6 Advanced Marketing Strategies & Popular Examples

Advanced marketing strategies are creative approaches to marketing that include social media, influencers, events, emails, ads, and data. Learn from popular companies that ace advanced marketing, such as Geico, Chich-fil-A, Netflix, and Ford. The world of marketing is always evolving, with new methods, techniques, and opportunities arising all the time, and we can see countless examples of this throughout history, as marketing professionals moved from TV and print ads of the past to digital campaigns of all kinds in the 21st century. Leading companies across many industries not only embrace new marketing methods but also experiment with advanced marketing strategies to set themselves apart from the competition. What are advanced marketing strategies? They are marketing strategies tailored to particular business goals and tend to be unconventional. For example, social media contests, influencer marketing, and benefit segmentation are examples of advanced marketing strategies. This article looks at some of the top advanced marketing strategies being used by companies like Under Armour, Chick-fil-A, Netflix, Ford, and Geico. It includes explanations of how each advanced marketing strategy works and real-world examples.

6 Advanced Marketing Strategies

1. Social media contests
2. Events
3. Innovative email messaging
4. Data-driven campaigns
5. Pre-roll ads
6. Influencer marketing

1. Social Media Contests & Under Armour’s Marketing Strategy

Social media contests and competitions are advanced marketing tactics brands like Under Armour, Qwertee, Dove, and Macy's use. It's quick and affordable to set up contests on social media, like giveaways, and these contests are effective at increasing engagement, getting more followers for your accounts, and getting more eyes on your products and services. All you have to do is come up with a contest format and a desirable prize for your customers. Social media contests are one of the most effective Under Armour marketing strategies. In 2011, Under Armour launched its "Ultimate Intern Program" on social media, promising an internship as the grand prize for students who completed various challenges like creating short videos about themselves or making custom Tumblr pages. Source Under Armour shared the contest on Facebook and Twitter, generating 120,000 new Facebook fans and 4,000 additional Twitter followers in the process.

2. Exciting Events, Bold Promotions & Chick-fil-A’s Marketing Strategy

Companies that think creatively about events and promotions embrace another advanced marketing strategy. Companies like Chick-fil-A are masters of events for advanced marketing. For example, the company organizes "Cow Appreciation Day" events and offers free meals to customers who visit Chick-fil-A dressed as cows. Source It may sound bold or even silly, but this is exactly the event that gets people talking and sharing photos and videos online, effectively carrying out marketing on behalf of the brand.

3. Innovation in Email & Netflix’s Marketing Strategy

Transforming email marketing into an advanced marketing strategy requires avoiding familiar traps like writing the same old messages, using the same tried, traditional, outdated templates. Companies see success in email marketing efforts that are more imaginative and innovative. Rather than stuffing subject lines with keywords or worrying about the precise word count of their calls to action, companies like Netflix are completely flipping the script on what email marketing can be. Innovative email marketing has been a cornerstone of the Netflix marketing strategy for years. Back when Netflix was promoting “The Punisher,” an action series based on a Marvel comic book, they sent an email that looked like a spam message but actually contained a GIF with the show's logo and a link to play the trailer. Source The email generated a lot of hype on social media, encouraging fans to scour their email inboxes in search of the message.

4. A Data-Driven Approach & Ford’s Marketing Strategy

Similar to informative advertising campaigns, you can't simply launch a campaign and then sit back, relax, and expect the sales to roll in.  Data has always been important for marketing — you have to be proactive, observing reactions to your marketing efforts and gathering data that you can use to adjust, alter, and enhance those efforts in the future. Source Automobile giant Ford is an example of a company that uses data to inform its marketing decisions. Ford partnered with a content intelligence firm to gather both quantitative and qualitative data from their digital marketing campaigns, like the recent “Built for America” campaign.

5. Pre-Roll Ads & Geico’s Marketing Strategy

Pre-roll ads are video advertisements that play before a video the user selected. They’re concise, conveying marketing messages and calls to action in less than five seconds. Unlike commercials or video ads, pre-roll ads are short and less likely to be skipped. They show viewers goods and services without impacting their video experience. Source Geico’s marketing strategy involves pre-roll ads and has been highly effective. Geico has developed short, sharp, efficient ads as part of its “Unskippable” campaign. These ads run before videos on streaming platforms like Hulu, and the company has even won awards for the innovation of this campaign.

6. Influencer Marketing & Interior Design Marketing Strategies

Influencer marketing allows brands to spread the word about their products and services by enlisting the aid of popular people on social media sites like Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Influencer marketing can be an effective advanced marketing strategy, and leading companies are getting ahead of the game and making the most of influencer appeal. Source Influencer marketing is popular in interior design marketing strategies, with leading interior design firms teaming up with Instagram influencers to promote their products through images and short videos. In the image above, for example, influencer Lydia Millen shows off some homewares from various brands.

Try Advanced Marketing Strategies At Your Company

Advanced marketing techniques can help your brand get ahead in an increasingly competitive world, giving you an edge over your rivals and allowing you to connect with customers in innovative and exciting ways. For assistance in launching your advanced marketing campaigns, consult our list of trusted digital marketing agencies.