Consumer packaged goods are leading the charge in millennial marketing initiatives. Although as marketers, we wouldn’t be surprised to hear luxury or lifestyle brands, such as the LVMH collection or Mercedes-Benz were pioneering, experimenting with, and testing new marketing tactics; we were delighted to learn that CPGs were making bold strides in these same efforts. Consumer packaged goods are leading the way on some of the most innovative marketing trends of 2016. Here’s why:
They aren’t afraid of experiential marketing:
CPGs are often competing in mature or saturated markets, so they are more willing to take a big swing and learn quickly during times of fierce competition. Within the last decade, experiential marketing has become a new – somewhat experimental – marketing tactic to attract CPG consumers. Companies such as Redbull have used experiential marketing events to bolster their brand image, in this case, with adventure and energy. Event marketing transports potential customers into an alternate version of their lifestyle in which their products have transformed their day-to-day lives. Even when these events or guerrilla marketing experiences are an exaggerated version of their products’ value proposition, the emotions participants feel during these events last longer than any traditional advertisement ever could. This type of marketing is especially effective for new product launches or brand refreshing efforts.
They have nailed the art of storytelling:
No one tells a story better than Oreo. In their latest advertising campaigns, Oreo shows how sharing their time-honored cookie brings families and individuals closer together. Watching a little boy share an Oreo before bedtime with his father, who has video conferenced into his son’s bedroom before his morning meeting half way across the globe in Hong Kong, transforms the simple pleasure of eating a cookie into a family tradition. Brands such as Coca-Cola have taken a similar approach to elevate feelings of goodwill around the holidays, while the laundry detergent brand Tide captures the relief of simplifying everyday life amidst the chaos of children, pets, multiple schedules, and ubiquitous stains. Storytelling is a powerful tool when used in traditional advertising campaigns and shareable content on social media because it allows consumers to think about CPGs in a new way.
Celebrity sponsorship is not a dirty word:
CPGs have also benefitted tremendously with millennials by seeking celebrity endorsements. Although there is no illusion that these brand partnerships are organic, CPGs have learned (and leveraged) the power of our youngest generation’s fixation on celebrity lifestyles. Cindy Crawford may have started it with her Pepsi endorsement in the 80’s, but every time a celebrity stands next to a CPG, sales increase approximately 20%—yes, even with a B-list name. It may sound counterintuitive to today’s modern marketers who are used to bending over backwards to build brand trust, but we already told you that consumer packaged goods were daring to be different.
It may not always make sense, but we know these companies aren’t spending millions of dollars for a few seconds during the Super Bowl halftime for nothing. If you want to think outside the box (literally), CPGs are a great place to seek new ideas and marketing trends you may not have considered before. Our team of marketing enthusiasts have a few tricks up our sleeves that we learned from watching the best of the best CPG brands. Click here for a few more tips.
