Howdy, it’s me again, with another 2019 marketing recap. Did you check out my last article about some of the noteworthy failures we saw this year? If we are on the same page, let’s not waste any more time and let’s celebrate some of the great moments in the marketing world for this past year.
Here, at our content writing agency, we live by the saying: “If you want to be the best, learn from the best.” So, join us in getting down some important lessons in greatness.
Challenging gender stereotypes with Mercedes Benz & Nike
You know what sucks? Gender stereotypes. As a society, we’ve been trying hard to shake them off in 2019, and big brands are picking up on the gender discourse too.
November 8th has been noted as the National STEM/STEAM Day. It celebrates the interest in young students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The marketing team of Mercedez-Benz USA had saved this year’s date for an important message.
Yes, you might have heard about the No Limits campaign that Mercedes Benz launched earlier in 2019. The video sets out to denote the stereotype the little girls don’t play with cars. When prompted to choose a toy, all of them pick the ones associated with their gender: princesses, dolls, unicorns.
“Why didn’t you choose one of the other toys?”, an off-camera interviewer asks them, referring to the car toys.
All the little female participants have similar answers: “They’re for boys.”
Then, they get shown a video of Ewy Rosqvist, the first woman to win a Grand Prix rally in 1962. Being exposed to her story the girls end up changing their minds about car toys.
The overall message of the campaign is beautifully crafted by the content writers at Mercedez:
“Reminding girls they have no limits”
A similar message was at the core of Nike’s Dream Crazier campaign. The video is full of amazing female athletes succeeding in their respective fields and the stigma that still exists in sports, while women stand up against it and achieve remarkable things.
At this point, you should be seeing a trend.
The lesson here: Game-changers and big players are not afraid to shake up the status quo. I think that content writers and strategists in 2020 will be faced with the need for it on a more regular basis than ever. Maybe one video about a woman winning a race shown to little girls won’t make a significant difference in mindset, but it’s a start. The wave of people showing interest in social change is one that we, as marketers (but most of all, people) should be surfing on. And not just because it’s trendy.
Being real with Hotels.com
Are you sick of seeing your Insta feed full of amazing-looking places and your friends “just chilling” casually and living the dream life? Well, you’re not alone, my friend.
We all get a bit jealous scrolling through those and wish it was us.
With the help of the brand’s beloved character, Captain Obvious, Hotel.com’s Another Vacation commercial points a finger to the hate-like double taps that we get from people who envy us for traveling.
‘Just book your own trip’ is the basic message here. Ah, Captain Obvious never disappoints. It sounds cheesy, but it’s delivered well and we have to give it to them.
The lesson here: The keyword here is relatable. Since FOMO is a big deal these days, the marketers here nodded at the people who want to have it all and give them an obvious solution: just do it yourself, instead of being jealous.
Fun and no-BS content will always resonate with people. I think most of us here, in the marketing world, tend to agree to this but rarely put it into practice. And this type of content writing can go a long way, especially if it fits your target audience. Also, another thing that makes the commercials of Hotels.com memorable and sticky is the use of a funky signature character.
Shining a Light on the Fashion Industries’ Biggest Issues
Maybe just a decade or so ago, you wouldn’t even think about the low price of your new shirt. You’ll just be bragging to your friends you got it super cheap. Today, it’s different.
Then, the low prices of clothes started raising the question “How is this even possible” and then the pandora box was open. Inside, there was child labor in Third World countries, lack of fair working conditions, and many other unethical practices that had been slipping under the radar.
In 2019, the C&A Foundation launched a campaign that educates us on the challenges faced by female African workers and the urge for transparency in the fashion supply chain for clothing brands.
In this piece about race and equality in the industry, Jacqueline Shaw touches on the realities and ethical practices of the fashion trade with Africa.
The lesson here: Every industry has some type of issues that are worth addressing instead of being swept under the rug.
Here, at 411Writers, we also didn’t shy away from raising awareness of difficult subjects.
As a content writing agency, we cover some controversial topics surrounding the industry. The lack of trustworthiness in much of the content we read online, the cheesy side of branding, social listening, the placebo effect in writing, neuromarketing, fake news – you name it.
The focus of many businesses has been shifting from encouraging consumerism to showing responsibility toward social issues. In the marketing context, social responsibility is not just something to use to boost your image.
The point isn’t to just share with the world that your brand cares. It’s to actually show active participation in addressing and eradicating the ethical issues in your industry.
So There You Have It
Out with the old, in with the new
Those were three in-depth examples of some great times for the marketing industry in 2019. The even better part? There were many more. The examples I chose to highlight illustrate the huge role of content writing in its colorful variety. From thought-provoking and stereotype-smashing to funny, relatable, informative, and engaging. The best of all worlds.
With that said, join me in waving 2019 goodbye and let’s see what 2020 has in store!
