It has never been harder for advertisers to keep someone’s attention.
It used to be that all we needed to worry about was a viewer getting up from the boobtube to go to the bathroom or grab a drink. But today’s brands compete against devices that contain a bottomless well of content from around the world. Even the slightest unwanted interruption can encourage them to look away from what we’re saying and toward Facebook. Or Twitter. Or Instagram. Or Snapchat. Or Jyk.
Okay, that last one doesn’t exist, but you freaked out for a second that you hadn’t heard about it, didn’t you? That’s the kind of world we’re living in.
In order to truly break through, advertisers need to create campaigns that are as gripping—if not more so—than anything people can find elsewhere. Though brands and agencies can be hesitant to take chances and try new things, the only way to capture people’s attention is with unique, compelling content that strikes a chord. It has to entertain as well as all the other distractions they were seeking in the first place. Basically, we’re competing with the entire internet and the golden age of streamable TV. No pressure.
Make an impact by being bold
Brands need to come to the creative process with at least some appetite for risk. Too often, great ideas are tested before so many focus groups that they get diluted to the point of being unrecognizable. The result is a finished product that is safe, inoffensive—and uninteresting. And in the split second when viewers question whether to keep watching your ad or to check out a Snap of some kid wakeboarding off a roof, safe isn’t really doing much for you.
What does that look like? In 2015, we developed the vision for the Madden NFL ’16 Campaign, and we wanted to add some punch to the elements of the campaign. Enter, Madden The Movie, a five-minute long movie modeled off of an action-adventure blockbuster of the 80s with featured high-impact fight scenes, villains, heroes and a dance sequence. Selling through an idea of that size can be difficult from a creative standpoint. Questions fly like: Will this work? Will our audience be interested? What will people think of our brand if they do? Can we take this kind of risk? Is it worth it? But we had to find a way to break through the status quo, so we took the risk. And the results came through.
Of course, risk-taking doesn’t guarantee success. Advertisers and their agencies need to work together to tell stories that connect the client’s business problem to truths that resonate on a human level. Ideally, the audience walks away from whatever you’ve created thinking, “I’ve felt like that, but I’ve never thought of it that way.”
Cater to your audience—not everyone else’s
People tend to hang out with people who understand who they are and where they’re coming from. The same is true of the brands they choose to do business with, be it time or dollars spent. That means, risk-taking marketers should be considerate of who their audience is—and only them. An ad seen as edgy by urban teenagers might seem over the top to suburban parents. In a world where people are more deliberate than ever about choosing products that match their identity, a one-size-fits-all advertising strategy is not an option.
Agencies and clients should fight the urge to worry about what outsiders think—your target audience is all that matters. Media buying is becoming sophisticated enough that they’ll likely be the only ones to see it, anyway. Sorry Mom.
In order to stand out, advertisers need to be bold, innovative and precise. Only then will they be able to forge meaningful connections with consumers and stand out amid the din.
