Have you ever come across an advertisement while scrolling through your social media or checking out a company’s website and thought ‘Wow, that’s good?’ 

These companies most likely spent a substantial amount of time, effort and resources to create those popular advertisements that hooked you in. It’s true, crafting a successful digital marketing campaign is no easy feat and starting from square one is difficult. 

But what is the great thing about the internet marketing industry? Each company is learning from one another. You take note of what is working and what is not for others. Then, you weave them into your plans. Why start from square one when you can gather knowledge and build on it instead?

To help you learn from the success of others, we put together a comprehensive list of the companies that have had the most powerful and dynamic digital marketing campaign examples so that you can take note and learn for the sake of your future success. 

1. Miller Lite

One of the key components to creating an effective digital marketing campaign is timeliness. At the start of 2021 when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, a majority of restaurants were told to shut down or become take-out-only establishments. Not only did it affect traditional mom-and-pop diners, but also large chain restaurants that received a good chunk of their revenue from alcohol sales. 

Miller Lite saw the effects that this would have on the food and beverage industry, so they created one of their most successful campaigns: #VirtualTipJar. The official program was called the Bartender Emergency Assistance Program which extended the hashtag #VirtualTipJar for easy-made buzz on social media. Consumers responded well to the campaign, generating 33.9k views on their original tweet.

The Lesson

Pay attention to your industry, both its success and losses, and respond appropriately. When hit hard by an event, boost morale and comradery by establishing yourself as a partner and resource, just as Miller Lite did during the coronavirus pandemic for the food and beverage industry.

2. State Farm

Everyone knows who Jake from State Farm is, even if the wife on the phone is still confused. State Farm a large insurance company that has produced funny commercials that appear on television between your favorite shows, on YouTube before your tenth video of the day, and even on the side panels of websites you’ve been browsing. 

Jake, the guy who is wearing khakis, has become a beloved character of the company’s commercials. He is a household name that many recognize, and in conjunction, they remember State Farm. First appearing in 2011, the original commercial has been updated several times while still following the memorable “Jake from State Farm” theme, going to show that if something isn’t broken, don’t fix it.

The Lesson

State Farm is a prime example of building off of success instead of recreating it. If you’ve had success in the past, run with it and see how far it will take you. Are you currently looking for digital marketing success? Look at other companies who have done it well and take notes on the strategies that worked for them. 

3. Oreo

Remember when the power went out at Super Bowl XLVII in 2013? Oreo sure does, and they maximized on this event that had over 100 million viewers watching. The company employed a newsjacking strategy to create a timely campaign that boosted their brand awareness. 

What is news jacking exactly? News jacking is a technique used by marketers to ride the wave of a breaking news story by pushing their ideas in front of the public. News jacking is not easy and requires marketers to be on their toes and ever-ready to pivot. Clearly, Oreo had success with this strategy as they generated nearly 14,000 retweets of their “You can still dunk in the dark” campaign. 

The Lesson

News jacking can be a successful strategy if you stay up to date with the latest events and respond swiftly and appropriately. These campaigns must have a quick turnaround, so make sure you have the resources in place to be able to take advantage of any opportunities that arise. 

4. Planet Fitness

One of the biggest barriers that keep people from going to the gym is gymtimidation. However, the “Judgement Free Zone” message that is at the core of Planet Fitness’ marketing campaigns combats this fear. They employed one of the most important aspects when creating their internet marketing campaign: listening to their audience. They heard that gyms were scary, so what did they do? Likewise, they positioned themselves as a gym that is open to everyone and anyone, with no fear involved.

Planet Fitness has launched several successful digital marketing campaigns relating to this concept. From sponsoring Times Square’s New Year’s Eve celebrations that are broadcasted to millions of household screens annually to producing social media channels that engage with followers via live streams, the company has crafted a digital media strategy that works.

The Lesson

When creating a campaign, listen to your audience. Figure out what they need and want first, then find creative marketing strategies that will align with their interests. 

5. Chipotle

While many brands have just recently joined the ever-growing social media platform, TikTok, Chipotle was one of the first to utilize it successfully for their marketing strategy. 

In the fall of 2020, they launched their #Boorito challenge that encouraged people to dress up in Halloween costumes and play the soundbite that was provided by Chipotle. The users with the top 5 submissions won free burritos for a year, and let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good burrito? 

The #Boorito TikTok campaign boasted 3.9 billion views within a short four-month period. 

The Lesson

Facebook challenges have gotten old and are increasingly difficult with the restrictions the platform puts on them. Stay fresh with your content and look for unique ways to engage your audience in fun video challenges on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and more. 

6. Yelp

Have you ever traveled to a new city and were looking up things to do or places to eat? Chances are, you ran across a not-so-small site named Yelp. Yelp is a unique social networking platform that combines social engagement with online reviews. The company has spent significant energy and resources building its community of Yelp users, and within this process, they have aimed to build trust as well.

To help build this trust, Yelp allows reviewers to build their personal profiles. Anyone checking out a review may click on the reviewers’ profile to learn more about where they’ve been and read other reviews they have written. By giving users this access, they can gauge whether to trust the review they are reading, as it creates transparency.

Today, nearly 45% of customers will check Yelp reviews before visiting a business.

The Lesson

Brand trust is essential when it comes to creating buy-in from your customers. Establish not only a trustworthy brand but also a trustworthy group of customers that will authentically engage with and promote your brand. 

7. Nike

Nike is one of the leading athletic brands in the world. Their ability to appeal to the emotions of their target audience is what has earned them this spot.

Nike has been known to create impactful, yet relatable, campaigns. In their most recent marketing campaign, they promote their new maternity wear line and emphasize that mothers are one of the toughest athletes. 

The campaign generated 1.9 million views and nearly 50,000 likes on Twitter after just launching on March 14, 2021. 

The Lesson

To stand out, determine what message will appeal to your target audience. Is there something that they want to hear? Is there something they need to hear? If there is, provide the information they crave. 

Conclusion

Internet marketing is still growing. New strategies are emerging, and sometimes, it can be difficult to keep up. But instead of focusing all of your energy on creating the most unique, one-of-a-kind marketing campaigns, take a note out of the other books and see how you can utilize their strategies to your advantage. 

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