Last time, Laz Gonzalez talked about how marketers need to update their practices and step up to get customers engaged, since email marketing, particularly “spray and pay,” is no longer a viable tactic. So what else is there? Marketing is still a wild west for creative ideas – GDPR has only forced our hands in implementing the bold campaign ideas that we were too timid to try earlier. Since emailing any email address you could get your hands on is no longer a viable option, especially in the EU, some brands have really stepped up their game recently. Here’s a round-up of brands that I believe are pulling off memorable marketing campaigns.
Domino’s: Paving Potholes for Pizza Perfection
Domino’s is paving potholes in several cities to protect pizzas that get damaged in route for delivery orders. Thus far, four cities have been accepted. Convincing your potential customers and reminding them your brand helped them out may incline them to send their business your way, especially since many consumers are more willing to give companies their business if they have a solid set of brand values. Want to get Domino’s to fix your pizza delivery route? You can apply to have your city considered for pothole treatment over at Domino’s campaign website.
What you can take from this: Helping customers solve a problem that affects your solution, even in a minor way, can earn you major brownie points – and more customers ordering your pizzas.
Country Time Lemonade: Lemonade Legal Aid
Country Time Lemonade has launched a campaign for Legal-Ade, which is a legal team that helps pay fines and permits for children with lemonade stands. When neighborhoods come citing permits and fines to try and squeeze the lemony fun out of the classic summer tradition, Country Time decided to help young entrepreneurs keep their business up and running.
According to their website, “Life doesn’t always give you lemons, but when it does, you should be able to make and share lemonade with the neighborhood without legal implications.” They’re covering fees or fines up to $300, which is a sweet deal – and, of course, great publicity for Country Time Lemonade. Why not use their brand’s lemonade if they’ve got your back?
What you can take from this: What’s not to love about this campaign? A brand standing behind customers, especially customers like kids with lemonade stands, will always make a good impression on their audience.
IHOP – or rather, IHOb
This list would not be complete without mentioning IHOP – or, as they’re known for a limited time, IHOb. Whether they’re successful long-term or not will remain to be seen, but it got the internet’s attention. Part of the reason this campaign worked out was announcing the change a week before revealing what the “b” stood for (burgers), and presented many opportunities for interaction. Other brands gave their feedback, joking about changing their name and focus – Burger King notably changed their Twitter handle and icon to Pancake King.
This attention paid off, at least in the short-term. #IHOb was a trending topic on Twitter for multiple days. Was the stunt worth the questions they’ll have to field at individual IHOP stores for the next few weeks, as anxious customers wonder if this pancake will be their last? That remains to be seen. It was a bold move, and it definitely brought more attention to their business, so it’s at least a short-term win.
What you can take from this: Being bold pays off. IHOP’s brand was so well-known that it was being overlooked for other meal options. By pulling off a campaign out of left field, they reminded customers that they’ve got range – and guts. They’ve seen an uptick in customers post-IHOb, too.
Interesting campaigns with real-world tie-ins garner more attention than just blasting out emails. Marketing spaces are inundated with companies promoting products and solutions without a real hook for the customer. Depending on your audience, that may be exactly what customers want. Exploring new routes of marketing post-GDPR can grant plenty of buzz. Let’s leave “spray and pray” behind. It’s time to be bold.
What are some campaigns that have caught your attention recently? Share what you liked or disliked in the comments below.
