(He’s back!
Credit: Data Discs)
Last week marks the release of Sonic Mania, the latest outing for Sonic the Hedgehog. It has
garnered both critical and consumer acclaim, but already seems to be a smash
hit for the franchise. What makes it stand out from previous games? Simple: Sonic Mania looks, sounds, and more
importantly, feels like a game fresh
out of the ‘90’s. It appears like a long-lost cartridge from the Genesis days.
As of this writing, Sonic Mania sits
on MetaCritic with an 86 critical
score based on 46 reviews and a 9.2
user score based on 202 ratings[1].
Clearly, there is something resonating with consumers. That something is nostalgia. Surprisingly enough, this phenomenon is not
solely linked to gaming as the Food & Beverage industry along with Consumer
Electronics share this passion for the past. Whether it’s Crystal Pepsi, the
original KFC colonel, and old vinyl record players, nostalgia based strategies
have begun to make a name for themselves in the world today.
Where did the
interest in profitable nostalgia come from? Why is it successful?
(Note the date at the bottom, 2008.
Credit: TechnoBuffalo)
When trying to understand why nostalgia has made an impact
in multiple industries, we first need to decipher where it came from. While
throwback and limited-edition products are not new and instead make for a minor
spike in sales, fully committed, new nostalgia themed products have been what
has created an impression on consumers. In gaming, one of the earliest editions
of a wholly nostalgia themed product was the release of Mega Man 9. Mega Man 9,
released in 2008, was a brand-new iteration in the long running franchise with
one major twist: it was made as if it were intended for the original Nintendo
Entertainment System[2].
The game was a smash hit and a bold move for the industry that was only looking
forward, not to its past. Since then, multiple developers have sought to
recreate the nostalgia magic Mega Man 9 captured
but with mixed results. Sonic Mania
appears to be the culmination of this new interest in nostalgia, and it appears
to be here to stay for the long term.
Nostalgia is not simply relegated to gaming though. The Food
& Beverage industry has taken advantage as well. If you’ve taken notice of
any KFC advertisements in the last few years, you’ve probably seen several
different actors in the Colonel’s attire. This has been extremely successful
for KFC as brand engagement has been increasing year over year. The multiple
impersonators help convey a story worth watching, along with sticking in
consumers’ minds to think which actor might come next[3].
Recently though, KFC has taken a step back with forcing new Colonels and
instead has been using image based positioning to show the latest Colonel
superimposed in the commercials of the original Colonel. Having a commercial
with the original Colonel, along with a grainy style shot, helps evoke memories
of youth, likely when the older generation enjoyed KFC more regularly. It tells
a story, something that sticks well with customers of all ages. Furthermore,
given KFC has gone through its fair share of scandals in recent memory, by
turning the clock back to the original Colonel the restaurant can remind
consumers it’s a brand that can be trusted. Overall, the blend of nostalgia inducing
memories and overall good feelings can help drive sales. Couple these
advertisements with the impersonators, and KFC has cooked up a recipe for both
building brand equity and sales’ success.
(Moving forward
by looking back. Credit: Amazon)
Looking towards consumer electronics, we see a huge trend of
consumers shifting towards vinyl again. 10 years ago, interest in vinyl was
minimal at best. Since then, it has grown 52% year over year as of 2016, when a
total of 12 million vinyl records purchased in the open market[4].
With media shifting towards digital options, the market has created a need for
physical entertainment and has found its home in vinyl. Consumers still enjoy
having physical records and a player. A record player becomes something of a
furniture piece, and having a record collection is something trendy that has
not diminished over time unlike its CD counterparts. While streaming or having
a digital library may be great as well, we’re all one laptop drop from
potentially losing everything, or worse, going through the motions of
recapturing our collection from backup drives, the cloud, or *gasp*, customer
service centers. Having a record player and vinyl brings forth a dual purpose:
style and physical content. Vinyl has a specific feel to it, you know what a vinyl
record looks like, and most important, everyone knows that signature vinyl
sound when a record player kicks into hear. Although total sales are still at a
miniscule number at 12 million, big companies are taking notice of this shift.
In fact, Sony recently announced that it would begin pressing vinyl for the
first time in 30 years[5].
If nostalgia can make such an impact with a behemoth like Sony, clearly it has
the power to make noise in any industry.
Is Nostalgia a
perfect Marketing Strategy?
Nostalgia is not flawless. Let’s go back to my favorite
franchise Mega Man. After the success of Mega
Man 9, the developer Capcom quickly pounced on producing Mega Man 10. Now I thought that it was a
solid, if unspectacular, entry in the franchise; however, I’m a longtime fan
and would have given anything for more content. The remaining populous found it
to be average at best, and it reviewed well, it showed faults of nostalgia.
Even worse, it felt like a cash in, as if Capcom knew it had something good and
needed to take advantage. Here we see the biggest caveat when it comes to
producing old styled content. While a nostalgia trip may be exciting, it can
get old fast, especially if it does not hold up to the standards of the past.
That’s why when I bought a record player, and it sounded terrible, I immediately
regretted my purchase and haven’t considered getting a new one until I have
enough disposable income to truly invest in a high-end set.
Nostalgia and the
Future
Despite its flaws, nostalgia based marketing and production
does not look to be slowing down anytime soon. The strategies of evoking
childhood memories in products are simply too strong to ignore, as they
consistently drive both sales and brand engagement. Furthermore, longtime brand
equity merged with nostalgia themed marketing is usually targeted at a
demographic that has grown up with the product, only now this specific
demographic likely has more disposable income than before. Having said that,
nostalgia will not work for every company, especially those that are either
young or do not have a glorious past. While Nintendo and Disney can rely on the
brand equity their characters have built over time, a company like Apple has no
one clamoring for a follow up to the Apple II, nor does Facebook have fanbases urging
the company to return to its original layout. Regardless, nostalgia strategies
appear to be here to stay and we can only hope as consumers that companies will
make the best decisions with the content they produce.
[1] http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/sonic-mania?ref=hp
[2] It
also happens to be my favorite game of all time
[3] https://www.qsrmagazine.com/competition/kfcs-comeback-story-takes-flight
[4] https://www.consumerreports.org/audio-video/return-of-turntables/
[5] http://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2106906/sony-resume-pressing-vinyl-japan-after-30-year-hiatus
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