Common advertising formats like TV commercials and print ads are steadily losing their effectiveness. This is, as we know, due in part to the latest developments and products of digitalization. These are turning our society upside down and leaving a growing generation exposed to a daily overload of stimuli: a product of the availability of social media. Long-standing advertising is increasingly struggling with credibility issues. For this reason, we are focusing on digital marketing today. A field of topics that brings enormous potential for direct communication with the respective target group compared to conventional advertising, but is constantly evolving. This makes it more difficult for marketers to determine how they can best stand out when planning their digital marketing campaigns.

Which channels are best suited? Should I be funny or serious? Is it really just about videos?

The questions are endless, but the answers can be quite simple – if you know where to look. We present four of the most successful digital marketing campaigns and the lessons that advertisers can learn from them.

Traffic through influencer collaborations: About You’s “Lena Gercke X About You” campaign

The Hamburg online shop won the brand award in the “Best New Brand” category in 2019. In just 5 years, Otto Group subsidiary “About You” has become one of the most successful fashion platforms. This was achieved, among other things, by the advertising strategy often focusing on entertainment. Co-founder and CEO Tarek Müller swears that the interest in entertainment is simply higher than in products. The actual sale of the products comes only afterwards, so a lot of emphasis is placed on content marketing with relevant influencers.

The best example of this is the long-term collaboration with the top German model Lena Gercke, which included the design of the “Lena Gercke X About You” collection. These strategically aligned partnerships make About You’s influencer marketing concepts so innovative. Joko Winterscheidt, TV host and entrepreneur, is following in Lena Gercke’s footsteps and is also starting a collaboration with About You.

What can we learn from this to generate more traffic to the online shop?

> Advertising doesn’t have to be a clichéd bombardment of a target group, but can be personalized with the role models of a generation. This makes the advertising effect significantly more sustainable.
> To reach target audiences, advertising measures must always be produced strictly platform-specific.
> Collaborations with influencers usually occur in isolation from the overall marketing mix, but these patterns don’t always have to be copied.

Online Shop Traffic through Credibility: Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” Campaign

What would a list of successful best-practice examples of marketing campaigns be without Apple, probably the most well-known brand in the Western world? Overall, more than 50 Samsung commercials were aired last year. Whether it’s TV, YouTube, radio, or influencer placement. We can’t remember any of these advertisements in detail because there was too much boring information. In contrast, there is Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” campaign. Comprising three words and no additional information. The campaign does not represent the features of the product and does not go into the functions. Instead, the customer experience, which ultimately lies with the customer, is brought to life. No fuss, just authentic and genuine photos from users. Following the motto: “If Liz from Vacaville can do it, I can too.”

What can we learn from this to spark more interest?

> Customers buy products for their everyday function, not for the features or characteristics of the product.
> There is enough information and news in the digital world. Focus is what counts! Limit the information in your advertising and focus on the message that is relevant to the customer. Information about the product can ideally be found in the online shop.
> In a world where authenticity is currency, there is nothing more credible than real customers.

Utilizing online shop traffic: Old Spice “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign

The YouTube video has now received over 60 million views. The “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign was first aired in February 2010 and became a viral hit overnight.

In June 2010, a second Old Spice commercial followed with the same actor, Isaiah Mustafa, who became the advertising figure “Old Spice Guy.” The campaign used this nickname for an interactive video campaign in which the actor responded to fan comments on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media websites with personalized videos. In just two days, the company had filmed 186 personalized, scripted, and rather funny video responses with Mustafa. In total, these videos were viewed almost 11 million times, and Old Spice claims to have gained approximately 29,000 new Facebook fans and 58,000 new Twitter followers.

“We produced personalized miniature TV commercials and made them available to customers. And all of this at a breakneck speed,” says Jason Bagley, creative director at Wieden Kennedy, the agency behind the campaign.

What can we learn from this to use traffic in the long term?

> If a campaign or ad resonates with fans and followers, you should pull out all the stops to keep them engaged!
> Attention is a currency. It should always be used and not let it run into nothing!
> Stay true to your brand image and brand message.

Generating Traffic with Humor: Dollar Shave Club’s “Our Blades are f***ing Great” Campaign

The “Dollar Shave Club” has a simple idea: a monthly subscription for razor blades. However, in order to attract the first customers, a way had to be found to reach the consumers and make the concept understandable to them. Michael Dubin, CEO of the company, produced a series of promotional videos to explain the concept, but also to convey the company’s quirky culture.

In 2012 wurde das erste Video veröffentlicht, das sich schnell verbreitete und weltweit mehr als 27 Millionen Aufrufe verzeichnete. Since then, video marketing campaigns have proven to be a crucial component of the company’s success. In 2016 had the company over 3.2 million subscribers.

What can we learn from this to generate traffic without actual resources?

> Humor may miss its mark, but it can also successfully strike its intended audience.
> Funny videos are often shared with friends when they hit the mark with a target audience, bringing more visitors to the online store.
> The goal should be that a video can be shared.