Blog image 5 12 17
Larry A. Meltzer, Agency Principal
Many marketers will say that digital is the new traditional.
There’s no arguing with the ability to deploy dollars in a more targeted way through digital channels, but some creative ideas can only come to life – and achieve maximum effectiveness – in the physical world. The “tequila cloud” promoting travel to Mexico is one of those ideas that demonstrates the value of marketing in the physical world.
The goal of this German-based campaign was to promote travel to Mexico as a vacation destination. As part of a special exhibit in Berlin during the rainiest month of the year, whenever it rained in the city – which the ad agency said was frequently during the time of the exhibit – the tequila cloud also produced “rain” in the form of tequila raindrops. You can read more about how this was achieved here.
Could this same concept be produced in a digital environment? Sure, but the impact of watching a tequila cloud on a smartphone or small screen would likely have resulted in a ho-hum response, rather than an experience that prompts word-of-mouth pass-along. There is also some wisdom for marketers that rained from the tequila cloud. To wit, consider these three takeaways:
Experiences connect consumers to a brand. When you execute an idea that can stop people in their tracks, you really have an opportunity to connect a consumer to the brand. This type of experience defines and strengthens a brand in a way that online engagement can’t, because it has staying power in the real world.
Physical marketing lets you gauge emotions and reactions in real-time. While much of marketing is rooted in research and metrics, gut instinct based on experience still plays a role. When you can watch and gauge consumer reaction on the spot, you can dial up or down certain aspects to take advantage of consumer response.
Strong engagement gives you permission to grow a program. When you can see that consumers are engaged with your brand in the physical world, why not expand the concept further into the physical world, and into the digital world as well? This is where the blurring of traditional and digital proves that synergies do exist, and expansion of an engaging program delivers a longer shelf life and greater exposure.
When you’re brainstorming ideas for your next campaign, your head may be in the clouds, but sometimes it makes sense to have a campaign that’s rooted in the physical world.