Print is dead. TV ads aren’t as effective anymore. QR codes are outdated.

There were hundreds of articles pre-pandemic claiming that anything non-AI, big data or digitally driven was seeing its demise. What we now know though, is while digital reigns supreme, there’s a firm place in the world for the more simplistic and traditional marketing methods.

In this article, we will explore which channels managed to be revived at a time when the world was on pause.

Direct mail

When promotional materials fall through the door, their journey to the recycling bin isn’t usually far behind. Historically, there has never been the time to sit and digest a sales message that hasn’t shown immediate relevance.

But during the pandemic something happened. We were at home a lot more. We had much less to do and bundles of time on our hands.

People didn’t mind reading for a little longer or looking into a product more deeply.

While direct mail isn’t as cost-effective compared to its digital counterpart, it can cut through the noise and literally land in front of your audience’s eyes, in their home, when the dwell time could be substantial.

There are four key things to keep in mind if you’re going to bring direct mail into your marketing mix:

#1 Consider sustainability and using appropriate materials

#2 Think about how you can connect this direct mail piece to a digital channel (a dedicated URL, unique discount code – that kind of thing)

#3 How are you going to utilise local data or personalisation to make your mail feel more relevant?

#4 How the direct mail piece will influence brand perception – ensure the quality is matched to your values

Direct mail is…

• Highly targeted
• Tangible and credible
• An opportunity for high dwell time

Newspaper advertising

While the attitudes towards newspaper advertising closely mirror that of direct mail, it has transformed during the pandemic. It doesn’t feel as intrusive. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

We are consuming more news, seeking more distractions and craving entertainment. If your ad interrupts in a powerful or humorous way, your audience is going to make a positive connection.

The trouble is that the newspaper industry had already been in steady decline pre-2020, even with digitising ad revenues. Advertisers pulled out on deals collectively worth billions. And while everyday purchases were down on physical copies, subscriptions on the whole were up.

Those who did stay may not have achieved the distribution reach they would have hoped for (and they may have also been berated for their decision not to pull out). But they would have turned up to a more engaged audience. They would have shown their face during a difficult time to deliver a powerful message to someone that wanted to read it – albeit fewer of them.

What the pandemic has shown is the value of traditional newspaper advertising. Digital sales may help keep them afloat, but the interruption it causes to the user experience of the digital editions can become detrimental.

Newspaper advertising offers a usually welcome break from the news of the world. While others were busy pulling out cautiously (and understandably), other brands were forging connections by turning up when others wouldn’t – and customers won’t forget that.

Newspaper advertising has…

• A high audience reach
• Tangibility and credibility
• High geographic concentration

TV advertising

It’s safe to say that the narratives from brands during the pandemic were a little repetitive. This is a fair statement to make because there was a lot of uncertainty, and people needed to know there was some form of uniformity and consistency.

Much like newspapers and direct mail, TV ads became a welcome form of distraction. People were curious what brands were going to say next, how they were going to respond to the crisis, and how they were going to try and help those who needed it.

TV ads that are humorous, emotional or boast virality will always come out on top. But what we can learn from the pandemic is that if an audience really cares about the topic, they will listen to what you have to say.

Long-winded narratives and storytelling can fare well at Christmas, but sometimes getting to the point, being black-and-white and telling people what they need to hear can be a winner.

TV advertising…

• More space and time to be creative
• Can be flexible around your budget
• Captures attention

QR codes

There’s a lot of debate about whether the QR code is really here to stay. Its safety is being questioned. Marketers aren’t convinced. But one thing has been forgotten.

The once-dying format has become commonplace in many societies. What was once considered an inconvenience is now very much welcomed. Whether it’s checking in to a location, retrieving a menu or obtaining a COVID certificate, QR codes aren’t just known to younger generations now.

Whether or not the QR remains to be used in marketing remains to be seen, but what it does teach us is that people are open to exploring new formats, technology and ideas when it benefits them. In the meantime, we expect to see brands continue to use the codes in communication while the pandemic continues to keep it in everyday life.

QR codes…

• Quick to communicate information
• Cheap and easy to do
• Many age groups are familiar

Rough-cut videos

If you brought a recording of Brenda from sales in her living room to the content meeting pre-pandemic, you would have probably been laughed out of the room.

Slick, professional production was where the bar was set and left in 2019. Now we see global brands embracing less polished recordings.

While this was born out of necessity (and lack of professional equipment/availability), it inspired countless teams to get behind the camera and start creating content. And guess what? People liked it.

There was something about big brands dropping the white-collar facade and showing normal faces behind the scenes that helped to humanise them for customers.

We don’t imagine the typical Zoom recording to take over from professionally cut videos. But we do see companies being more comfortable in trusting their employees to generate their own content in the future.

Brand consistency will always be important, but perhaps the guidelines for these rough-cut videos will help to loosen them in the future.

Rough-cut video…

• Less production needed
• Can be recorded anywhere by anyone
• More authentic

Should you be embracing these revivals?

This will always depend on the nature of your brand and business. What we do encourage is to not be scared of these formats and to avoid following the crowd in uncertainty if you’re sure you can make gains going against the grain.

BAM is helping brands create digital, print and video content from anywhere in the world. No reliance on agencies, infinite professional outputs delivered by anyone.

To change the way you do marketing forever, find out more about BAM by Papirfly™ or book your demo today.

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.

Marketers have had a hard time keeping up with the rollercoaster that was 2021. Parts of the world had to pause and lockdown, which meant demand for some products and services went through the roof, while others were left out in the cold.

We’re optimistic that 2022 will be a clean slate, and a chance to take the learnings from a turbulent year and apply them to a new world and way of thinking for many.

We asked some of our team to share the key thing they took away from this year and how this can be used for your brand’s success in 2022.

“Privacy, transparency and trust”

With Google set to depreciate 3rd party cookies by 2023 (though this date could still change), many brands will be putting plans in place to ensure they can effectively target customer groups in the absence of these cookies. Some brands are investing in a Consent Management Platform (CMP) to ensure they can comply with regulations, and capture consent for non-3rd-party and tracking cookies.

Brands should be focusing on obtaining first-party data directly from customers about their behaviours, interests and intentions to allow you to build your own personalised data sets. This is something that’s going to take a lot of trial-and-error and time investment, so if you don’t start in 2022, you’ll definitely be left behind when the third-party cookie crumbles from existence.

While there will be alternative methods that emerge after Google’s decimation of third-party cookies, I’d strongly advise that a more transparent first-party data collection strategy is put in place. We don’t know just how far data privacy laws will go, so your best bet is being as upfront and transparent with your customers as possible. Building trust is the priority long term.

“Don’t just survive, thrive”

If marketing budgets were cut and staff let go during the pandemic, your department may have had to get by with minimal resources. Many teams we’ve spoken to were starting to feel burnt out trying to work with a reduced staff while the demand for output remained heavy.

People are so important, but when there’s reluctance in senior management to replace them or fill the skills you feel you need, sometimes we’re left to ‘make do’ with what we have.

This is where we feel technology is going to play a huge role in 2022. So many incredible pieces of software have emerged and adapted throughout the pandemic to cater to the needs of a changing world. 

“Meaningful conversations”

Brands have been talking about “having conversations” with customers for years. But it was only when the pandemic hit that these conversations became truly authentic. They had to be. We were facing some of the biggest unknowns of our time.

Questions needed to be answered. People needed to feel informed. Online communities became even more important. Not only forums, but social media channels too.

They were places people could gather safely. People weren’t afraid to share their opinions. They had more time to leave detailed reviews and re-evaluate whether a product or service added real value to their lives.

A great example of a community that took off was Huel. Their followers on their Reddit sub skyrocketed to nearly 20,000 ‘Hueligans’. For a relatively new brand, that’s quite the achievement.

While the majority of contributions are user-generated, they do have dedicated Huel-employed moderators. The content they produce and cross-share isn’t just about educating new customers on their product, it’s helping existing ones make the most of it, with tips, feedback and recipes regularly posted.

Outside of using communities to help retain existing customers, many brands are being more vocal in topical events, a habit that was formed during the height of COVID-19 and that’s staying as the pandemic news eases.

“Content for data”

When it comes to building customer profiles and obtaining personal data, there are a lot of challenges about to hit brands. So why not use your content strategy as a chance to offer something substantial to your audience in exchange for their data?

No, it’s not a new idea. But a new way of thinking is needed to approach it in the right way.

Does your prospective customer want a 10-page report on why they should buy your product? Probably not.

What about a bespoke mini-report of recommendations tailored to them in exchange for their email address? That’s more like it.

Does your customer want a 60-minute documentary that goes behind the scenes of your manufacturing processes? Some might, but most likely not.

Do they want exclusive early access to sales and discounts? You see where this is going.

Data in exchange for content is an effective marketing strategy, but over and above content, you need to be providing tangible value to your customers. Now more than ever. Save them money, save them time, save them from having to research or do the hard work. Give them thought-out, genuine value and the email addresses will start filtering in.

2022 is here and brands are bracing themselves

Our team has shared their thoughts, and the reality is that there is so much to be done over the next year – beyond what’s been listed. Ensuring you can manage and thrive amid uncertainty and deliver what you need without barriers should be among your priorities.

Grasping onto multiple pieces of software or relying too heavily on external agencies can leave you vulnerable to gaps in your production. If your brand needs a dedicated portal where anyone in your team can create digital, print, video, social and email content then BAM by Papirfly™ should be on your research list.

In addition to creating and editing an infinite amount of assets each month, teams can store, share and save them anywhere in the world, manage campaigns and educate employees on brand guidelines along the way. 

To make this a reality, get in touch today to book your demo.

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.

Managing a brand in a hybrid workplace?

Digitise your brand assets, guidelines and more. Keep everything in one central place and give teams access to everything they need, wherever they are in the world. Sounds ideal doesn’t it?

Discover the world of BAM. 

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.

It’s impossible to ignore the powerful influence social media has on people worldwide. With approximately 4.5 billion users now on these platforms, understanding their capabilities is crucial for brands looking to maximise engagement with their audiences globally.

But, this is far easier said than done. Social media channels are evolving every day, introducing fresh features and casting away outdated ones. All of this information is scattered across the web, and it’s a hard task to keep track of all the latest developments.

Yet, for marketing teams seeking to harness social media to its full potential, having a clear idea of what’s coming next is vital to effective strategising.

With this in mind, in this article we intend to help brands unlock opportunities and stay one step ahead on social media. Read on to discover 21 features you should focus on in 2022 across five major platforms: Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

General social media trends for 2022

Before we break down the features to be looking out for from the primary social media platforms this year, here are four overarching trends that you should keep in mind to make the most of these channels moving forward.

The rise of social commerce

The crossover of mobile shopping and social media has been a growing trend for several years, but one that will pick up even more steam in 2022. Rather than the focus solely being on ads and promotions, more and more platforms are providing new paths for brands to directly sell their products and services through their social channels.

Instagram is a standout in this area. Its ‘Drops’ feature for example allows users to discover, browse and shop the latest product launches and view upcoming releases. 

Meanwhile, Pinterest will make strides in this area in 2022, with an expanded partnership with e-commerce tool Shopify and the introduction of features such as shoppable pins.

Greater incorporation of VR and AR

As illustrated by moves towards the metaverse, the ties between social media, virtual reality and augmented reality are set to become even tighter in 2022. From virtual dressing rooms to digital meet-ups, these features are here to stay and could make a big difference for brands if employed effectively.

This trend will be particularly important for brands looking to capture a younger audience, as the inclusion of VR is spearheaded by Generation Z, due in large part to its connections to gaming.

The TikTok takeover

There is a strong belief that TikTok will become the go-to social media platform of 2022. After bursting onto the scene in a big way in 2020, TikTok now boasts over 3 billion global downloads – the first non-Facebook app to ever achieve this feat – and in late 2021 reached 1 billion active monthly users.

The message for brands is clear – if you haven’t taken TikTok seriously by now, this year you won’t have a choice. With other social media platforms introducing their own copycat features (Instagram Reels, Snapchat Spotlight, YouTube Shorts), making a splash on this channel can capture a lot of attention from consumers.

Influencer marketing comes of age

Once considered a nice add-on for marketers, influencer marketing is now a dominant technique for brands to apply. Much like TikTok, if you don’t consider influencer marketing in 2022, you could miss out on huge opportunities to expand your customer base.

Having an especially strong influence on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, the power of social media influencers is growing immensely. If your brand can engage with even a fraction of their followers, it may boost conversions significantly.

1. Live shopping

As live-stream shopping has exploded in China and is predicted to be a $423 billion market this year, Facebook is experimenting with ways to incorporate this into their own platform, which will allow brands to push their products out to viewers immediately during streams.

2.AR/VR development

As they step full-force into the metaverse, expect Facebook in 2022 to announce developments to their AR glasses and introduce other forms of interactive technology, such as wristband control for AR overlays and tools for the Oculus VR headsets.

3.Adjusted ad measurement

Previously, when someone used the same email address for their Facebook and Instagram accounts, or accessed both from the same device, Facebook counted them as one user in regards to the ads they were displayed. Now, it will treat these users as two different people, a move that could change the optics for advertisers.

4.Custom web links for creators

Facebook content creators in 2022 will be able to share custom web links that direct their fans to pay for subscriptions on the platform’s native Facebook Pay system. This will potentially unlock more opportunities for brands and creators to earn money from their content.

5. Marketplace updates

Facebook will roll out several exciting updates to their Marketplace feature this year, such as:

• Enabling users to create saved searches and get notified when new listing match their criteria
• Expanded shipping options
• Highlighting top searches, most popular categories, and sustainable styles
• A new way to create and share meetup plans for in-person transactions

1. Effective monetisation

Currently the weakest link in TikTok’s chain, 2022 will likely see ways for creators to directly monetise their videos on the platform. It is engaging in a range of e-commerce tests and using its Creator Marketplace to facilitate sponsored content, so definitely watch this space

2. Enhanced trendjacking

With likely updates to the ‘Top Ads’ and ‘Creative Center’ features, brands will have a clearer way to discover and latch onto the latest viral memes and use them for their own purposes.

2. In-app tipping

TikTok is testing out a new in-app tipping feature on its platform, allowing creators to accept money from fans on published videos. This would work similarly to their LIVE streams, which already supports gifting.

4. Effects house

Not letting Facebook totally dominate the AR space, TikTok’s Effects House will allow users to create augmented reality experiences, another way for creators to keep their audiences engaged.

1. Scheduling stories and live-streams

With Instagram Live a huge part of the platform, this feature is being upgraded to allow creators to schedule their upcoming streams. This will notify followers when they will go live, and gives time for users to prepare content around any questions or comments they receive leading into the stream.

2. Partnership inboxes

This streamlined inbox feature will ensure brands’ messages can be clearly seen by creators amid the sea of messages they receive from fans every day. This makes collaboration with desirable brands more achievable.

3. Better influencer searches

In a similar vein, Instagram is making it easier for brands to review verified data for a huge pool of creators, ensuring they can find ideal influencers aligned to their brand.

4. ‘Add yours’ story stickers

When a story comes up as a grid of images, these ‘add yours’ stickers will empower users to add their own content to this grid, much like themed Pinterest boards. This will encourage viral chains of content, helping all contributors reach a wider audience.

5. Posting from desktop

It has been a long time coming, but Instagram is finally allowing users to directly post both photos and videos less than one minute in length through their desktop web browser, rather than simply through their smartphone.

6. Collabs

Collabs is a creator-focused addition, allowing users to collaborate with one another through their posts, raise funds and make better use of music on Reels.

1. Twitter Blue and Labs

Twitter is focusing on ways for creators to directly make money from their tweets, from Super Follows and Ticketed Spaces through to Twitter Blue, the platform’s subscription service. Also in 2022, Twitter is expected to announce an update giving Twitter Blue subscribers access to Labs, giving early access to new features and updates.

2. Shopping and payments

Twitter is also not missing the boat on e-commerce, testing new shop elements on its Professional Profiles and introducing options that will allow users to make payments using cryptocurrency.

3. New ad features

With a revamped algorithm determining what ads Twitter users see, as they position the platform to allow brands to sell products directly through their service.

1. Live stream events

LinkedIn became a bigger facilitator of live-stream events in recent years, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, so expect to see further updates to this feature in 2022 to enhance this experience further.

2. Freelancer connection tools

LinkedIn will provide more opportunities for freelancers by expanding its Services Marketplace feature in 2022, with additions that will open up its freelance listings to a broader audience and forge connections for candidates and employers.

3. Enhanced company pages

LinkedIn is upscaling its company pages in a variety of ways to help organisations, including:

• Updates to the ‘My Company’ tab, from better content curation and displays of employee re-shares
• The ability to openly share workplace policies
• Customisable competitor analytics, where companies can benchmark their performance against up to 9 competitors

Make your mark on social media this year

As this article demonstrates, there is a lot for brands to wrap their heads around when it comes to how they’ll best harness their social channels in 2022. As platforms continue to evolve and expand their capabilities in the coming months, this will unlock new possibilities for marketers to engage their communities, increase conversions and build brand equity.

We hope that by showcasing some of this year’s most noteworthy features, you’re now in a better position to capitalise on these both now and going forward.

Of course, even among these new features, consistent, frequent content on your social feeds will be just as important as ever. BAM by Papirfly™ can help you keep up with your daily demands by making asset creation fast and fuss-free:

• Customise organic and paid assets for your social channels in just a click, perfectly sized for your channels
• Produce static, carousel and video assets from prebuilt templates
• Switch out colours, copy, branding and imagery to adapt your campaigns for different markets and sub-brands
• See, save, edit and reuse anything that’s been created in an inbuilt DAM solution

Discover the full benefits of BAM today – get in touch or arrange your free demo.

We finally reach the end of another eventful year.

It’s been a whirlwind for everyone to say the least. If you’re reading this and you’re in brand management or marketing, it’s likely you’ve experienced some of the most challenging moments of your career this year.

Communication has always been important for brands, but never has the world watched with such scrutiny as they have this year. Brands have had to adapt quickly. Some have done the right thing. Others have said the wrong things. And paid for it. A lot. 

Everyone has had to navigate previously unchartered territory, and while sadly we’ve witnessed some sink, others have sailed further in these conditions than they’d ever thought possible.

Content was already being heavily invested into pre-pandemic. But those who had hesitance in its value quickly found themselves running before they could walk, as they struggled with the sudden onset of demand for social, video, email, digital and print communications. 

The sheer volume of information that was needed to be communicated, both internally and externally, left brands – both prepared and unprepared – in a position unlike any other.

Having spoken to many customers, our own team and having analysed what’s been reported in publications over the past year and a bit, I’ve come to five solid conclusions. Here, I share what they mean for the present and future of content creation and the teams that make it all possible. 

“Purpose fatigue has set in”

It’s always going to be important for a brand’s values to shine through. But laying it on too thick in communications and losing sight of other areas of a brand’s personality can leave your audience feeling a little confused about your identity. 

Your purpose is either wholeheartedly woven into everything you do, or it’s tastefully acknowledged as and when it’s needed. If you tread either route, then your actions should always reflect what you preach to your audience.

When I talk about purpose fatigue, I’m not saying that consumers don’t care that your brand cares. They absolutely do. But they’re tired of hearing the buzzwords, seeing adverts delivered in the same way, everyone claiming they’re changing the world when they’re not. 

Actions will always speak louder than words, and if purpose is truly the foundation of your brand, you won’t need to shout about it from the rooftops. It will be apparent and known by the things you do and what you put out into the world. 

Consumers are suffocating with the promises brands are setting out in front of them. If every brand really is as amazing as they’re claiming to be, then there’s still differentiation work to be done. Content can serve to build that brand and personality outside of the bigger campaign work.

“Content is now one of the biggest trust factors”

The role of content throughout the pandemic has been of great importance. Whether it was service availability, updates on staffing and opening times, product shortages or anything in-between, there were a lot of messaging strands to keep up with.

Brands that made their voices heard, their actions felt and their opinions count managed to do so with both carefully planned and reactive content. They weren’t afraid to comment on topical events without waiting several days to see what public perception dictated. They responded to requests for information with educational pieces. They served videos that simplified the complex.

Those who left their customers and employees in the dark or didn’t communicate consistently were met with negative social media comments and criticism from the press.

Though it feels like the end of the tunnel is near, the pandemic isn’t over. And even if it was, brands can’t take their foot off the gas when it comes to quick turnaround, valuable content pieces. 

The precedent has been set. Consumers are actively engaged. They’re informed and loving it. Brands have shown real people, real emotion and real responses to real-world situations. If audiences are abandoned now, all the hard work was for nothing. 

The key to great content is to have long-term and reactive strategies, the ability to be agile and to never lose sight of what people want to know about.

“Authenticity can’t be falsified”

Some brands have come under fire for dishing out false promises, or for not living up to what they say they are in campaigns. I always liken it to content creators (or influencers) – if they have been promoting a product on their feed that’s environmentally friendly but are then papped out in their fuel-guzzling 4×4, it would be very difficult to accept their word as the truth.

The same can be said for brands. And as rudimentary as it sounds, the only way to appear authentic is to be authentic. Be transparent and open. 

With so much exposure to misinformation this year, customers need to have absolute faith and confidence that your brand is speaking its truth. They will appreciate and respect it more than you know.

Talk about the challenges customers have faced or the complaints you’ve received. As long as you’ve outlined what your brand’s done about it.

Put your hands up if the brand has made a mistake or said something out of line. Providing a ‘no comment’ from your comms team won’t do you any favours. Learn from it, own it and move on.

Show real people doing real things. Even some of the more throwaway content on TikTok has been painstakingly crafted for hours. And while polished production is always a great way to ensure brand consistency, don’t be afraid to introduce off-the-cuff pieces with employees.

“Automation isn’t the enemy”

Remember when robots were going to take your job? That’s not what’s going to happen. Ever.

Human emotion, empathy and decision-making in marketing are what makes it so powerful. It’s the role of technology and automation (or ahem, robots) to make your life easier. To improve the great work you’re already doing. To make your brand the best it can be! 

When Per Oldeide helped to found Papirfly, it was always his mission to support the work of marketing and brand professionals. This was over 20 years ago now. We’ve all seen the automation of accounting with Xero, HubSpot take sales to a whole new level – every industry has been digitised in some way.

For some reason, though, there’s still a great deal of scepticism when it comes to content creation. I believe that to be for two reasons.

• People don’t believe that automation can be implemented without compromising on creativity and quality
• People are scared about the amount of time they need to invest in order to make it worth their while – they’re snowed under as it is and it’s too much of a commitment right now

I completely get both of these worries. But – and forgive me for being so blunt – they are moot points in the grand scheme of things. 

Why? Because…

• Tools such as BAM by Papirfly™ (shameless but relevant plug) have been designed and refined over decades. Brand Activation Management isn’t something that’s appeared out of nowhere. It’s taken the real challenges of global brands and given them a solution to deliver a more automated approach to content and campaign asset creation, without ever compromising on quality or creativity.
• There is a time investment, like with most things. But if the pandemic has proved anything it’s that the world is changing. Expectations are higher. Content is more important than ever before. Without a central way to automate (or streamline) content creation, teams will be left overburdened, under pressure and eventually completely burnt out. 

Automation isn’t going anywhere. Pressure isn’t going anywhere. Teams must adapt their approach to content creation and management without having to rely endlessly on agencies.

The more teams can deliver in-house, the less budget is wasted, the more empowered they are and the quicker they can go to market.

It really is that simple.

“It’s ok to want to save money”

Brands have felt the squeeze during the pandemic. And whether budget cuts were a precautionary measure or an absolute necessity, I’m sure there were mixed reviews from employees when they felt the additional pressures and burden.

Reduced staff. Reduced spend. Reduced almost everything. It’s not an easy mountain to climb. 

That’s why teams need to focus on how to make their content creation more effective and each individual more productive. When time is saved, money is saved. When teams are empowered, agencies aren’t needed for every little thing. 

It’s ok to need/want/have to save money and cull things from your marketing budget. But only if it’s been done with considered thought, and avenues for improvement have been explored to support this gaping budget and the employees whose workloads will triple as a result.

Looking to 2022…

Everything I’ve covered in this article – purpose, trust, authenticity, automation, budgets – are all wider conversations that extend beyond just content creation. But content creation is a solid foundation and critical way to communicate. The pandemic may have left you forced to find an approach that works well ‘for now’, and maybe you’re doing ok. But ask yourself and your team if it’s sustainable. 

If it’s not, or there are areas to be improved, take a look at everything BAM has to offer here.

Every marketing campaign is an investment. Whether it’s the money you put into the tools you use and the advertising space you buy to bring those campaigns to life, or the time and expertise exerted by your employees. The real question is how can you be certain that your marketing ROI is living up to your expectations?

Well let’s start at the basics – what is your marketing ROI? It is the process of attributing revenue growth in your organisation to your various marketing initiatives. It determines how much of a return you’ve seen on your investment across your various campaigns and processes, and provides a solid indication of whether your techniques are delivering.

At its bare bones, your marketing ROI is designed to establish:

• The financial cost of your marketing strategy and implementation
• The financial gain coming directly from your strategy and process
• Whether these gains match expectations and your approach is worth repeating

 And, with the consensus suggesting that the ROI in marketing should ideally sit around a 5:1 ratio or greater, being able to measure this is crucial to determine if your money, time and other expenditures are paying off in the long run.

This leads back to the first question, and it’s one that marketers continue to struggle with to this day:

• Only 22% of marketers believe they are using data-driven marketing initiatives
• Just 44% of CMOs can confidently say they can measure their marketing ROI
• A mere 21% of marketers use analytics to measure their marketing ROI
• 74% of marketers feel they cannot measure and report their contribution to their company/client

The challenge of measuring ROI in marketing

Why the lack of assurance? It’s because measuring marketing ROI comes with a variety of challenges and difficulties that other aspects of your organisation might find more black-and-white.

These challenges include:

Existing measurements are too simplistic

While there are an extensive number of metrics out there that can be used to indicate marketing ROI, there are so many factors to consider that these often don’t tell the whole picture – weather, seasonal trends, changing customer behaviours, etc. This makes it important to establish a base of key metrics to prioritise, but will these tell the whole story?

Marketers prioritise the short-term

Methods of measuring ROI and results of marketing campaigns like email click-through-rates and social shares are often too short-sighted to base the overall ROI of your marketing efforts. With many marketers concerned with the short-term success of campaigns, it illustrates the need to segment these and determine their ROI separately, rather than try to blend all your marketing into one lump sum.

Most campaigns cover multiple channels

The spectrum of marketing channels available to organisations of any size is incredibly broad:

• Social media assets
• Video content
• Email marketing
• Digital signage
• Paid advertising 

These and more play a distinct role in a company’s overall marketing ROI. It is important to treat these independently to determine accurate results before bringing the results together to determine the combined effects of your marketing initiatives.

Many aspects of marketing are difficult to quantify

Certain goals of marketing teams like boosting brand awareness, customer engagement and other intangibles are a challenge to accurately measure. At their core, the goals of these campaigns are to change behaviors and build recognition, and while certain metrics can indicate that this is taking place, none offer an exact illustration of these results taking place.

Is there a marketing ROI formula?

These and further issues have made the pursuit of ROI-driven marketing more difficult for marketing teams worldwide, despite attempts to establish a firm ROI formula.

At its most basic level, a marketing ROI calculator breaks down as:

(Revenue – Investment) / Investment x 100

However, most would agree that this is too simplistic, as it doesn’t take into account the organic revenue a company generates outside of any marketing campaigns taking place. Say for instance that your organisation’s organic monthly sales growth sits at £5,000. So, if you spend £10,000 on a marketing campaign and gained £25,000 revenue over this period, the ROI formula would actually be:

(25,000 – 10,000 – 5,000) / 10,000 x 100 = 100% ROI

HubSpot has taken it even further with their own marketing ROI calculator, basing it on four core components of determining ROI in marketing:

• Number of leads
• Lead-to-customer rate
• Average sales price
• Cost or ad spend

This results in an ROI formula of:

(Number of leads x lead-to-customer rate x average sales price) – cost or ad spend] / cost of ad spend x 100

So, while formulas exist to help companies determine ROI in their marketing efforts, there remains a lack of agreement and numerous challenges to accurately determine these values for organisations or any size or industry. Yet, the importance of ROI in marketing is still critical in ascertaining the quality of your campaigns.

To try and add clarity to this tricky situation, we’ve outlined 6 aspects we feel are crucial to measuring your marketing ROI.

1. Identify the metrics you want to track

Fundamentally, you can’t measure the impact of a marketing initiative without a clear definition of the results you’re seeking. Before launching your strategy, you need to have a firm understanding of what you hope to achieve, and through this, you can identify several of the key metrics that success will be measured against.

Your goals and strategy should always be in perfect alignment. By outlining the metrics and KPIs that will indicate your marketing ROI early on, you are best placed to see if results are being delivered where you expect them to. Some of these will be financial, others may not be – as noted earlier, part of the complicated nature of marketing ROIs is the diversity of the outcomes you receive.

Of course, this also requires you to have accurately identified the costs involved – this is the base you are looking to build from, and if this isn’t noted, you’ll have no idea if the investment was worth the reward.

2. Ensure that there’s a timeline in place

Marketing is an ongoing aspect of many organisations, but that isn’t especially helpful when you’re trying to determine its ROI. Instead, it is essential that you put a specific timeline in place when measuring marketing ROI to assess the change in a set, clearly defined period.

Always remember that your marketing ROI is an ever-evolving value. Whether you choose to measure this across two weeks or two years (or a mixture of both for different campaigns), make sure there’s a limit in place to determine a valid result.

3. Utilise marketing automation tools

By harnessing the power of the various marketing automation tools out there, particularly all-in-one solutions like HubSpot or Pardot, you have greater scope to monitor and assess your ROI across multiple touchpoints, not just focus on the end results.

The fact is that throughout the course of a marketing campaigns existence, there will likely be elements that meet expectations and parts that fall short. Benefitting from marketing automation platforms helps you better identify these variables and refine your strategies moving forward, so you apply best practice in your marketing ROI.

4. Segment results in your various channels

Due to the omnichannel nature of most marketing campaigns, especially across a worldwide audience, it is valuable to segment these when determining ROI. The ROI of one marketing campaign or initiative will likely vary wildly from another, and capturing them all in one lump sum doesn’t give a clear indication of what is working and what isn’t.

Segmenting by audiences, channels, traffic, sales and other variables makes it much more straightforward and accurate when tracking marketing ROI. By taking this deeper insight, you are better-placed to tell if your approaches are delivering.

5. Dig beneath the surface of your results

An aspect of measuring marketing ROI that often flies under the radar is not looking further beyond the immediate quantitative data received. In order to get a firm grasp of your true marketing ROI, you should conduct deeper analysis and investigations to understand what results your initiatives are delivering. These approaches include: 

• Control variables – investigate other factors that could be influencing traffic, revenue and other outcomes to determine what your marketing efforts can take credit for.
• Cohort analysis – assess the lifetime value your processes offer to customers, helping you present a return on metrics that are difficult to measure.
• First-touch attribution – where possible, track customers and leads back to their original referral point to ascertain if your marketing campaigns were responsible.

Of course, this will require an investment in time and third-party tools. But, it provides a much greater level of clarity over the performance of your efforts.

6. Talk to your clients/customers/audiences

Finally, it’s helpful to go out and get feedback from the people your campaign matters the most to – your audiences. Whether it’s an email campaign to present new offers to your customers, or an internal employer branding initiative, gauging their response is a way to measure marketing ROI for the more challenging metrics like brand awareness and customer engagement.

Ideally, this should be conducted both before and following the campaign in question. Prior to work commencing, you want to understand your audience’s wants and interests to correlate these to your own strategy and goals. Then, when you survey recipients following, you can see whether the goals were fulfilled and if this demonstrates it was worth the investment.

Measuring and improving marketing ROI

The importance of ROI in marketing can hardly be overstated. It illustrates whether your achieving results that benefit your organisation overall. It is no wonder that 78% of marketers feel that measuring and improving ROI is among their biggest concerns.

Only by accurately measuring this can you identify and appreciate which of your campaigns and initiatives are performing well, and where there is room to improve your marketing ROI.

If you are interested in improving your marketing ROI, one way you can enhance this is by tightening your processes and boosting efficiency across the journey to market. That is where Papirfly comes in. 

Through BAM by Papirfly™, you can reduce the time and effort involved in getting high-quality assets to market, with bespoke, intelligent templates enabling your employees worldwide to engage their audience. No waste. No delays. No specialists.

Unlock the power to create, educate, manage, store and share your brand – get in touch with our team for more information, or to arrange a short demonstration. 

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.…