Nostalgia’s use by brands is nothing new, but it’s becoming an even more powerful and prevalent tool in marketers’ and communicators’ toolboxes. Why? For one, nostalgia is a source of comfort. In the words of Dr. Krystine Batcho, it’s “the soothing ointment that helps people manage the anxieties from conflict.” Amid the stress of technological change at an unprecedented pace, political discourse, global conflict, economic uncertainty, and an epidemic of loneliness and isolation, nostalgia has a big market. For another, the science behind it is getting a lot more respect due to the growing body of research that explains how nostalgia works and how to use it as well as its benefits to mental health. These two forces—a growing awareness of pervasive anxiety and a more nuanced understanding of behavioral science—are making nostalgia a more desirable emotion for marketers and communicators to elicit.
You don’t have to search for long to find all kinds of ways that brands are deploying nostalgia. In terms of brands, Verizon, Burger King, and Pepsi are just a few examples that have turned to heritage. When it comes to products, Nintendo’s Tetris, Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz and the resurgence of Nike’s Blazer sneaker are the tip of the iceberg. On top of that, an endless list of TV and movie reboots and the return of 1990s “tween brands” like the Limited Too and Abercrombie are feeding Gen Z’s appetite for nostalgia.
Intrigued by how to use nostalgia to engage audiences with your brand? Here are some tips to consider.
It’s not just consumer marketing. While your natural inclination may be to associate nostalgia with consumer marketing, its value can be more expansive. In the Harvard Business Review, Dr. Clay Routledge, author of the book “Past Forward: How Nostalgia Can Help You Live a More Meaningful Life,” writes about the applicability of nostalgia in the workplace:
“What’s most important is that managers appreciate that meaningfully connecting the present to the past via nostalgia can help them and their employees have the mindset and motivation needed to productively work toward future-oriented individual and organizational goals.”
Tapping into the shared memories and past experiences of your organization and its people can strengthen relationships and teams and inspire ideation and creativity.
Know your nostalgia. There are at least three different types of nostalgia. The most commonly understood is personal nostalgia, which is the sensation of being triggered to reflect on memories and experiences. Anticipatory nostalgia is also personal, but it is a sensation of being nostalgic not for the past but for the fleeting present. Think of kids reflecting on their last summer before leaving home for college or parents imagining their children as adults. Historical nostalgia is pining for a time before one even existed. Think, for instance, of being fascinated with a different era of history. Depending on what you seek to achieve, an understanding of the range of nostalgia will help you hone in on the kinds of content and experiences you will want to create.
Test with social. Once you have a sense of how you would like to deploy nostalgia, social media is a terrific medium to test your strategy and learn from the results. Recent research by History Factory and Certus Insights found that of the 1,000 adults surveyed, 72% said they would find nostalgic posts from brands they follow on social media interesting. After all, there’s a reason why we have #ThrowbackThursday and #FlashbackFriday.
Use and invest in archives. If your organization has an archive, use it. If it doesn’t, begin making the case for your organization to invest in an archives program. An archive is one of the core memory centers for your organization and an essential resource for preserving IP, using your heritage, and collecting the history of tomorrow.
Engage the senses. Nostalgia is multisensory. It can be evoked by sounds, sights, smells, touch, and tastes. Mine your archives for tactile experiences that can bring your history to life and trigger memories among employees, customers, and other audiences.
Clients who turned to History Factory to leverage nostalgia:
How Southwest Airlines Remained the Culture Company for Its 50th Milestone
Harper Collins: Authors Shine in an Exhibit at a New Headquarters
Woodward’s 150th Celebrations Take Flight
Conclusion
As businesses navigate the complexities of the modern marketplace, the strategic use of the nostalgia effect offers a unique advantage. By tapping into memories, brands can craft experiences that resonate deeply with audiences, fostering connections that are both emotional and enduring.