Leveraging Nostalgia
Ever find yourself reminiscing on the past? We, as consumers, have a front-row seat observing the evolution of today’s world. There’s no telling just how temporary or long-lasting the latest trends are. No app, store, or brand is truly secure. Snapchat could be alive today and dead tomorrow. Right now there are inventors and strategic thinkers collaborating to create the next best thing that may very well replace companies, jobs, or even industries. It is because of this unpredictable landscape that nostalgia has become such a powerful tool for marketers to emphasize as a focal point in strategic messaging (and why we in this industry all have jobs).
There is an increasing bittersweet taste in the mouths of customers that are thirsty for more but long for the ‘good ole’ days’. While innovation is a sure thing, customers can be sure to be served more. Every day a new pain point is identified and treated. Before a consumer knows they’re experiencing an inconvenience, they are introduced to a simplified solution that is certain to onboard them, hook line and sinker. But, what’s more, as daily interactions are continually streamlined, nostalgia sets in and people begin to take a trip down memory lane despite being fully adapted to convenience and acceleration.
Research has shown that for many people, nostalgia is accompanied by a sensation of connection, continuity, and life roots. Consider music. Is there a song you have heard that triggered a memory and was immediately followed by a profound feeling of nostalgia? The unpredictable nature of today’s digital climate has resulted in a marketing opportunity due to sentimental audiences. Brands are becoming more cognizant of the value that nostalgia presents.
Nostalgia marketing aligns marketing strategies with consumer emotions by tapping into memories and further distributing blasts from the past. How is this effective, you may ask? Consider the logic in your decision-making skills when emotions play a role. Nostalgia stirs emotion and for marketing, this means that leveraging memories will produce feelings followed by sales and increased conversion rates. No matter how much the modern world evolves, nostalgia will remain prevalent.
Marketers harness the psychological power of nostalgia in message and design. Capitalizing on nostalgia creates a feeling of belonging. The feeling of belonging further creates a community. The community can be brought to life in design and messaging. For example, the hashtag throwback Thursday has built a movement purely based on nostalgia that has users digging through old photo albums and archives to find buzz-worthy content in anticipation of community engagement and the feeling of being a part of something. Expedia, the travel company, built a campaign that revolved around the Throwback Thursday concept and successfully reciprocated audience traction.
Today, we see campaigns that deliberately redistribute and craft old memories. The more authentically brands roll nostalgia into their content, the more powerful the impression. A great example of a brand that is doing this right now and killing it is Spotify. Spotify offers listeners playlists for repeat, rewind, past decades, and time capsules. As a result, their subscribers have access to the most up to date playlists purely based on their listening behavior. The music streaming application understood their audience so well they were able to create the feeling of nostalgia via personalized playlists which ultimately drives engagement.
Pop culture has also jumped on the nostalgia bandwagon. Have you ever watched MadMen or Stranger Things? These shows create context and feature brands such as Coca-Cola and Nike in their glory days by taking their watchers back in time. More and more we see trends making a comeback and becoming statement pieces in users Instagram content such as chockers, vinyl records, and bell bottoms.
Creating a strategy that is fueled by nostalgia is simple. Find content that is reminiscent of the old and familiar. The secure and comforting. And run with those. However, that is not to say that retro campaigns are void of risk in its entirety. In fact, it is important to communicate in your campaign the context of the modern world before going full yesteryear.
Digital media tends to feel impersonal. Humanizing your brand and building social connection through nostalgia forges meaningful relation between both the past and present with your brand and brand messaging serving as the foundation. If your brand strategy is executed right, you are sure to successfully strike a chord and capture the hearts of your audience to move them to action.
