As a future-first social PR agency you’d think our eyes were always set ahead of the curve. That’s true, but we also know it pays to keep the past in peripheral vision.
Clearly Argos agrees. Last week the biggest name in British catalogue shopping unveiled its 2019 Christmas campaign. The clip speaks volumes about hitting the right note with festival advertising, and the full creative tells us plenty about good influencer marketing.
Despite ongoing concerns over this area of marketing, the fails and misfires, 2019 is expected to see the biggest global spend on influencer marketing to date. Take a look at our free-to-download guide, ‘Out of the Fyre, Into the Future‘, if you don’t believe us.
Meanwhile, our CEO Rick Guttridge recently published an article for PR Academy arguing the same point; ‘It’s not too late to engage with influencer marketing’. Argos is the latest brand to prove this, providing a great example of powerful influencer marketing in practice. Check out the advert below, cornerstone of the retailer’s Christmas campaign, then let’s dive in.
Nostalgia only gets a social PR agency so far, strategy is king
This concept plays on festive nostalgia. Pre-internet, each year the Argos Christmas Catalogue arrived and for kids and parents it was the Book of Dreams. We’d pore over pages with academic scrutiny, PlayStation bundles and prized BMX bikes earmarked. A memory the majority of Britons can relate to.
A social PR agency push preceded the advert, utilising celebrity influencers and micro-influencers alike. The super-talented Instagram drummer Nandi Bushell was unsurprisingly involved— she’s the girl from the advert, after all. As was comedian Bill Bailey, who received his own laminated version of the Book of Dreams from Argos because of his famous skit and appeal among the 50+ demographic.
This arrived today. My own personalised Laminated Book of Dreams. Thank you, thank you good Wardens of Argos! I am crying the Tears of Joy! pic.twitter.com/Q1BMHebK3c
— Bill Bailey (@BillBailey) October 18, 2019
So what are the takeaways from this social PR agency campaign?
All this shows us if we stick to the following rules influencer marketing can be an incredibly effective weapon in any brand arsenal…
*Understand legitimacy and authenticity are essential— influencers involved with Argos genuinely bought into the campaign
*Know it’s not about the biggest, but the most suitable influencers for your audience
*Never consider influencer marketing to be autonomous, it’s part of a wider marketing mix
Little Black Book has an excellent, in-depth analysis of the campaign ‘How Argos Drummed Up Excitement For Its Book of Dreams This Christmas’. We recommend giving it a read.
Looking for more insight into social PR and influencer marketing.
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