Let's Reminisce: 5 Reasons Why Marketing through Nostalgia is a good idea.

Published: Apr 25, 2013

Nostalgic products may be the best way to capture their attention.

Memories is a very effective method of marketing a product. It is a way to engage the long-lasting consumers as well as the next generation by giving your product a retro look and feel. Consumers can relate this to easier and simpler times. Many of them, will even long for those times to return.

1. Visual

Our brain is an amazing tool for image recall. Adults can recognize a brief moment in time as a baby from nothing more than seeing a particular toy that was cherished by him or her. Situations and objects that were long forgotten can be brought to the surface instantly from a specific image or object.

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In some cases, we can even experience a total recall of the surroundings we were in at the time decades in the past. People marvel over these memories as they realize that nothing is ever really lost if you can remember.

2. Audible

Sounds are another way that our brains access memories. These sounds will instantly trigger a quick visualization of a moment that we may have temporarily forgotten. One of the most common of these is music. A specific tune can set your mind back to the beginning of your childhood and you could just about relive every instance in that moment.

Retro Party

The smells in the air, the ambient temperature in the room, and even background sounds can all be incorporated into a single visualization from hearing a specific song. Alterations of music that are similar to those in the past could trigger your target audience in the same fashion. As people strive to reclaim some of the happier moments in their lives, a product stands out from this.

3. Tribute

Some companies will develop devices in order to pay tribute to the products of the past which played a role in the development of our future. For instance, Commodore USA is a company that bought the original Commodore brand name.

Old desktop computer

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The company is in the business of building all-in-one computer systems with current technologies using the original Commodore 64 and VIC chassis. Those that owned one of these computer systems in the 1980s buy them in order to rekindle the ambiance of using one of these memorable and widely used units.

4. Pacing

We live in a fast-paced world. Pulling ideas from the past and presenting them to consumers in the here-and-now provides a bit of solace that it’s possible to slow the pace of life, or at least make it seem that way. There are those in the world that still have no other form of communication device other than that of their rotary land-line telephone.

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These people are comfortable by sitting back and watching the world unfurl around them. Most of the time, they are stress free and live as they have for many years.

5. Tradition

Many adults will try to recapture some of those easier moments in life by looking for products that were around while they were younger. Whether it is a TV show or game they wish to share with their own children, parents only want to share the moment of how things used to be.

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Bringing back a look of a logo or a particular product, even if for a limited time, could provide the parent or individual a sense of going back in time to enjoy happier days and memories.

Conclusion

As you can see, nostalgia is a sure fire way to market your product. In today’s age of information, a touch of retro can definitely set you on top. May it be in web design, infomercials, radio or print – people are looking back to the old. Just a hint of reminisce may go a long way in the future.

Ken Myers is the founder of http://www.longhornleads.com/ & has learned over the years the importance of focusing on what the customer is looking for and literally serving it to them. He doesn’t try to create a need; instead he tries to satisfy the existing demand for information on products and services.