First Published: 14 October, 2024
Aotearoa’s marketing landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. For decades, the focus has been on the TV-first thing. You know: big shiny commercials sandwiched between every news break. But now, a bunch of factors are making marketers reconsider this approach.
We all know that marketing budgets are shrinking. In this economic climate, every dollar needs to work, and work hard.
And beyond this, viewers aren’t watching linear TV like they used to. Just look at some of the seismic shifts in the local media market and the recent announcement by TVNZ that they are planning for a future where content is delivered exclusively via their streaming platform.
But, if you’re prepared to reconsider the idea of a TV spot as the main marker of famous work, then there is a more effective, and yes - cheaper, way to get results.
Generally speaking, Kiwis aren’t hugely uncomfortable with the idea of fame, but if you’re a brand, it pays off in spades by creating talkability, meaningful engagement and high brand recall.
We know that fame-driving work outperform all others on all business metrics. That’s hard business results - from market share to profitability and price sensitivity. Their effects are also stronger and longer lasting.
This provides the added bonus of achieving more growth for less budget - which is useful in the face of a fragile economy.
The Earned Effect study released last year by The Weber Shandwick Collective1 looked at the business impact of work that generated earned coverage and social conversation over the long term. The data showed that this work achieved superior results more efficiently.
Specifically the study found this work is 53% more likely to drive very large business effects and 2.6 times more likely to achieve very large profit growth. It is also 75% more likely to create halo effects across other products in the franchise.
Which brings me to the next point….
“If it needs a big media budget to work… should we be doing it?” If you wander into our office at any given time, you'll undoubtedly hear this phrase more than once.
Good creative briefs should start with this question: how can the brand show up using its own channels (owned), and can we earn attention without paying for it (earned)? Next is to look at shared media through brand partnerships and influencers. Paid media is the last stop - not because it’s not important or of value, but because of all the sweet stuff that you can own and leverage first.
Earned is an effectiveness-powerhouse. Word-of-mouth, social media buzz, genuine press coverage—all of it ‘free’, organic, and insanely good at driving mental availability.
We’re not saying never invest in media spaces - of course, reach is essential. But entering into the creative process with earned and owned media front of mind ensures your core idea is born from hardcore creativity and thoughtful strategy. That is what guarantees success on any channel.
In fact, a review of the 2023 Creative Effectiveness Lions by WARC 2 found that winners in this category increasingly look at earned as a core component of their work. Looking at the shortlist from that year reveals a few interesting stats: the use of word of mouth, influencers and KOLS as a media channel has more than doubled since 2021, up from 15% to 32%, 42% listed word of mouth as a campaign objective, and the proportion measuring PR value came in at 79%.
The standout Cannes Lions winners from this year are fantastic examples of earned-first thinking. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find an idea topping the list that doesn’t have earned at its heart.
Like this Grand Prix-winning work for French Telco Orange who had not only France but the world’s biggest media outlets applauding its gender-swapping AI experiment.
Or this clever idea, where Android pressured none other than Apple into a major and unlikely technology change with a concept that almost entirely relied on earned media (supported with a few well-placed media spots).
And in our own backyard, Forest & Bird’s fantastic Bird of the Year contest started off in their owned channels and was propelled to international heights with money-can’t-buy coverage from John Oliver and Jimmy Fallon.
To win at fame, agencies and marketing departments need to knock down some walls. Earned media needs to be at the heart of the operation - not siloed away in a separate department. Combining the creativity and brand strategy of an ad agency makes for truly measured magic.
First published in NZ Marketing magazine, Sept/Oct 2024.
Category
.svg "MA-Logo (1)")
