Picture this: your brand rolls out a quirky campaign that’s generating buzz. Suddenly, your core audience starts feeling disconnected. What went wrong?
The evolution of brand storytelling has been a remarkable thing to watch. Finding new ways to engage audiences is a cornerstone of marketing and communications. It’s what we do – come up with new ideas to try and engage audiences in new and exciting ways. I was reading an article recently about how “Weird Is Back” and to “Embrace the Absurd,” and it got me thinking about a missing piece to this puzzle.
How do you embrace the absurd while staying true to your brand values?
In this kind of landscape, where audiences are inundated with content every minute they’re online, and even when they’re not, we have to be creative. Thinking outside the box, embracing absurdity, and coming up with quirky campaigns is just a normal day for us.
As much fun as this can be, and as creative as we like to claim we are, too often we lose sight of our brand values while chasing creative glory. Despite what some may say, effective marketing and communications takes more than just throwing everything you have at the wall and seeing sticks.
It should be about calculated risks, and creative campaigns need to be grounded in something more enduring – your brand’s values.
Like other industries, and really anything in life, marketing and communications tends to recycle ideas. There’s no such thing as a new idea, only new spins on old concepts. Yet, audiences still expect something fresh.
We’ve seen it all, from celebrity endorsements, social justice campaigns, shock value stunts, and more, and yet we’re still drawn to campaigns that feel new and exciting. Why? It’s not the concept that’s new, but how it’s executed.
According to a study by McKinsey, 70% of consumers seek personalized experiences, but they also crave originality in brand communications. This desire for personalization and originality offers an opportunity for brands to think outside the box—while staying rooted in their core identity.
Consumers have come to expect fresh spins on familiar ideas, which challenges marketers to innovate while staying within a framework that’s already been built. Another survey by Adobe showed that 78% of marketers say originality is key to engaging modern consumers, but that originality often comes from reimagining what’s already been done.
Take the revival of retro aesthetics where brands like Stranger Things or even fast-food chains like McDonald’s have leaned into ’80s and ’90s nostalgia, but they’ve given it a modern twist with new storytelling techniques or digital platforms.
The lesson? New ideas can come from anywhere, including old idea where you can refine and reimagine them, making them feel fresh and relevant. Try repurposing a classic idea but add layers of creativity that align with today’s trends and audience expectations.
Keep in mind that originality doesn’t mean being wildly different; sometimes, it’s about being familiar but with a fresh coat of paint.
It’s easy to be seduced by the next big thing. There’s a new social or digital platform, or you hear about this amazing approach at a seminar. We’ve all been there, especially as we work to prove our worth to our teams and bosses. While it’s tempting to jump on the trend bandwagon, the danger lies in adopting these tools without a clear strategy or understanding of how they align with your brand and goals.
We fall into the “shiny object syndrome,” chasing after trends to make a splash and show results. Too often, I’ve seen teams jump quickly without thinking it through and considering if they serve the campaign or brand. Just because something is new and flashy doesn’t mean it’ll move the needle on business objectives.
There’s one infamous example you’ve probably heard about. Pepsi’s 2017 Kendall Jenner ad, which attempted to hop on the “social activism” trend, didn’t quite go as planned. The result? A disconnected and tone-deaf campaign that didn’t align with Pepsi’s brand values or strategy. That specific social activism topic was popular among large brands at the time, and Pepsi chased the shiny object and got lost along the way.
Before diving into the next trend, ask yourself if it’s aligned with your campaign goals. Does it serve a specific purpose in your strategy, or are you using it because everyone else is? To avoid falling into this trap, start with your campaign goals and then assess whether the new shiny tool adds measurable value.
Yes. new ideas are fun. Who doesn’t love being the one with a fun, new idea that the team is excited about? Creativity is the fuel that powers memorable campaigns, but without clear business objectives, creative ideas can lose impact.
I’ve harped on being strategic and not tacticians and this is where it all comes together. As marketing and communications professionals, we need to go deeper than focusing on the concept alone. We’re responsible for aligning our creative ideas with business goals like increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or boosting sales.
We’re constantly try to break the idea that PR departments are cost centers that don’t drive real results. A quirky campaign that doesn’t tie back to business objectives is just a creative exercise, and one that will cost you time and resources.
It’s ok to embrace the absurd but be sure to ground your efforts in strategic goals. Always ask, “How will this idea drive the results we’re after?” Creativity without results is just noise that could cost your team and your company.
We’re all moving fast. There’s more to do in less time, and our industry continues to be one of the most stressful out there. Because of that, it’s easy to lose sight of brand values in the pursuit of something new. We’re all looking to create content that engages audiences AND builds brand trust, but there’s a fine line between pushing creative boundaries and veering away from your brand’s core values.
To be clear, this doesn’t mean creativity should be stifled. Quite the opposite. It means that creativity should serve as a tool to reinforce your brand’s values, not distract from them.
Remember, the weird only works if it pushes strategic initiatives forward AND aligns with your brand values. What’s the point of a campaign that gets attention if it doesn’t reinforce who you are as a company? You may get attention, if you’re lucky, but if there’s a disconnect with your brand values and what your brand stands for, you risk alienating your audiences or simply just confusing them.
No campaign, no matter how creative, is worth alienating your core audience or diluting what makes your brand unique. So, before launching your next campaign, do a quick gut check and ask yourself – is this reinforcing who we are as a brand? If the answer is no, it’s time to rethink what you’re doing.
Any successful marketing or communications campaign is striking a balance between creativity and meeting audience expectations. Go too far into the creative rabbit hole, and you risk alienating your audiences. Stick too closely to traditional methods, and you’ll get lost in the sea of sameness and maybe bore your audiences into another brand’s arms.
The key is to introduce fresh, bold ideas while still fulfilling the expectations your audience has of your brand. There are a ton of ways to find that sweet spot, after you’ve confirmed you think this aligns with both your brand values and campaign and business objectives.
I say “think” because, let’s be real, we’re all putting our best guess out there on what will work. As you’re figuring that out, get input from your team, your leadership, and other stakeholders. That alignment is critical.
Then, you need an understanding your audience’s expectations so you can push the boundaries within that framework. Creativity shouldn’t come at the cost of delivering on what your audience expects. It should enhance the overall experience by giving them something both exciting and familiar.
At that point, it’s all about testing new ideas, gathering feedback, and making adjustments. We’re communications professionals – being flexible is just part of a normal day for us. The worst thing you can do is embrace an absurd idea and then refuse to evolve with the absurdity.
People are naturally drawn to weird things. We want the brands we support to entertain us. The weird and absurd can be powerful tools to grab attention, but only if they’re used strategically.
As we continue to push creative boundaries, it’s important to keep our brand values front and center. By staying aligned with who you are, while embracing the oddities of modern marketing, we engage audiences and build trust and loyalty.
Take risks, but don’t let your brand’s values become a casualty in the process. If you do, your marketing efforts will come off as disingenuous, or worse, confusing. The key is to let your values guide your creativity. That’s the real sweet spot.
This is your permission to take risks, experiment, and be bold, but always remember to anchor your creativity in purpose. After all, the world is absurd enough; your brand doesn’t have to be, but if it is do it for a reason!
What’s the most absurd yet brand-aligned campaign you’ve seen recently?
