POLY

I remember the exact moment I decided I wanted to be famous. I was six years old and watching Police Academy 3: Back In Training - with my dad and he turned to me and said “You see that guy, son? That’s Steve Gutenberg. He’s a star!” Obviously, nothing lasts forever.

Whilst I have not yet reached the heights of notoriety of my childhood idol, my quest for fame led me to advertising, an industry obsessed with fame; not necessarily that of the individual, but more so of the brands. We know from marketing science that a brand’s ability to attract and convert consumers is directly related to its ability to build ‘fame’ - or ‘mental availability’, thereby positioning that brand front-of-mind for a physical purchase opportunity. The problem is, unlike celebrities, consumers don’t care about your brand and will do everything in their power to actively avoid thinking about you; they will block, scroll past and skip you altogether, meaning it can be incredibly expensive for advertisers trying to snatch a sliver of the consumers attention. 

So, the question is, how can brands build sustainable, long-lasting, efficient fame in the minds of ambivalent consumers?

There are two distinct ways: immediate brand gratification, and long-term strategies. Both rely on integrating online and offline channels to build natural efficiencies across multi-channel media strategies.

The ‘Earned’ Approach

There is nothing I love more than a big, bold, and brave brand activation. It’s pretty much the reason I got into advertising.

Media stunts can have a massive impact on audiences in real life (just ask anyone who saw that Furpy truck stuck between those buildings), it is the desired earned coverage and organic social sharing that truly allow the idea to land. Taylor Swift’s global tour generated millions of free impressions through social media, without spending a cent on paid media. As a result, when tickets went on sale in Australia it broke the internet (and economy). We are seeing more advertisers tapping into this quest for virality by using advances in technology in ‘traditional’ media channels to generate shareability. Such an example is the boom in 3D anamorphic outdoor billboards; these executions are highly impactful. The true reach and return on investment come from social amplification, making ‘offline’ channels the creative canvas and ‘online’ channels the amplifier.                  

The challenge with the ‘earned’ approach to brand building is that consumers receive between 4,000 - 10,000 messages per day. As a result, all advertising has an equal chance of being remembered or forgotten. Even a big, bold, innovative media-first idea that captures the imagination of the community and valuable cross-format media coverage from mainstream news outlets literally becomes yesterday's news. Your brand’s share-of-market is not measured against the in-market activity of your competitors, but rather against the 9,999 other messages vying for their attention every day. It is going to take a lot more than a single exposure, or even a single campaign burst - however impactful - to build favourability, or more importantly, familiarity.

"This is the ‘Buscemi approach’ - to become unavoidable to the point where you are famous not because of a stand-alone or stand-out role (or campaign), but simply because you are synonymous with your craft (and category)."

Which brings us to our second approach…

The ‘Buscemi’ Approach

Steve Buscemi is not your traditional Hollywood heartthrob. Yet somehow, he is every bit as loved and lauded by global audiences as any of his more traditional co-stars. The secret to his universal acclaim is not solely his authentic weaponization of his quirks, but the frequency and consistency of his output. He is a ubiquitous force in the film and television industries - showing up where and when you least expect him in supporting roles at a near perpetual pace. 

I believe Steve Buscemi’s career holds the secret to building meaningful brand fame. 

Brands must focus on building mental availability over time for long-term impact on conversion. A great-earned execution can create awareness and fame, but the problem is, not everyone who is exposed to that activity is going to be in the consideration when that big idea is live. It takes time, and repeated exposures across multiple media touchpoints and channels for a brand to resonate and feel ‘everywhere’. This is the ‘Buscemi approach’ - to become unavoidable to the point where you are famous not because of a stand-alone or stand-out role (or campaign), but simply because you are synonymous with your craft (and category). 

But the ‘always on’ approach to advertising can be expensive, especially across multiple media channels. That’s why advertisers need to build in efficiencies wherever possible. A critical component of media planning is not simply the choice of channels - ensuring a balance of strong broadcast reach to prime light buyers and addressable digital channels to prompt and leverage conversion opportunities--but the consistency of message and engagement across those channels. Achieving this healthy balance is not as difficult as you might think when you build strong creative efficiencies from the outset. 

It is no secret that social and online video continues to dominate the bought media landscape, accounting for 12 percent of total media spend and rising. Whilst social and online video have become strong broadcast channels, they still suffer from viewability, privacy and engagement issues. What many advertisers don’t realise is that online and offline media channels can work (harder) in tandem. For out of home, “if it’s got a roof, it can move”.

Unlike the earned approach, outdoor media can efficiently broadcast video extension of online content. With majority of video-enabled ‘outdoor’ environments like retail centres, rail stations, office towers, universities and airports mirroring the ‘vertical first’ approach of social video. By extending portrait video into these broadcast outdoor environments, it enables advertisers to build broadcast video reach at scale using existing online creative, extending campaign life, and maximising touchpoint impact. ‘online’ becomes the creative canvas, and ‘offline’ channels serve as the amplifier.                  

Whatever the approach adopted, when it comes to building brands efficiently over time, more exposure, and consistency is key - much like Steve Buscemi’s body of work.