Opinion
Turning old into gold: Reinventing traditional marketing tools to have a positive impact
Marketers are constantly obsessed with finding the next new technology, the next emerging trend, the next ‘big thing’ that will give them an edge over the competition, explains Richard Brett, CEO of Ogilvy PR and Ogilvy Health.
But there’s also great value in looking for new ways to rethink and reuse existing assets.
Which tools and techniques in your current armoury could be reinvented to delight existing customers and win new audiences while having a positive impact on the world?
In our new report – The Real, The Unreal and The Reinvented – three trends are explored that are reinventing proven marketing approaches – for good.
Commerce Hacking
We’re seeing brands play with transactional experiences in new and inventive ways to get noticed, often with purposeful intentions to do good. It’s about taking the stance of a challenger brand and reimagining processed to create meaningful change.
With the cost-of-living crisis forcing families to skip meals or seek assistance from loan sharks to put food on the table, British supermarket chain Iceland offered interest-free microloans to thousands of shoppers. More than 50,000 signed up for the ‘Iceland Food Club’ within a week, accessing cards pre-loaded with up to £75 through ethical loan company Fair for You.
Looking to reduce electronic waste and environmental impact, refurbished electronics marketplace Back Market used Apple’s AirDrop technology to message consumers as they were looking at iPhones, iPads and MacBooks in Apple Stores. The ‘Hack Market’ campaign directed them to its website, where they could save money and reduce CO₂ emissions by more than 90 per cent.
The Intentionalists
Brands are increasingly reimagining capitalism as a force for good, where making a positive impact goes hand in hand with financial success. This ‘intentional capitalism’ concept was big at Cannes Lions this year.
Outdoor retailer Patagonia weaves social good into everything it does, going so far as to repair garments made by other brands in order to minimise environmental impact. But it went one step further when founder Yvon Chouinard transferred ownership of the brand to the planet we live on. Now the profits on its billion-dollar annual revenues will go to protecting Mother Earth.
China has the most beer drinkers in the world, but produces poor-quality limes, which was a problem for Mexican beer brand, Corona. Many of the famers growing these limes also live in poverty. Corona tackled this by partnering with farmers, agricultural experts and local government to improve farming techniques and expand yields. It sold 2 million Corona-branded limes in the first year and regenerated farming in the region.
Data for good
This innovative movement harnesses the power of digital and search to create positive change, challenge biases, and foster a sense of community. It’s about leveraging data for a greater purpose.
For the 1.5 million Ukrainians who ended up in Poland after fleeing war in their own country, deciding where to live was just one of many problems they faced. Mastercard’s ‘Where to Settle’ campaign used data to make this choice easier based on important factors like the average cost of living, employment opportunities, and education access. It worked, with 20 per cent of Ukrainians who relocated to Poland using the app to help make a fresh start.
A lack of credit history is a big problem for Mexican women with dreams of starting their own business. WECapital found a clever workaround based on the knowledge that these women usually have weekly or monthly store accounts with shopkeepers. It invited women to sign up to its ‘Data Tienda’ platform and upload purchasing histories with up to 10 stores. More than 2,300 women have received micro-loans for business or study plans as a result.
Given that the purpose-led marketing of the past decade isn’t going away anytime soon, we can expect to see more traditional marketing techniques reinvented and rebooted as a way to solve real problems and engage new audiences.
Richard Brett is CEO of Ogilvy PR and Ogilvy Health
