Have you noticed that the past seems to be making an appearance? Crispy M&M’s are back in stores, new episodes of Full House are on Netflix, and sharing old memories on social media using #tbt (throwback Thursday) is widespread. No, you haven’t taken a trip in a certain DeLorean. Nostalgia marketing is now a thing of the present.
Nostalgia marketing implements themes or products from the past into a modern marketing strategy in order to create a unique emotional feeling in consumers. Every time someone talks about the past fondly, or utters phrases like, “When I was young we did this,” or “Back in my day, we had it better” they’re waxing nostalgic. As they age, people often yearn for a time when they were younger and things seemed simpler. When brands can connect consumers with the familiar past, it’s often a win for the brand. In fact, a study by the Journal of Consumer Research found that consumers are more likely to spend money when feeling nostalgic.
Before jumping on the nostalgia bandwagon, it’s important to evaluate the products and services you offer, as well as your intended audience, to see if incorporating the past into a new campaign now would be beneficial. Right now, millennials are getting older, and their purchasing power is on the rise, which means brands from the 1990’s are having a revival. After demand for Surge spread across social media—over 338,000 Surge Facebook fans called for its comeback—Coca-Cola re-released the popular citrus-flavored soda. And Nickelodeon revived a whole slate of the company’s original TV shows with “The Splat,” a nightly programming block that airs reruns of ‘90s cartoons and game shows. Both of these re-releases have had favorable responses because they targeted the right audience effectively (mostly through social media).
Even if you don’t have a product or service that’s due for a comeback, there are other ways to invoke that feeling of nostalgia in consumers. Company archives usually hold a wealth of material for a #tbt social media post. A direct mail piece with a retro design will stand out and grab attention. Even a simple blog post about how a past event relates to a current one can conjure feelings of nostalgia.
If you need help identifying how your brand can utilize nostalgia marketing, we have a dedicated team of designers, writers, and other marketing experts who can dig into the past and create a campaign that appeals to your consumers in the present.
If you want to know more about what we can do for your brand or business, contact us.