TV ads are proliferating during the World Cup but online engagement is notable by its absence, says Scott Knox
With the World Cup now upon us, TV advertising has been full of fmcg brands declaring support for England, whether it's Kit Kat telling you to cross your fingers or Carlsberg claiming to have 'probably the best team in the world'. But what is really striking is the lack of digital engagement.
Fmcg brands need to empower their teams to go out and find the best specialist agencies to work with. If your ad agency doesn't have the inclination to deliver specialist digital skills, it's time to change your lead agency. I have met countless brilliant digital marketers who had begun in traditional agencies.
This year more than ever, consumers will also be online during the World Cup discussing, interacting and engaging. Brands cannot afford to just bolt on online activity to traditional campaigns or dismiss what consumers are saying online. They need to act brighter and sharper in the way they market themselves.
Start with the consumer, look at where they are gathering and discussing the things that matter to them, whether football or something completely different. Then use engaging tactics to address those needs. Engagement and content creation are both fundamental parts of how former below-the-line agencies operate, so it makes perfect sense they can apply these skills to digital demands.
Being knowledgeable about the latest trends in digital marketing is vital but traditional marketing skills and the commercial nous that goes with that are equally important. Marketing departments need to find the right people to work with. Call me old-fashioned but that may mean getting out of the office and re-joining the world. Start getting to know trade bodies, trusted peers, and read the trade press.
Pressure groups such as Greenpeace seem to have the upper hand with online engagement, because people feel passionately its issues. Fmcg brands need to realise they must get just as passionate and engaged with their audience wherever they are, and whatever they're doing whether watching TV commercials, out and about, or interacting online.
Scott Knox is MD of the Marketing Communications Consultsants Association.
With the World Cup now upon us, TV advertising has been full of fmcg brands declaring support for England, whether it's Kit Kat telling you to cross your fingers or Carlsberg claiming to have 'probably the best team in the world'. But what is really striking is the lack of digital engagement.
Fmcg brands need to empower their teams to go out and find the best specialist agencies to work with. If your ad agency doesn't have the inclination to deliver specialist digital skills, it's time to change your lead agency. I have met countless brilliant digital marketers who had begun in traditional agencies.
This year more than ever, consumers will also be online during the World Cup discussing, interacting and engaging. Brands cannot afford to just bolt on online activity to traditional campaigns or dismiss what consumers are saying online. They need to act brighter and sharper in the way they market themselves.
Start with the consumer, look at where they are gathering and discussing the things that matter to them, whether football or something completely different. Then use engaging tactics to address those needs. Engagement and content creation are both fundamental parts of how former below-the-line agencies operate, so it makes perfect sense they can apply these skills to digital demands.
Being knowledgeable about the latest trends in digital marketing is vital but traditional marketing skills and the commercial nous that goes with that are equally important. Marketing departments need to find the right people to work with. Call me old-fashioned but that may mean getting out of the office and re-joining the world. Start getting to know trade bodies, trusted peers, and read the trade press.
Pressure groups such as Greenpeace seem to have the upper hand with online engagement, because people feel passionately its issues. Fmcg brands need to realise they must get just as passionate and engaged with their audience wherever they are, and whatever they're doing whether watching TV commercials, out and about, or interacting online.
Scott Knox is MD of the Marketing Communications Consultsants Association.
No comments yet