and curiosity of people. Casper encourages the audience to crack the puzzle and when searching for the answer, hover to the website for the right answer. This lands them in the market for a new mattress.
Another highlighting point is the placement and timing of ads. Who better to market than the people waiting around and searching for the answer. It might seem like a short span to grab attention but has a long term effect than any typical ad. It’s more fun and interactive where Casper is giving them a direct path to a quality product that solves sleep puzzles and sleep problems.
4. Wistia, Brandwagon
Wistia, a video software company launched its marketing show “Brandwagon” instead of parking their funds in different types of ads.
A glimpse of the show to give you an idea about it.
This video series shows interviews with Wistia’s experts and other companies as well about marketing campaigns and strategies. This content enables us to keep viewers on the Wistia’s website, display its marketing credibility and inform marketers about different techniques.
Video series is a long format compared to blog posts and there is a growing trend of online series. Many brands like Mailchimp and Uber have started their own series, talk shows, and documentaries. This binge-worthy content enables marketers to re-purpose episodes into micro-content.
Hubspot survey says, 83% of marketers prefer video as it gives them a good ROI and more than 50% of consumers want to see video content more than any other type of content from brands.
5. Microsoft, We all Win
In Microsoft’s emotional Super Bowl campaign, the mission is to show how Microsoft Xbox Adaptive Controller to help gamers with limited mobility.
When it came to the attention of Microsoft that people with limited mobility are having trouble pressing buttons or trouble holding the remote of video game controllers, the company built a controller with touchpads rather than buttons.
The Gold-Clio winning commercial shows how Microsoft interviewed children with missing limbs on their love for video games, troubles and difficulties with controllers due to their disabilities. Parents and children featured in the campaign and explained how gaming helps them to connect with friends in ways which they might not be able to do otherwise.
The most engaging part of the commercial is the contrast before and after Xbox Adaptive Controller and made a big change. Before the new controller, the kids thought that’s the way of life but the new technology and controller allows them to play games fairly.
An emotional and heartwarming campaign with in-depth content shows how Microsoft took time to develop a product that solved problems of a unique set of customers. It makes you feel that Microsoft as a brand truly takes care of its customers and takes extra effort to make a smooth experience with their products.
It has more than 29 million views and 25k likes on YouTube. It has the highest Unruly EQ score of 7.5.
Wrapping Up for 2020 Campaigns
The above list of campaigns shows the creativity of expert marketers that win attention with deep content. Brands have found a unique way to educate their customers or competitors with out-of-the-box thinking like puzzles or fun activities generating revenues.
Get ready to launch campaigns in 2020 as the stage is set for new ideas and thoughts.
A Case Study On Why Case Study Is The Start Of Epic Marketing.
The marketing landscape is wide and marketers are increasingly finding it difficult to create a foothold in the crowd. Companies big or small posts on social media, enhancing their website, blogging and promoting their content effectively to new prospects. With so much information available, it is challenging for a company to get people to read the content.
Well, to grab the eyeballs of the readers, marketers need to exhibit the value of the product and service and not do only talking. This means don’t just hype about your company or products but share real experiences of your customers with your products in the form of CASE STUDIES.
Case studies take time and money to create but the results can be tremendous.
Why are case studies so valuable?
Every business has its marketing materials like brochures or sales copy for promotion and sales. But is it sufficient to close sales? Well, not really!
Do you know case studies are more effective than any traditional sales collateral? Why? Here it is:
According to Ascend 2 survey, 60% of marketing influencers prefer case studies as the most trusted content type by the target audience.
Image Credit: Marketing Charts
Case studies tell stories about your product and company. It is under-optimized but wholly effective. As the saying goes, “ A picture speaks a thousand words”, the same logic applies to sales and marketing. You narrate stories of your brand, weave pictures and evoke emotions and logic.
People connect to stories and case study is an apt marketing tool to boost your conversions and increase your sales. When you release content which is a case study, you emphasize a particular problem that you solved using your product or service. They are simply testimonials for your brand.
Research by Content Marketing Institute, case studies are the second-most preferred B2B content marketing tool by marketers and are amongst the top 3 effective types of content used by B2B marketers. So, a well-crafted case study should highlight ‘this is exactly what we are looking for’ from a prospective target after looking or reading it.
Case studies are flexible and don’t have a single format to follow. You can choose any type to present your facts and observations:
- Video: An interactive format for a prospect where you interview a customer who shares their story.
- Blog Posts: Publish your written case story as a blog post.
- Ebooks: An Ebook for a lengthy written case story.
- Infographics: Time consuming but visually appealing to share the information in a precise manner. You can share it easily on social media.
- PDFs: A professional and easy-to-read format with detailed information and facts. You can e-mail it to your prospects.
Why your business needs case studies?
After a clear understanding of the value of case studies, let us comprehend the benefits of case studies for your business to increase website conversions and drive sales directly.
1. Brand positioning as Market Authority
Case studies are built on the premise of facts and statistics with actual conclusions. Therefore, documenting a case study with researched numbers and facts helps you to position your brand as authoritative in your industry.
It doesn’t matter if you are in a software service or pizza delivery business. What counts is the number of pizza baked and delivered or software downloaded as these facts and figures will help you to be the market leader in your industry. Publishing insightful case studies will help you to become a thought leader and first advantage mover in your niche.
For example, in the App Annie case study, it helped FDG Entertainment with the aggregation of data and have all their apps and ad platforms in a single dashboard. As a result, advertising revenue has grown its bottom line by 50% compared to the previous year.
A case study with a renowned brand uplifts your brand value as well.
2. Target Niche
By niche, we mean a specific target/ prospect. If your case study is well crafted, it will not be vague or general.
Companies may have a wide range of services and products. The general information about it might be suitable for your webpage to show the array of products or services but an effective case study should be specific and in line with the goal of your product offering catering to your target market.
Super Top Secret created a design and develop every new character for the gaming company Riot Games. It was a success with massive visitors on the site and millions of hits in a short span. A classic example where the company has a perfect sales pitch for the target prospects from the gaming industry.
3. Be prospect focused
Most companies focus only on their products and services, mission and vision, and achievements. It’s all about them like other companies and not their prospects.
However, the motive of case studies is to provide optimal solutions to your customer’s problems with your expertise, resources, and efforts. It answers your prospect’s question “ what can you do for me” before making any buying decision.
A well-crafted case study can reach different prospect or personas. For example, your company produces a conveyor system for a manufacturing company. The project is an overall success and you can write one case study that is relevant to the different people involved in the buying decision-making process of the equipment.
- Heads Operation Manager: the case study will focus on the seamless working of the equipment, connection with the existing ones, and easy maintenance.
- CFO: the case study will focus on the financial aspects including costing, productivity, feasibility, etc
- CEO: the case study will focus on how the equipment enabled the featured customer to have a competitive edge, improved productivity and technological upgrade.
In B2B marketing, there are several people involved (especially in high capital investment) looking for role-specific information to consider the options.
4. Social Media Proof
In this digital age, customers need more proof to be convinced.
In the early years, a sales copy would suffice to convince a customer to buy a product. If an ad said that this woolen sweater will keep you warmer than the competitors’, the customer would buy it on face value.
Today, times have changed with technological advancements and social media, customers have more access to find information about the product at a lightning speed before purchasing it.
As a result, peer reviews and product reviews are very important. 92% of online consumers read product reviews before making a purchase decision with the majority of shoppers reading product reviews between one and six (see the chart)
Image Credit: Bizrate Insights
5. Case studies independent of sales material for online and offline
You may have different sales materials like brochure, website, portfolio of clients, or samples depending upon the nature and type of business.
But your prospect is still unsure between you and your competitor? What to do next?
Present your case study. It can persuade the prospect and convert into a potential customer who wants to buy your product. Feature the case study on your website and other social media platforms to gather more eyeballs.
A key point to remember, after any sales meeting or follow up call send a pdf of your case study to the prospect and for a high-value deal, present it in person.
Maximize your sales conversion
Case studies are time-consuming and can take weeks or months to develop depending on the data, process, and format. It can be an expensive affair too.
Having said that, only creating and publishing data isn’t enough but for high returns and sales conversion, make sure that the readers enter your sales funnel to get converted into your customers.
Harvard Business Review has found in a study of 34 million interactions between buyer and content that case studies have an 83% completion rate- orders of magnitude higher than any type of marketing content. Therefore, case studies are remarkably an effective marketing tool and commonly used as a testimonial in B2B sales. Case studies act as a credibility builder for the brand.
