One of the most exciting things about the media world is that it is constantly evolving. Almost every form of traditional media is now somehow intertwined with social media. Media plans incorporate entirely different components than they did five years ago, like Facebook engagement ads, mobile banner ads and YouTube ads; as opposed to a stand-alone traditional television or radio buy.
One of the most exciting things about the media world is that it is constantly evolving. Almost every form of traditional media is now somehow intertwined with social media. Media plans incorporate entirely different components than they did five years ago, like Facebook engagement ads, mobile banner ads and YouTube ads; as opposed to a stand-alone traditional television or radio buy.
Media departments are now challenged more than ever to reach a client’s target simply because there are so many media options. Finding the most effective outlet is important, but sometimes finding what outlets work best together is what can really bring the most success to a campaign. A broadcast television buy is effective, but when that ad is concurrently placed on different outlets, like YouTube or Pandora, it has a greater chance of brand recall. The consumer’s relationship with the brand is stronger because they are being reached on multiple channels, reinforcing the message and often allowing the consumer to interact. This is when channel convergence comes into play. Successful campaigns now seamlessly integrate broadcast television with the internet, email with social media, radio with desktop computers or smartphones and so on.
Snickers created a strong campaign with the product insight that “you are not you when you are hungry”. The campaign linked this to a consumer emotion: that you feel cranky when you haven’t eaten, making it possible to create a multidimensional communication campaign. Snickers then got celebrities to tweet messages that were out of character, demonstrating the versatility of that idea across channels.
Using multiple channels is not strictly about saying the same thing in different channels, but instead about taking a unique aspect of the brand and tying it to a consumer insight that is powerful and engaging – and which comes to life through Twitter, a TV ad or a piece of merchandise.
When is the last time you noticed a campaign on different media outlets? Which one stuck out to you the most?
