I've been listening to this song called 'Heroes' by David Bowie several times today. Normally, I don't think I'd have given it a second listen. But I've taken a liking to this song because of the context in which I first heard it. It is one of the soundtracks used in the movie, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I enjoyed watching the movie and because of the context in which this soundtrack is used, it really resonated with me. In the last one year, I can list several songs that I've taken a liking to, solely because of the context in which I first heard it.
The context makes all the difference.
Of course, nobody understands this more than marketers. We realise that it is necessary for the advertisements, and all the other content about the brand that is communicated to customers, to be in a context that will resonate with them, and make them like the brand and push them to make the purchase. But the problem arises in achieving this. The first problem comes in identifying the right context for every customer. In the mass marketing age, the context always took a backseat because it was hard enough to find spots where a bulk of the target audience would be present. But, in the age of digital marketing, the proliferation of social media and smartphones is increasing at such a fast pace that it is no longer very difficult to identify the right context for each individual in the target audience.
Now that it is relatively easy to get the context right, every brand is making strides in getting their communication out in the right context. This is causing user fatigue. If a person sees ten different advertisements (all for similar products) in the time that she is receptive, hardly any of them will resonate with her and the entire point is lost. A fatigued user will not respond to even the most creative of advertisements.
This is one of the key reasons for the uptake of content marketing. If you get value-adding content across in the right context, and manage to make a lasting impression on the potential customer, you will have her coming back for more content at regular intervals.
If you identify that your advertising spot is crowded and is causing fatigue in the target audience, and is failing to provide you the results that you hoped for, increase your emphasis in providing value content and focus on inbound marketing instead.
The context makes all the difference.
Of course, nobody understands this more than marketers. We realise that it is necessary for the advertisements, and all the other content about the brand that is communicated to customers, to be in a context that will resonate with them, and make them like the brand and push them to make the purchase. But the problem arises in achieving this. The first problem comes in identifying the right context for every customer. In the mass marketing age, the context always took a backseat because it was hard enough to find spots where a bulk of the target audience would be present. But, in the age of digital marketing, the proliferation of social media and smartphones is increasing at such a fast pace that it is no longer very difficult to identify the right context for each individual in the target audience.
Now that it is relatively easy to get the context right, every brand is making strides in getting their communication out in the right context. This is causing user fatigue. If a person sees ten different advertisements (all for similar products) in the time that she is receptive, hardly any of them will resonate with her and the entire point is lost. A fatigued user will not respond to even the most creative of advertisements.
This is one of the key reasons for the uptake of content marketing. If you get value-adding content across in the right context, and manage to make a lasting impression on the potential customer, you will have her coming back for more content at regular intervals.
If you identify that your advertising spot is crowded and is causing fatigue in the target audience, and is failing to provide you the results that you hoped for, increase your emphasis in providing value content and focus on inbound marketing instead.
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