What it means to work in marketing is that you will never look at ads the same again. You look for flaws, analyze their promotional strategies deciphering target market and intended message and what they could have done better.

That was awful.

That was really awful.   

That was really, really awful

So what does it take to get it right?

To lead the advertising industry it takes integrating brand identity while enhancing reputation, creating conversation, and enticing creativity to attract new consumers and retain loyal ones.

This is not easily done. It takes planning and constant content curation to preserve a unified campaign.

“It takes planning and constant content curation to preserve a unified campaign.”

The word preserve is of key importance because brand identity is not easily interchangeable.

So who has got it right?

To have a strong campaign you must stay true to your brand identity and core values. Here are 3 examples of ad campaigns that have in my opinion got it right.

     1. Westjets’s Real-Time Giving Campaign

Westjet is a Canadian airline that has had featured fame from their real-time giving campaign that started in 2013 with their Christmas Miracle video, where flyers received Christmas presents instead of their luggage once landing. The company’s corporate culture revolve around customer service and serving the community where they participate in Hope Air, Hero Holiday and many other services to help Canadian citizens in any way they can. This company continues shock and awe in their advertising standing true to their identity while creating loyal customers.

      2. Coca-Cola’s Share a Coke Campaign

Coca-Cola is one of, if not the most, innovative company when it comes to marketing so it is not surprise their campaign is at the top of the chain. Their brand presence allow them to create any campaign that they think of. Their Share a Coke campaign, started in 2014, and is all about sharing happiness; but they took it to an entire new and personal level when they launched their Small World Machines – Bringing India & Pakistan Togethervideo. The video features two countries that are strangers to one another yet so close in location. Both countries are misunderstood of the others and there are a lot of negative perceptions between the two. What Coke did with this idea was broke the tension between these people, providing a portal of real-time connection that is simply genius! This campaign embodies the culture of Coke, sharing happiness.

     3. Toms’ One Day Without Shoes Instagram Campaign

TOMS Shoes are known for their brand compassion where you purchase a pair of shoes and one pair is given to a child who is going without. The company was started by Blake Mycoskie after traveling to Argentina and seeing the hardships faced by children. TOMS One Day Without Shoes campaign was first launched in 2015 where if you post a picture of your bare feet and #withoutshoes TOMS will give away a pair of shoes with no purchase necessary. This campaign embodies the core values of the company and truly shows the essence of why you want to wear TOMS shoes. The brand identity of TOMS makes you want to share in the mission of the company and remain a loyal customer to the mission of giving.

-The Take Away-

What companies need to take away from these campaigns is to stick to their core values and illuminate them when creating an identity. You can not change your identity but you can preserve it through consistency of campaigns and being innovative.

Creating a community and utilizing changing technology is how this can be done.

What are some of the campaigns you think stay true to their brand identity?

For more of Advertising with Personality check out my blog https://jordanbuchholz.wordpress.com/