For decades, creativity has been one of the primary drivers of advertising effectiveness. According to a 2017 study by Nielsen, creativity was responsible for 47% brand lift in sales while another study (Project Apollo) completed a decade earlier (2006) said creativity was responsible for 65% of advertising effectiveness.
In recent times however, considerable growth in the digital transformation, use marketing tech plus shifts in consumer expectations post-pandemic have all impacted the demands on creativity. As a result, brands are looking towards digital and technology to help them better blend the art and science of effective marketing. That, in turn, is enabling these brands to create more personalised, memorable and resonant experiences for their customers – a huge competitive advantage and a sure path to long-term brand growth.
Marketing tech can be incorporated to a campaign in various ways, from minor tech integration to a highly tech-driven campaign. Even though creativity is still king, digital transformation in the post the Covid-19 pandemic era has been a key element of creating successful consumer engagement and being the catalyst that frees great ideas
A prime example is Canadian lottery organisation, Lotto Max. It partnered with fashion label Mr Saturday to sell hoodies and streetwear sewn with lottery vouchers. Each item displayed a one-time code that provided access to one Lotto Max play per week for a year. The campaign resulted in a 200% ticket sales increase. See the case video below:
Technology at the centre of the creative idea
A few years ago, technology was only used as a service of and/or to facilitate creative ideas. Today, it is increasingly becoming creativity’s hidden enabler and core to the creative idea itself. As customers shift their expectations of brands and the experiences which they provide, those who operate most effectively at the magical intersection of technology, creativity and customer engagement, will have a significant competitive advantage
Using data to unlock creativity
Instead of constraining creativity, we’re beginning to see more examples where data has provided the seed of a truly distinctive creative idea. German Rail created a data-driven social media campaign based on CO2 consumption to publicise its summer promotional tickets and domestic travel in Germany. It served ads on Facebook and Instagram that showed users not only how much the cheapest flight to their desired long-haul destination cost, but also how much CO2 it emitted and suggested a German location accessible by train. Watch the case study here:
Brands can also encourage their audiences’ passions, interests and curiosity to provide memorable purchase journeys that mix physical and digital experiences. Nike used a runner’s speed as a currency to unlock access to the new running sneakers Next% in China. Nike partnered with top running platforms that tracked speed and turned it into a currency, where only the fastest runners could get access to the exclusive shoe. Here is the case study:
Takeout
While creativity will always play a key role in driving advertising effectiveness and sales, we can’t ignore the fact that art and science are natural partners in successful customer engagement – with technology as the catalyst that frees great ideas.
Many marketers across the globe are advancing their use of technology to bring brand building and performance marketing closer together so that they can build stronger relationships with their customers.
Lesole Kodisang is strategic director at RAPT Creative. He is a hard working, entrepreneurial individual who enjoys figuring things out, asking questions to find the best way and highly motivated by outcomes. Kodisang is a versatile marketing communication strategist with over 12 years experience in creating marketing communication strategies, plans, campaigns and messaging for organisations in various industries and categories across different platforms and channels. He is proactively curious, flexible and enjoy working in collaborative settings coming up with new and innovative communication solutions.
