‘Epic’ brand campaigns back in fashion as marketers adopt ‘network’ approach
Multi-million dollar TV brand campaigns are set for a resurgence and will play an increasingly important role for companies as they learn to integrate marketing across all channels, according to industry experts.
While stand alone brand campaigns will fade, “big ads” will play a central role in a “networked” approach to marketing that will exploit all channels in a cohesive way.
The predictions followed a flurry of major brand launches from a number of household names, including Qantas, Myer and David Jones, which signalled a return of the big budget TV-led campaigns.
Marketers have just started to realise that while people are all spending time on digital devices, if they’re interacting with a brand in any way it’s not liking Facebook posts, ‘telling us their story’ or starting a conversation with their favourite brand of toilet paper. They’re watching video i.e. content i.e. big budget tvcs that people share and love. There might be an interactive element around them as in the John lewis penguin, but the thing people talk about and share is the telly ad that makes them laugh or cry. People like watching cool shit. Tactical digital ideas don’t get the reach or engagement. For every subservient chicken there’s 1000 ‘big digital ideas’ that no one ever saw. Social media agencies and the so called new model will tell you otherwise but the worm has turned my digital ninjas.
There’s some real twaddle there.
Isn’t this just investing in something that is engaging and stands out above the noise? A big ad experience can be great value if bought well and the right people pulled together.
Sure the message has to match the experience and so the solutions need to be about a full experience of the brand. I think we need to wait and see about Myer as there are other indications beyond a TV commercial that shows they are working on being congruent with ‘wonderment’. I think it is possible that the judgment of Myer at the moment is based on their past but I cannot imagine that they wont be having a clear path to delivering what they promise. Other comms seem to be delivering that promise too. Myer has some heritage that people forget – for families the wonderment is already delivered at Christmas and this is the platform they are stepping off no doubt. I think it is smarter than people are giving them credit.
The big budget behind the TV isn’t the only reason some of this work is successful (or not as it may be), but investing in the right thing at the right time is the key.