Even in the digital age, word-of-mouth still matters and if a brand’s marketing efforts are being talked about, it likely means it’s on the minds of consumers when they are ready to make a purchase decision. Knowing the importance of getting consumers talking about brands, Engagement Labs has released the results [press release] of the 10 most “talkworthy” marketing campaigns online and offline in the US. Its analysis suggests that high-profile campaigns make them more likely to feature in conversations about the brand.
Engagement Labs looked at close to 500 consumer brands and ranked them based on the share of offline conversations about the brand in which people were talking about the brand’s marketing or advertising.
With few Americans actually finding advertising enjoyable and the majority of consumers considering friends and family as a trusted source of information about brands, it’s helpful to take a closer look at which campaigns got people talking.
Allstate sits at the top of the offline most “talkworthy” brands list, with a 91.1% share of offline conversations about them referencing their marketing and advertising campaigns. This top spot comes after increasing their overall marketing investment last year. Sticking with what works, Allstate ran a dual campaign running what might be considered to be soothing or reassuring ads, with longtime representative Dennis Haysbert utilizing the tagline “Now that you know the truth, are you in good hands?” – and the more humorous “mayhem” ads which have been running since 2010.
In second place among the most talkworthy brands offline is GEICO, which has stuck with what has worked for years. With its marketing being mentioned in 90.9% of offline conversations about the insurance brand, GEICO spent $1.2 billion in 2018 and utilized their iconic ‘spokesgecko’ in co-branded marketing with the blockbuster film, Avengers: Infinity War, as well as taking advantage of FIFA World Cup 2018 by releasing the “Longest Goal Celebration” ad.
Brands That Appeal to Youth the Most “Talkworthy” Online
It may be a coincidence, but when looking at the list of brands whose marketing efforts generated more conversation online, the list had many brands with strong appeal among younger generations compared to those decidedly more ‘mature’ brands on the most “talkworthy” offline list. This may be due to the methodology: the online list looks at the extent to which brand content is shared via the brand’s social media page(s), which likely would reflect more activity by youth.
Playstation tops the online list, after seeing success with its Marvel Spider-Man ad that appeared on the NFL Thursday Night Football season opener, as well its ‘God of War’ campaign. Red Bull was ranked #2 for online conversations, largely due to its affiliation with Formula One which on its own brought in $10.3 million in profit in 2018 for the energy drink.
The other brands that made the top 5 for online sharing include Nintendo, Xbox and Pokémon. All of these are enjoyed by younger generations, who spend plenty of time playing video games.
It may be worth noting that with all the hype and expense that Super Bowl advertisements entail – and despite the next-day water cooler chatter about the funniest or most surprising ads – none of the brands awarded as the most “talkworthy” appeared on any of the lists for MarketingCharts’ Super Bowl 2019 Data Report.
More data can be viewed here.
About the Data: The percentage figures indicate the share of offline conversations about the brand in which people are talking about the brand’s marketing or advertising. The rankings are derived from a list of almost 500 consumer brands.
