In the past, the focus of advertising and marketing was primarily on creative messaging that aimed to evoke emotions and feelings. However, the landscape has shifted, and data now plays a crucial role in guiding creative direction. With a wealth of data resources available, it is essential to strike a balance between creativity and analytics. Digital platforms, particularly social channels, provide ample first-party data to inform effective campaign strategies. Neither creative nor data should solely dictate marketing decisions; instead, it's about finding synergy and leveraging their combined potential for optimal outcomes.
At our agency, VSA, we leverage multiple data sources and collaborate with our exceptional media buyers and creative directors to extract insights for developing new creative concepts tailored to our clients' needs.
The Hack:
Our quarterly business review process allows our media and creative teams to allocate dedicated time with clients to present and discuss the successes and learnings from previous quarters' new media and creative initiatives.
For instance, one of our clients operating in the Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) space heavily relies on social platforms for customer acquisition, particularly leveraging User-Generated Content (UGC).
To maximize their impact, our media team implemented an Instagram Story whitelisting campaign, partnering with a preferred influencer. The campaign featured :15 and :30 second "talking head" UGC videos, where individuals directly address the camera or others.
Whitelisting involves the influencer granting the brand advertising permissions to their social media accounts, enabling the brand to utilize the influencer's handle for their ads. Based on our findings, here are some key takeaways:
Source Example: luciebfink IG
Key Takeaways:
*Note, the campaign tested :15 and :30 video spots.
The campaign tested both :15 and :30 video spots. The shorter :15 videos demonstrated a 33% reduction in Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) compared to the longer :30 videos when served to prospecting audiences.
Conversion Rate (CVR) within the platform was exceptionally strong, reaching 134%. "Talking head" ads and whitelisting under content creators' handles continue to exhibit promise.
Consider expanding this style of UGC with other creators, potentially reverse-engineering their successful ads.
To achieve broader prospecting scale, incorporate multiple sub :15 clips into new influencer creatives.
User-generated content offers the significant benefit of serving as compelling social proof. By showcasing content from real customers, it enhances your brand's credibility and brings its promises to life. Our data supports the effectiveness of this approach.