Our global marketing round-up brings you the latest thought-provoking ideas, real-life case studies and smartest tips to help you become a better marketer.
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International campaign highlight
“La Infame” KFC in Spain
We really liked this campaign from KFC in Spain. When launching “the notorious” double-fillet (yes, you got it: two chicken fillets in a bun) KFC decided to move away from the traditional product shoot or in-store purchase experience, so common for fast food ads (and so boring).
Instead, they invited employees from rival chains to secret tastings and, of course, filmed them. With their identity protected they could attend the “supper” and eat what they liked.
LA INFAME KFC from Sarciat on Vimeo.
This is all about the reactions and the genuine feedback. Within the film, each rival who had succumbed has a seat at a table next to, who else, but Colonel Saunders. Drawing on Da Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’ painting, we are cautiously exposed to the anonymous members tucking into the banquet before them.
After it says: ‘No one should have to resist what they like’.
Key takeaways for marketers:
- It sometimes takes bravery, but when you break how things are “normally” done in a sector, you also break out of “expected” results
- Authenticity – and communicating that successfully – is vital in a world of fake news and cynical consumers. Find out what makes your brand authentic and make sure you always have that as your North Star
35% of marketers can’t explain what they do
Yes really.
If marketers can’t explain what they do, how do we expect others to value what we do. Some recent research from the Chartered Institute of Marketing was both revealing and frankly shocking.
- 35% or marketers struggle to explain their role to others
- 46% of marketers believe that their business doesn’t understand the positive impact of marketing
The good news is that someone has decided to challenge this problem head-on and change things for the better. This is Marketing has launched a campaign to help marketing – and marketers – get the recognition they deserve.
As a marketer of 30 years I have to support this and encourage all GMA readers to do the same.
To kickstart, they are gathering the views of marketers and creating a definitive view on how we explain marketing and what it means to business. Please visit the campaign site click “Give your view”.
It’s open until March the 31st so please do it today!
Key takeaways for marketers:
- Make sure you can clearly explain the value of marketing, and your role, to anyone that might ask
- Make sure that the wider value of marketing is clearly communicated around the business. Be value and metric driven. Don’t be the colouring in department.
- Contribute to this initiative and help make marketing matter more https://www.thisismarketing.co.uk/
Is this the perfect tweet?
Twitter often gets a bad press in terms of marketing. Overrun with celebrity gossip, official notices and, of course, the ubiquitous fake news. However, for marketers it can still be a powerful tool when used well.
Controversial pairings are not new for Weetabix but its Baked Bean pairing sparked a frenzy of activity.
Since it was posted in early Feb it has garnered impressive numbers but given the number of brand accounts that have interacted with the tweet this is only a fraction of the total reach. Does it sell more @weetabix – I would love to know!
The Police where quick to call it a crime:
While KFC thought such a heinous idea should simply be deleted:
Even Google got in on the act:
Weetabix with baked beans is now a “thing” although the GMA team are looking at the other combinations on the list and praying for humanity’s soul.
Joking aside this was a great brand execution with high impact that got us all talking about Weetabix. It made it onto TV and several national papers carried the story. Not bad ROI for one tweet…
Key takeaways for marketers:
- Twitter can still be high impact for marketers IF you work hard on your content
- Twitter is a content stream and a content network. You need to understand how both work to get significant reach
- Partner. Partner some more. Working with other brands can get that velocity started – then Twitter can do what it does best and act as a significant message multiplier.
- Play nicely. Consumers don’t like it when you are too snarky or aggressive as a brand.
Got an opinion? Let us know in the comments below.