With work from home policies, school closures, and statewide lockdowns becoming our new normal, some key marketing channels like event, on-premise, and shopper marketing will clearly be less effective in the near term. Those brands that rely on such channels, and who are fortunate enough to continue funding their marketing strategies, are all asking the same tough question: What’s the best way to connect with consumers in these uncertain times?
So many of us have been relegated to sitting around the house, trying to adapt to our new lifestyle. Has there ever been a better opportunity for At-Home Marketing? While connecting with consumers at home isn’t a new concept, the most successful strategies today will take into consideration the current consumer mindset and offer them ways to engage that are positive, creative, and entertaining.
Here are four inspirational ways brands have used at-home engagement to achieve key marketing objectives.
1.) Unleash creativity with fun contest challenges – Elmer’s “Ooey Gluey Slime Games Contest”
To keep the “Slime craze” relevant and top-of-mind, Elmer’s encouraged kids to continue getting creative with Elmer’s glue. The Ooey Gluey Slime Games Contest invited kids to upload videos of their creations in one of six categories like “Super Stretchy Slime” and “Speedy Slime Making,” and they could vote for their favorite creations for a chance to become the Next Elmer’s Slime Star.
2.) Give interactive trivia a social spin – Dodge “Dodge Horsepower Challenge”
For the launch of the Challenger SRT Hellcat, Dodge sought to educate consumers in a way that would drive social sharing of the program. For five weeks, consumers were asked trivia questions with a whopping 85 potential multiple-choice answers. Questions required a working knowledge of physics, so hints were posted online by the brand and on Challenger subreddits by the brand’s fans. Participants could also eliminate some of the questions by entering specific hashtags hidden throughout the brand’s social channels. The incentive for all that brand and social engagement? Participants who correctly answered each week’s questions were entered for a chance to win a new Dodge Hellcat.
3.) Create a ‘virtual event’ – JBL “JBL Fest”
To amplify their event sponsorship, JBL wanted to virtually engage consumers who couldn’t attend their exclusive live music festival. At-home consumers selected an avatar to represent themselves within a virtual JBL Fest environment, and each day one avatar was chosen from the crowd as the instant winner of a JBL brand product. To drive sales, participants could upload JBL product receipts from participating retailers on the VIP sweepstakes microsite for a chance to experience JBL Fest like a true A-Lister.
4.) Turn aspiring influencers into brand advocates – e.l.f. Cosmetics “Beautyscape – The Ones to Swatch”
To harness the insight and advocacy of its consumers, e.l.f Cosmetics invited their Instagram followers to share their look for the chance to earn their big beauty break. Twenty lucky winners were invited to participate in Beautyscape where they could play with makeup, learn, connect with other makeup enthusiasts and have the chance to collaborate with the brand to design their very own e.l.f. Cosmetics collection.
Maintaining, and even strengthening consumer connections during this time of unprecedented behavior change could pay dividends for forward-thinking brands. Consider new ways to stay relevant and meet people where they are so you can be top-of-mind today and when their lifestyles, purchase habits, return to normal.
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