The right balance
Before I continue, here's a quick refresher of the different media types:
- Paid media: Refers to purchasing advertising or sponsorships to create awareness with a specific audience for a set time period or number of impressions.
- Owned media: This is media a brand creates: content, programming, applications, corporate websites, corporate blogs, email newsletters, etc. A brand has complete control over these properties, hence the term owned.
- Earned media: Organic coverage about your brand on television, radio, blogs, video sites, etc. This includes social activities such as viral videos, Facebook likes, tweets, etc. Earned media is about people sharing and is often the most credible form of media.
Now let's look closer at how brands, including Old Spice, achieve this magic formula that enables them to stretch a digital budget to ultimately drive sales and brand loyalty.
The magic formula (aka, two tips)
- Like the top of most tip lists you've read, I have to reiterate the obvious: You need a big idea. It all stems from the power of a good idea. You need to find one that's clever, compelling, and engaging. Think about members of the target audience. What inspires them? What motivates them? What are they passionate about? Consider your audience when you're thinking "big." Once executed, the big idea needs to be valuable enough to share and spark a conversation. The drive to insight is the most important issue facing our industry today. "Moms love their kids" is inarguable, but it's simply not an insight. We have to be better and more disciplined about discovering true insight.
- Earned media needs a support staff, but let it prosper on its own. After supporting it with paid and owned media, release control and allow earned media to take off on its own, fuel the discussion, and engage consumers. Earned media is, in its essence, people sharing and people talking. The value of earned extends beyond hits and traffic; it is real engagement. Your consumers become your brand ambassadors, and this is where you get the biggest bang for your buck.
