What successful marketing campaigns look like today

Kodak was recently called out by the media for being in debt (however, they dispute this as they have a plan to mitigate it). Whether the media is correct in its assessment or not, the fact that a film company may be struggling breaks my heart. I rarely write from an "I" place for Imarc, but here I am doing it. Though most of those who've met me through Imarc know me as a content strategy team member, I'm also a BFA-trained photographer. This is not me being braggadocious—as I know an art degree is a divisive life choice—but again, this is me.

Photography is a uniquely human vocation, as is art in general. However, what I like about photography is that it allows me to slow down and really appreciate where I am—Where my feet are planted. It lets me zoom in on a detail and capture a moment in time.

But this article isn't about photography—it's about what a successful marketing campaign, digital or otherwise, should look like in 2025 and beyond.

We have to talk about Polaroid

When discussing Kodak, one simply cannot ignore the meteoric campaign success that was Polaroid's latest push.

So what made Polaroid's campaign special?

It met people where they were

First, this was an out-of-home (OOH) campaign. OOH is not always implemented. This marketing campaign was strategically injected into real environments to directly confront people and get them to buy cameras.

Today, many campaigns are online, which most call digital marketing. However, I would argue that all marketing campaigns are digital marketing campaigns, regardless of whether their elements are placed online.

Polaroid is not selling cameras out of car trunks. They're selling them online. The users will order them through Amazon and other retailers, if not directly from Polaroid. Sure, some will wander into a store where there seem to be more tumbleweeds rolling through the aisles these days than individuals, but the larger group will be online shopping. It might not have started digitally, but it will undoubtedly end in the digital space.

It went nostalgic

The Polaroid picture experience is nostalgic for people, even those who may not have been alive when it was the norm. The output of a Polaroid snap is not as sharp as digital, not as posed. It lives in the candid space where people show their genuine smiles and laugh without worrying about looking ugly. There are no filters. It's real.

In Polaroid's campaign, a couple kisses in front of a skyline with palm trees in the background. You might not know them, but you can't help but feel like you do because you've had those moments too. Maybe you were on vacation and someone snapped a photo that now sits on your desk. It isn't like the ones in your phone that you routinely forget to print. It's tangible and memorable. A moment just for you.

It forced a human connection

The campaign copy is short. "Doesn't connect to the cloud. Does connect you to each other. New Polaroid Flip. The camera for an analog life."

Mic drop.

Though some may disagree, we exist in siloes in 2025. 2025 is lonely. We are all seeking a human connection (not one through a messenger app). Polaroid tapped into this need to reach out to another person and projected it as a marketing campaign. Brilliant.

What makes a campaign a hit?

So you want to make an impact and recognize serious ROI? There are a few things you need to do.

Be crystal clear

One of Nancy Harhut's repeated points in her speaking circuit talks is to state the obvious. People are more likely to do something if given a reason, especially if the reason is clear. Tell your audience what they need to know and how they can convert.

Going back to Polaroid's message. It tells you it isn't a cloud product. It tells you it will bring you closer to other people. Then, it tells you what the product is and who makes it. Simple. Done. Sold.

Do something different

Subverting expectations is what great marketing is all about. Following trends is a weak move.

Color, sound, wordplay, memorable phrasing, melodic repetition, and other sensory stimuli—you have to use them all to your advantage. Not buying it? Here's the proof, straight from the experts at LinkedIn.

• Great creative drives 10-20% more sales.
• 84% of consumers believe that design consistency across all touchpoints reinforces a brand’s credibility.
• Color can increase brand recognition by up to 80%.
• Humorous content gets 65% higher engagement and a 42% lead generation form fill rate.

Think about the person you're making the work for

Sometimes we get so excited about making something that we forget it's not just for us! It's for the people we care about—Our audiences!

Whenever you start concepting, think about the end user. They're the ones that matter most. Find out what matters to them and what would make them happy, and then follow that to the finish line.

Be your brand

This is harder than it sounds. A brand is more than a collection of fonts and colors—It's who you are. Moreover, it's who your people should be.

If you don't live your brand standards every day and infuse them directly into your marketing campaigns, you won't be able to forge a real connection with your ideal customer. It all comes back to authenticity. Be you, even when it feels harder.

But Polaroid ran a B2C campaign, right? What does success in the B2B marketing space look like?

Yes, Polaroid is an example of a B2C campaign. While some will tell you these are entirely unrelated, those of us who have designed both know better. You still need to focus on message clarity, marketplace differentiation, audience-driven moves, and of course, your brand. You may see variances in B2C versus B2B in the area of time-to-close. B2C is typically a shorter span of time because they're selling items to consumers, and those consumers are making their own purchasing decisions. 

Regarding B2B, there's a committee involved, and you need to design a strategy to impact each decision maker. Here are some ways you can do that. 

Employ threaded or personalized marketing

Suppose you are directing your marketing at a specific company or different personas at one target company. In that case, you need different versions of your ad for each so that all concerns are dealt with before they land on your website. They should be as personal as time permits to make sure they land. 

Keep yourself top-of-mind

While being at the forefront of buyers' minds is always a factor, in B2B it's vital. 6Sense's Buyer Experience Study notes that the sales process takes around 12 months. If you drop into and out of their lives, you will not earn their attention in a lasting way. As such, you should always run a top-of-funnel digital campaign to support your brand, even when you aren't running a heavy-up. 

Keep emotions in play, but be solution-driven

This isn't always the case, but B2B decision makers are looking for solutions, so they want to see proof of efficacy, such as case studies, comparisons, and testimonials. Sure, B2C campaigns lean on those, too, but they are more driven by emotional pain points than those aimed at business needs. That doesn't mean you should be cold, but it does mean you should highlight why your benefits matter (clearly). 

Successful client marketing campaigns

We run B2C and B2B digital marketing campaigns for our clients. Two examples are Metro Credit Union, which maintains product-specific digital marketing campaigns (checking accounts, savings accounts, mortgages, home equity lines of credit, credit cards, student loans, etc.) using cross-channel marketing, and AACSB, which aims to reach educators, businesses, and students with varied messaging and placements. Both businesses update their creative regularly to keep their audiences engaged and converting. 

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