Great advertising must tick these marketing boxes

How many adverts have you been exposed to today?   How many do you remember?

As a marketer, I'm pre programmed to read messaging, ever hopeful of finding a pearl in the sea of mediocrity (a bit dramatic, but you know what I mean).  

This week I was rewarded for not automatically hitting the pause button as soon as the ad break started, by a rather unexpected source of inspiration - Wall's sausages.  Watch below.

This is great advertising because it ticks so many marketing boxes.

1. Engage your audience

The first job of every marketer is to grab the attention of those who are likely to buy the product and encourage them to keep reading, watching and finding out more.  Only then, can any selling begin.  Cue cheeky chappy voice over, suburban setting and all important wallsie outfits.  Two seconds in and we're hooked.

2. Tell an authentic story

This ad pitches the Wall's brand as the everyday choice.  In under a minute it depicts seven easily recognisable characters, (uk based because that's the target market).  Like a mini soap opera, each personality type is dressed in the all important wallsie, uniting them in the brand and entertaining the viewer in the process.  Genius.

3. Opens infinite channels of communication

Now that we're all clammering to join the wallsie set, Wall's have a fabulous opportunity to use this concept as a real product - linking on and offline marketing.  Think tradeshows, competitions, social media, blogs etc.  A Pinterest page of sausage photos has limited appeal, but the wallsie has endless possibilities.
Giving the old onesie trend a new twist, encourages audiences to think of Wall's as a brand that understands what makes people happy.  Wall's becomes a friendly, down to earth, good spending decision, rather than a typical food manufacturer and to show your appreciation you can now join the community on Facebook, Twitter etc (ideally while wearing your wallsie).

4. Differentiation from the competition

Name three sausage manufacturers?  Most people would be struggling to answer, but in this advert, Wall's have given viewers a reason to remember them.  Their storytelling and entertaining visuals, make sure the audience is rewarded for their watching time and links the brand with a feel good factor, worth talking about.  As a hook for the brand, the wallsie now provides instant recognition and differentiates them from the competition at the same time - pleasing investors and buyers alike.

5.  Great content sells

People buy from people and by creating a personality around the Wall's brand, this ad makes sure they're top of mind the next time you're shopping.  Great content makes the product desirable and accessible to the audience, by building emotion and trust.  Getting your customers sharing the message on your behalf, (over 7,000 viewers on youtube in its first week of posting) is marketing gold.

So, will I be rushing out to buy Wall's sausages?  At this point I should probably confess to being a vegetarian, but I've written this post in appreciation, so in my own little way I'm contributing to their empire.

Has any great marketing grabbed your attention this week?

What's your story? 3 hints to help you create brand buzz

Once upon a time, all a brand needed was a website, a shiny corporate brochure and a stand by the food concessions at the local trade show. This trinity reassured shoppers that you were a legitimate business and helped them to trust you enough to part with their hard earned cash. But that was many moons ago. Now content, (anything you create or share to publicize who you are and what you do), is king and brands need a personality. Eek!

So, what's your story?

Hint 1 - Your story is NOT about you

Yes it should convey what you stand for and what makes you unique, but it has to be communicated in a way that shows what you do for your customers. It's all about them. Your aim is to make your audience care. Drive empathy, inspire them, build an emotional connection. These are the things that prompt action and create a sense of urgency about the sale. Dollar Shave Club is a great example of storytelling in action (https://www.dollarshaveclub.com/)


Hint 2 - Your story needs to resonate with your audience

It's not just what you say, it's how you say it and where you post it too. Think about the audiences you're trying to reach and craft your content to match their lifestyles. Portray your brand as the antidote to their problem, using language they would typically use, in a format which will be most appealing to them.

The devil really is in the detail, so make sure your imagery, typography, colours and layout attract and are suitable for the channels you're using. Example? A funky young sunglass company, based in New York, realised that their audience couldn't always wait for even next day delivery and so the vending machine for sunglasses was born http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/first-vending-machine




Hint 3 - Start with a big idea, then get layering

Red bull make an energy drink to perk you up faster than coffee, but rather than dwell on the ingredients or the recyclable packaging, they focused on what their customers might do in their new caffeine fuelled state. The resultant stories have made this brand synonymous with extreme sport and daredevil antics. This little Austrian company, which used to sell drinks, is now a TV, record and radio producer, sports agent, game maker, app developer, events creator and so much more - worldwide. Red bull drinkers supply much of the content directly to the company. No wonder they've sold over 40 billion cans of fizz. Watch their storytelling below and tell me you don't feel inspired.

Now, grab a blank sheet of paper and get answering

• who are we?
• what are we not?
• who would we like to be?
• which qualities do we want to be known for?
• who would find us most useful/valuable?
• what do they need to know about us?
• what's the best way to tell them?

Go on. Create your story.