Stated in bold, right here on our home page. “People HATE ads. But people LOVE brands.”
Given the fact that the multi-channel marketing market is expected to grow from $6.96 billion in 2023 to 28.6 billion by 2030* ads aren’t going anywhere. But audiences have gotten so accustomed to being bombarded – dare we say “stalked” that we are in what I like to call “selective capture.” Not quite zombie scrolling, our brains just actively ignore anything that they aren’t purposely looking for.
Traditional way of interrupting someone’s chill, scroll and commute no longer wins.
So, what does?
We believe business is abundant. We also believe the consumer is 100% in control.
"Hyper-focused on the audience point of view and the right partnerships, LM2 Creative dissects what your consumer audience would want to know about you vs. what you tell them."
Our favorite way to get a brand’s unique message to consumers is through creating on-going cross-industry partnerships and collabs. That way we create unique marketing solutions for brands by reaching a new demographic, breaking through the clutter of the competition’s messaging, or testing a new category completely.
Not simply experiential marketing, there should be multi-channel execution with every partnership forged to build longevity and loyalty, but those channels need strategy to feel relevant and welcomed vs. random or re-targeted.
In my career I have partnered Coca-Cola with the Late Late Show’s Carpool Karaoke for the first take-over of this popular TV segment and omni-channel extensions for Coke at McDonalds, Marriott
Luxury Collection with One Kings Lane and Land Rover for a shoppable road trip series that lived for two full years actively online, Airbnb with van Gogh and the Art Institute of Chicago for the first ever experiential gorilla marketing stunt done on the infamous home rental online marketplace.
And what I learned most about these cross-industry partnerships was, to go beyond advertising, you must allow your customer to play with you. And for a “marketing tactic” to feel playful to a consumer, your brand values must line up perfectly.
You can’t go into it with the intent of going viral. Nor to you hitch your wagon to the latest trend. Or build “art for Instagram’s sake” pop-up. Look first at where your audience is, what they’re watching what they are listening to, where they gather, when they take time to themselves. And instead of buying media for those moments – actually HANG OUT WITH THEM – by way of partnering with culturally relevant partners.
A common misconception is that partnerships and culturally relevant social platforms cost a lot of money. Not true. We partnered Daytrip CBD Sparkling Water and Daybreaker sober morning dance party 6 months after launching the beverage because the values of happiness spontaneity, and better together were mutually shared.
The pros definitely outweigh the cons. If done well, you could earn:
· Enhanced brand recognition and loyalty.
· Increased engagement and conversions.
· Positive brand perception and positioning.
· Greater market share and competitive edge.
· Improved customer satisfaction and retention.
· Stronger emotional connection with the audience.
Challenges can arise when you don’t set the correct KPI’s for a strategic partnership program. Ask yourself:
· How will you track this? Is there a collaborative landing page? Is there geotargeting at an event? Is this user generated content and are those users getting UTM codes?
· What are you benchmarking this against to prove ROI?
· Does this enhance the brand experience for your target audience? (And no, your target audience cannot be “everyone.” Even if you believe your brand serves all, a successful collaboration needs to have an intended target for better engagement and effective storytelling.)
· What is relevant and memorable about the timing? Make sure you plan out the when, just as much as the who and what.
· What does the follow-up retargeting look like? You have combined audiences because of this collaboration. How do you communicate your specific brand’s unique message to this newly combined audience to keep the momentum?
If you want to check out a few of LM2 Creative’s recent favorites:
Cross-industry partnerships in marketing demonstrate that presenting the unique value proposition of each brand TOGETHER can enhance brand reach and brand health.
*Revised Data: Market Research Future Report. Author: Aarti Dhapte| June 2024
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