Second guessing what people want from advertising can be dangerous and brands need to go back to basics when considering the most effective routes to boosting loyalty and sales.
Small companies can benefit just as much as big conglomerates from gaining insight into their customers and marketplaces when rolling out new ideas. Although market research sounds expensive, there are ways to achieve valuable knowledge without a huge outlay.
Many adverts take us directly into the heart of happiness: they show us families that are happy to be together, lovers who remember how to be grateful, friends who delight in one another’s company. They can be moving precisely because what they depict is so difficult to find in real life. Their emotional power is premised on evoking what is missing, rather than what is present in our lives.
“Marketing provides good payback for shareholders,” declared PepsiCo last week. This was not a statement uttered by one of the soft drink giant’s senior marketers but its chief financial officer Hugh Johnston.
At the end of every week we look at the key stories, offering our view on what they mean for you and the industry. From Superdrug’s response to the cost of living crisis to how SMEs tackle long-term brand building, it’s been a busy week. Here is my take.
M&S Food has a “busy summer” of marketing ahead of it, says marketing director Sharry Cramond, as the grocer doubles down on delivering healthy food at low prices.
Price and promotion will be “key” to Superdrug’s marketing plans over the next year, with a focus on own brand products and improving its loyalty proposition.
From taking Green & Black’s to a new market after “savage” customer feedback, to the birth of Veggie Pret, Mark Palmer urges marketers to rethink positioning, premiumisation and innovation.