Did you know #ThrowbackThursday (#TBT) is one of the most popular hashtags on social and “On this day” from Facebook is one of the most successful engagement strategies seen? Why? It all contributes to that feeling of nostalgia – remembering what was and reliving a moment in history.
By bringing back memories even so far back as the 70’s humanises a brand and shows authenticity. If you can trigger that feeling of happiness in humans, you can get them to love your brand.
Nostalgia works very well with millennials, as you reach them on an emotional level. Experts say millennials could be the most nostalgic generation ever. Living a fast-paced life filled with a lot of impersonal digital media, building social connectedness through nostalgia is providing millennials with a sense of belonging.
Building a campaign around nostalgia can be time consuming and expensive but when done right the success rate is far higher. Consumers are more digital savvy and they have numerous ways of shutting out advertising. You have to be clever, creative and forward-thinking to make sure you reach your audience on an emotional level as well.
Bringing back happy memories creates a feeling of being happy and happiness sells.
Here are some tips on creating that perfect nostalgic campaign:
1. Take what’s old and make it new
Look at key trends from a couple of years ago and take that mixed with new and you’ve got a winning recipe. Nostalgia-centric campaigns succeed when you keep your finger on the pulse, listen to what people are talking about. See what #TBT is all about and make something new from something old.
2. Channel nostalgia through Social Media
Make use of your social media networks to channel your campaign. Look at different platforms and how best to utilise them to derive traction. This is a cheap method of advertising which has the capability of going viral. We process images much faster than text, using imagery is an excellent form of communicating brand value.
3. Use familiarity to get consumers’ attention
An example would be instead of educating consumers about digital tech online, why not deliver a glossy magazine with an old-school article inside on the latest tech. This brings a feeling of that long-ago-looking-for-knowledge feeling and gives them a break from digital clutter. This can be seen as a natural extension of authenticity marketing and make consumers feel good, which once again, makes them feel good about your brand.
Happiness sells – always be authentic, humble and leave the jargon behind.
Some things may never be looked back on fondly, but there are enough happy memories to go around for all.
