Marketing to Your Memories
Sometimes all it takes is a whiff of freshly baked cookies, a classic jingle, or a childhood character to bring back a memory of the ease and comfort of how things “used to be” – the good old days, when life seemed much simpler. With new technological advancements coming out seemingly daily, it’s sometimes hard for consumers to keep up. Consider later generations in particular, who aren’t necessarily used to this rapid and constant progression in the tech realm.
Marketers and advertisers have observed this obstacle and found a way to introduce new products by engaging consumers through the classic feeling of comfort and nostalgia.
Oats with Alexa
Recently, Amazon’s newest product Echo, a robot named Alexa with human-like features that can play your music, give you information, and even control your environment through thermostat and light control, has teamed up with Quaker Oats. In their newest collaboration, Alexa can help Quaker consumers find and make easy recipes through a compatible app, helping them in the kitchen and adding a whole new level to the experience of making classic Quaker oats. Through this campaign, a futuristic twist has been added to the 135-year-old brand. David Shulman, CEO of Organic, Quaker’s agency partner, explained the pairing as “taking a 135-year-old brand that’s so established, so powerful and historically so important, and matching it with the very latest technology, the intersection of the old and the new.”
Baking with Siri
Amazon isn’t the only company pairing its technology with a classic concept. Apple’s latest advertisement for the iPhone 6s features Sesame Street’s beloved Cookie Monster. The Cookie Monster uses Siri to help bake his cookies by setting the timer and playing music – all hands free, of course. Not only is the advertisement attention-getting because of this old school, familiar character, it also gets the commercial message across, illustrating the ease of using the iPhone. (Hey, if it works for Cookie Monster, it can work for me, too!)
This idea of mixing the old and the new isn’t something that is going to go away in advertising. With more and more distractions plus the clutter of mental stimulations growing every day, it’s easy to find comfort in something of the past, something nostalgic and simple. By using that sentiment to get consumers’ attention, they are likely to listen, making for an easier transition to sales for new products and ultimately, brand loyalty. Whether it’s baking cookies or eating your favorite morning breakfast, these companies are at the forefront of inviting technology into “experiences” to give them a lifelike yet modern twist. Next time you bake cookies, invite Siri to join – as Cookie Monster shows us, it’s always easier when you have a friend.
