Displate-Marketing Audit
Displate is a company that specializes in the production of Metal Posters, aka. a Displate. They have accrued over 40,000 artists in the pursuit of providing unique pieces for their customers. Now, not only do they provide you with unique metal posters that contribute back to a multitude of artists, but with each purchase of a Displate, a tree is also planted; helping artists and the environment!
Displate has a great product, and I have a couple of items from them in a cart right now. However, I feel as though they are missing potential customers and opportunities to build their brand.
YouTube
It’s no secret that influencer marketing has become a prominent model for companies to advertise their products. Now, YouTubers who’ve built a following are spewing out sponsored Ads left and right. It has become a formality for the YouTubers who’ve gained traction.
The result is content creators speaking on a product for 30s to a minute, which bears no relevance to them or their audience. Viewers skip the ad, and companies lose/waste resources.
Problem
A problem Displate is having is with their influencer marketing. Their selection of influencers doesn’t seem to align well with the company. If brand awareness is the sole goal, then I guess it hits some points.
I found myself on YouTube a couple of days ago watching a content creator known as Phillion.
Now for reference, I’m not sure if Displate targeted him specifically or he applied to be an influencer marketing ambassador himself.
He spends a majority of his time ripping fake natural bodybuilders and providing commentary on social media personalities. It’s hilarious. The thing is, I go to click on one of his infamous videos, and from the first minute, he is pitching Displate.
He’d have better luck advertising a protein product for the meatheads who watch his channel (myself included). The audience doesn’t fit, and the script he’s reading restricts his natural personality. Guy has amassed 500k subscribers with his comedic gold, and now he appears stale?
Does he even use the product?
Solution
Let’s walk through two YouTube Influencers whose sub-culture could be the perfect match to reel in more customers!
First Option (Or people like): Frugal Aesthetic
His ad for Squarespace begins at minute 10:00, in which he walks you through how he utilizes the product for his brand. He not only takes you through the utility of the product, but it’s more personable because he uses it himself for his clothing line. He’s also given creative freedom to present the product the way he wants while still touching on the value points Squarespace likes to showcase. It’s authentic and a dream ad for Squarespace with a following like his.
Now, don’t be off-put by the name with a word like Frugal in it. Fashion tends to lean into a more expensive hobby. Tapping into the psychology of the consumer is what we’re doing here.
Let’s think.
A person who is concerned with their fashion is aware of their appearance. This tendency can lend itself not just to the clothes they wear, but everything in their life. It’s all about aesthetics, being “different,” and staying on-trend.
What does Displate do?
Oh right! Provide unique quality metal pieces to accessorize your room, living room, or any other space you tend to occupy. The product itself captures all the components of a fashion-forward personality.
Second Option (Or people like): Savannah Brown
Now, I’ve yet to see her advertise a product, but she has also amassed a sizable following that could prove beneficial to Displate.
Displate provides the ability for artists to showcase and sell their work on a large scale. Savannah is a poet and sells a lot of her work herself. By advertising Displate on her channel, she could be opening up the door not only for business for Displate but other artists to find an avenue for their creations.
We’d really be targeting the artists here because if you’ve ever been to a local cafe, there is a type of sentimentality between artists. They support each other because, well, you ever heard of “the starving artist.” It’s real.
The last bit that could be a selling point to layer on her channel would be that Displate plants a tree for every product purchased. She has mentioned numerous times across the channel about her consciousness of her carbon-footprint. It’s important to her, and I’d imagine to a decent amount of her followers as well. Couple that with helping fellow artists and walla!
Instagram & Facebook Ads
Roughly 1 Billion users across the platforms. Need I say more.
Problem
I’ve been looking into Displate on my own time for the past two weeks. I genuinely enjoy the product and its mission to plant a tree with every purchase. However, their advertising is lacking. I’ve seen maybe one ad on youtube during this time and maybe two Ads on Facebook/Instagram. From what I’ve seen as a potential customer, they fail to keep at the front of my mind.
In fact, no less than thirty minutes after I was shown an ad for Displate, there was a nearly identical product being advertised by a different company… that I hadn’t even looked up.
Meaning that Displate is being outbid for the advertising space of their product.
I’m barely being marketed the product, identical products are taking up advertising space, and the influencers who pitch the company don’t seem to care for the product — a lot of areas to grow.
The positive that I did notice about their Facebook/Instagram campaigns is that when they advertised their limited edition Displate, I was nearly ready to make the purchase then and there. The presentation was crisp, clean, and demanded my attention.
Now, when they’re not advertising their limited edition products… it’s quite… generic?
Why should I buy something that has no relevance to me? Nothing about this ad appeals to me. This is on my personal Facebook account, which has all my interests like Marvel, DC, and the new tv show The Mandalorian. These are all products Displates could offer me to draw my interest, but instead, I’m receiving an ad about… coding and ramen?
Solution
Showcase a carousel of relevant Displates to a more specific niche. I mentioned I had an interest in the tv show The Mandalorian. It’s currently all the rage and one of the most popular and streamed shows to date.
Here is how I would set up the targeted Ads for Displate.
Images:
Target: 18–25
Interests: (The Mandalorian & Eco-Friendly)
Location: Metropolitan City
I’d be wary of getting too specific on this test, but we still want to remain relevant to a broader range of potential customers. I would test this ad for about 7 days to see how many conversations we’d pick up. I would utilize a lifetime budget to avoid blowing money on an ad that yielded zero conversions. Our conversions are purchases in this instance.
Facebook’s algorithm only kicks in gear when it attains roughly 30–50 conversions, and from there, it will start modulating its targeting to similar users.
Copy:
Love the Mandolorian? Love baby Yoda??
We do too.
Get your very own unique and hand-crafted piece today!
This is the way.
This copy is my way of identifying with our customers. Simple, to the point, and I throw in a Mandolorian reference for good measure. The bold words are meant to complement the posters so they can get the gist instantaneously. Nothing feels better than feeling like you have a product that is uniquely yours. This campaign takes advantage of a trend. It is timely, relevant, and I believe it would yield better results than their generic campaigns.
Displate has a quality product with a noble eco-friendly mission. The problem lies in how they are marketing. Opportunities are missed by sponsoring any influencer to advertise their product. Viewers understand their favorite content creators need the paycheck, so they’ll skip the ad and continue about their entertainment. Niching down and targeting the audience of the influencer will maximize the return on investment.
Last thing, which I believe to be crucial. There seems to be zero initiative in the Facebook and Instagram space. Similar companies are outbidding Displate for advertising space, and by the slim chance, they actually gain access to a potential customer; the ad itself is generic. Why should I spend my hard-earned money on something that bears no relevance to me, the consumer? Better targeting initiatives and more experimentation with niche Ads will reel in more customers.
