To succeed in today’s competitive marketing landscape, brands need to think outside the box. Social media feeds and email inboxes are flooded with new content daily—most of which is quickly forgotten. So, how can your brand disrupt the norm in a positive way and leave a lasting impression? Here are some underrated marketing opinions and strategies emerging brands are embracing to stand out and truly connect with their audience.
In-Person Brand Activations Leave The Strongest Impressions
In today’s digital-first marketing landscape, it’s a slightly underrated marketing opinion to suggest that standing out often requires thinking beyond the screen. While stopping the scroll on social media is important, many brands are turning to in-person brand activations to create memorable, real-world experiences. For brands looking to deepen engagement, bringing the brand experience directly to people can leave a powerful impression.
With the rise of influencer marketing and experiential events over the past decade, in-person activations have become a key part of successful marketing strategies. Whether it’s pop-up events, exclusive product launches, or interactive experiences, these real-life touchpoints are opportunities for brands to connect in a more personal way. It’s not uncommon for brand founders to attend such events to engage with their consumer base. Taking the engagement off the screen and transferring it to real life creates a more genuine connection. Here’s how to do it.
Design Immersive Brand Experiences
Design experiences that align with whatever is pertinent to your marketing calendar. Perhaps it’s a new product launch or a relevant holiday. Curate the experience to allow your audience to interact with your products in fun and practical ways. Take, for example, Glossier. Prior to permanently setting roots in US cities, they hosted a number of pop-ups throughout the country. The temporary stores were stocked full of well-merchandised testers and Instagrammable decor.
Their attention to detail—merchandised testers, sales associates dressed in signature pink jumpsuits, and seamless checkout processes—ensured a memorable, on-brand interaction that naturally encouraged social media shares. It established a brand identity and seamlessly highlighted Glossier’s visual aesthetic. This kind of real-world interaction often enhances brand loyalty and is highly shareable on social media, bringing brand activation events back into the digital space.
Leverage Influencers for Brand Activations
Influencer marketing is no longer limited to social media. Partnering with influencers or brand ambassadors to host or promote events can amplify your reach and create a buzz. When influencers share their in-person experiences, it generates authentic content that resonates with their followers, further extending your brand’s impact beyond the event. With this approach, you can acquire followers and win loyalty from existing followers. Look for impactful ways to include this talent at the event. Panel discussions may drive more conversation and connection than a typical meet and greet.
Engage Local Communities for Large Impact
Local SEO and marketing strategies aren’t just for brick-and-mortar businesses. Hosting local community events allows you to introduce your brand to new audiences outside of target cities. These local engagements foster loyalty; customers appreciate brands that show up where they live! These don’t have to be large-scale installations. Adidas, for example, often partners with small local-run clubs that align with their mission.
Pinterest Is a Powerful Marketing Strategy
The entire ad industry has shifted dramatically in the past 10 years. While most brands have remained loyal to the duopoly of advertising giants like Google and Facebook, Pinterest has quietly emerged as a powerful contender. By fine-tuning its ad offerings and staying on the cutting edge of technology, Pinterest has become a platform that brands can no longer afford to overlook. With over half a billion users, Pinterest offers something truly valuable: a user base that’s actively in the market, ready to make purchasing decisions. Here’s what you need to know.
Why Pinterest is Different
Pinterest stands out in the crowded advertising landscape because it’s more than just a social platform—it’s a visual discovery engine. While users on other platforms may passively scroll through content, Pinterest users are often planning their next purchase, project, or life event.
Because Pinterest’s technology allows users to customize for variables like skin color, hair texture, and body type, it has been named one of the best social platforms for supporting positive mental health. This intent-driven behavior is what makes Pinterest a goldmine for advertisers. Users turn to Pinterest to find inspiration, which makes them more receptive to brands that align with their interests and aspirations.
Harnessing the Power of AI
Pinterest has also invested in AI technology, making it easier than ever for advertisers to create and recycle content that resonates with users. With advanced algorithms, Pinterest can tailor content to match the interests and behaviors of individual users, ensuring that your ads are seen by the right people at the right time. By recycling and repurposing content through AI, brands can continuously engage users by presenting products in ways that suit the unique style of the viewer. For example, say a user’s home decor board has modern and minimal design pins. Pinterest will display the ad for an item of furniture in a sleek and minimal setting. This not only maximizes ad performance but also reduces the time and effort needed to maintain a dynamic ad campaign.
Pinterest’s Audience: People Who Are Ready to Buy
One of Pinterest’s greatest strengths is its ability to target people who already have an intent to purchase. Whether it’s planning a wedding, redecorating a home, or planning a girl’s trip, Pinterest users are actively seeking out solutions and products that meet their needs. This makes Pinterest a highly efficient platform for brands, as they can reach consumers who are already in the buying mindset.
Incorporating Pinterest into Your Ad Strategy
With its unique user behavior, robust AI capabilities, and intent-driven audience, Pinterest should be a key player in your advertising strategy. The platform’s personalization technology ensures that your brand is exposed to users in your niche who are most likely to convert. Whether you’re in retail, fashion, home decor, or any other industry, Pinterest offers a valuable opportunity to connect with consumers who are ready to take action.
In today’s fast-changing ad landscape, don’t overlook Pinterest—it’s an advertising platform that can drive meaningful results for your business.
SMS Marketing Is a Gold Mine
In a world where emails, paid ads, and social media dominate, SMS marketing quietly stands out as one of the most effective yet underutilized tools for brands to connect with consumers. With the ability to reach customers directly on their phones, it’s an underrated marketing opinion for some that SMS creates a personal and immediate line of communication. Your brand can use this to gain momentum and leverage it for direct engagement.
The Power of SMS Marketing for Direct Consumer Engagement
SMS marketing has an impressive open rate of nearly 98%, far surpassing email. This immediate, high-visibility channel allows brands to communicate time-sensitive information like flash sales or personalized offers. It’s direct, personal, and cuts through the noise of crowded inboxes and social feeds. SKIMS, for example, uses SMS to announce weekly product drops so that in case a subscriber misses the email, they can still be alerted. As more consumers shift their shopping habits to mobile, SMS provides a direct route to engage with them where they spend the most time—on their phones.
In addition to its immediacy, some brands structure their SMS program to offer a sense of exclusivity. When brands use this channel to offer early access to products or exclusive promotions, it enhances brand loyalty. Consumers feel special knowing they’re going to be the first to know, driving higher engagement and conversion rates, making this underrated marketing opinion one with staying power.
SMS Marketing Pairs Perfectly With Email
SMS marketing pairs seamlessly with email marketing to create a comprehensive communication strategy. Many email service providers (ESPs) now offer integrated technology that allows businesses to design automated user journeys that include both email and SMS. This dual approach ensures that even if recipients don’t open your emails, they can still receive important messages via SMS.
By combining the strengths of both channels, you can reach a wider audience and ensure that key information, such as big sales or product drops, is delivered directly to your customers. Using SMS as a follow-up to non-openers of email helps improve engagement and increases conversion rates, ensuring that no customer slips through the cracks.
How to Leverage SMS Automation for Personalized Campaigns
With modern SMS tools, brands can automate personalized campaigns based on customer behaviors and past purchases. This level of targeting allows you to send messages that feel relevant and tailored, increasing the likelihood of a response. For example, a clothing brand could send a discount code to a customer who abandoned their cart, or a shampoo retailer could offer a reminder when it’s time to restock a product. Beyonce’s hair care brand, Cécred, has adopted this as a strategy. It reminds previous customers to repurchase, just a few washes, before a product runs out.
By integrating SMS with your CRM, you can create campaigns that are right on the nose and drive immediate action. These types of personalized interactions show consumers that your brand understands their needs, making SMS an excellent tool for nurturing long-term customer relationships. In an increasingly competitive digital landscape, SMS marketing is just another way to make your consumers feel that the brand values them specifically.
Brand Collaborations Are a Win-Win Marketing Strategy
In today’s crowded marketing landscape, standing out from the competition is an uphill battle when new content is constantly being pumped out. But what if, instead of competing for consumer attention, brands joined forces to amplify their reach and impact? Brand collaborations allow two brands to share audiences, resources, and influence for mutual benefit. If you’re not tapping into this underrated marketing opinion yet, you could be missing out on one of the most effective ways to boost your brand’s visibility and credibility.
Why Brand Collaborations Work
The saying, “If you can’t beat them, join them,” holds true in 2024’s marketing landscape. Brand collaborations work because they allow you to leverage another company’s audience while offering the same in return. This creates a win-win situation for both parties. By partnering with a brand that aligns with your values and target demographic, you gain access to new customers who are already pre-qualified to be interested in your products or services. It’s a smart way to share the spotlight rather than fighting for it.
Introducing another SKIMS case study, the groundbreaking brand famously collaborated with Italian fashion house FENDI on a collection of shapewear and ready-to-wear. This partnership seamlessly married fit and luxury, creating a product that appeals to the shared customer base of both brands. These kinds of strategic alliances can result in increased brand equity and expanded market share, even across countries.
You Can Amplify Your Reach and Engagement
One of the biggest advantages of brand collaborations is the potential to massively amplify your reach. By co-creating content, products, or experiences, you’re able to engage not just with your existing customers but also with your partner’s audience. This cross-promotion strategy works particularly well in joint marketing campaigns, such as co-branded email marketing or collaboration Instagram posts. Brands may also structure opt-ins to allow sharing of email lists, allowing both parties to expand their reach to a new, relevant audience.
You’ll Also Build Credibility Through Association
A well-chosen collaboration can also boost your brand’s credibility. When you partner with a company that has strong brand equity, your association with them can help improve your own brand perception. This is particularly valuable for newer or smaller brands looking to establish trust within their industry. Collaborating with an established brand can put you on the radar.
Building Personal Connections in a Digital World
In a world where consumers have unlimited access to information and products, the brands that thrive are those that fulfill the deeper human need for connection and tangible experiences. As marketing continues to evolve, success requires going beyond the digital noise to offer something truly personal. Brands that lean into real-life experiences, highly customizable ads, mobile-first automations, and strategic partnerships are leading the way. These approaches help remind consumers that brands are not just products—they are meaningful, human connections that understand and cater to their needs.