Are you struggling to get your creative retail marketing ideas off the ground in 2021?

In reality, lovely shiny marketing campaigns are only worthwhile if they can promise a return on your investment. So, we’ve summarised the key ingredients that our experience has shown to deliver the best of both worlds.

• Put your target audience at the centre, not your business stakeholders. They need to sign off on the idea, but it’s not aimed at them. It’s aimed at your customers, so understand your audience and what they really want before you start ideation.

• Use your existing social media audience as well as amplifying your reach via paid.

• Integrate UGC into your campaign – it will increase your organic reach naturally and position you in front of a highly-targeted audience, without you having to lift a finger.

• Seasonality sells! That doesn’t mean you should send a Halloween email with the subject line “No tricks, just treats!” but it does mean that you can find a hook that appeals to your target market. Try to think outside the box so you don’t get lost in the noise.

• Retarget during quieter times with strong and compelling creative. Use successful marketing creative from the past to drive new sales.

• Influencer marketing (done right) can be a game-changer for increasing revenue, and not just for the campaign period. Consider long-term brand ambassadors who have a genuine love for your brand and want to be involved with your company.

Take a look at this lengthier article for ideas on how to devise an effective creative marketing strategy for retail organisations.

Susie Hood is creative content manager at Hitsearch.