Nostalgia in marketing
And vintage camper vans turned cafes
I am having flashbacks to last year where things were uncertain, guidances varied by city and state and country, and the pandemic news seemed to worsen by the day. Am I numb to this now or have I created enough resilience in myself? I don’t know.
In this issue, I have my most recent feature on Sprudge – all about vintage camper vans turned into cafes. Every time I explore one of these interest areas that intersect with coffee, I learn so much. It’s very neat to see how specialty coffee has influenced so many different industries and interests.
Nostalgia in marketing
In relation to my newest Sprudge piece, I thought I would reflect a little more on the use of nostalgia in marketing. Creating that feeling of nostalgia through advertising is not new. It’s part of emotional marketing and consumer psychology. Being able to create strong feelings inside the consumer (whether it’s anger or sadness or nostalgia) is one indicator of a successful nostalgia-focused marketing campaign.
Perhaps I’m more attuned to this type of marketing now because I’m in that group of millennials who have more buying power than say, 15 years ago, and am just old enough to feel outdated on trends. Plus, experiencing nostalgia, even for a brief moment, takes me out of the current hot mess of a world.
Not to be confused by fashion trends (no millennial would’ve endorsed the return of patched-up jeans, I hope), nostalgia in marketing has looked like “Stranger Things” the TV show, the ongoing world of Harry Potter and its spin-offs, and anything Star Wars-related from new shows to patterned rugs.
There are many articles out there that cover nostalgic marketing, like this one with 15 ad examples. Multiple studies have also covered this, revealing findings like how study participants who felt nostalgia were willing to pay more for products.
In terms of coffee marketing, nostalgia can be weaved into a number of areas. If you do espresso mixed drinks, name them after a show or character. If you’re putting together marketing material, certain fonts, colors, and phrases could be incorporated. Using popular toys from certain time periods as props in your social media posts is yet another way to add some nostalgia.
One thing to note for all this is that you have to get specific in your marketing and be okay with resonating with only one group of people. You probably shouldn’t use a reference to the 60s if you’re trying to reach millennials. If people resonate with the nostalgia, they’ll resonate hard. But try not to also completely alienate or confuse everyone else that you serve.
And now, please excuse me as I look at the newest Tamagotchi model. I was only able to play with the off-brand one as a kid but now that I can afford the real thing… hm.
The Nostalgia And Beauty Of Vintage Camper Van Cafes
[BYLINE] Where the coffee shop meets the van life.
A Guide to Instagram Hashtags for Brands
[BYLINE] Learn how to use Instagram hashtags in your marketing strategy. Instagram hashtags can increase your presence and build engagement.
Quick text updates & links on what's new on the networks
Instagram increased Reels time to 60 seconds, allowed everyone to be able to save Stories as drafts, and added auto-translation for text in stories. The company recently revealed how the algorithm works for Reels. And it’s testing a vertical feed similar to TikTok.
Twitter began testing a shop module on their new (in beta) professional profiles.
Helpful links on how to improve your digital marketing
How To Save Time Planning and Creating Social Media Content
In this post, we’re sharing a sustainable strategy for saving time planning and creating social media content.
10 Facebook Ad Types That Improve Sales
Discover 10 key Facebook ad types that can improve sales, along with tips to use them more effectively.
www.socialmediaexaminer.com • Share
Social Media Optimization: 60+ Tips & Tools for Every Platform
Get all of the tools, tips, and best practices you need to carry out effective social media optimization for Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat, and Pinterest.
Anything I've enjoyed reading recently
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She exposed how Facebook enabled global political manipulation. Now she's telling her story.
Sophie Zhang, a former data scientist at Facebook, risked everything to come forward. She hopes people are listening.
www.technologyreview.com • Share
You are Not Lazy or Undisciplined. You Have Internal Resistance.
When I was writing my PhD I didn’t have bad weeks. I had bad months. The kind when each day you wake up thinking, “Today I will actually do the thing” and then you… don’t. Somehow the day ticks by…
An update from my container garden!
I recently purchased a set from Super Trellis to test out on my mini monstera. It's still getting used to it but hopefully it'll figure itself out as it grows!
What'd you think?
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By Jenn Chen
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