Digital Marketing: Creating Your Online Presence

Digital Marketing: Creating Your Online Presence

Digital marketing done right is an essential campaign for businesses. The rise of social media platforms in the last two decades has changed the field of marketing. Getting brand recognition in the constantly changing online market is challenging.

Think Twice and Then Think Again

In the competitive environment of digital marketing, companies are developing new strategies to get attention. When companies align with social causes to promote their products, they need to think carefully. Such campaigns require solid commitment from the brands they are designed to promote.

Nike and Pepsi both used controversy to advertise their products. Pepsi didn’t have their finger on the pulse of America in 2017. Nike had a well-thought-out strategy that harnessed the momentum of current events.

In 2018 Nike was able to take advantage of the controversy created by Colin Kaepernick’s decision to take a knee for the national anthem. Staying loyal to Kaepernick was a hard decision from a PR standpoint because public opinion wavered for and against Kaepernick. However, remaining loyal to Kaepernick and their campaign worked well for all involved. Colin Kaepernick brought attention to the cause he was championing, and Nike gained respect as a company with principles.

Pepsi tried to weigh in on the same issue a year earlier. They created a campaign intending to portray a “let’s all get along” sentiment. The ad campaign highlighted the social movement directly. Pepsi picked a strong social media influencer and stuck her in the middle of the ad campaign. Pepsi quickly abandoned the campaign.

It seems that little thought was given to the influencer as a person. Kendall Jenner’s relevance to the movement they were highlighting was minimal. The disconnect between the promoter and the movement she was paired with was immediately seized upon by the public.

The gravity of the issue at hand was brought to light, and Pepsi came under fire for treating it so lightly. The disastrous campaign hurt the image of both Pepsi and Kendall Jenner. The inclusive message of unity that Pepsi was trying to promote went unheard.

The Nike campaign pinned its strategy on Kaepernick, and indirectly linked itself with the controversy. By highlighting the American footballer, they gave his cause a wider platform. At the same time, the company increased the relevancy of their brand. The ad campaign expanded their customer base outside their target market of sports fans and fitness enthusiasts.

Knowing Your Goals and Metrics

There is little chance for digital marketing success if you’re targeting the wrong demographic for your product or service. At its core, all marketing seeks to strengthen the business they promote. This tried and true marketing checklist can help companies stay on the right track when creating digital marketing campaigns.

  • Define the target audience.
  • Research and clarify campaign goals.
  • Choose the right platform for your campaign.
  • Create measurable results.
  • Evaluate your results.

Hell’s Basement Brewery in Alberta, Canada had a PR nightmare while promoting a new pale ale. The campaign strategy was to market the product as unique. The company chose a word from the Maori language for the beer. Unfortunately for Hell’s Basement, it didn’t mean what they thought it meant!

The research that the small company invested before launching their new product was insufficient. A controversy resulted which brought publicity to the brand for all the wrong reasons. After issuing an apology, the company was back to square one with their pale ale.

The business ships province and nation-wide in Alberta and Canada respectively. They didn’t anticipate that New Zealanders would hear about their beer. Our globe has become a lot smaller thanks to social media. Even if you’re not marketing to the entire world, they may hear of your brand.

Remember that in this hyper-critical world, ignorance isn’t bliss for long. Social media spreads news globally, fast. When creating and marketing products, make sure that everything is well researched.

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