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And so the marketing machine that is ‘X Factor’ rumbles towards securing Simon Cowell another Christmas # 1 this year. At the time of writing, 150k copies of Alexandra Burke’s cover of ‘Hallelujah’ have been downloaded thus far, making it the fastest selling download of all time and virtually guaranteeing it to be the soundtrack to many people’s Christmas.
Whilst Ms Burke might be a talented singer, nobody can doubt that her song’s popularity has a lot to do with the amount of time, emotion and money people have invested into her over the course of X Factor.
The final drew a peak audience of 14.3 million, making it the most viewed entertainment show since the Only Fools and Horses Christmas Special, and every week it has attracted thousands of calls from those wanting to participate in the story.
People aren’t just buying a single but the whole experience that goes with it, which is something brands can learn a lot from about the new style of marketing.
Digital provides the technology
Digital is changing the nature of branding. Rather than just focusing on positioning, the USP and the message, marketers now need to find a way to make brands more relevant and meaningful to encourage people to invest time in them.
As shown by ITV’s plight, brands no longer have a captive audience, slumped in their sofas, waiting to be pummelled with one way advertising. People now spend more time online, where they can choose what content to engage with, and what to ignore.
This presents a challenge and an opportunity. Brands need to work out how to reach their customer base in a way that’s accepted and adds value to the online experience.
And digital also offers an opportunity because it provides the technology to engage people with entertainment, information, education and utilities (such as free software) in an interactive format that’s never been possible before.
Don’t just deliver a message, deliver an experience
People rushed to download Alexandra’s song because they’d already invested so much in her story and brand. They’d watched her determination to succeed drive her on to finally winning the series, and it was this experience they were buying into when downloading her single.
Brands can harness the same psychological effect if they can also deliver an experience to go with their product, such as exceptional customer service, the use of storytelling or creating a tribal sense of inclusion people want to be a part of.
Stories are powerful because they swoop under people’s anti-marketing radar, and engage customers’ interest when the story’s values matches their worldview.
So brands need to weave an engaging tale about their humble beginnings, early struggles and final triumph if they’d like to mimic the appeal of an X Factor winner.
The success of Innocent Drinks, Levi Roots’ Reggae Reggae Sauce and Howies clothing has a lot to do with the appealing stories accompanying their products.
Businesses engaging digital in 2009
The marketing value of encouraging people to engage, involve and participate themselves with a brand is so powerful that many businesses are planning to ramp up their digital campaigns in 2009.
In an E-consultancy survey, 42% of businesses said they planned to add user generated content to their sites, whilst 35% planned to start using social media tools (i.e. blogging, podcasting and vidcasting) to encourage people to invest more time in their brand.
They understand that if you’re providing valuable content, whether it’s entertaining or informative, people are going to spend more time engaging with your brand, and in turn feel more inclined to buy your products as part of the experience.
So if you start getting sick of hearing Alexandra’s rendition of ‘Hallelujah’ over the festive period remember that it’s the power of the Burke brand experience that has propelled her to # 1. And it shows that people don’t buy into relentless advertising, but into the experience that goes with the product.
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BDA (Buckingham Design Associates) blog – real people giving real opinions, and a complete lack of agency waffle. BDA deliver an exciting blend of design and creative marketing for the Oxford, Milton Keynes, Northampton and London region.