What is nostalgia? The Collins online dictionary defines it as “an affectionate feeling you have for the past, especially for a particularly happy time.” However, you could be underestimating how much you would be able to harness the power of nostalgia for promotional effect.
If a marketing campaign brings back happy memories in its target audience, you can naturally expect members of it to perceive the advertised product or service positively.
See what social media users say they miss from the past
Social media is a great place to see people recalling their childhoods and aspects of them they wish would be brought back.
Perhaps you have seen some social media users sharing photos of what Snickers wrappers used to look like when that chocolate bar was called Marathon instead? You could closely follow conversations like this if you want valuable sources of inspiration for your nostalgia-based marketing drive.
Keep your target audience in mind
Of course, exactly what makes someone feel nostalgic is likely to depend on their age. It can seem like people from many different generations love 1980s music, for example — but hearing it might largely only generate nostalgia in people who were children or teenagers in the 1980s.
The big takeaway here is that you need to make sure you have defined your brand’s target audience before you try to judge what types of references would rekindle fond memories for these people.
Go for nostalgic triggers that would naturally fit in with your brand
In other words, avoid forcing such references into places where they don’t feel like they naturally belong. Otherwise, what you are doing could too easily come across as an insincere, soulless marketing ploy.
What you basically want are nostalgic elements that chime with either your brand’s values or what the particular product or service being publicised offers. That way, you can foster a genuine emotional connection that helps you to instil trust.
Incorporate retro motifs into your graphics
As you look back at old adverts (whether or not they were made for your own company), you could notice that certain visual flourishes tended to be trendy at one time but less so in another.
If you want to evoke memories of a specific era, you could take note of graphic designs that were often utilised then — and show them to Webahead Internet graphic designers as examples of the kinds of graphics you would like these professionals to produce for you.
Keep track of how your marketing efforts fare
Have certain posts made by your brand on social media sparked surprisingly large flurries of engagement? On the other hand, maybe you have brought back a beloved, formerly discontinued product and noticed it selling even better than expected?
These are just examples of situations that would hint you are making the right moves with your nostalgia-inspired marketing. Still, don’t be afraid to shake things up now and again to help prevent the novelty from wearing off. You can contact our digital marketing experts for further advice.
