“Brands should build connections with consumers via nostalgic campaigns”
By Abimbola Mohammed
There’s something special about nostalgia that has the power to bring people back to their childhood memories. It helps whisk them back to simpler times, bringing back memories they hold dear. Because of the feeling it invokes in consumers, nostalgia is an effective marketing tool that brands can leverage for creating meaningful relationships with their audience.
Some of the ways that brands are leveraging nostalgia marketing is by recreating iconic moments, celebrating holidays, creating products that are reminiscent of a bygone era, discontinuing a brand and recreating it years later.
A brand like MTN used nostalgic marketing campaign strategy in its recent TV commercial where it recreated the old campaign ‘life is beautiful’ into a modern reality. Also, 7Up did a similar thing when it brought back the Fido-dido commercial in 2022. Another brand that used nostalgia marketing is Coca-Cola when it introduced the “Enjoy Coca-Cola” slogan.
According to a post on LinkedIn by Gaurav Mishra, a Strategic Talent Acquisition Professional/ HR Strategist, consumers now have endless choices of brands to choose from, therefore marketers and brand owners need to find and build emotional connections with them by creating what they can relate with.
The post read: “In today’s world, consumers are bombarded with an endless array of choices, and it can be challenging to stand out in a crowded marketplace. That’s where emotional connections come in. When consumers feel a strong emotional connection to a brand, they are more likely to choose that brand over its competitors, even if the price is higher. Emotional connections can also foster brand loyalty, which can lead to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth recommendations.”
“Nostalgic branding is a powerful way to create emotional connections with customers by tapping into their memories and emotions. Nostalgic branding involves incorporating elements from the past, such as vintage designs, retro packaging, or classic advertising slogans, into a brand’s image and personality. This can help to create a sense of familiarity and comfort that resonate with customers,” he added.
Mishra further stressed that to incorporate nostalgia into their marketing strategy, brand owners need to understand their target audiences and the memories and emotions that resonate with them. This, he noted, they can do by conducting market research, analyzing consumer behaviour, and studying their competitors’ strategies.
Touching on what brands stand to gain when they adopt nostalgia marketing in their strategy, he said: “Creating emotional connections with customers, nostalgic branding can help to create emotional connections with customers by tapping into their memories and emotions.
“Building a strong brand identity: Incorporating nostalgic elements into your brand image, personality, and advertising campaigns can help to create a strong brand identity that stands out in a competitive market.”
He advised that, to use nostalgia strategy for campaigns, brands and marketers need to understand the target audience, strike a balance between nostalgia and modernity, authenticity and emotional connections.
Mishra added that while using nostalgia strategy, brands should not use memories that are too old so as not to make their audience disconnect from what the intention is. For example, if the target audiences are millennials, a brand might want to tap into nostalgia for the 90s or early 2000s.
On his part, Charles Lange, Digital Marketing Strategist on LinkedIn, also shared that a powerful surge of emotion washes over people when they stumble upon a relic from their past, be it a cherished toy, a once-favorite song, or a movie that captured their imagination. He pointed out that marketers have recognized the potential of nostalgia as a tool for forging deep connections with their target audience, leading to enhanced brand loyalty and consumer engagement.
The post read: “At the heart of nostalgia marketing lies a powerful emotional alchemy that has the power to transform even the most mundane of experiences into something deeply meaningful and cherished. To truly understand the potential of nostalgia marketing, it’s essential to delve into the magical essence that defines nostalgia and grasp the emotional undercurrents that make it such a potent force.
“In a world that is constantly evolving and facing unprecedented challenges, the power of nostalgia marketing to transport us back to simpler times and evoke cherished memories becomes even more compelling. By embracing the emotional alchemy of nostalgia marketing, your brand can forge deeper connections with its audience, create lasting engagement, and ultimately drive success in today’s fast-paced and complex landscape.”
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