Creative Marketing for UK Businesses
Creative marketing turns strategy into ideas people notice and remember. We combine strong messaging with imagery, video and campaign concepts so creative work supports the wider digital marketing strategy, rather than existing simply to look good.
Creative marketing is sexy but not so much
Gone are the days of sex sells, although there is still a massive part of advertising that relies on the attractive man or woman shifting tons of perfume or an expensive car.
However, the public backlash after abusive relationships between models and agency demands have been exposed and objectifying the human body no longer being tolerated, the landscape has changed.
Humour in Creative marketing
I always find the comedy route can work really well.
If you can make someone smile then you can hold their attention for longer than any half-naked extremely attractive person. (Well, I think so).
It is also proven that if someone laughs at a post they are far more likely to share it with their friends giving the advertiser greater exposure for free.
The truth is if you can make someone feel something while watching or looking at your Ad, your on to a winner.
Make them happy, make them laugh, pull at their heartstrings or even make them angry.
Emotion converts to sharing, which in turn creates a better response rate for the Ad.
There are many examples of small companies which, after launching cheap but brilliantly funny campaigns making viewers laugh have turned them into multi-million-pound businesses.
Creative marketing is a team effort involving many different disciplines.
Creative marketing agencies
Not everyone is creative nor do they have time.
This is where a good marketing agency can step in and produce some great work for you.
Take a look through our marketing agencies page for things to look out for when choosing an agency.
Creative inspiration
If you need some inspiration, just switch on your TV.
Some of the most creative people in the world showcase their work every day on television in the form of Adverts.
Here are some of our favourite creative adverts –
Top of the list are Christmas Ads
Sainsbury’s Christmas day football match. It not only pulled on the heartstrings of many but it also gave a sharp lesson to those approaching the big day into giving thanks and building bridges.
It is very important to have some idea of who is looking at your business.
Who is really interested in buying from you?
Which audiences are you targeting?
How can you attract the right people and repel the consumers you probably don’t want?
Our other all-time favourite is the 2015 John Lewis Christmas Ad where a small girl spotted a lonely old man on the moon.
This left a lasting impression on UK families over Christmas, reminding us some people are spending the festive time alone.
I would personally like to shake the hands of the creators of these Ads as I don’t think I have ever come across creative messages so well presented that you feel so compelled to change the way you behave.
My hat goes off to them.
Emotional marketing
Making the next top picks a little lighter, Cadburys teamed up with Phil Collins and a Silverback Gorilla who played the drums and although I don’t see the connection, I do know it held my attention and got the best ever all-time advert award.
WWF created some stunning images of animals painted on to the hands of humans with the motto “give a hand to wildlife”.
It was a very sleek design with a direct message which came across very well.
Being Careful with Social Media
There are some pitfalls with advertising on social media that we have experienced.
A client who recently required creative ads for campaigns running on Facebook left us in a tricky position.
The client is a doctor who specialises in sexual health.
There are difficulties when advertising on Facebook because of strict guidelines (in place for good reason) which include –
- Sexual references to be avoided
- No images of just body parts
- Images which depict an idealistic body shape are not permitted
Your creative must be as close to political correctness as possible in order not to cause offence.
It left little room for manoeuvre with our client.
So, we decided we would go down the humour root.
Fortunately, the ads were a massive hit (some even went viral) and the client was extremely happy!
Creative marketing results
Creative ads can be the leverage you need to propel your business to the next stage.
Our advice is – if you can’t do it, pay someone who can and it will offer great returns!
For more advice and handy hints or tips on marketing check out our other pages –
HOW WE WORK WITH YOU
Good marketing starts with understanding the business properly. We begin by looking at your goals, current activity, audience and the areas most likely to make a measurable difference.
From there, we agree priorities, put the right tracking in place and build a clear plan around the services you actually need. Your account is actively managed, reviewed and refined rather than simply set up and left running. You will always know what is being worked on, why it matters and who is responsible. Matt, Heidi and the wider team remain accountable for the strategy, delivery and results.
