The recent Marks & Spencer campaign featuring Mark Wright and Spencer Matthews has caught widespread attention online.
- Matalan, John Lewis, Primark, and others have quickly created their playful versions, sparking a collaborative trend in retail marketing.
- Marketing experts highlight the importance of being personable and relatable on social media to engage audiences effectively.
- The use of real personalities instead of celebrities has proven successful in connecting with audiences.
- Reacting promptly to social media trends is considered a strategic advantage for brands.
The Marks & Spencer campaign featuring television personalities Mark Wright and Spencer Matthews as brand ambassadors for their summer menswear range has taken social media by storm. Their humorous portrayal and witty expressions about their collaboration have resonated widely, leading to significant engagement online.
This campaign’s uniqueness encouraged other fashion retailers to innovate their responses. Matalan was the first to respond, crafting a creative video that showcased their employees named Mat and Alan. This approach not only generated over 2.4 million views on TikTok but also engaged more than 21,500 users on Instagram, demonstrating the power of relatable and genuine content.
Retailers like John Lewis, Primark, Reiss, Next, and Aldi have also created their own versions, following Marks & Spencer’s blueprint. Marketing experts, including Lisa Eaton of Fabric, describe this as an exemplary case of reactive marketing, where brands quickly adapt to evolving trends and harness the potential of relatable narratives.
The campaign’s strength lies in its ability to connect on a personal level. Katrina Bain from Ok Cool emphasises that using real-life workers mirrors a tried and tested strategy on platforms like TikTok, offering an authenticity that many consumers find appealing. This trend signifies the industry’s shift towards more authentic and humanised marketing strategies in digital spaces.
Reacting quickly to competitors’ successful campaigns, as highlighted by Lucy Kalus of Matalan, does not necessarily require large budgets or extensive lead times. The key lies in producing relatable, humorous content that aligns with current social conversations, elevating a brand’s engagement and visibility across channels.
The success of the Marks & Spencer campaign underscores the value of timely, personable, and relatable marketing approaches in today’s digital age.
