A marketing expert once said, “Don’t push people to where you want to be; meet them where they are.”
This quote summarizes moment marketing in a sentence.
What is moment marketing?
Moment marketing is the ability to take advantage of ongoing and upcoming events and create communications & marketing campaigns around them. These events can range from sports and movies to festivals and other big announcements. It’s a marketing technique used by brands to remain relevant to their audience.
Time is the key element in moment marketing. No matter how impressive the advertising campaign, if you are not delivering it on time, the impact wouldn’t be the same.
For example, a Cadbury’s gift pack advertisement appeals to people more around festivals like Diwali, Holi, Christmas, etc. The same ad wouldn’t have that effect on regular days.
Now that you know what moment marketing is, let’s dive deeper into the reasons why brands are turning towards it.
Moment marketing is quite different from other approaches brands have conventionally used.
1. It helps brands embrace the moment and gives them an edge over others in the market. You stand out from the crowd and customers will remember you for a long time.
2. It offers a natural medium to join the ongoing conversation and doesn’t seem forced at all if done the right way.
3. Brands have an opportunity to become a part of customers’ social media feeds organically. This sends across the marketing message in a clear manner.
Again, it’s not artificial, not forced and not interruptive.
Several big brands have leveraged moment marketing. It’s not anything new or recent. It’s been there for a while but is getting all the attention now.
Remember when Yuvraj Singh announced his retirement in 2019? It was a huge moment for cricket fans across the globe. Brands like Indigo, Zomato, Fevicol, etc. grabbed the opportunity and designed ads around the legend.
It served two purposes. One, these brands paid their tributes to his achievements. Two, they got to engage with customers who were following the big news during that moment.
Look at these ads. They do not cost much or need you to spend a lot of resources, still send across the message loud and clear.
When we talk of sporting events, we cannot forget how proud Indians were at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Several brands leveraged the opportunity to get customers talking with memes, stickers, etc.
Bobble AI also collaborated with Tata Motors and launched amazingly fun stickers wishing best of luck to our sportspersons all the way to Tokyo.
Moment marketing doesn’t always have to be associated with big events. Consider a meme as simple as ‘JCB ki khudai’.
I clearly remember, the trend appeared on the Internet overnight. We were confused as to why our timelines were suddenly flooded with memes on JCB. Everyone was googling the reason as to why it became a trend. Brands like Netflix and Uber did not waste any time and released ads around the meme.
The momentum reached a peak where JCB India also addressed the trend officially.
Bobble AI, a conversation media platform, wished friendship day to brands like Snickers, Gaana, Bewakoof, etc. with some fun stickers.
Like in this one, they used brand ambassador Sanya Malhotra’s face to wish Bewakoof. It’s a brand that appeals to the youth with their quirky and fun t-shirts and other merchandise.
Here’s how they wished Tinder India.
Tinder witnessed a heavy traffic and engagement rate around Friendship Day. These stickers, launched by Bobble AI were also shared a lot.
As per my understanding, moment marketing isn’t a standalone concept. It’s an amalgamation of different aspects of marketing we have been using all along. Conversation Media Marketing is also a crucial component of moment marketing because it’s a conversation starter.
We’ve seen how brands release GIFs, stickers, memes, etc. around a certain event or announcement to capture customers’ attention when they are most receptive. Isn’t this what moment marketing is all about?
If done right, moment marketing can change the face of your brand. Here are some tips that will help you reinforce the brand proposition using moment marketing.
1. Always use humour
People love seeing ads that are fun as they scroll through their social media feeds. If you make your ads humorous, you have already crossed the barrier of capturing their attention. Since it’s something to laugh about, there are high chances that people will share your ad with friends and family, sometimes as memes, other times as conversation starters.
Moreover, adding a little bit of humour also creates a brand image of sassiness and fun.
2. Be quick
It’s a race out there and you cannot afford to lose when social media trends are spontaneous. Brands that seize the moment stand out because after a point when everyone is talking about the same thing, it becomes a little monotonous.
The key is to keep your eyes on social media trends and be quick to judge which one’s an opportunity for your brand.
3. Align your ads to brand’s core message
Never risk ruining your brand image if the moment isn’t something that enhances your brand’s value. Always remember the values your brand stands for. Ask yourselves if a particular moment is resonating with the brand values & purpose and if it will connect with your core target audience.
The best example that comes to my mind in this case is this post by Zomato on Independence Day.
If the moment or trend does not suit your brand objectives, stay away.
Final Words
Moment marketing is crucial for brands as they engage with consumers when something is being talked about. So, learn the basics, make choices you are confident about and ride the wave.