Hit ’em In The Feels: How To Do Nostalgia Branding Right
Space Jam, Gossip Girl, Grease, Dunakroos – these days, it seems like everything is about a remake or revival. This trend might look like businesses are lazy or unable to develop fresh ideas. However, it isn't the lack of creativity on their end; these revivals go way more profound than that. Nostalgia is around us. We look at old photos and reminisce about our positive connections and the good old days. After surviving the last few challenging years and overcoming constant uncertainty, it's no surprise that audiences are looking for familiarity. Nostalgia clings to positive memories, and when done right, it gives people a warm fuzzy feeling. But before you rush to hire marketers and design services to rebrand around this idea, know how to do it right! Many companies are jumping on the nostalgia brand marketing bandwagon, but it can be tricky to get it right. Nostalgia Branding – What It Is & Why It Works Nostalgia branding is another way to express a business's identity and history. A brand identity helps a company create a unique stance and differentiate itself in a competitive market. This differentiation develops their position in the industry and creates a loyal customer base. Read More: How Brand Identity Attracts and Retains a Target Audience Nostalgia branding is about creating an identity that connects the brand to positive ideas and beloved concepts from the past. It invokes feelings of comfort and security. While the idea isn't new, it has recently gained much traction. Companies of all sizes and from various industries are using it, and that's because it works. A study at Washington State University on the consumer response to non-nostalgic versus nostalgic ads showed that the latter was considered more favorable. Similarly, another study found that nostalgia encourages people to pay more for preferred objects. Nostalgia branding works because it's all about emotional design. Therefore, it works well with any audience. However, recent nostalgia marketing campaigns target millennials and Gen Z. It's also not entirely about relieving an era since these two generations tend to enjoy nostalgia for eras they didn't experience. As counterintuitive as it may seem, nostalgia isn't just about reminiscing. It also gives a romanticized look at what they consider simpler times. For example, thanks to streaming services, it's easier to watch an episode of Friends than when the show originally aired. The Challenges Of Nostalgia Branding As successful as nostalgia branding can be, it's essential to remember that there are challenges to it as well. 1. It Doesn't Always Work Globally Nostalgia branding can be pretty tricky to get right for global brands. It's tough because the brand might not have existed in some places at that particular time. Moreover, not every country's or region's experience is the same. So nostalgia branding might be a miss for some global brands, depending on their history. However, there are ways to get around it: Professional design servicesrecommend using "safe" aesthetics or images for retro branding. For example, If you had a cereal brand you wanted [...]
