EFFECTIVE MARKETING TECHNIQUES
Marketing plays a big role in driving sales today. With a cluster of products and services competing for attention, the best way for a brand to stand out is to build a clear identity and connect with the right audience. This simply involves developing a distinct brand personality, voice and visual presence that reflects a business’s values, mission and offerings, then strategically positioning this identity through tailored messaging, channels and with the right strategic approach to attract and resonate with its target. The brand’s success in this is seen in how its audience resonates with its content or material across touchpoints. Pairing this with the right sales approach helps drive growth and revenue. Over time, a consistent brand presence builds loyalty and increased reach and also helps people clearly understand who the brand is and what it represents.
A brand’s audience is not necessarily subject to a particular generation class but can sometimes cut across a number of generation classes. It usually has to do with shared interests, values, needs and behaviour that transcend age groups. This is not to undermine the fact that some brands tend to be more relatable to some classes than others.
The generation classes most commonly targeted by brands today are Millennials and Generation Z. These classes represent the largest and most influential consumer groups with significant spending power and strong influence on market trends, making it important for brands to develop the right marketing and positioning strategies to effectively align with them. Generally, these marketing approaches are predominantly digital-led due to the familiarity of the said classes with technology and the dynamics of the digital age.
Millennials are seen as digital pioneers, having witnessed the transition from traditional to digital platforms while Generation Z are known for growing up with technology all around them and are considered true digital natives. These generations have unique preferences and expectations in the areas of shopping, communication, and brand interactions. Understanding their key drivers allows brands to tailor marketing, customer experience, and product offerings to their specific needs.
A key approach to connecting with Millennials and Generation Z is by designing marketing strategies that are deeply rooted in digital platforms. Among these, social media stands out as one of the most powerful tools for reaching and engaging these generations. Brands around the world now invest heavily in social media marketing, creating engaging, authentic and interactive content while leveraging social commerce and platform specific trends. The focus is on building genuine connections rather than pushing generic promotional messages. Another effective digital tactic is influencer marketing, where brands collaborate with influencers or individuals who hold social credibility and align with their target audience. Millennials tend to resonate more with expert or niche influencers because they value credibility and depth of knowledge, often seeing these voices as trusted guides in their decision-making. On the other hand, Generation Z connect more with influencers who feel authentic and relatable. People who show real experiences and imperfections help build a stronger sense of trust and emotional connection with the brand. Under the digital platforms umbrella, mobile marketing plays a crucial role in engaging these audiences as well. Brands that prioritise fast, seamless and interactive mobile experiences by optimising websites, content and shopping platforms for smartphones and other devices ensure convenience, accessibility and stronger engagement in an always connected digital world.
ReZultz Advertising, in our partnership with CFAO Mobility Ghana, prioritised this approach across multiple channels through the development of the big idea “Beyond Movement.” Rooted in in-depth research and strategic thinking, the concept was designed to resonate with Ghanaian automotive users and enthusiasts who seek brands that go beyond simply meeting transportation needs. The campaign has been executed across key digital platforms including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google Ads and some mobile apps, ensuring a consistent and engaging presence across audiences.
Another major way of connecting with Millennials and Generation Z is through advanced personalisation. This begins with data-driven marketing, often guided by research. Data and insights about a brand’s target audience are collected and analysed to understand consumer preferences and behaviour. Using algorithms and analytical tools, brands spot patterns, understand consumer needs and deliver more personalised experiences. This helps brands tailor messaging, customise offerings and create content that dynamically adapts to different user interests and behaviour.
A similar approach was applied at ReZultz in an award-winning campaign executed for Philips Lighting. The product truth revealed that Philips lights simply last longer, and this insight guided our creative direction. By combining this understanding with cultural truths familiar to the Ghanaian audience, we crafted highly relatable and personalised copy that powerfully communicated the product’s durability. Although the campaign was originally intended for out-of-home (OOH) execution only, its strong connection with audiences quickly turned it into a viral moment online, spreading organically across multiple digital platforms.
Collaborating with other brands is also an effective marketing approach that brands deploy in connecting with these two classes. Each business comes together to co-create products, campaigns or experiences by leveraging resources, audience reach and creativity. This is to expand reach, increase brand awareness and tap into new audiences from different generations by leveraging each other’s customer base and credibility. Brands across industries have discovered the powerful marketing benefits of product drops and brand collabs and are regularly using them to make headlines, build hype and get creative with their product offerings.
In a recent experiential campaign undertaken by The ReZultz Clan, we led the collaboration between two major brands. Mobile Money Limited’s MoMoFest and Shatta Movement, with Shatta Wale as the headline act. The partnership proved to be a major success, as the MoMo brand effectively leveraged Shatta Wale’s massive popularity and influence to drive brand awareness and excitement around MoMoFest.
Prioritising Social Responsibility and Sustainability is a major marketing approach for connecting with Millennials and Gen Zs in this new day and age. These generation classes expect brands to stand for more than just business; they want to see real action toward making a positive impact. That’s why brands align with causes that matter to their audience, from environmental protection to social equality. Millennials and Gen Zs pay close attention to how a brand’s choices affect the world, and are quick to support those that walk the talk on sustainability. This means they are also quick to shoot down those who go contrary to the norms of it. Case in point, people “cancelling” brands on social media for failing to live up to their stated values or for taking actions that contradict social or environmental causes. In today’s digital landscape, accountability is instant. A single misstep can spark widespread backlash and damage years of brand-building. This is popularly known today as ‘cancel culture’. Beyond boosting reputation, brands that genuinely commit to responsible practices often see stronger customer loyalty and advocacy.
As part of our commitment to social responsibility and sustainability, ReZultz embarked on a special “Month of Love” initiative to give back to the people of Kanda, the community that has been our home for over a decade. The initiative focused on showing genuine appreciation and care through a comprehensive health screening that covered eye examinations, blood pressure checks, hepatitis B testing and blood sugar level assessments.
Connecting with these two generations through marketing can be executed in so many ways. The key is to stay adaptable, embrace innovation and create meaningful experiences that align with their values and preferences.