Understanding the Impact of Awareness and Consideration Campaigns Prior to Conversion Advertising

In the complex world of digital marketing, many advertisers grapple with the question: should I run awareness and consideration ads before launching conversion-focused campaigns? This debate is especially relevant for brands aiming to optimize their advertising efforts and maximize return on investment.

Case Study: Promoting Music Merchandise

Consider a music brand seeking to sell merchandise through online advertising. The owner has experimented with two main strategies:

1. Running direct conversion ads targeting cold audiences, aiming for immediate sales.
2. Implementing full-funnel advertising campaigns that include awareness and consideration stages before conversion.

Initial Observations and Challenges

Despite choosing the “sales” objective in advertising platforms, the direct conversion campaigns have not yielded the desired results, even after retargeting efforts. The audiences targeted are entirely unfamiliar with the brand—novel prospects who have never encountered the artist or heard their music extensively.

From an intuitive standpoint, it seems unlikely that individuals unfamiliar with the music brand would promptly purchase merchandise. They may need multiple touchpoints to develop awareness, trust, and interest.

Strategic Considerations

This scenario raises important questions about the most effective advertising approach:

• Should brands invest in awareness and consideration campaigns first to build familiarity?
• Is a full-funnel approach more suitable for products or brands with low initial recognition?
• How does audience familiarity influence conversion rates for merchandise sales?

Best Practices and Recommendations

For brands operating in similar contexts, a phased approach may be advantageous:

1. Awareness Stage: Use targeted ads to introduce the brand and establish recognition among cold audiences. Content might include engaging videos, artist interviews, or behind-the-scenes footage to foster connection.

2. Consideration Stage: Provide valuable content that educates and nurtures interest. This could involve showcasing product features, customer testimonials, or exclusive offers.

3. Conversion Stage: Once a degree of familiarity and trust is established, implement targeted ads focused on driving sales, including retargeting previous engaged users.

Conclusion

While directly targeting cold audiences with conversion ads might seem efficient, it often overlooks the importance of brand familiarity and trust. Incorporating awareness and consideration campaigns as part of a comprehensive marketing funnel can significantly improve conversion rates, especially for lesser-known brands and products. Evaluating your target audience’s familiarity with your brand is essential in designing an effective advertising strategy.

By adopting a full-funnel approach, brands can nurture prospects more effectively, ultimately leading to higher engagement and sales success.