4 of the Biggest Advertising Trends of 2016

 2016 was a year of unprecedented creative opportunities for advertisers.

Advancements in technology enabled agencies to develop campaigns across innovative new mediums, pushing the boundaries of digital advertising and inviting consumers to experience brands like never before.

Before we see what 2017 has in store, let's take a look back at some of this year's most impactful advertising trends. The following four marketing tactics left a big mark on 2016, and they show no signs of slowing down as we head into the new year.

See which trends fueled some of the most creative ad campaigns, and start planning your first 2017 campaign. 

4 of the Biggest Advertising Trends of 2016

1) Experiential Marketing

From branded pop-up shops to larger promotional events, brands definitely embraced experiential marketing in 2016. And agencies rose to meet this growing demand.

Big brands like Coca-Cola, Google, and Anheuser-Busch sought out agency partners who specialize in creating brand experiences that woo participants and generate buzz on social media.

So what makes experiential marketing so powerful? Casey Conway, a founding partner of Say OK -- the agency behind experiential work for brands like Google, Microsoft, and Converse -- says it helps brands relate to people who don't typically connect with traditional advertising mediums.

"We pride ourselves on getting those people who think they know better, who can see right through the traditional side [of advertising], and hit them in a cool, unique way," Conway said to Adweek. "It's not about a brand just being the logo [in an immersive experience]; it's about giving the consumer an awesome experience from a brand."

Example: SXSW 'Suicide Squad' Tattoo Shop Pop-Up

When Warner Brothers wanted a unique way to promote the Suicide Squad movie at SXSW, they turned to the experiential ad experts at Milwaukee-based GMR.

Their team temporarily converted a tattoo shop in downtown Austin into Harley Quinn's Tattoo Parlor, offering free temporary and permanent tattoos inspired by the film's characters to anyone who was interested. The shop was redesigned with decor from the movie and staffed with a team of Harley Quinn lookalikes to draw people in.

The event was a massive success for Warner Brothers, drawing in over 2,400 SXSW attendees and generating 35.4 million impressions on Twitter and Instagram.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

6 Advertising Tips to Draw Customers In

Image
  This ad successfully combines humor and relatable language to compel me to subscribe — additionally, it solved a "problem" (learning how to cook pasta) I didn't know I had. Those are three elements that can make an amazing ad. Oftentimes, marketers assume a good ad can only be made with a big budget. They also believe ads are most effective if they're busy or loud. While these factors   do  contribute to an enjoyable ad experience, ads certainly aren't limited without them. In fact, some of the most effective ads I've come across have none of them. The ad above, for example, isn't busy or flashy at all, yet it's still an example of a good ad. In this post, let's explore six components for creating a good, engaging ad. What makes a good ad? A good ad engages consumers. Whether the ad makes consumers click to learn more or enter a store, it employs different methods to make consumers stop and pay attention. These methods can include customer testim...
Read more

How to Use Smart Content to Take Advertisements to the Next Level

  Every publisher wants to stand out from the crowd, but the days of one-size-fits-all content creation are over. The reason why? Content marketing is a double-edged sword. As companies realize that it works, they want to invest in it more—which means that there’s more information being published on the Internet than ever before. Some media companies are responding and trying to outsmart the crowd by producing more content, generating more listicles, and writing more ‘quick wins’ and listicles. But keep in mind: many consumers view these actions as noise. The tech savvy ones, especially, will see more and just get annoyed. Their screening criteria is also becoming stricter: according to one stat, human beings have an attention spans worse than goldfish, according to Microsoft (seriously: check it out—it’s a cool study). That’s why smart content is so important. It’s also a powerful value proposition for advertisers who are looking to reach the right audiences with the right me...
Read more

Negative Impacts of Advertising

 Now you've done it: Your small business has finally gotten to the point where you can commit to regular advertising buys, and now you've opened the door of criticism to people who wish to remind you of the negative impacts of advertising. Yes, some sour grapes may be leading the charge, but there's no denying that bad, manipulative and poorly executed advertising gives all advertising a bad rap. Your best strategy? Size up some of those negative impacts so you can be prepared to quash those sour grapes. Charge No. 1: Advertising Encourages Monopolies Advertising doesn't come cheap. It's never come cheap. And even if you've been indoctrinated in the ways of inbound marketing and the more cost-effective tactics you can use to lure new customers to your website, advertising still represents an investment. For this reason, advertising has long been considered the domain of big businesses with deep pockets, which critics say gives these businesses a competitive adva...
Read more