The truth of the matter

Look, we’re living in the age of viral content. Messages, ads, experiences and memes that succeed in resonating based on their timing and relevance to the world around them. 

That means, when your brand is looking for a way to compete in the market, or on a particular social platform, you need to be competing for the attention and the hearts of your audience against content creators, news articles and meme accounts; not to mention competitor brands. Now, this poses an issue and an opportunity. An issue; in that we’re needing to have more nuanced and agile conversations around our brand’s message. But an opportunity that opens up a world of communication ideas and fun ways for our brands to relate to their core target audiences. 

All that’s required is a simple shift in your approach and you’ll be able to create content and messaging that demands attention and delivers key messages, without having to break the bank. 

Below, we’ll unpack a few starting points for your team to try out when brainstorming for their next smart bit of advertising.

Look at the interface:

We’re animals of habit. When we open a particular social app on our phones, there are a few things we’re expecting to see. From lifestyle and travel imagery, to pictures of our friends’ babies smashing cake into their faces for the first time. Our attention really peaks when we see something familiar, but out of context. 

Try to bring your brand into a space that utilises common interface prompts and designs to deliver a fun message or highlight your intended USP.

 

Scrap the design

Some of the simplest technologies and smartphone functionalities have completely changed the way we share thoughts and ideas. Think about the screenshot; these days, there’s nothing odd about seeing a screenshot of a funny tweet on Instagram or Facebook. This is a really simple way for your brand to play in the visual space without having to open photoshop.

Try using Twitter, WhatsApp or your Notes application as a way to get your meme-style message down and voila! You have a visually driven Instagram post.

Let your community direct your content

Absolutely love this one. It drives engagement, gives your audience a voice in what your brand is putting out and doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. The idea here is to let your community tell you what to do next. Making something for a bank? What about creating a series of Instagram videos about your community manager travelling the city, showcasing all of the different ways the bank allows you to pay and save? Alcohol brand? Why not set up an interactive bar experience that allows consumers to instruct the bartender on which drink to make next? (Fantastic for live feeds btw). 

There are so many applications for this kind of thinking that can really show off brand and product versatility and sense of adventure. 

Link to awesome Bacardi case study: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0lS8QAf77I

Redesign staples

This one requires your creatives to keep an eye out for what’s trending. Big events like World Cup Football, Coachella Music Festival and government announcements or campaign creative give us some great opportunities to create relevant and interesting tongue in cheek posts for our brands. 

The trick here is to look at the layouts of posters, broadcasts and announcements for these kinds of events and recontextualise them into your brand’s message. I’m going to use the imaginary bank brand here. You could create a humorous political campaign poster that promises lower prices and transparent fees. 

Alcohol brand looking for a chance to build the at-home drinking occasion? What does your version of a music festival poster with the feature-list outlining the typical friend stereotypes that might make up that event look like?

 

Retype your bio

Yup. This is as simple as it sounds. Contrary to popular belief, brand social account bios are editable – even from hour-to-hour. If you’re smart about this one, it’s guaranteed to be shared and spoken about without spending a cent of your media budget. All it takes is one, smart follower to spot the change in your bio and you’ll find screenshots shared, traffic to your brand’s profile page and conversation around the “stunt”. 

This kind of thought really works well when your community manager is on point and is able to spot the relevant conversation happening online and adapt. Don’t be scared to tag other brands, celebrities or even disgruntled customers (if you’re really brave) in your bio.

Conclusion

With a world-wide ecosystem of ad requirements, copy restrictions, responsible use-cases and client expectations, it’s important for creatives to ensure they’re playing with the right elements to create something remarkable, no matter how small or fleeting. 

The true power of digital marketing is realised when we realise that the expectations and ways of working are fluid. 

The way you really make the most of this simple, lateral-thought exercise is (and will always be) to first solidify your brand message and meaning in the world. 

Once you have a firm grip on the personality and modus operandi for your brand, the easier it will be to play with (and scale) how your work lives in the lives of the people you’re trying to target.