It may seem a funny statement to make I know, but when it comes to advertising strategies, I think that the recession has done the industry a service. (At this point, I should note that I am writing this merely from a consumer’s viewpoint rather than a marketer’s – some of my terminology won’t be right but hopefully this doesn’t lessen the value of my opinion…..)
Many years ago when Orange burst onto the scene with what I call it’s ‘quirky attitudinal’ advertising campaigns, they jumped out at me whenever I saw them. I could recognise their brand ‘stamp’ even when not really watching.
However it dawned on me sometime last year that actually adverts were all seemingly morphing into one for me – unless I was really concentrating on the ad (and realistically who does?) I couldn’t tell the mobile phone companies’ ads apart and I once mistook a new McDonald’s ad for Muller Light (sacrilege!)
And then came the recession and things have begun to change. Brands are realising that they need to re-engage their customers in order to avoid an all-out consumer decision based on price. They need to remind us of why we buy their brands, to bring some emotional nostalgia back to our purchasing decisions, to bring back the love, and in the wake of Woolies demise, to offer us some reassurance.
Hence, a shift in advertising strategies for those brands that have been around a while – let’s call it ‘heritage advertising’. Hovis, Kelloggs, Johnson & Johnson, Persil and M&S to name but a few, are reminding us of better times, reminding us that they have been there through thick and thin, and reassuring us that they aren’t going anyplace soon.
My personal favourite is Persil’s current TV ad which revisits ads from times gone by (my last recollection of a brand doing this was Linda Bellingham and Oxo but I am sure there have been others). Not only does it seem like it could be the most cost-effective route for the brand, which feels fitting in a recession – rather than M&S and Twiggy’s 125 years extravaganza – but for me it reminds me of actual memories of Persil, and therefore connects with me on a more emotive level than say an advert that is trying to recreate glossy new images of previous eras.
Currently this new approach feels refreshing and makes me feel a sigh of relief that there is something other than a ‘quirky lifestyle’ I can aspire / connect with. The trick will be how these brands can evolve this approach – the recession won’t be around forever and they will need to move on to reflect the changing times ahead. Mind you, the real winners will be those brands that can make this emotional connection with their customers throughout every experience their customers have with their brands – operations, customer service etc. etc.
NB A lovely example for me of how nostalgia can affect purchasing decisions is the 80s throwback TV programme Ashes to Ashes. According to a not-very-reliable source (my dad – no offence Pop) the price of second / third / fourth hand Audi Quattros, as driven by Gene Hunt in the programme, has shot up…..
PS For any female readers out there, we hope you like the picture – we thought of including a video of the new Persil ad, but the girls in the office agreed that Philip Glenister as Gene Hunt was a better choice.
