Boredom is the worst enemy of effective marketing
British marketing effectiveness expert Peter Field, spoke at Screenforce's The Magic of Television, said that boring advertising is a waste of money.
Tactical ads that focus on offers and product features don't work, at least in the long term, because they don't stick in people's minds. They also reduce trust in the brand.
"My main advice to marketers is: don't be boring. Don't be boring with the creative execution and not with the platforms you serve it on," Field said in an interview after his presentation.
"Use emotion, humor and storytelling," Field encouraged.
Boring platforms are channels that don't give your ad a chance to get noticed.
"Boredom is an even bigger problem in B2B marketing. Traditionally, B2B marketing has only offered facts."
Field says it's silly to assume that when people go to work, they will trade their home brain for a work brain that deals only with facts and information and not emotions at all. However, emotions work in B2B marketing just as they do in B2C marketing. We are all human, and we are all susceptible to messages that appeal to our emotions.
A B2B marketer has a great opportunity to stand out, Field says, because most competitors are doing boring marketing.
"If you can be interesting and provocative and show that you have ideas and energy, you can stand out."
Multichannel advertising is the most effective
In his talk at the Magic of TV event, Field proved that TV advertising often holds attention longer than advertising on other channels. This is why it stays in people's minds and reinforces the brand.
But the most effective, according to Field, is multi-channel.
"I would say that campaign effectiveness is at its peak when TV accounts for 45-50% of the budget. If a campaign has a decent budget, I would never advise putting all your money on one platform," Field said in an interview.
The shift in viewing from linear TV to streaming services is increasing the effectiveness of advertising, according to Field.
With streaming, the viewer's level of attention is higher because they have explicitly chosen the content they watch. Advertising can also be more targeted and therefore more effective.
For online retailers, a strong brand is particularly important
Peter Field is known for the 60/40 rule he created with Les Binet: 60% brand marketing and 40% tactical marketing produces the best business results. However, Field says the optimal split depends a lot on the product and also on the channel in which the product is purchased.
Finance leans more towards brand, while retail leans more towards activation.
In B2B marketing, the optimal split is about 45/55 instead of 60/40, because B2B sales have a long lead time.
For online retailers, investing in brand marketing is essential.
"Online retailers operate in a world of infinite choice, so it is important to have a strong brand. The alternative is a huge search engine marketing budget."
Startups are using online marketing tools to get started.
"It makes sense. They are relatively inexpensive and give something back right away. If the brand is new and offers something new to the market, growth can be very good for a few years. But there comes a point when growth fades and you have to invest in brand marketing. Usually startups wake up to this too late."
Peter Field was speaking at a Screenforce-organised event called The Magic of Television.
Photo by Petri Mast.
Read more from our international site Advertising Finland:
If sales are poor, marketing is to blame - Or is it?
Grow your B2B brand through popular media
Inspiring B2B brands stimulate and entertain
