A successful digital marketing campaign reaches potential users, resonates with them, and forms a lasting connection. That said, figuring out how to make this meaningful connection can be a challenge. When you’re looking for inspiration, it’s never a bad choice to look at some of the best digital marketing campaigns out there and see how they got it right.
Here’s our top pick of some of the best digital marketing campaigns including results, why we love them, and key takeaway points to get you started.
Our pick of the five best digital marketing campaigns to get you inspired
1. Lego’s “Rebuild The World”
Lego was made for creative advertising (as well as building things). Recently, the Danish toy company launched their first marketing campaign in 30 years.
We love it because
In their ad, Lego looks beyond the toy industry at global challenges. As you watch the ad, you casually notice several themes framed within the backdrop. The ad centres on the “rebuild” narrative to encourage people to think about how to improve themselves and their surroundings. By remaining entertaining and using visuals and songs that remind users of original Lego adverts, it appeals to both older and younger audiences.
The ad received over 11 million online views thanks to its bold stance on social issues that will shape the brand’s story in the coming years.
Key takeaway
Ethical consumerism is growing. Show that you care about the challenges your audience faces and set yourself apart from the competition. Incorporate storytelling into your campaigns to make them more memorable.
2. Gillette’s “The Best Men Can Be”
Gillette took a specific social issue, spun a powerful message, and built it into their brand narrative. In the ad, “We Believe: The Best Men Can Be” Gillette confronts toxic masculinity while humbly pointing out that their slogan of 30 years “The Best A Man Can Get” was indeed part of the problem.
We love it because
The ad boldly challenges gender norms while acknowledging Gillette’s previous shortcomings. The multichannel marketing campaign includes #TheBestMenCanBe on Instagram and Twitter. Gillette has centerpiece stories on their website that accept and normalize challenges that many men struggle with. The brand has even committed $1m a year for three years to non-profit organizations that help men achieve their best.
The ad amassed over 36m online views and their Twitter campaign received thousands of likes and retweets thanks to its discussion and sharing potential.
Key takeaway
Gillette acknowledged their past failures to move forwards. In doing so, they struck a nerve with their target audience who related to the issues. Gillette used the hashtag #TheBestMenCanBe to start conversations on social media and attract new audiences who may have not engaged with their posts before. It had a lasting impression as people continued posting about it long after the video ad had stopped running.
Use organic social media and include hashtags in your campaigns to open up discussion with your audience. Not only will it generate more engagement, but more importantly, your customers will relate to your brand and will be more likely to become a fan. Customers who are fans help word of mouth online and offline and make them more likely to buy as they feel heard.
In multichannel marketing campaigns there are so many moving parts to monitor, track and analyse. That’s why having the ultimate marketing calendar at your side is essential for campaign success.
3. Volkswagen’s “The Last Mile”
The Last Mile campaign bids an emotional farewell to the iconic Beetle and emphasizes the brand’s commitment to electric vehicles.
We love it because
The poignant animated video references the car’s role in popular culture across the decades including Andy Warhol’s ad designs, Kevin Bacon in the movie Footloose and the Beatles.
The ad racked up nearly two million online views and #TheLastMile received thousands of posts on Instagram and Twitter. To bid a final farewell, the eight decades old car took over the billboards of New York’s Times Square on New Year’s Eve.
Key takeaway
Make the goal of your digital marketing campaign to create genuine content that forges a meaningful connection between your brand and audience for a truly lasting impression. Don’t be afraid to show that your brand is evolving with the times, your customers will understand and respect a brand that can admit that it needs to change.
Struggling for content ideas like this? All businesses started somewhere, use nostalgia to show how far you’ve come and to reconnect with early fans of your brand.
4. Airbnb’s user-generated content
Airbnb has upended the accommodation industry largely thanks to their digital marketing strategy. It centers on user generated social media content including images, how-to posts, and tourist guides.
We love it because
Their social campaigns appeal to people’s lust for travel and exotic destinations. This makes the brand so much more than a booking service. Their Instagram account has over 4.7m followers and their Facebook page has 16m followers.
What’s more, Airbnb collaborates with influencers for extra engagement, including Lady Gaga who they hosted in a luxury Houston home during her Super Bowl performance. The brand posts aspirational content including attractive Airbnb destinations and influencers unwinding and having fun.
Key takeaway
Airbnb shares interactive and adventure-inspiring content on social media. By inspiring people with their content, they encourage people to travel using their app.
Like Airbnb, use influencer marketing to excite your audience. Influencer marketing doesn’t just mean on social media. There are influencers in every industry and many ways digital marketers can use them to boost a campaign. We’re talking podcasts, industry webinars, thought leadership outreach. Think outside the box and incorporate it into your strategy.
Airbnb also uses user-generated content to connect with their audience. People are inspired by real people, and like a review or testimonial, user-generated content instills trust in your brand. And as a bonus, it’s free and takes none of your time! Encourage this kind of content by asking for reviews and using listening tools to find and engage with people who are already talking about your brand online.
This type of content also acts as a great resource for social media e-commerce.
5. Fitbit Stories: “#MyReasonIs”
Fitbit’s “#MyReasonIs” campaign highlights stories from individual users who changed their life for the better with the help of their sports app.
Why we love it
Is there anything more powerful in a digital marketing campaign than inspirational success stories directly from users? Fitbit’s campaign includes videos and blog posts from real people sharing their stories. They include a woman getting fit to combat diabetes and a man tracking his sleep to improve his well being.
The brand had over 4m followers on social media and they frequently post useful content. What’s more, they respond to users and praise their efforts.
Key takeaway
Showcasing user success stories is invaluable to your digital marketing campaign. It highlights your commitment to your users and assures them that your product can add value to their lives. What’s more, success stories show you listen to your audience and care about them.
Include success stories in your campaigns by conducting customer surveys and sharing results (with permission), or creating a case study that you can repurpose for different digital marketing mediums.
Enrich people’s lives with your best digital marketing campaign yet
The best digital marketing campaigns touch people’s lives through relevant issues and open up the discussion in a positive way. The key lies in creating human-centred marketing campaigns to find that connection between your brand values and your target audience, ensuring an authentic and relatable digital interaction.
Need help creating your best digital marketing campaigns yet? Find out how Mediatool can help you plan, track, and optimize your campaigns by booking a demo below.
