Channel-ception: Adidas takes an interesting multichannel approach

We've all heard the term 'multichannel approach' or 'online and offline integration'. What this often means is that we run the same campaign across different channels, online and offline. The synergy between channels is often missed in the process and they end up working in silos.

This Adidas campaign is an example of how we can create greater synergy between various channels to increase the reach and effectiveness of paid and earned media. In their campaign, Adidas decided to integrate three channels - OOH, Social Media, and Influencers.

Here's how they did it:

Adidas used a clever strategy that leveraged the strengths of each channel. While it seems like social media influencers were their key audience, Adidas' main objective was to reach the influencers' followers. In order to do that, they needed to capture the influencers' attention and give them exciting enough content to share with their many followers. Having a brand reference their social media handles and deliver them a message on an OOH billboard is pretty exciting. This compelled influencers to show up and share their experience with their followers, resulting in quite a bit of earned media for Adidas.

This is a good example of how specific channel content need not live within their own media space. You could have social media posts displayed on billboards or even digital display ads. This can help cut through the clutter as it creates cognitive dissonance that helps to capture people's attention. It is also a great way to maximise the reach of your campaigns across channels.

One note I have for this campaign is that while influencer targeting is usually great for reaching a captive group of followers, we have to be wary of alienating our larger audience. Blatant special treatment for influencers can leave the general population feeling "less special". A great add on to this campaign would have been to generate promo codes for each influencer to share with their fans so that they too can benefit from the influencer's experience. Taking this a step further, specific hashtags could be used to turn "regular folks" into influencers by sharing their social media posts on OOH billboards. This could increase brand favourability and possibly loyalty.

I hope this campaign inspires you to think deeper about how you can leverage the key strengths of various media channels and have them work harmoniously to maximise the effectiveness of your marketing campaign!