It’s like going to grandparents for lunch wearing an evening dress. Adage, the bible of overseas marketing, does not mince words to describe the inconsistency of the colorful and festive storytelling of the Christmas campaigns promoted by brands from all over the world. An evident misalignment with respect to the emergency situation linked to a pandemic that is struggling to move away and which rather marks a resurgence, with the peak of infections linked to the fourth wave. “A subdued 2020 has given way to exuberant messages, despite problems related to the supply chain and persistent fears of the virus. The brands this year range from scenarios full of fantasy to intimate tales that describe gatherings without even a mask on stage. So marketers dive into celebratory announcements, in complete contrast to the more subdued copy of the previous year, ”wrote Alexandra Jardine and Ann-Christine Diaz in Adage.
Factual copies
But there are also those who win the copy challenge. To win the storytelling that are distinctive, without sacrificing the coherence of the brand. The proof is in the new research promoted by Kantar, which analyzed the Christmas copy of the Italian campaigns on air these days. Thanks to the LinkNow technological solution of Kantar Marketplace, the global giant of consumer insight present in over 90 countries in the world asked in a few hours the opinion of 3 thousand Italian consumers on a selection of Christmas ads. A listening in real time that would also allow you to correct the shot, adapting to the speed of the business. The researchers understood that the customer is less conditioned by factors external to the brand and more oriented to the added value of the brand’s history or to the potential merely linked to the product or service. An analysis that is measured over time in a medium-long term relationship. The Nutella campaign won the special rating ranking, followed by those of Pan di stelle, Pringles, Disney and Dr. Schar (see the boxes on the page).
«Even at Christmas, in order to be appreciated by consumers and to work on brand equity, advertisements must be able to arouse emotions and differentiate themselves, but at the same time they must remain consistent with their own brand identity. Thus it is not enough to generate emotions within a pleasant narrative, because consumers must be able to reconnect the story to the brand. On the other hand, if there is no product, there is no story », says Stéphanie Leix, Head of Media & Creative at Kantar. Then the narrative plot becomes central, especially in a Christmas context which by its nature is not very differentiable. The copies chosen for the Pan Di Stelle, Nutella and Disney campaigns stand out. «But we don’t find out today that the wow effect is not valid because the performance rules have always been valid. From the best cases we have reported, an evolutionary and maturation path of communication codes emerges at this specific time of the year, with an increasingly systematic presence of international brands. There is a secularization of representations and a rejuvenation of the somewhat dusty image of the past », Leix points out.
Beyond the slogans
We need to go beyond the emotional contingency, towards a more factual dynamic. Effective narration is not enough, but everything must then be traced back to the company. “Coherence is functional even beyond the copy and embraces all the other ways of telling oneself. The important thing is to try not to be dissonant with one’s positioning, trying to avoid banalities and clichés or limiting those ingredients that make the brand end up on the side, almost like upholstery », concludes Leix. All this does not mean giving up creativity. In America, the best campaigns focus creativity on the product. This is what happened for Kraft: the crisis linked to the supply of raw materials limited the presence of cream cheese on the shelf. But the criticality was transformed into an opportunity for engagement with customers. So the food giant has decided to offer a refund of twenty dollars to those who cannot find the product on the shelf, as CNN said. From America to England, with another choice in balance between continuity and courage. This is the campaign of Aldi, a German multinational of large-scale distribution. As AdWeek tells us, the Christmas campaign has taken up the story of Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol”, but with something more. Aldi has decided to give 1.8 million hot meals to British families in need. An initiative that involved the footballer Marcus Rashford, striker of Manchester United and the English national team, who rose to prominence after challenging the English government on cuts in funds for canteens for children in schools. Rashford appeared on the screens together with the mascot of the brand, the carrot Kevin who for six years has been wishing happy holidays to Aldi customers. The choice was motivated by Sean McGinty, marketing director of Aldi. «It wouldn’t be the time of the holidays without the usual message of our carrot». Surprise, yes, commit yourself, but in the name of continuity.
1. NUTELLA