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Eliciting a nostalgic response in buyers is one way your business can increase sales and build lasting relationships.
Whether we’re talking fashion, design, or entertainment, 90s nostalgia is popping up all around us. Think Lisa Frank portable blenders, sitcom revivals, live-action remakes of beloved childhood films, butterfly clips, claw clips, bucket hats (you get the point). Naturally, this nostalgia has made its way into marketing to match millennial and Gen Z interests.
Businesses leaning into this trend transport their audience to a time invariably associated with feelings of effortlessness and relaxation. Should yours?
Not everyone longs for the same decade, which makes 90s nostalgia marketing strong for its ability to appeal to millennials, who respond well to emotional messaging, and Gen Z, who is currently driving the comeback of certain 90s aesthetics.
The global pandemic paired with financial, political, and social insecurity created uncertainty for consumers everywhere, which may be the catalyst for recent nostalgia marketing. People crave familiarity, which you can deliver in effective nostalgia marketing that counteracts peoples’ feelings of anxiety and builds positive associations with your brand. We already know the critical role emotion plays in the buyer journey, which helps make sense of the nostalgia factor. If your messaging makes your audience feel seen, secure, comforted, and wrapped up in a better time, they’ll be more likely to value this emotional connection when weighing purchasing decisions.
Not every marketing goal is going to be transactional. The marketing space is only growing more complex, and the buyer’s journey more unique. If you build an experience around a cultural phenomenon, for example by linking your brand to Super Mario 64, you can create a memorable connection with younger generations. These connections may not bring immediate sales but are a great way to increase engagement that you can build upon in future campaigns. Using nostalgia in your marketing can help humanize your brand and build audience enthusiasm.
Smart brand building recognizes the need in offering an indispensable product or service while also linking positive associations to your brand to cultivate affinity around your business.
Dive into your organization’s history to identify opportunities. If you’ve been around for a while, think about what you offer that has stood the test of time. Is there a discontinued product you can revamp or an old idea you can reintroduce? If you’re a startup, you can engage in your industry’s history for inspiration or get vulnerable in sharing your story. A fruitful opportunity will center on tying a positive emotional response between your product/service and your audience with messaging that aligns with your brand.
Mine your buyer persona to uncover consumer sentimentalities for insights on crafting messaging that resonates. What shows, movies, music, icons, and events colored your target audience’s childhood? You’ll want to understand which memories are important to your targeted demographic to determine your creative points.
Open your time capsule of cultural references, familiar fonts, imagery, songs, and design elements that conjure feelings of a past time. We’ve all heard that one song or smelled that one scent that took us back to our school playground or a family barbecue. Comb through 90s trends for the visual and auditory cues that fit with your message and audience and align with your brand. The right combination of sensory input is a vital tool for tapping into the past, and when done right, will help your brand create a memorable experience for consumers.
Consumers are especially primed for nostalgia marketing at certain times of the year. Many feel sentimental throughout the winter holiday season or other holidays and special occasions. Consider timing when appealing to your audience, as they may feel more connected to a particular message when they’re already reminiscing.
First, make sure you’re promoting your message on your target audience’s active social channels. Next, make the most of your social presence through posts and engagement with your audience. Use those #TBT hashtags (#FlashbackFriday, #Y2K, etc.) to make personal and relevant human connections.
Finally, monitor your brand. Use social listening to tune in to consumer feedback. What are they saying about your product/service or additional industry offers? Look for opportunities to connect over humble beginnings or service updates and progress. Effective social listening provides holistic insights to help your business refine strategies and have more meaningful consumer interactions.
Curious if your team is making the most of social opportunities? Connect with us to evaluate any room for improvement.
Don’t piggyback on a trend for the sake of it and risk jeopardizing your brand’s authenticity. If consumers view your business efforts as fake, you will lose out on sales and trust. Stay true to your brand and pursue marketing initiatives that align with who you are and what you offer. You’re looking for rich connections, which means aiming for opportunities that mesh organically with your message.
Don’t let your marketing efforts fall flat by running a campaign that positions your team as outdated. You should be introducing something new with a carefully chosen context that pushes you forward. If your plan lacks innovation or a modern touch, something’s wrong.
Research, research, research! Avoid using triggering memories that risk a polarizing response and be mindful that some references may be insensitive or irrelevant. Save yourself the embarrassment and loss of brand loyalty by making sure your references and details are correct and consistent.
With intentional planning of timing, audience, elements, offer, and messaging, you can recreate that warm fuzzy feeling in consumers and transfer their feelings of trust, comfort, and attachment onto your brand.
Does taking a trip back to the good old days sound like a golden opportunity for your business?
Contact us to let us know how we can help you hit all the right chords in creating or enhancing your authentic 90s nostalgia concept to build lasting relationships and drive long-term growth.
We believe in the power of new ideas, and we’re ready
to share yours with the world.