Our Readers’ Favourites: A Look Back at 2024’s Key Insights

Welcome to our last blog post of 2024! It’s been a year full of insights, insider tips, and deep dives into the strategies behind successful promotion planning. And, today, we want to dive back into some of these highlights with you. So, we wrapped the pieces of content that you—our readers—loved and lingered on the most in 2024.  

From detailed guides on nailing your promotions to unveiling the secrets behind some seriously successful campaigns, our top 10 list is full of useful and insightful reads. And whether you’re here for some solid advice on promotional tactics, looking for a bit of inspiration from big global brands, or just curious about what’s new and noteworthy in the sales promotion world, we’ve got you covered. 

So, grab your favourite coffee, get comfy, and join us as we revisit the content highlights of 2024. Let’s get this recap started! 

Our readers absolutely loved our Promotion Planning Guide, and it’s easy to see why: planning sales promotions can be a real headache. Whether it’s a straightforward cashback, or something more complex like a loyalty program or referral bonus, jumping through the hurdles can be tough, even for the most seasoned marketers. 

In this guide, we’ve broken down the process into 10 clear and simple steps that you can follow to plan any kind of sales promotions. And while we can’t promise this guide will eliminate all your headaches, it will definitely help clear up most of them. Give it a try when planning your next sales promo and let us know how it goes! 

Whether you’re launching your first cashback campaign, or you already have a few under your belt, setting up a cashback promo isn’t always as simple as it seems. In this comprehensive guide, we cover all the essentials—like why cashback deals are such a hit with consumers and how they can really benefit your brand.

But we don’t stop there. We dive into what makes a cashback campaign truly successful, complete with real-life examples, how to pick the best payment method for your campaign, and how to steer clear of the most common mistakes. Think of this guide as your ultimate go-to resource for anything cashback-related. A little tip? Bookmark it—you never know when it will come in handy! ???? 

Why do so many product launch campaigns miss the mark? There are plenty of reasons, but one of the most common missteps is treating them as one-off events rather than a key part of your overall brand strategy. In this blog post, we break down 9 essential steps to plan a sales promotion for your product launch that aligns perfectly with your broader marketing efforts, making sure your campaign doesn’t focus only on short-term gains. From defining clear goals to picking the right KPIs and getting the timing right, we cover all you need to nail your product launch campaign. We also share some tips on how to promote your launch, creative promotional ideas to kick things off, and a look at some of our favourite successful launches. 

Make sure to check it out—it’s filled with practical tips and inspiration for your next big launch! 

When deciding what to buy, do people care more about what a product does or how it looks and feels? Well, there’s no straightforward answer. And that’s why creating campaigns that balance emotional appeal with practical benefits is so tricky. 

But fear not! Because in this blog post, we delve into the difference between Utilitarian (practical) and Hedonic (emotional) appeal and why consumers often find themselves caught between the two. We break down how to market products that fulfil practical needs and those that appeal more to consumer desire for gratification. Plus, we share some best practice to nail both kinds of campaigns. 

But that’s not all! We also dive into how to blend Hedonic and Utilitarian marketing strategies effectively, with plenty of tips and real-life examples along the way. Check it out and try to incorporate some of these tactics into your next promotional campaign. 

One of our top-read blogs this year covered the best strategies for keeping your leadership in the market, and it’s clear why that caught everyone’s attention. With new brands popping up daily, no company, no matter how big or well-known, can afford to rest easy. The threat of a newcomer nibbling away a slice of your market share is always around the corner. That’s why, in this blog post, we dive into how to set up some solid defence strategies. We start with unpacking the core assets of defensive marketing —brand equity and customer loyalty. And walk you through a complete tactical toolkit that includes the most effective promotional methods, market-specific strategies, trust-building tactics, and much much more. So, keep your guard up, and get ready for some serious defensive moves. 

Now, before we talk about this blog post just a quick heads up: it is packed with spoilers from the Netflix documentary “Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?” So, if you haven’t watched it yet, you might want to check that out first! 

Back in the nineties, Pepsi launched a campaign that turned out to be a classic case of marketing compliance gone wrong. And if even giants like Pepsi can slip up and dive into some not-so-ethical practices — whether they meant to or not —you really want to be careful and make sure your house is in order when it comes to marketing compliance and clear communication in advertising. These kinds of “oops” moments can cost your brand a lot of money and seriously damage its reputation. And nowadays, with social media in the mix, there’s no such thing as a small mistake; everything’s under the microscope.  

In this blog post, you will find tips and advice on how to make sure your marketing campaigns are legally sound. And—spoiler alert????— we also rewrote the script and suggested how Pepsi could have dealt with this situation differently and turned it to their advantage.  

Have a read, and let us know what you think of our alternative ending.  

Global sports events like the Rugby World Cup offer perfect opportunities to engage with excited fans and boost visibility worldwide. That’s probably why this blog post remains so popular with our readers in 2024. It explores the marketing potential of the 2023 Rugby World Cup: near-total ticket sell-outs, hundreds of millions of viewers across diverse geographies, and buzzing social media engagement. And what does that mean in marketing terms? Well, thousands of opportunities for marketers to put their brands in front of a huge and diverse crowd. Yes, because we also had a look at the event’s audience demographics. And turns out its viewership is global, intergenerational and increasingly female.  

Check it out and find out how major brands like Guinness, Emirates, and Air New Zealand designed targeted, inclusive campaigns to capitalise on the event’s popularity, global appeal, and high visibility. 

Ever considered pairing your brand with a Hollywood blockbuster? If that sounds like a plan, you’ll want to dive into this blog post. We break down top sales promotion tactics that can make your brand-movie partnerships shine. Plus, we walk you through some real-life success stories to show you exactly why they worked so well.  

And hey, if you want to roll out the red carpet for your next campaign, you better start planning now—the Oscar season is closer than you think! 

We weren’t surprised to see that our Gift with Purchase Strategy Guide was among the content you enjoyed the most this year. Just like cashback, gift with purchase is one of the most popular sales promotions. These campaigns boost your brand’s visibility and recall, attract new customers, and can do much more for your brand if well-planned and executed. 

But how do you choose the best gift for your campaign? How do you tailor it to different target audiences? And are there any legal considerations you should take into account? Well, our guide replies to these questions and many more, sharing best practices, common mistakes, and examples of successful GWP promotions. What else to say? Oh, yes — Bookmark it! ???? 

Rounding off our top 10 hits of 2024, let’s dive into a blog post about one of the smartest marketing campaigns of the last decade—Apple’s “Shot on iPhone.” This campaign has been going strong since 2015, flipping the script by focusing not just on the gadget but on the people using it and the awesome photos they take. See how Apple turned a phone camera into a canvas for creativity, connecting people and their stories from around the globe.

The latest twists in the campaign, from rocking out at concerts to some really funky video experiments, keep shaking things up and pulling in crowds from everywhere. It shows that Apple is probably more focused on sparking a movement than just selling a phone. 

As we wrap up our look back at 2024, we just want to say a huge thanks for reading our content. We know how busy life gets, and we truly appreciate you making time to squeeze us into your day! ???? 

You probably guessed it, but we’re already buzzing with ideas for next year! We’re all set to bring you the most useful and insightful content on promotional marketing and keep you updated with industry and consumer trends for 2025. 

But we would love to hear directly from you about what topics you’d like us to cover more in the new year. Have a specific challenge you’re facing? Interested in deeper dives into certain strategies? Need more insights into your specific industry? Take a second to fill out our 2-question survey and let us know.  

Your input is absolutely invaluable, and it really shapes what we do here!