Why Culture is the key to building unforgettable campaigns

In the competitive marketing environment of today, culturally based initiatives have shown to be more successful in changing customer behaviour than generic ones. Every memorable or effective campaign starts with a knowledge of the values, ideas, and feelings of the target audience. Beyond simple statistics, culture explores the psychographic factors influencing consumer behaviour, thoughts, and feelings.

From geography to perspective, culture transcends stereotypes.

Culture is like an iceberg; the apparent (demographic) aspects merely scratch the surface of what actually influences consumer behaviour. Beneath the surface is a vast, sophisticated layer called psychographics. This layer comprises the common ideas, aspirations, and eccentricities of people from many backgrounds or ages.

Deeply understanding culture requires seeing it through the prism of shared ideas and attitudes instead than only geographical indicators. While psychographics provide the reason for audience behaviour, demographics identify the audience members. Appealing to basic stereotypes misses the mark when you should be using deeper psychographic insights; as the marketing adage goes, "If you're fishing in the wrong pond, you'll never catch the big ones."

Simple three-layer model allows brands to craft culturally relevant campaigns:

• Surface Knowledge: List the obvious cultural indicators including customs, regional accents, and social mores. This stage helps one to understand the obvious manifestations of culture that everyone is able to observe. 

• Investigate common emotions, values, and beliefs in a psychographic dive. Dream of what your target readers wish for? What irritates them? Why may they be laughing or crying? Knowing these questions helps one to grasp the actual meaning of the message.

• Create a link between the message of the brand and the cultural awareness. Whether it's comedy, goals, or daily obstacles, identify the shared ground your audience can connect to and link your campaign story to it.
  

Some of the recent campaigns that harnessed cultural insights to build lasting consumer connections include:

Five Star: Winning Through Cultural Ubiquity

Perfect illustration of this approach is Cadbury's 5 Star "5 Stars Everywhere" campaign. The brand discovered an intriguing cultural insight instead of following conventional wisdom about indulgence or craving: the omnipresent impact of five-star reviews.

Customers of today trust ratings for hotels, devices, and even energy compliance. The ad deftly linked the idea of "5 Stars" to trust and excellence by matching its unique brand asset (product name) with this well-accepted emblem of quality. Saying, "If it's five stars, it's got to be good," is like an unsaid nod. This story turned Cadbury 5 Star become a quality standard, so quietly supporting its cultural relevance.

Bingo: Marriage of Global Trends with Local Quirkiness

Our own (Tonic Worldwide) campaign for Bingo' "Meaun Meaun" adopted a psychographic insight defining the obsession of young Indians with K-pop culture. The marketing resonated on a psychographic level by copying the appealing songs and quirky look of K-pop music videos. We tried to connect with the target audience by following a cultural movement rather than a fad, therefore transcending mere trends.

We not only borrowed from K-pop but also injected Indian humour to produce a wonderful cultural crossover. This unusual strategy produced a campaign that seemed both new and familiar by helping to close the distance between local tastes and worldwide popular culture.

People buy relationships that let them say, "Hey, this feels like me," not goods.

Making use of identity & emotion

A great culturally grounded campaign sells a feeling, a connection, or a sense of belonging rather than only a product. Digging into psychographic data, marketers find the cultural hooks that audiences value. These advertisements become a part of the consumer's identity rather than only a purchase tool.

Think about the creative allusion to K-pop fever by Bingo or the humorous connection between five-star ratings or Cadbury 5 Star marketing. Both efforts are about becoming a part of the things viewers value and enjoy, not only about chocolate or chips.

The future ahead

Because they feel real, culturally anchored campaigns stand out. They sell a story, a sensation, or an experience that personally connects with the customer, not just a good or service. Deeply exploring psychographics allows companies to develop advertising that appeals to customers at both conscious and subconscious levels.

Authenticity becomes the currency of trust at a time when consumers are inundated with innumerable commercials every day. Alternatively, as the great copywriter Bill Bernbach advised, "It's not just what you say that stirs people." That is your manner of saying it. And the best way to communicate it is to speak their language—quirks, passions, all.

Beyond preconceptions, knowledge of psychographic intricacies, and bridging of universal connectors, marketers can create ads that not only grab attention but also win hearts. Thus, get deep into the culture and design campaigns that inspire individuals to feel, "Hey, this is me!" rather than only surface level.

This article is penned by Sudish Balan, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Tonic Worldwide.

Disclaimer: The article features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the stance of the publication.