Cutting marketing budgets can feel like an obvious decision when facing a new economic downturn. Yet companies that do go down this road often perform worse than their competitors – the brands who understand that working smarter is more beneficial than working harder with less resources.

Recently I’ve been thinking of a friend in my youth. He would only spend a fixed amount when refuelling his car. He said it was his way of navigating high prices. When prices suddenly rose enough, I remember asking him if was going to cut down on driving. “Stop driving? Never!” he said. Then, with a knowing smile, he told me he would in fact be doubling his fuel budget. After all, he was a busy young man.

I wouldn’t have said my friend was wise at the time, but he came to mind after reading many recent articles on preparing for the economic downturn. The common message from the most successful brands seems to be “Don’t stop marketing!”. Perhaps my friend with the car came to mind as one writer’s article questioned Henry Ford’s insistence that “Stopping advertising to save money is like stopping the clock to save time”. My guess is he had the same knowing smile as my friend had when he said it.

Looking up and ahead when facing a downturn

Luckily, academic research can support businesses when the immediate impulse is to stop. The data reveals that there is a real cost in doing nothing – in fact opportunities are lost when the focus is in the wrong place.

For example, in German professor Peter Steidl’s 2009 book, Neurobranding, he points out that companies that increase their advertising budgets as part of their corporate strategy in times of recession, can really pay off. In fact, some have actually increased profits by 4.3 percent – while those that cut back only increased by 0.8 percent.

A more extensive study, carried out by two professors from Harvard among others, followed 4,700 listed companies in the USA through the 2008-2009 recession. They found that 80% of the companies took a minimum of three years to return to approximately the same level as before the recession – while 9% flourished and delivered at least 10% better results than their competitors quickly after the downturn was over.

The secret, according to a Harvard Business Review article summarising the study in 2010, consisted of what the professors called “pragmatic behaviour” – strengthening the organisation’s internal efficiency, and investing significantly more than competitors in marketing and R&D. However, this is not simply about maintaining the advertising budget. Reassessing the multichannel strategy, taking a closer look at what works, and in short, adjusting to get the most bang for your buck, is what works.

Prepare for the future, today

Positive results for businesses that not only aim to survive the downturn, but also make the effort to prepare their brands for the future was evident in both studies. To save you from sifting through a pile of academic papers, I’ve narrowed down 5 key action-focused pragmatic points to consider to help your business to more than survive, but also thrive when facing the downturn:

Don’t cut advertising

Marketing and advertising are not “nice to haves” – they are a vital prerequisite to maintaining operations. Remind management that this attitude cannot change during economic downturns. If the strength of your brand cannot be maintained at every touchpoint – and even made stronger in the minds of your customers – both sales and profitability will fall.

Look closely at the technology stack

Recessions provide the opportunity for a holistic, scrutinising look at your company’s portfolio of ICT tools and software solutions. Do any have overlapping functionality? Are some expensive in relation to the value they provide. Or have competing solutions with better features emerged? As the number of advertising channels has exploded in recent years, is the company still equipped to operate effectively in the ones relevant to you business? “Work smarter, not harder” can be an important mantra to adopt, as there are modern brand management tools that can significantly improve efficiency and provide the value, available to even small marketing departments on reduced budgets. Getting these in place before austerity measures take hold in earnest is vital to survive and thrive through the challenging times ahead.

Focus on ROI analysis

Is the marketing department (and the company) equipped to make useful, traceable analyses of channel use, tactics, partners and campaigns, so that you know what promotes the brand and turnover? Two developments make this necessary. Firstly, marketing now encompasses so many parameters that few companies get far with gut feeling alone – experience must be linked with data so that you can do more of what works and less of what doesn’t. And secondly, most CEOs and CFOs have now gained great respect for the importance of data analysis in most decision-making processes. So much so, every CMO must now be able to show solid data analysis to justify their actions and decisions – that is if they want to be taken seriously by the rest of the board of directors.

Experiment, learn and try again

In many contexts, brands can go a long way by trying out a few simple moves, seeing what works and then doing more of it. Here, it is not necessarily a question of gambling with large sums. Start small. Measure the effect. Increase the effort on what is working. Following what your customers are doing, and looking for trends in target groups’ behaviour, keeps the customer at the front and centre – and your brand’s responsive attitude has a great chance of being rewarded with loyalty.

Adapt. Adapt. Adapt.

In economic downturns, it is extremely important to be able to adapt quickly – it has been proven time and time again. Have you invested in a direction that suddenly turns out not to work? Make sure you can quickly turn around and drive in a different direction. Does an unexpected opportunity align with your brand in a way no one had anticipated? Make sure you can grab the opportunity – fast.

I was catching up with my old ‘fuel-smart’ friend this past summer. It was in the middle of pump prices reaching record highs across the country. He told me that long ago he had switched to an electric car. One that automatically smart-charged when the electricity price was at its lowest. Yet toll rings, parking and other considerations meant that he tended to cycle to work on a daily basis. Still working hard to think smarter.

He gave me the same knowing grin as he gave me all those years ago. If I’ve learned anything from him, it’s that even when facing hard times, with the right attitude there can still be plenty to smile about.

This article was originally published on 25 October 2022 on kampanje.com.

It’s safe to say that streaming accounts have been working overtime throughout the last year, and it got us thinking… What lessons can we learn from Hollywood movies, and how can we apply them to have a positive impact in marketing?

If you’re still scrolling endlessly through the movies menu and can’t decide on a film for a quiet Saturday night, we’ve put together a watchlist that’s filled with key take-outs for marketers. 

So, grab your popcorn, turn off the lights and get yourself comfy for the premiere of Papirfly’s marketing lessons from the movies.

Oversights can cost you big time

You might have the budget to pour endless time into creative agencies and blue-sky thinking, or to roll out huge global campaigns across every channel you can imagine. But that doesn’t mean you have everything under control… 

“No expense spared” is a phrase that appears throughout Jurassic Park before the inevitable happens; mistakes are made, certain things are underestimated, and the park descends into chaos. Compare that to losing sight of your campaign strategy, and you could be looking at inconsistent assets, materials that aren’t suitable for local markets and incoherent messaging.

In the world of marketing, that’s the equivalent of being stranded on an island overrun with ferocious dinosaurs.

The lesson for marketers here is to use your budget wisely. Make sure you can take a step back to get a bird’s-eye-view of your workflows and marketing materials, and how they are being used by your teams.

Our verdict: A classic for all the right reasons

“Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and Dodge.”

The five Ds of Dodgeball remind us of the benefits of having an agile approach. And, just as importantly, that there are downsides to not having one. Make the wrong move, or move too slow, and your brand perception could take the hit. You also run the risk of missing out on amazing business opportunities because you simply didn’t react.

Things will always move fast in marketing. So you need to be ready for changes in shopping habits, consumer attitudes, technology, current events and the industry itself.

Taking the time to develop an agile marketing strategy will help you predict these changes before they happen and put you in the position to refocus your approach when they do.

Our verdict: Effortlessly funny and engaging

Know your audience

Just like Sulley and Mike, you might think you’ve got a tried-and-tested way to keep your audience engaged. But when your only trick is serving the same content time after time, it won’t be long before they get tired of it, or start ignoring you altogether.

Using techniques like empathy mapping is a good way to uncover your audiences’ pain points and position your brand as the solution. While your overarching brand purpose might remain the same, the way you communicate it to your audience will be better aligned with their needs and values.

Monsters, INC. also teaches us that the way things have always been done isn’t always the best. It can be hard to break away from the status quo, but being brave and venturing into the unknown can shake up the entire industry for the better and put you ahead of your competition. Continuous evaluation of your audience can help you find new and uncharted ways to resonate with consumers.

Our verdict: A wholesome story that’s elevated with comedy

Don’t lose control of your content

Sharknado is a movie that shouldn’t have been. And yes, it’s as ridiculous as the name suggests. Starting out as a joke between friends, this low-budget TV movie, complete with bad special effects, terrible acting and a storyline that makes little-to-no-sense, somehow became a 6-part movie franchise.

It’s a great example of how content can take on a life of its own and go beyond the control of its creators. When you have teams across the globe using different agencies to create thousands of assets and marketing materials, it can be easy for something completely off-brand to slip through the net.

Save yourself a Sharknado by using a digital asset management tool to centralise all your marketing assets, making them easily accessible and adding extra layers of approval.

Our verdict: An unlikely recipe for storyline success

Stay one step ahead

What makes Marty McFly the hero in this movie is his ability to think on his feet and stay one step ahead of Biff, his arch-nemesis. He does this by keeping the past, present and future in focus and anticipating every move before it happens (or happened). 

We also see Doc and Marty learning lessons from failure, adapting on the move, solving problems in the face of adversity and never giving up on their goals. These attributes wouldn’t look out of place in a successful marketing team.

If you don’t have access to the flux capacitor, then data is your closest thing to time travel. Having a way to collect, analyse and share data will help you predict industry changes before they happen and make those early decisions that will change the course of history for your brand.

Our verdict: Way ahead of its time – in a very positive way

Work smarter, not harder

While we can’t condone skipping school, we have to admire Ferris Bueller’s creativity, boldness and ambition to do things differently. Sometimes you can get more done by breaking the routine and allowing yourself more time for what matters.

Part of the Papirfly vision is to create a world where work doesn’t have to get in the way of life. With the right tools, there are more possibilities than ever to be creative and achieve more in less time.

So many leading brands are embracing employee empowerment by trusting their team’s expertise, communicating effectively, listening to their suggestions and removing the need for micro-management.

The result is more self-directed employees with a clear understanding of business goals and the confidence to deliver. This not only increases productivity, but creates an environment where teams are enthusiastic about their work.

Our verdict: A must-watch for an entertaining escape

The moral of the story

All great movies have a protagonist, a goal to overcome, and a resolve. This is where marketing and story-telling crossover to take your brand on a journey to discover its purpose, resonate with audiences and achieve your business goals.

As well as a great excuse to put your feet up and enjoy a good film, we hope our movie selection has brought you the insights you need to make your marketing memorable.

It’s that time of year again, as people up and down the country get their first glimpse of this year’s Christmas adverts. These highly-anticipated ads bring a welcome distraction from the monotony of the year and gently move us into the embrace of the festive season.

2021 has been no exception, as several leading brands have already showcased their holiday offerings… 

John Lewis

For many, John Lewis is the benchmark for all Christmas ads in any given year. This year’s effort is everything you’d anticipate from them – a heartwarming story, loveable fictional characters and a goosebump-inducing soundtrack.

However, this ad has faced a fair amount of backlash and apathy in comparison to their previous offerings. A quick scan through their YouTube comments showcases this sentiment:

• Nothing will ever beat (insert previous ad here)
• I didn’t get any Christmas vibes from the advert
• It was formulaic and melodramatic

Whether it is a case of previous years setting the bar too high, or the ad didn’t encapsulate the Christmas spirit as John Lewis has in the past, their 2021 contribution is undoubtedly polarising.

Boots

Boots leaned on a touch of celebrity for their advert, telling the story of Jenna Coleman and her magical #BagOfJoy, gifted to her by her nan.

It is a whimsical story that stays completely on the Christmas message, with Jenna using her infinite bag of gifts to treat her friends and family, with the final heart-tugging scene of her giving her nan her own gift.

Again, a scroll through the YouTube comments puts the spotlight on one word – ‘lovely’. That’s the Boots ad in a nutshell, a sentimental, traditional and uplifting tale.

M&S

Meanwhile, the M&S 2021 Christmas ad hones in on humour by bringing lovable character Percy Pig to life.

With great voice-over work by Tom Holland and Dawn French, this ad sees Percy revel in his first Christmas, with Dawn’s fairy showing him all of the delicious food on offer this year (conveniently skipping any pork products!)

While significantly shorter than the other two, this injection of humour and the adorable characters will be sure to capture the imagination of many.

The making of a classic Christmas advert

As these three distinct ads demonstrate, every year the stories that brands tell battle it out to become the one that resonates most with the general public.

But often the bid to stand out ends with very similar outputs. While Coca-Cola’s ‘Holidays are coming’ stands firmly in a category of its own, many other brands fall into the trap of producing repetitive narratives and production styles that have left the iconic Christmas ad format feeling a little tired and formulaic, such as:

• An adorable protagonist
• An acoustic cover of a well-known pop song
• An unexpectedly touching ending
• An accompanying product range for said protagonist
• An original strapline to tie it all together

Many would argue John Lewis’s 2021 effort fits firmly in these parameters, which is maybe why it has received a middle-of-the-road response. And while there is undeniable creativity and effort that goes into these adverts, their stories may no longer be enough to engage audiences that have endured two years of real-life plot twists and an endless stream of emotionally-fuelled messaging from brands. 

Below we’ve highlighted some Christmas classics that helped to lay the path for iconic holiday promotions, and what brands can do to take a leaf out of their book this year.

While internet shopping and mass closures plagued the brand, Toys R Us is set for a mini-revival thanks to Macy’s. Prior to all this though, their advertising was highly effective, and while this ad dates back over three decades, there’s still a lot it can teach brands of today…

What can brands learn from Toys R Us, Magical Place?

We briefly mentioned covers of famous songs as one of the strings brands have to their formulaic ad bow. But if you take a look at this advert, one of the first things that stands out is the original music. 

Composing a jingle or song that sticks in the minds of consumers is of course an incredibly difficult task, but the lesson lies more in the level of commitment and effort that went into it. 

Hiring someone to perform a cover, along with the legalities of using a well-known artist’s song doesn’t come easy, but it’s been done so many times before. John Lewis even managed to get Elton John to sing and star in their ad back in 2018. 

So unless brands put a completely new twist on a song, they will only continue to out-celebrity each other with covers for so long. We know that music is an integral part of many Christmas adverts – usually resulting in the original or cover song re-entering the charts – so it’s important that agencies move away from the standard cover format if they want to bring something new to the table. 

Change the words. Switch up the genre. Surprise people with its delivery. Give the opportunity to an unknown artist. Make it instrumental and let the story speak for itself. 

How the delivery looks will vary from brand to brand, but one thing’s for sure – audiences will only react to acoustic covers of Oasis and Coldplay songs for so long.

Though Yellow Pages ceased printing in 2019, it’s a brand that’s still imprinted in the minds of multiple generations. Since going digital ‘Yell’ doesn’t need to release TV ads like they used to (they’ve had some great ones, you can watch them here), but this particular Christmas ad can teach brands some traditional and modern lessons.

What can brands learn from Yellow Pages, Mistletoe?

With the rise of TikTok, busier lives and shorter attention spans, short videos now make frequent appearances on social media. This advert from Yellow Pages is under 20 seconds, yet it tells a powerful story that highlights the product it is trying to push.

We learn that the book is so thick and comprehensive that the young boy is able to use it to gain significant height. It engages, it informs and it tugs on the heartstrings with its Christmas mistletoe spin, all with just 4 words of narration and 19 seconds of footage.

With many of the modern Christmas ads, we usually have to endure much longer sequences, not seeing any payoff or surprise until the last few seconds. A good strategic move for many reasons, but wouldn’t it be clever if a brand could tell their story and leave a great impression in much less than a minute?

Imagine a powerful series of shorts that stood out from the long-winding adventures of woodland creatures and animated vegetables to deliver Christmas messages that were concise, on-brand and equally as effective.

A brand needs to get across a lot, and with Christmas adverts usually being amongst the most expensive to produce, it’s understandable to want to say everything in one go. 

Exploring shorter stories to create a connection, spark intrigue or encourage an action could help your brand stand out.

This wholesome TV ad effortlessly captures the spirit of Christmas in exactly a minute. Featuring many traditional elements of a holiday scene – Santa, Christmas tree, soft glowing lights – this was one of the most iconic adverts of its time. This advert, though over 30 years old, could still land well on screens today. Let’s explore why…

What can brands learn from Kellogg’s Cornflakes, Ho Ho Ho?

The power of nostalgia in advertising can never be underestimated (Sainsbury’s proved this back in 2014 with their ‘1914’ Christmas ad). Since the end of 2019 many doubts have been cast on the future by media outlets and politicians. Reminiscing about the past and simpler times is a great way to bring back hope and revive the Christmas spirit.

This could take the form of introducing a well-known character from the past, capturing the essence of particular decades, bringing back historic brand adverts, or simply encouraging a tech-free, family-focused season. The simplistic nature of the ad is what gives it such broad appeal.

And after a succession of catastrophic events, audiences will want to reconnect with times that have gone by in a way like never before, and feel hopeful about the future. 

Which brands’ Christmas ads will stand out this year?

We expect to see some brands really push purpose and socially-driven narratives this Christmas. From saving the environment and the Christmases of the future, to taking brave political stances on global events, there is going to be some breaking of the traditional formula in more ways than one. 

Brands and agencies that take this approach will need to be cautious of ‘purpose fatigue’, be creative and ensure that whatever actions follow the TV spots match their holiday focus.

On the other hand, we are likely to see brands wanting to inject happiness and humour into uncertain times. We therefore believe we will see some imaginative and borderline offbeat approaches that will thwart the traditional TV ads. Expect clever and curious direction, feel-good stories and optimistic stances on the future. 

What audiences will engage with best remains to be seen, but as each person has responded so differently to the pandemic, it would be impossible for brands to hit the mark every time. There will be some people who want straight-talking sales and promotions ads, and others who crave humanisation and big-scale gestures from brands. 

One thing that’s guaranteed is that brands across the world have a fantastic opportunity to round up the events of 2021 in a truly creative way, and set the tone (and bar) for 2022.

Is the hybrid model the future of work?

Hybrid working. The popularity of this term may have skyrocketed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but make no mistake – this is an inescapable future for the vast majority of companies across the globe. Let’s take a look at hybrid working at-a-glance… 

But just because it’s unavoidable doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. On the contrary, the growing trend towards some configuration of hybrid work model offers a lot of big benefits for businesses of all shapes and sizes, including:

Reduced running costs

With people coming into work on staggered schedules and businesses no longer needing to have all hands on deck at all times, this means there is less need to spend on extensive office space. Instead, companies could rent the space they save out to other organisations, or simply reduce the amount they rent to cut down their overheads.

Better work-life balances

A lot of people have benefitted both practically and emotionally from having the opportunity to work from home. They can work more flexibly, and when they finish for the day, there’s no long commute awaiting them. While interaction with coworkers is great for morale and to prevent isolation, many will appreciate the adaptability of a hybrid working model.

Boosted productivity levels

Research has found that many people claim to be more productive when working from home compared to being in the office. If employees have all the tools at their disposal to work remotely, this more comfortable, familiar environment can actually encourage them to work more efficiently.

Wider recruitment opportunities

By employing a hybrid or remote working model in your company, you are no longer restricted to hiring people within the vicinity of your office. Instead you can look farther across the country, or even internationally, to find ideal recruits for your organisation.

Appealing to younger generations

With a large proportion of millennial and Gen Z recruits prioritising benefits like flexibility and better work-life balances over traditional salary-based perks, being able to offer a hybrid working model can appeal to their needs and offer you a competitive edge when recruiting.

Tackling the challenges of hybrid working to marketing teams

Nevertheless, while hybrid working can inspire these benefits and more, it can also introduce a number of new challenges – many of which revolve around communication and organisation.

Now, these are two essential qualities that any effective marketing team must possess. Without them, campaigns become jumbled and chaotic. Assets become inconsistent or become lost in the shuffle. Jobs get duplicated or ignored altogether. And, as a result, your brand identity can take a big hit.

If not organised effectively, a hybrid working model can quickly create this unwanted scenario. With people working separately away from the office multiple days a week, or possibly in perpetuity, it can make it difficult to collaborate on campaigns or projects. And, if left to their own devices, it is possible assets and collateral are produced that contradict your brand’s personality.

This is a situation all marketing teams are keen to avoid. Fortunately, with the right systems and processes in place, it is more than possible for you to reap the benefits of a hybrid environment while avoiding any sleepless nights over the quality and consistency of your brand.

Here are our 6 top tips to help you get started:

Tip #1 – Invest in DAM

First, let’s tackle the potentially major headache of materials going missing, or employees having to send dozens of emails to get their hands on an asset they need. When teams are spread far apart and working disparately, it is easy to forget to send assets over to the people that need them or lose them in an ocean of folders.

To overcome this problem, it is crucial to contain all your assets in one central hub. This is where a DAM (Digital Asset Manager) or equivalent solution is a must-have for any hybrid work setting. You can store an infinite number of assets in this digital space, which can then be filtered, searched for and found by team members across the globe when they need them.

No delays. No lengthy email chains. No lost property. Everything is housed in one place for when it is required. A solid DAM solution will also allow you to assign permissions to users, so they can only access relevant, brand-appropriate materials for their needs, so there is no risk of anything being published that isn’t supposed to due to a misunderstanding.

A DAM-like system is a fundamental tool for effective hybrid working. It enables marketing teams to find all the assets they need in one place, wherever they’re working from at the time.

Tip #2 – Make brand guidelines easily accessible

As well as centralising your brand assets, it’s crucial to do the same with your brand guidelines. Guidelines and style guides in general are crucial for keeping your marketing efforts aligned and consistent across all channels, from social posts and blogs to posters and billboards.

It prevents your teams from second-guessing your brand identity and empowers them to create with confidence. But, if your brand guidelines are solely printed out in a folder somewhere in your office, it isn’t much use for your employees working from home.

So, it is critical that these guidelines are housed in one central, accessible online location. Your remote employees can then always refer back to them when creating materials regardless of where they are, meaning there’s no risk of going off message.

Tip #3 – Establish clear communication channels

Nothing can create chaos in a marketing team like not knowing who is on a job, or who they should contact for updates. Whether it’s a designer in need of copy, or a marketing coordinator waiting for assets to set a campaign in motion, if people are out of the loop, it can cause costly delays and derail productivity (particularly if there are time differences involved).

With this in mind, it is important to establish points of contact for everyone, be it project managers, creative directors or others, who can coordinate messages and prevent any long-winded, convoluted email chains among various team members. If you work with an agency or other freelancers, this also ensures that any contact with them is streamlined and consistent, so that any work or amends aren’t missed or duplicated.

Leveraging effective communication tools like Slack, Zoom, Trello, Asana and the many others available on the market can also be highly beneficial. These help keep everyone in touch over the course of a campaign or project, ensuring nothing is overlooked as a result of people not being in the same vicinity.

Tip #4 – Keep briefs focused and available

Successful briefs succinctly translate the goals, purpose and intentions of a project to the relevant team members, forming the foundations for inspired creative thinking. If they contain an excessive amount of detail, are lacking key information, or are simply written in a confusing way, this will lead your remote workers down problematic paths.

To prevent this, establish a clear, consistent template for creative briefs, refining it over time where necessary, to ensure that your disparate workers always receive the ideal level of detail to produce high-quality work. This will help guarantee that work reaches the proofing/approval stages in a strong position, without the need for constant supervision or check-ins.

Tip #5 – Digitise proofing and approval workflows

Proofing and signing-off completed work can be a wearisome process even with everyone working in the office at once. If an asset is constantly going back-and-forth between designers or agencies and the relevant marketing managers, this can quickly push campaigns back hours, days, or even weeks.

Digitising these processes can cut down these waits significantly, and help work get through regardless of where everyone involved is based. Online collaboration tools mean that everyone who needs to check an asset can see and input amends in real-time to the recipient, so they can all be made in one motion, and then be instantly approved for use in the required campaign.

At its heart, this is about making a previously manual, tedious process into something more dynamic and efficient with the right digital proofing and approval workflows.

Tip #6 – Have a centralised campaign planner

When you have deadlines to meet, it is helpful if everyone involved is aware of this information. So, giving your remote workers access to a digital, centralised campaign planner can give them total clarity on what assets need to be supplied and when. They can then structure their days around these priorities, so nothing is overlooked.

For the best results, we’d recommend a campaign planning tool that enables you to attach briefs, tag marketing materials, and manage specific folders for each project. This will give you total oversight and clarity from start to finish, regardless of whether your teams are working from their desks or are at home.

Embrace hybrid working without hurting your brand

Now it has gained a greater foothold across the globe, the hybrid working model is here to stay. With more and more professionals appreciating the flexibility that this approach offers, it is crucial that everyone, including marketing teams, identify ways to make these models work without compromising on the integrity and strength of their brand.

We hope that our tips will enable you to embrace this model with no repercussions to your brand identity. It will take some getting used to, but with the right tools in place to keep communication and organisation at a high level regardless of people’s working environment, you can really start to feel the benefits of a hybrid approach.

There’s no denying the power of video in today’s marketing landscape. Over 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, and it is estimated that by 2022, online video content will make up 82% of global consumer traffic on the Internet.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg:

• 240 exabytes (where one exabyte = 1 billion gigabytes) of video content is expected to be consumed worldwide each month in 2022
• The average user is predicted to spend approximately 100 minutes a day watching online videos by 2021
• Mobile video consumption increases by 100% each year
• There is believed to be around 1 million minutes of video crossing the Internet every second

Of course, as we highlighted in our article on optimising video marketing, the content you use should always lean on the values that underline your company, the nature of your products and services, and the tone that your audiences expect from you as a brand. 

But knowing what ideas are out there and experimenting with them is key to discovering which connects with your users and helps you reap the full benefits video can have on building brand awareness and effective lead generation.

Below, we’ve listed 21 standout video marketing ideas that have been proven to help B2C businesses capture clicks and keep their customers’ eyes on their brand.

21 ideas to supercharge your B2C video content

#1 – Share your brand story

First, use video to shout about who your brand is, where you came from, and what you stand for. A great brand positioning video should emphasise your core values and how your company looks to make life better for its customers. This helps viewers visually understand the personality of your brand and, if they feel this connects with their own values and ideals, will compel them to learn more about your company and encourage them to get on board.

#2 – Product demonstrations and explainers

It’s good to tell customers how your products will benefit them through your website or in brochures, but it’s even better to show them first-hand. Product demonstrations and explainers allow viewers to clearly visualise how your offerings work, show transparency and support their understanding of them in a way that writing can’t always communicate.

72% of customers would prefer to learn about a product or service via a video (Hubspot)

#3 – Customer reviews and testimonials

Another way to help consumers to understand your products and the benefits they offer is by showing them other customers that have already experienced them. With 88% of consumers claiming that reviews influence their purchasing decisions, highlighting genuine, authentic stories of people who have used and enjoyed your products will inspire trust in viewers that they will also enjoy a positive experience with them.

#4 – User-generated content

As well as reviews, encourage your audience to get involved in your marketing by harnessing their own footage of customers using your products or services. Of course, it is important to secure their permission before pursuing this, but once you receive this, sharing user-generated content on your social feeds is another powerful indicator that people benefit from your offering, which may then inspire others to feel them too.

#5 – Thought leadership pieces

Modern B2C companies are expected to be more than just product manufacturers and sellers. By sharing your expertise in thought leadership pieces, be these individual interviews or roundtable discussions, you provide your viewers with knowledge and insight that they may not have had before. This increases their understanding of your brand and industry, and might encourage them to learn more through your other channels.

#6 – Live Q&As and webinars

Hosting live Q&As and webinars on a topic that’s important to your brand and your customers is a great way to inspire real-time engagement. These types of videos make the audience part of the process, encouraging them to ask burning questions about the topic at hand to improve their understanding. By fulfilling this and sharing your expertise in the selected area, this increases consumers’ trust in your brand.

The live streaming industry is predicted to be worth over $70 billion by 2021 (Neil Patel)

#7 – Answering FAQs

If you don’t have the capacity to live stream at the moment, then why not make pre-recorded videos answering some of your FAQs? Many websites have static versions of these up on their website. This makes the process more interactive and helps viewers understand your company more and gives them clarity over common issues that you’ve identified among your communities.

#8 – Take nuggets from your blog posts

When you produce a blog post, are you making the most of the content within it? Rather than having it sit on your website, take snippets and key points from it and put them into a short video. Not only will this provide useful information to viewers on the topic of the blog post, but these can be used to link people to the article itself to learn more, boosting the traffic to your website.

#9 – Video lists

Lists typically attract a lot of interest. Constructing a video around ranking particular products in your industry or on the various ways that your customers can use your products in less-than-ordinary ways can be the essence of a quirky, engaging video across your various feeds.

#10 – Behind-the-scenes and making-of videos

A good source of video content could be giving consumers a glimpse into how your products are constructed, or an insight into the development process that was behind the creation of a new product or innovation. This will allow you to explain in detail the reasoning behind your products and how you produce them, which may be of interest to viewers and help them identify your values and personality through these backstage clips.

#11 – Vlogs

Vlogs are among the most popular forms of Internet videos, with hundreds of YouTubers garnering millions of views built around their own personalities and adventures. While it may take a while to reach the status of a Daniel Howell or Lily Singh, having a face for your brand who highlights their role on a day-to-day basis can bring people closer to your brand and give them an understanding of the characters within your team.

87% of marketing professionals use video as a marketing tool (Wyzowl)

#12 – How-to guides and tutorials

Another heavily utilised form of video marketing revolves around tutorials. This doesn’t have to be specific to your line of products, but simply videos connected to your brand values and industry that resolve common pain points among your audience. For instance, if you represented a toy company a how-to guide could present ways to create games for children using household items.

#13 – Whiteboard videos

Popularised by the Whiteboard Friday videos at Moz, whiteboard videos allow industry experts to guide consumers through more complex concepts in a straightforward visual way. This can be powerful in educating consumers about the finer details of your products, or to explain various topics that your brand is passionate about.

#14 – Economist-style clips

You might have caught some of the engaging videos that The Economist have been pulling together on their social media feeds to explain news stories and trends in an aesthetically pleasing way. While this style is journalistic in nature, it can still be effectively applied to other topics to engage audiences on relevant topics to your brand, which may come across as stale or excessive in a written form.

#15 – Influencer videos and collaborations

Influencer marketing can be a powerful tool as long as both of your audiences sync-up in some form. A company that specialises in fishing equipment might not see much benefit from collaborating with a YouTuber known for their beauty tips (although never say never). Ideas like unboxing videos or influencers incorporating products into their own video concepts can be a win-win for both parties and attract a new audience to your brand.

The average business makes $5.20 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing (The Influencer Marketing Hub)

#16 – Mythbusting

There’s a lot of misinformation flowing around the Internet, so why not base a video about busting some of the myths prevalent in your line of work? By using your own expertise and understanding to provide some clarity on a contentious topic, you can present your brand as an authority within your industry and boost the trust your audience has towards you.

#17 – Interviews with employees and industry experts

Harness the expertise and experiences of your team, or take advantage of connections within your industry, to create some truly thought-provoking and compelling interviews. Not only will this demonstrate to viewers that your brand is a thought leader within your industry, but these can also act as enticing recruitment videos – if you demonstrate how learned and satisfied your employees are, top recruits will want a slice of that life as well.

#18 – Parodies and current events videos

While this requires a lot of creativity and thought in a short space of time, the viral potential of a well-crafted parody video or a clip connected with a recent trend or topic can be massive. However, do ensure that this is relevant to your brand or the content is adjusted in a way to make it fit with your core values to ensure it doesn’t feel out of place with what people expect from your brand.

#19 – Timelapse videos

A creative form of video marketing that can express change superbly is timelapse technology. Say you are an interior designer or a furniture storeroom – a timelapse video could illustrate how your team can turn a drab, lifeless environment into a vibrant and attractive one. These types of videos depict the transformative impact of your products and services in a way that worlds or “before/after” imagery can’t always manage.

#20 – Product comparisons

Similarly, use your video content to illustrate the quality and effectiveness of your products over others on your market. This will demonstrate to viewers the unique, additional benefits your offering has over competitors and consequently make them more appealing. Alternatively, you can create similar content with products that aren’t directly connected with your company, but would be relevant to your audiences.

#21 – VR and 360° footage

Especially at a time where movement is limited, VR or 360° videos can immerse a viewer in your brand and the environment you work in. This can be used to provide engaging tours of your offices, create visually stunning product announcements or add a different dimension to demonstrations and company events.

360° video ads result in a 7% higher purchase intent for smartphone users (IPG)

Maximise video content with complete consistency

We hope this has inspired a few ideas of how you can create the most compelling B2C video content for your brand moving forward. The strength of online video is only going to grow year-on-year, and it should now represent an essential element in any content strategy.

However, regardless which of these 21 suggestions you end up experimenting with (or if you come up with completely different concepts), one crucial characteristic you need to demonstrate is consistency.

BAM by Papirfly™ incorporates a beautifully simple video-editing solution that ensures consistent branding and quality output. From the ability to import branded visuals to the start and finish of your content and stylish transitions to weave in-between, to the capacity to add subtitles for your international audiences, we provide the tools that your team needs to make sure your viewers identify your videos with your brand.

For more information about BAM’s video software and its many other features that help companies harness their brand like never before, speak to us today or book your exclusive demo.

Working in marketing can be one of the most rewarding careers in the world – if you work for the right company that is. Too often companies portray exceptional employer brands, but once the new employee scratches the surface, they realise they have been mis-sold or have made a big mistake.

Likewise, talent can pull the wool over the eyes of some hiring managers and turn out to be something entirely different to what they signed up for.

We’ve scoured high and low to bring you all the red flags from both sides of the hiring desk. So whether you’re moving to your next role or hiring for the next big thing, make sure you don’t miss these warning signs.

Identifying 10 red flags:For an interviewee..

#1 How you are welcomed

If you are attending an in-person interview and it takes a while for you to be greeted, it could be that you happen to arrive on an exceptionally busy day. Make yourself seen and known so that your hiring manager knows you’re here. If nobody seems prepared for your arrival or there is confusion before you are directed to the right place, it could be a red flag that the hiring process generally will be quite disorganised. 

#2 If the interview gets cancelled last minute

If your virtual or in-person meeting gets cancelled last minute, it could be an insight into what the company is like – unreliable or chaotic. Of course, genuine emergencies can’t be helped, but if no decent explanation is given or a follow-up date for rescheduling, this could mean you have had a lucky escape. 

#3 The list of duties as part of the role is messy and unclear

When asking questions about the role, if the hiring manager is vague or evasive about your specific queries, then it could be that:

• The wrong person is interviewing you/the right one was too busy. 
• The role isn’t yet clearly defined, which leaves your responsibilities in question and open to change. 

As a prospective employee, you should have a clear idea of what you’re being brought in to achieve. Marketing can be a chaotic industry as it is – without knowing your boundaries, limitations and outline responsibilities of the job, you’re almost already set up to fail. 

#4 The hiring manager isn’t prepared

While we all have off days and busy days, if the person interviewing you is totally unprepared for the interview, it could suggest that they are overworked. Of course, hiring for the department (interviewing you) could help to resolve this, but not having time to prepare for an interview could suggest an unhealthy attitude towards workloads and burnout. 

#5 Salary expectations are asked about before they’re shared

Hopefully you will have an idea of the salary before having applied, but if you are in an interview without this knowledge, and the interviewer asks what your expectations are, this could be a potential red flag.

By purposely leaving the salary off the description and asking you about your expectations, they are putting themselves in an advantageous position to negotiate – and leaving you in a vulnerable position in terms of finances.

#6 The salary offered is much lower than the marketing industry standard

If the salary doesn’t match your expectations then hopefully you won’t put yourself forward for the role in the first place. If, however, the role sounds ideal for your skill-set but the salary doesn’t match what’s being asked, you should see if there is any room to negotiate.

If the employer flatly refuses (even after being shown comparable roles for a higher salary and after you’ve proven your worth), then don’t bother taking the application any further.

#7 The job entails a lot more than what’s in the job description

A vague job description can leave you with more questions than it does answers. Make sure you expand on the bullet points in the interview process so you have an exact idea of what’s expected of you. Often, blanket statements are used to cover a wide-ranging remit that doesn’t always match what you’ve read.

If you scratch the surface of the role and uncover a whole new side you were unaware of, proceed with caution. It could be that the employer has melded multiple roles into one and that their overall expectations are unrealistic.

#8 There’s no clear hierarchy or area of support

Many companies going through a period of growth may make it clear that the structure is adapting to the needs of the company. But if you aren’t given a clear outline of who you are reporting to, take this as a big warning. It’s likely you could be left to fend for yourself and be without support if the interviewer is unable to answer your questions.

#9 They are entirely married to the technology or software they use

If you have successfully used a piece of software to do your job or completed training in a particular technology, the hiring manager should be inquisitive and interested in this, even if it’s not something their company actively uses. If the company dismisses a skill or piece of software without real reason, then it could allude to an outdated or close-minded approach.

#10 The employer is openly negative about the person you are replacing

Always ask how the role came about. Are you replacing someone? Is the team growing? Will this role exist in 5 years? If they are replacing someone, tactfully try and discover why they are leaving/did leave.

If the employer is vocal or overshares with you, then it’s a warning that the company isn’t very professional. Try not to get caught up in the gossip, as it could very well be you they are talking about in the future should you choose to take the job (you shouldn’t!).

3 common misconceptions: Interviewee

Be inquisitive and ask questions that are of genuine interest to you – but don’t ask questions for the sake of it. The interview should flow naturally, with both sides of the hiring desk steering the conversation at certain points. 

Try not to come prepared with a list of questions. Instead, think about what’s left for you to know on the day – it will be more authentic and more beneficial for you.

Lots of marketing buzzwords have a short shelf-life, and some companies downright hate them. Read through the company’s website prior to your interview to try and get an idea of their tone of voice. Although this won’t necessarily be employee-facing, it may help you to place what their expectations may be in terms of language and interview style. 

If you’re applying to a creative agency, the dress code is likely to be a lot less formal than a traditional interview, but always check out the website first or ask the question to your hiring manager if you’re unsure.

Sometimes turning up in a suit when a smart shirt and jeans would have sufficed could be enough to give a creative employer a bad impression – not because you did anything wrong, but because you missed the ‘vibe’ and ‘culture’ of the agency.

For more corporate in-house roles, smarter is always better, but always double-check with your recruiter to avoid any embarrassment.

Identifying 8 red flags: For an interviewer…

#1 Vague answers to questions you’re asking

A good marketer can sell anything, but if what they’re saying is all shine and no substance, this could be a warning that their real-life skill set doesn’t match what they’ve put down on paper. 

Where a candidate talks about a particular skill, ask scenario-based questions that will give you a better understanding of their knowledge. If their language is loose, vague and evasive, they might not be the right fit or could be more junior than they think.

#2 They don’t sell themselves well

While not every marketing role will mean directly selling, it’s important that the candidate is confident in what they’re talking about. Now this doesn’t mean there isn’t room for nerves or a bit of anxiety, but if the candidate isn’t able to talk consistently or comfortably about themselves – a subject they know the most about – this could mean that they will struggle in their day-to-day role.

#3 They talk too much about other offers

If a candidate is repeatedly name dropping other companies that are interested in them, they are angling for you to get competitive – usually with financial incentives. While mentioning who they are interviewing with (when asked) is perfectly acceptable, commandeering the interview to be about all their different job offers could mean they don’t see loyalty as a useful trait.

#4 They haven’t researched what the company does

While not everyone will spend hours researching what it is your company does, it’s important that the candidate grasps what you do at even a most basic level and can explain what it is your brand is with ease.

Why is this important? Because how could a candidate possibly be ready to start a career at a company they know nothing about – and contribute to the marketing department effectively?

#5 They use a lot of marketing buzzwords without going into detail

While a high-level knowledge of certain tools, terminology and processes will always shine through naturally in conversations, if a candidate is forcing in language that doesn’t quite fit with the conversation you’re having, it could be a red flag that they are trying to get the role without truly understanding what it entails.

If they use particular words frequently, politely probe them on the terminology to ensure they understand. It may sound a little extreme at the interview stage, but if a candidate isn’t honest at this early part of the process, it doesn’t bode well for the rest of the application.

#6 They are set in their ways about how they do things

Part of hiring new talent is the hope that they bring with them new ideas, ways of working and initiatives – but they also need to be open to the way your company and brand function. If they come across as close-minded or refuse to acknowledge other ways of working, this could cause huge problems further down the line.

#7 If they are late and they don’t call or email ahead to explain why

Being late to an interview is forgivable, but a candidate not having a level of courtesy to inform the potential employer that they are running late could be seen as a warning sign.

The world of marketing is fast-paced and spare time is low, so if a candidate turns up more than 5 or 10 minutes late without calling or emailing ahead, this could be interpreted as them not caring too much about whether they get the role.

#8 They don’t ask any questions about the role

Not every candidate needs to be armed with a thousand questions, but demonstrating an active interest in the role by asking the odd question here and there shows they are genuinely engaged in the conversation. 

Likewise, if the candidate leaves all their questions until the end – when you ask them if they have any – they may be pre-calculated, as opposed to genuine questions that have arisen as an outcome of the interview.

3 common misconceptions: Interviewer

It’s not uncommon for marketing roles to be contracted. These can be anything from 3 months to 3 years. Most candidates will state when they were contracted on their CV, but if they don’t, don’t write them off immediately, as their placement may only have been for a short time or maternity cover.

While ideal candidates should be open to doing tasks or providing an additional layer to their application, some companies have been known to take advantage of prospects by asking for too much.

If a candidate isn’t keen on doing a presentation, speak to them about their concerns and assure them of your way of working. Also, make sure each stage of the hiring process (including any presentations or tasks) is made clear at the beginning of an application stage.

A career is for fulfilment as well as financial remuneration, but the reality is that job satisfaction doesn’t pay the bills. Candidates are well within their right to ask about salary brackets and progression. If anything, it shows they are seriously considering the role, but that this might be the final barrier.

Some of these red flags are common, others less so…

Regardless of which side of the desk you sit, it’s important to continually assess your next step – whether that’s a marketing role promotion or growing your team. Recruitment and finding a new job is a difficult process, so we hope this article has helped shed some light on what to avoid.

25th May 2018. A day that transformed the way that marketing teams across Europe and beyond handle their customers’ data.

Since its inception, GDPR (The General Data Protection Regulation) has compelled companies globally to take tighter precautions over how they request, use and protect people’s personal data. This applies to any organisation that collects data from people in the EU – with the backing of harsh fines for anyone that strays outside its regulations.

Marketers have felt the impact of GDPR more than most. Whether it’s building a database of prospects for an email marketing campaign, or producing personalised portals for customers, these teams are often responsible for capturing and managing a lot of personal data.

Therefore, it was somewhat concerning that prior to the law coming into effect, 41% of marketers admitted to not fully understanding the law or best practice for using personal data.

For anyone still in that situation, this article will reemphasise the importance of GDPR, and outline the ways global marketing teams can secure long-term compliance.

Understanding the importance of GDPR in marketing

In today’s data-driven world, it is no wonder that personal data is considered more valuable than oil. It directs the ways that brands communicate with their audience and set themselves apart from their competition. Personal data informs:

• Improved customer experiences
• Clearer marketing strategies and objectives
• Targeted campaigns
• Personalised messages

The value of personal data is undisputed in marketing – and this makes achieving GDPR compliance essential as, without it, the benefits that this data offers can be replaced by hefty financial penalties.

The maximum fine that a company can receive for failing to keep records in order or data breaches is 4% of their annual turnover, or €20 million – whichever is greater. This isn’t an idle threat either, as many brands have fallen victim to this over the years:

• British Airways was forced to pay over €26 million for a 2018 data breach affecting 420,000 customers and employees
• H&M was fined €35 million for keeping illegal surveillance of several hundred employees
• Wind received a €17 million fine for several instances of unlawful data processing related to direct marketing

While the scale of these fines can have an immediate crippling impact on organisations, the ramifications on a brand’s reputation following a data breach or GDPR fine can be even more devastating. It takes a long time to build customer loyalty, but incidents such as the above can cause it to crumble in an instant.

57% of consumers don’t trust brands to use their data responsibly (CIM)

So for marketing teams, who often rely heavily on customers’ data to inform strategies and produce more targeted, focused campaigns, failure to comply with GDPR doesn’t just put you at risk of massive fines – it can destroy the trust you have established with your audience.

The international reach of GDPR

Furthermore, as highlighted earlier, GDPR does not simply apply to companies based in Europe. Any organisation that collects personal data from customers in the EU can find themselves subject to the same penalties if they breach GDPR.

This was reemphasised in a Court of Justice of the European Union ruling in June 2021, which ruled that U.S.-based companies Google, Twitter and Apple – who all have their European headquarters in Dublin – can be taken to court by any national data protection authority if there are cross-border data processing activities.

Put simply, this means that just because these brands are based in Dublin, it is not Ireland’s data protection regulators that can investigate and challenge them for breaching GDPR. Any country can do so on behalf of their nation’s customers.

Even if your company sells products online to customers in the EU without having a physical presence in the EU, you must designate a national data protection authority to represent you in the EU to ensure you comply with GDPR.

Moreover, in the UK, although no longer part of the EU after Brexit, the country will maintain an “EU-equivalent level” of personal data protection, as this is necessary to maintain the free, uninhibited flow of data between the UK and EU.

Therefore, regardless of where marketing teams are based, if they have locations in the EU or interact with customers from these countries, maintaining compliance with GDPR is crucial to avoiding any future issues.

What do marketing teams need to know about GDPR?

On the surface, GDPR regulations can appear complex and daunting. So here we’ll cut through the details and concentrate on the information that marketers need to worry about.

First, let’s start with a key question – what is personal data? According to GDPR, personal data encompasses anything that could be used to identify a person, either directly or indirectly. This includes:

• Names
• Email addresses
• Phone numbers
• Home adress
• Local information
• ID numbers
• IP addresses
• Usernames and online pseudonyms

In order to lawfully process this personal data under GDPR, companies have to fulfil one of the six legally accepted reasons to do so:

• Consent
• Contractual necessity
• Compliance with legal obligations
• Vital interests
• Public interests
• Legitimate interests

Consent is the most actively employed of these reasons by marketing teams (although legitimate interests may apply to some direct marketing activity). Here, it is crucial that consent is always freely given and never assumed – consumers must be aware of who you are, why you want their data, and how it will be used.

This information has to be clear, and it has to be the consumer’s choice whether they share their personal data with an organisation. This means you cannot:

• Use automatic opt-in functions
• Use a pre-ticked opt-in box
• Use confusing or misleading language in your privacy policy
• Bundle multiple activities into one consent form – consent must be attained for each separate activity

Furthermore, it must be just as straightforward and clear for customers to withdraw their consent as it is to grant it. Whether this is the inclusion of an unsubscribe button on email newsletters, or direct correspondence asking to have personal data erased from a company’s records, marketing teams must take efforts to uphold a person’s “right to be forgotten.”

5 tips for marketers to secure GDPR compliance

1. Be transparent about data collection

First, as discussed earlier, it is crucial that customers are aware of the data you are collecting from them and what the data will be used for. Consent must be clear, explicit and unambiguous – anything less can land companies in hot water.

To ensure complete transparency over data collection, consider the following:

• Is your website’s privacy policy up-to-date, accurate and containing all the information that customers need regarding the use of their personal data?
• Does your website make clear that it uses cookies to collect people’s personal data, and gives them control over what they are willing to share?
• Do your contact or download forms contain links to this privacy policy, and require the customer to confirm they have acknowledged them?
• Do any contact forms presume consent, be it via a pre-filled tick box or a lack of a distinct opt-in feature?

2. Establish clear opt-out systems

As every person has “the right to be forgotten” in relation to their personal data, it is critical that marketing teams make it easy for people to opt-out of any communications they receive from a company.

Email marketing is a major example of where this is important. Incorporating an unsubscribe button on every email distributed, or providing a space where users can manage what information they want to receive from brands, is vital to staying compliant when customers’ preferences change.

Even though this feels like common knowledge for many at this point, it is estimated that 8% of all marketing emails do not include an unsubscribe link.

3. Audit databases regularly

It is useful to check your marketing or website databases, either quarterly or annually, to verify that your data collection processes are maintaining best practice, or that anyone who unsubscribed to your correspondence is still listed in your active database.

A regular audit can highlight any holes in your approach – holes that could cost your company significantly if they are not addressed. If a data breach occurs and you are still in possession of personal data that you should no longer have, the financial and reputational repercussions can be substantial.

4. Report data breaches immediately

With GDPR, honesty is the best policy. Attempting to cover up any data breaches will not only encourage maximum fines when they are discovered. This may also cause irreparable damage to your brand’s reputation, making it unlikely that customers will trust you with their data again.

Instead, report any data losses, theft or accidental transfers as soon as possible. This will not only limit the fines that your company will have to pay for this incident, but it can also help you save face with customers. While some will lose trust in a culpable brand for good, for others this quick response and admission can be the first step in restoring people’s faith.

5. Focus on employees as well as customers

Finally, it is important that companies aren’t only protecting the personal data of their customers, but their employees too. As the H&M example earlier illustrates, failure to receive customers’ permission to use their details or imagery can have expensive consequences – as well as have implications for your employer brand.

This is especially important for marketing teams, as employee-generated images and videos are like gold dust when it comes to showcasing your company culture to potential candidates. However, if you don’t have your employees’ consent to use these assets in your marketing, they have every right to complain.

BAM by Papirfly™ can prevent this possibility. Our platform empowers your employees – regardless of design skills or experience – to create their own content in a matter of minutes. Everything produced is completely professional and totally on-brand thanks to BAM’s intelligent, custom templates.

Once assets are created, users can immediately upload this to the in-built DAM system and approve its usage in upcoming campaigns. Our GDPR Consent Manager makes sure that images with identifiable persons are only available to download, send or use in templates if that identified person gives consent.

Plus, if they only want these assets to be used for a limited time, all assets can be set to auto-delete after a certain period. An identifiable person can receive a link to a page containing all photos they’re included in – from here, they can revoke all photos, as well as delete any produced creatives that use these photos.

This prevents content from being published when there is no longer consent, or if the employee leaves the company.

Achieve compliance with BAM

GDPR has had – and will continue to have – a substantial impact on how marketers globally collect, use and store personal data. Compliance is key to both avoiding massive fines that can hinder your company’s future, and irreparably hurting your brand’s reputation.

We hope this article has emphasised the importance of compliance, and given you some food for thought over how you are maintaining this with your customers and employees. GDPR will not disappear anytime soon – if there are still holes in your approach, now is the time to address them.

BAM by Papirfly™ can be a valuable tool to ensure compliance across your employee-led content. If you would like to learn more about this feature, or how BAM enhances the speed, consistency and cost-effectiveness of your marketing production, book your personal demo today.

When your brand is accessible to consumers across the globe, it can become an overwhelming task to ensure that your marketing comes across as it was intended. Without a translation process, you risk undermining any attempt to instil trust and loyalty between consumers and your brand.

If your brand wants to be truly global, it needs to speak in many languages and adapt to the cultural norms of many different countries.

Brand translation blunders

Relying on literal translations of names and marketing taglines may seem like the most obvious pitfall in a global campaign rollout. But you’d be surprised at just how many brands have fallen victim to some embarrassing marketing faux pas as a result. In no particular order, here are 8 of the biggest mistakes to learn from:

#1 Canned and frozen foods company, The Jolly Green Giant, has been a friendly face in the US and the UK since the 1960s. However, when the brand was translated in Arabic, their beloved mascot inadvertently became the “Intimidating Green Ogre”.

#2 KFC’s long-standing “finger-licking good” tagline became much less appetising when it was directly translated into Chinese as “eat your fingers off”.

#3 In Italy, the quintessentially British gin and tonic didn’t sound so refreshing after a major translation fail by Schweppes… “gin and toilet water” anyone?

#4 Pepsi is another example of a big brand translation blunder. Its tagline, “Pepsi brings you back to life” became terrifyingly literal in Chinese, translating as “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave”.

#5 Parker spelt out the obvious when they tried to tell the Mexican market that their new ballpoint pens “won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you”. By confusing the Spanish for ‘embarrass’ with ‘embarzar’, they ended up reassuring audiences that their pens “won’t leak in your pocket and impregnate you.”

#6 Without a basic knowledge of Portugese Brazilian colloquialisms, Ford made the mistake of launching the Ford Pinto – ‘pinto’ being a local slang term meaning ‘tiny male genitals’.

#7 Coors is another brand that didn’t account for colloquialisms when its slogan, “Turn It Loose,” translated into Spanish as an informal term for having diarrhoea.

#8 Paxam, an Iranian consumer goods company, marketed their laundry soap in English speaking markets using the Farsi word for “snow,” resulting in shelves of packs labelled “Barf Soap.”

Translate the message, not just the words

Despite the numerous examples above, all it takes is a simple check by a native or fluent speaker to avoid an embarrassing, not to mention costly, mistake. However, this doesn’t guarantee that your brand won’t be lost in translation — even if your messaging is correct from a linguistic point of view, it can still fall flat and lifeless as a marketing campaign.

Most often, a basic translation will lack the humour, emotion or catchiness created in the original creative. This highlights the importance of understanding what makes the campaign resonate with local audiences and how to capture it in local dialects. 

We’ve already had a list of brands who have got translation horribly wrong, so to balance things out, here are some success stories:

Haribo

For years, confectionery brand Haribo has run its undoubtedly catchy jingle with the line ‘Kids and grownups love it so, the happy world of Haribo’. Retaining meaning is one thing, but ensuring that the tagline also hits the right beats in a memorable jingle presents a host of new challenges. Despite this, Haribo has managed to balance consistency and catchiness across numerous markets.

In Germany, for example, where the direct translation sounds odd and clunky alongside the music, the slogan was adapted to “Haribo macht Kinder froh, und Erwachsene ebenso”, meaning “Haribo makes children happy, and grownups too”. Not only does this roll-off the tongue better for German-speaking audiences, but it fits the tune perfectly. This meticulous consistency means that the brand sounds and feels the same wherever its products are being advertised.

Hawes and Curtis

In an article for Marketing Week, Simon Kinsey, Commercial Director at TranslateMedia, shared some insight on the differences between translating brand tone of voice in UK and German markets, using shirt makers, Hawes and Curtis as an example. 

“Germans expect greater formality in tone and they value seriousness far more than the Brits. In the UK it’s culturally important not to seem stuffy or over formal, and people are mainly obsessed with dressing in a way that’s appropriate for the occasion”.

These cultural nuances can be seen in the differences between product descriptions for each market. On the company’s German site, the product descriptions highlight ‘precision engineering’ and ‘excellent workmanship’, whereas on the UK site, there is more of a focus on shirts being ‘fashionable’ and ‘effortless’. 

By picking up on these subtle cultural differences between UK and German consumers, Hawes and Curtis are able to address which selling points resonate best for each audience.

Starbucks

Translation isn’t all about copy. Your brand’s visual language also needs to be understood as intended and accommodate local cultural nuances.

For Starbucks launching in Saudi Arabia back in 1992, this meant the iconic Siren was removed from their logo — instead, just her crown remained floating on the waves. The logo has remained the same since, despite the original Siren logo being present in more liberal neighbouring states.

For any brand launching in a new market, it’s important to consider and understand how cultural sensitivities can change the meaning of both written and visual elements of your communications.

Top tips for effective brand translation

Hire a native speaker who is also fluent in marketing

A reliable translator is essential for making sure that your message is understood, and for avoiding any embarrassing miscommunications. But to be sure that your campaign can make an impact, linguistic skills need to be combined with marketing expertise.

Understand cultural nuances 

Relationships between brands and consumers are built on emotional connections. These are best achieved when a campaign is able to tap into culturally relevant insights that resonate with your audience.

Avoid using niche turns of phrase

Colloquialisms are notoriously difficult to translate. For example, using phrases like ‘raining cats and dogs’ might be a common term in the UK but is likely to set your campaign up for confusion in any other market.

Use culturally relevant images

Imagery is its own language and will take on a different meaning in different cultural contexts. What may be striking and powerful in one country, may come across as insulting or insensitive in another. This is where research and local knowledge is invaluable.

90s nostalgia seems to be in vogue right now. From the Friends Reunion special and Disney’s remakes of classic 90s animated movies like The Lion King and Aladdin, to the extraordinary revival and cost of Pokémon cards, many look back on the final years of the 20th century with nothing but fond memories.

With the 90s a decade in demand, we wanted to hop aboard the nostalgia train and look back at some of the most iconic adverts from this period, and what lessons we can take from them for future campaigns.

So drop your Gameboy, put on some Backstreet Boys or Spice Girls in the background, and let’s see what marketing in the 90s had to offer.

1. Nike: Just Do It

Although the campaign technically launched in 1988, Nike’s now synonymous slogan “Just Do It” rose to prominence in the 90s, capturing the imagination of consumers for its empowering, universal message, whether people were interested in sports or not.

What began life as a throwaway suggestion based on the final words of a convicted murderer (no seriously) became the glue that connected all Nike’s then-disparate television spots. The message landed better than they could have hoped, and now it’s virtually impossible to distinguish the brand from the tag line.

What’s the lesson?

Think clearly about the solution that your product or service provides to your audience, and contain that into one simple yet powerful message. Also, don’t be afraid to toss out ideas in brainstorming sessions – you might unexpectedly land on a winner.

2. The Energizer Bunny

Again treading the boundary of the late 80s/early 90s, the Energizer Bunny ads were incredibly popular, parodying the established Duracell Bunny and highlighting its superior performance over its competitors. Since then, this pink rabbit has gone on to become just as recognisable as their competition.

What’s the lesson?

This lesson is more of a warning. Despite the popularity of the Energizer ads, sales actually declined, with speculation being that people thought the ads were promoting Duracell, not Energizer.

So, if you intend to make a direct parody of your competitors to promote the performance of your own product, make sure your own brand stands out from what’s already out there.

3. The Andrex Puppy

The mischievous little Andrex Puppy was all over UK television in the 1990s, with his antics not only designed to tug at people’s heartstrings, but to clearly demonstrate the strength of Andrex’s toilet paper and the length of each roll. Today, this loveable pup has made Andrex the biggest brand in its sector by quite a margin.

What’s the lesson?

Consider the benefits of introducing animals into your advertising to elicit a strong emotional response from audiences – of course ensuring to only use them in a way that ties directly to your brand, products or services.

4. The Tango Orangeman

Now onto a mascot that was just as memorable in the 1990s, but a lot more controversial than the beloved Andrex Puppy. The Tango Orange Man was a reaction against the norm television advertising where products improved the lives of those in the advert.

Instead, as the video shows above, after a man drinks Tango he is slapped in the face by a man completely covered in orange, followed by their famous tagline “You know when you’ve been Tango’d”.

The popularity of the ad caused controversy when children started mimicking the slaps in playgrounds, so it was later remade with a kiss instead. But, the campaign was an unquestionable success, boosting Tango sales by around a third.

What’s the lesson?

Don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo if the opportunity emerges. This Tango advert and campaign is considered a pioneer of future viral marketing and guerrilla marketing attempts, and that is due to it going against conventional approaches to advertising at the time.

5. Got Milk?

The campaign that launched thousands of memes and copycats. The first “Got Milk?” advert from the California Milk Processor Board aired in 1993, depicting a hapless historian unable to answer a $10,000 phone-in question because his mouth was stuck by the peanut butter sandwich he was eating.

The “Got Milk?” campaign is now considered one of the most memorable of all time, attracting the involvement of numerous A-List celebrities and producing many hilarious ads – although seemingly not making much of a difference to declines in milk consumption… 

What’s the lesson?

Often it’s important to target your existing customers with adverts reminding them what’s so great about the product or service you offer, rather than place all your focus on attracting new customers.

6. Wonderbra: Hello Boys

The Hello Boys advert from 1994 featuring supermodel Eva Herzigová turned the tide for Wonderbra in the battle of the bras against the Gossard Ultrabra. Previously considered the old-fashioned choice, this billboard reversed the fortunes of the brand, and has been voted the most iconic poster of all time.

It is so celebrated that Wonderbra revived the concept in 2018, but instead shifted the focus to promoting female empowerment, switching the phrase “Hello Boys” to “Hello Me”.

What’s the lesson?

Today, the lesson we can take from “Hello Boys” is that some adverts are products of their time, and would likely not prove as effective in a different era. In these instances, it is important to assess your landscape and speak to what your audience cares about, as demonstrated by Wonderbra’s transition to empowering messaging.

7. Coca-Cola: Holidays Are Coming

Coca-Cola has long been synonymous with Christmas time, and this advert from 1995 played a big part in cementing that reputation.

With the classic jingle, shots of people marvelling at the vibrant red truck driving past, and images of Santa Claus sipping a cold bottle, this ad has become a staple of Coca-Cola’s holiday marketing, to the point where many go out of their way to see these real-life trucks parade the streets throughout December.

What’s the lesson?

Building an association between your brand and a celebrated holiday can help forge a strong connection with customers when these holidays approach on the calendar. Even if you don’t reach Coca-Cola’s level of association, holiday-themed campaigns can be a great way to capture people’s attention year-round.

8. Guinness: Surfer

Considered one of the greatest television adverts of all time, this Guinness spot depicts a group of surfers waiting for the perfect moment to catch a wave powered by giant horses.

This is more akin to a short film than traditional TV ad, promoting the idea that good things come to those who wait, a reference to the fact that Guinness takes a long time to pour. Costing £6 million to produce, it is regularly mentioned as one of the most artistic and unique ads to have ever been broadcast.

What’s the lesson?

Sometimes putting belief and passion into a project will reap rewards against all expectations. When the ad was initially pushed out for public research, the response was negative. But, by trusting their instincts, they launched one of the most recognisable ads of the 90s.

9. Budweiser: Whassup?!

Finally, 1999 brought us a TV ad that not only captured a great deal of attention, but changed the way people communicated for a long time.

Budweiser’s series of commercials depicting a group of friends on the phone watching a football game and drinking beer launched the famous catchphrase “Whassup?!”, a word that quickly became a go-to introduction for conversations across America.

What’s the lesson?

Don’t be afraid to celebrate the absurdities, quirks and behaviours of your audience in your ads. The more that people can see themselves in your campaigns, the more likely it will resonate with them and create stronger, more sustainable bonds.

From the past to the present and future… 

We hope this trip back in time celebrating 90s advertising hit you right in your nostalgia sweet spot. As you can see, even several decades later, there’s a lot that brands can learn from these campaigns to inspire ideas that will have people in the 2050s looking back on old adverts with the same fondness.

And, with innovations like BAM by Papirfly™, it is now quicker and easier than ever for marketing teams to create captivating, perfectly-branded assets for global campaigns.

With the capacity to produce marketing collateral in-house much faster and more cost-effectively, you can have more time to brainstorm creative, compelling advertising for your worldwide audiences, with complete confidence that anything generated by your team is on-brand and studio-quality.

Embrace the future of marketing today by booking your personal demo.…

Social media has had its fair share of bad press in recent years, with many claiming it’s turned an entire generation into tech zombies. Whether or not you agree with this, one thing we can say for certain is that social media has become completely embedded into 21st-century culture – it’s as habitual as reading the morning newspaper (albeit several times a day) and its impact on the way we communicate has changed the world forever.

Whether it’s sharing a viral video of a llama on a skateboard or promoting a campaign on the must-have shirts of the season, social media marketing remains one of the most effective, targeted ways to get your brand’s message out there.

What is social media marketing?

The landscape of social media marketing is incredibly broad, with new platforms emerging all the time. The only thing you can ever really guarantee to stay constant in the world of social media is its sheer unpredictability. That said, there are some basic fundamentals that help to shape the way brands communicate with their audiences online.

Depending on your strategy, you will use several channels to communicate with your audiences. It’s a way for you to distribute multiple messages on a regular basis with existing or new prospects.

This can be achieved usually one of two ways:

Organically – a free method to grow, engage with and retain a following using shareable and interesting content.

Paid – Paid social media marketing, which can help support customer acquisition, remarketing and reaching a more specific type of audience.

Organic marketing through social media

Building an organic following is no easy feat, and unless you have unlimited time and resources to dedicate to it, it’s incredibly difficult to deliver on your own and make an impact. Snatching at your content here and there won’t be enough to keep people coming back. And with audience expectations of organic social media marketing becoming more sophisticated (or unsophisticated, depending on how you look at it), brands are now expected to produce gifs, memes, videos, polls, topical content and more.

And the hardest part? Avoiding an approach that’s too self-promotional. Nobody wants to be sold to the entire time. And if you ARE going to ‘sell’ something, it should be done in a way that provides value to your followers.

Do something that’s going to entertain, engage or inform. Surprise, delight or shock them. As long as it falls in line with your strategy and your overall identity as a brand, you can dedicate the time to understand your audience, and what it is they relate to. Not only will it increase your share-ability and the prospect of new people discovering you, but it will also give your existing followers a reason to stay.

Paid marketing through social media

It goes without saying that each social media platform operates very differently. Despite this, algorithms are often analysed and scrutinised by many marketing professionals, with conclusions and advice often drawn that can help loosely guide your individual channel strategies.  

We say loosely because, in reality, determining the exact way to get organic content showing more frequently in news feeds is not very straightforward at all.

Why? 

Because social media marketing is a business. A very lucrative one at that (with social media advertising revenue forecast at $51.3 billion USD for 2018 alone). If we all knew how to hack the system, social media simply wouldn’t work or exist for that matter. Platforms WANT you to pay to get in front of your audience. And in exchange, many of them give highly detailed, targeted demographics – from the more generic ones such as age, gender and location, through to buying habits and interests.

Targeting is one of many reasons why a brand may choose paid social media marketing platforms over more traditional methods. New customer acquisition, increasing web traffic and raising brand awareness are all key objectives for many businesses. And remarketing on these channels can help you reach people already engaged with your brand, to further prompt them into taking action.

How to develop a social media strategy

Whether you work for an in-house team, a marketing agency, or you’re simply trying to set up something for your own business, it’s important you don’t start doing it until you understand why you’re doing it. Your strategy is the what, how, why and when of your social media marketing. It’s your plan of action, a blueprint to success and a guide to make sure you keep focused.

Define your goals

• What do you hope to get out of your social media marketing?
• Would you like to build a following?
• Generate leads?
• Increase conversions?
• Give your brand a stronger presence?
• Or even just provide a platform for customer service?

Be realistic about what you’re going to use social media marketing tools for. And, depending on budget, what can be achieved within your timeframe. Are you using a combination of paid and organic? What are the short-term and long-term goals? Can you break these down into quarterly, more manageable chunks?

Think about your audience<

• Who are they? How old are they?
• Where do they spend their time online and offline?
• Which platforms are they likely to use?
• What are their pain points?
  

Decide on content

• How can you use your audience’s pain points to create useful social media content? Can these pain points be split into overarching themes and topics?
• Are there any awareness days you should incorporate?
• How will your paid advertising support your organic content?
  

Get to planning

Once you have your broader topics in place for your social media marketing, you can start putting together top line calendars and schedules for your team to execute. You’ll need to think about content, design and any scheduling tools you may need.

Determine your process for execution

Give your teams their schedule, their briefs and ensure they have all the right sizes for the different social media channels. And that they understand the nuance of social advertising on individual platforms (for example, the 20% text rule on Facebook ads).

Publishing

Once the content and assets have sign-off from all stakeholders, you can begin publishing. Depending on how many posts you need to schedule, you should consider using a publishing tool so you can automate what time they are released to remove some of the manual tasks

Listening and engagement

Once your posts are out, it’s important to monitor your channels on a daily basis. Multiple times a day if your team has capacity. Being able to listen and engage with your followers is important. Plus if anything negative should be said, you can respond to it quickly before anyone has the chance to form the wrong opinion

Analytics and reporting

Most good publishing tools allow you to automate report generation, so make sure you find the right platform for you. Manually checking each channel can be incredibly time-consuming – particularly if you’re tracking multiple brands.

Advertising

While smaller brands can manage their paid advertising in-house, an expert in paid advertising is always beneficial. Having a specialist to support you helps ensure your campaigns are optimised for the right audiences and your strategy is updated in line with any new insights.

Social media as a marketing tool – B2C

How social media marketing techniques are implemented very much depends on the nature of your business. With business-to-consumer brands, there’s often a lot more scope to be visual. If you have a physical product or a personal service, you know you’re talking to an individual about their specific pain points. Things you yourself should be able to relate to on some level.

While any brand will want to retain a certain level of professionalism, you can really push the boundaries with your brand’s personality. Using humour or trending topics and relating them back to your business can be a sure-fire way to capture the attention of social media users – not just your audience but also those beyond it.

Social media as a marketing tool – B2B 

Business to business marketing techniques traditionally tend to be more information-led. They’re trying to solve problems for business owners and high-level decision-makers. This does strip back the number of channels that can be used effectively for the B2B market, as professional networks greatly differ from accounts for personal use.  

LinkedIn is usually the go-to for B2B social media marketing, either elevating individuals through their personal profiles, LinkedIn advertising or making their company page a source of insight for people’s feeds. That being said, some of the other channels still hold their place for B2B marketers when used in the right way.

Social media marketing on Facebook

Facebook is one of the most widely used platforms in the world. Brands can build organic followings, become content publishers and create highly tailored advertising in the form of videos, static advertising, carousels, slideshows and even Messenger, to name a few.  

Social media marketing on Instagram

Owned by Facebook, Instagram is often used by brands to build a loyal following. A great feature of Instagram is the hashtag function, which makes it much easier to build organic engagement – although the ‘following’ earned is often too broad to be relevant. Brands can also explore Instagram advertising in the form of ads, with the ability to now shop ‘in-app’ by tagging products to your post.

Social media marketing on LinkedIn

LinkedIn has had somewhat of a revival recently, with a wider cross-spectrum of people using the online network to promote their skills or brand. Some of the most effective ways to reach business decision-makers can be found through LinkedIn: the option to create thought leaders via individual profiles, build valuable connections and relationships, create a company page that’s the go-to for industry insight or through the targeted, but sometimes expensive, advertising route.  

Social media marketing on Twitter

While Twitter’s use may have decreased for teens, 80% of its users are considered ‘affluent millennials’, and 75% of businesses can be found on the platform – two incredible opportunities for marketers. Twitter is also a very popular platform for providing personalised customer service, and for many consumers it’s the first port of call when they have a complaint or query about a missing parcel.

But a lot of Twitter’s appeal lies in how current it is; news breaks here, people share their stories first-hand and live events effectively come with a running commentary when televised. In fact, advertising on the platform is considered 11% more effective than TV ads during live events.

Social media influencer marketing

Another strand of social media marketing that can prove successful for brands with particular products, events or services can be the use of social media influencers. This could be in the form of huge celebrity endorsements with millions on the counter or micro-influencers with just 1,000 to 100,000 followers, but with a deeper connection with an audience interested in your niche.

Instagram is the most effective channel for brands looking to promote via those with a big social following. Giving your brand an ambassador in the form of someone your audience can relate to and admire can prove lucrative.

The future of social media marketing…

Even as the world becomes more critical of the role social media plays in shaping minds, opinions, and the way we show off our day-to-day lives, its evolution is one that marketers will be keen to keep up with. Technology is set to become more sophisticated, targeting will get even more precise and brands will continue to raise the bar when it comes to creating quality content.

There’s no way of knowing where social media marketing will be in 10 years, or even 10 months from now. In an age of instant gratification, and readily available information on quite literally anything you could imagine, social media will continue to play a critical role in B2C and B2B communications. Of course, as the amount of brands entering the same space continues to grow, it’s going to take a remarkable strategy and team to be able to shout above the noise.

Papirfly offers Brand Activation Management software that enables companies to create professionally designed printed and digital assets – in-house in under 30 minutes. Social media posts are often hard to keep up with, which is why empowering any employee to effortlessly create social media assets is a client favourite feature. You can also store & share assets in a dedicated Digital Asset Management platform, educate teams on brand guidelines and manage your campaigns from one central login.

Discover what Papirfly’s all-in-one brand management platform can do for you, or visit our complete guide to marketing.