What’s the most coveted resource in the world of business today? Attention’s the answer if you’re still wondering. An average consumer today is bombarded with information from the left, right, and center almost to the point that it seems like a sensory overload. The pandemic certainly hasn’t helped things either. Increasing stress and anxiety have contributed to further lessening the dwindling attention spans. So, the million-dollar question that companies face today is how to grab users’ attention and keep them engaged.
Before delving into the list, one should remember that it is important for a business to understand its market and serve it the best it can. Set the goals and what the purpose of this marketing campaign is.
Are you trying to revamp the image of your company and position it as a premium service? Are you trying to simplify the buyer-seller relationship by partnering up with other companies? A successful digital campaign always can communicate this idea clearly and this can go a long way in ultimately securing the success of a company.
So, what are some of the unorthodox ways that companies are winning user’s attention?
Creating a viral movement
Clearly, not a lot of people knew about Lou Gehrig’s disease, a neurological disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons. But, the ALS Ice bucket Challenge simply changed all that. High-profile actors like Matt Damon to pop-stars like Lady Gaga participated in the challenge making this campaign a roaring success raising a whopping 115 million dollars in the span of a month.
The impact of this groundbreaking campaign can be felt right until today as funding skyrocketed dramatically accelerating the pace of discovery.
Companies around the world have taken a page out of this book to create their own version of a viral challenge that creates awareness about the product while creatively engaging their audience.
Controversy sells
Sure, this method may be risky but it’s guaranteed to breed publicity and incite conversation. Companies like Go-Daddy embraced this policy as early as 2013 with a controversial Super Bowl advertisement that featured a supermodel kissing a certain geek. It sparked debates among the general public prompting almost 300,000 tweets. Go-Daddy reported its biggest payday until then boasting a steep 40% increase in domain sales.
Major corporations like Nike and Burger King have also now taken to the way of controversy to create a lasting impact on the minds of the consumer whilst being able to market their products better.
Adding emotional attachment
There’s no denying that emotions play a major role in determining a consumer’s purchasing behavior. Neuroimaging studies have clearly demonstrated that users rely more on personal experiences and feelings than brand specifications or special features. A responsible brand can take advantage of this to appeal to a broader market.
Take Dove, for instance, a personal care brand that used the strategy of narrating the story of real women with relatable problems to extraordinary effect. They tried to break the barriers of societal standards of beauty while striving to create a community built upon a positive body image.
In a similar way, Apple built a brand strategy of making people believe that they are a part of something bigger, some kind of cultural revolution. The desire of normal people to be part of a lifestyle movement became the focal point of their campaigns.
Similarly, Hallmark’s done a remarkable job of connecting with positive emotions of love and affection. The invention of social media should make this a much easier process. Content creation and sharing hold the key to unlocking the true potential of this relatively untapped market.
While these are certainly awe-inducing methods to grab attention, a huge challenge for growing companies still remains consumer acquisition and retention. Highly effective user acquisition marketing is able to raise awareness around the brand while driving valuable users to the business. These services may also extend to content generation with data-driven marketing in mind to maximize user engagement. So, a smart investment in a user acquisition program today can potentially lead to better returns and profits in the future.
Conclusion
Companies today use a variety of methods to counter the significant drop in attention span and keep them invested in a service or product. Some rely on the fact that humans are complex social beings who feel a wide spectrum of emotions while others rely on the power of social media and “virality” to be a driver of interest. At the end of the day, it’s for a company to decide which strategy suits its values and brand positioning better.
