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2020 wasn’t exactly business as normal. But 2021 is shaping up well for companies, and these 5 inspiring content marketing campaigns prove it!
Last year sucked. But we’re already well into 2021 and for the most part, things are looking up.
Now that business conversations are turning away from survival and back to growth, most are ready for a fresh start. And they’re showing it through some pretty amazing and creative content marketing campaigns!
It looks like this will be the year to break boundaries with the aim of reaching new audiences through engaging copywriting and content.
And we are so here for it!
However, as competition grows, the need to stand-out with catchy taglines and powerful, emotional, witty, funny content will also grow. You’ll have to be both unique and strategic to gain your reader's attention.
Below, we’ll look at five of our favorite content marketing campaigns from the year so far for a little bit marketing inspo.
But first, why should you even be interested in exploring content marketing in your own business?
Why should I care about content marketing campaigns?
Well, maybe the most important reason to care about content marketing campaigns is because they cost 62% less than traditional marketing and generate about 3 times as many leads. Or, maybe the fact that conversion rates are nearly 6x higher for content marketing adopters gets your heart pumping. After all, these are the kind of outcomes marketer’s dreams are made of!
Of course, these dreams can only come true if you can craft and integrate a content marketing campaign that grabs your audience’s attention and makes them want to act.
That’s exactly what the five companies in our list below have done.
5 of the best 2021 content marketing campaigns
Prada’s Spring 2021 Campaign
As a global brand, Prada doesn’t really need much help in the brand awareness or recognition department. However, they do need to find ways to stay relevant in the ever-changing world of fashion.
That’s why Prada’s latest content marketing campaign is genius.
The campaign, called Dialouges, focuses on engaging consumers through short, thought-provoking questions that are asked alongside fashion photos. The questions (which are focused on topics like sustainability and humanity) ask readers to spark up a debate about the questions by answering them at prada.com.
If you’ve been in marketing long, you know engagement with customers is the gold standard. One recent study showed that companies that engage their customers well were 2.2 times more likely to have experienced an increase in market share in the past year. And just as impressive — 86% of these companies also reported they saw an increase in the previous year’s revenue.
We can’t wait to follow along and see what the final results of this campaign will be.
The Flinders Train Campaign
When a new train line opened connecting Flinders University (Australia) to the city center, they decided to capitalize on it in a big way. The result: The Flinders Train Campaign.
Flinders, an outer metropolitan university, wanted to reach students who may have otherwise counted them out as an option due to commute distance. Their campaign creatively promotes the university by promoting the new 22-minute direct route. It shows the train's route leading students to destinations like desirable careers.
What we love about the Flinders campaign is how perfectly tailored it is to their audience. They use a variety of ‘student language’ and love a bit of wit!
Their simple yet attractive ads command attention, and some elements (like missing letters in words) help keep eyes engaged:
Oatly’s Help Dad Campaign
Apparently, middle-aged men (a whopping 86% of them) are opposed to drinking milk from anything but a cow according to Oatly — a dairy-oat milk brand.
To combat this non-dairy hesitation, Oatly came up with a hilarious campaign called Help Dad. It features teenagers flipping the script and having serious conversations with their dads about the dangers of drinking dairy — specifically focused on sustainability.
The campaign uses funny, informal, and persuasive language in a tongue-in-cheek way that gets the point across while still being entertaining.
You can check out all the ads from their campaign here.
Bloom and Wild’s Red Roses It’s Over Campaign
Getting roses on Valentine’s Day has become a bit of a cliche. And Bloom and Wild was tired of it. So, they decided to get creative and ‘break up’ with selling roses on the holiday of love.
This, of course, is a bold move for a florist. But Bloom and Wild have come out as the winners since this campaign has attracted so much attention.
Bloom and Wild launched their campaign with a creative poem on the homepage of their website called “Red Roses, It’s Over” and listed a dozen (get it?) reasons why they won’t be selling roses this Valentine’s Day.
We absolutely love the bold creativity of this campaign. Bloom and Wild took a huge risk — possibly losing customers who might be looking for roses — but gained a ton of respect for their bravery. And this is what will make them stand out in the mind of their customers!
The Guardian’s Hope Is Power Campaign
When we talk about content marketing campaigns with emotional power, one in particular comes to mind. Previously launched in 2019, The Guardian produced this tactical print ad ahead of Joe Biden’s nomination for US president:
The text reads:
1920 An American woman can vote.
1952 An Asian American woman can vote.
1965 A Black American woman can vote.
2021 A Black, Asian American woman can win.
Hope is Power.
Along with the striking, powerful words, the image of Vice President Kamala Harris gives off all the feels.
This ad does a few things right: incredible design, emotional power, and simplicity. No doubt marketers everywhere will take a page from their book (err...newspaper) in future campaigns.
Tips for making your content marketing stand out in 2021
Feeling inspired? Now is the perfect time to dive in and create (or perfect) your content marketing plans for the upcoming year. Here are our top tips for making it memorable, noticeable, and effective.
Always have a plan
Although most of these campaigns seem conceptually simple, there’s an incredible amount of time that goes into the creative process and creation of each one. Great content marketing doesn’t happen overnight. Many times, it doesn’t even happen over months! It takes a lot of planning to pull off a press-worthy campaign like the ones above.
But it is possible. You simply need to plan ahead. Start your brainstorming early around any particular holiday, event, big launch, etc. That will give you plenty of time to come up with an incredible idea and make sure you have the time and resources available to make it happen.
Get the best out of technology
Technology is your friend when it comes to content marketing. Whether it's a project management system, automation software or a design tool, hunt down the platforms that are out there to turn your dream campaign into a reality. You’ll likely save a heap of time leaning on digital tools too.
Assemble a killer team
Creating a memorable and effective content marketing campaign can seem out of reach if you don’t have a team of content professionals behind you. But what if you could?
Scribly is a content marketing service that works with businesses like yours to create and launch incredible, attention-grabbing, lead-driving content marketing. We’d love to help you launch your next great idea. Get in touch!
