As Uber takes its first foray into TV, what can we learn about when the time is right to invest in brand advertising? Uber has launched its first TV ad in an attempt to reignite love for the brand and move away from the countless scandals around sexism, unscrupulous leadership, and a deeply rotten culture.
Effortless Night features ‘Miles‘ and ‘Grace‘ on their first date as they effortlessly make their way across a city thanks to no less than six Uber rides. This may not be the most convincing ad in the world, but it goes a long way to reinforce the brand’s “effortless” values.
With the resignation of the CEO and the company committed to turning over a new leaf. The emergence of Uber’s first TV campaign could signal a new dawn for a company that desperately needs a break. So, when do you know when the time is right to invest in brand advertising?
Here’s five reasons to invest in brand advertising.
#1 Your brand has an issue to tackle
Like Uber, brands with a reputation issue can use brand advertising to support their transition from untrusted to trusted territory. Brand advertising can help reframe a brand. Giving new reasons for audiences to reassess and reinforcing its position in the market.
#2 You need to accelerate growth
If you need to accelerate growth, brand advertising can offer a solution for raising awareness on a grand scale. We’ve seen this most frequently with online brands moving onto the High Street. Made.com is a great example, embarking on a major brand campaign shortly after opening its first London showroom.
#3 You need to reach lots of people
The sheer reach and scale of TV means a brand ad provides a cost efficient way of reaching high volumes of people – more so than any other medium.
#4 Your brand is experiencing a competitive threat
If your competitors become too close for comfort or an own-brand suddenly enters your market, brand advertising can help to create differentiation. This is about creating a clearly defined proposition, highlighting the qualities of your product or service so shoppers have a clear reason to buy from you over the competition.
#5 Your brand is changing direction
If you are entering a new category or want to realign your brand in some way. Brand advertising can help not only raise awareness but also leverage the equity in the parent brand. This is evident in Tesco’s approach, which has historically harnessed brand advertising to enter new markets such as finance.
We work with a myriad of brands on their responsive ads and brand campaigns. Get in touch if you want to talk about how brand advertising may be a valuable investment for your products or services.
Sue Benson is Managing Director at The Behaviours Agency