How Ed Sheeran Nailed His New Single Launch with This Fun Social Media Strategy
Go back in time with us: It's 2015, Game of Thrones season five is on your screen, the 'Is it blue and black or white and gold?' dress is all that's on your mind, and Kylie Jenner’s lip kit was in your Sephora shopping cart. Did that take you back? That's exactly how we felt with Ed Sheeran's campaign for his single.
Before you start, continue reading...You need some background noise while reading.
Binge the song behind it all….
Ed Sheeran knows his way around a music studio, but he also apparently knows how to have a successful social media launch, too (or his social media team does anyway 😉). In preparation for his single launch, Old Phone, he created a lot of buzz by posting what exactly was in his old phone. While we aren't sure we can ever get on the level of not bingeing on our screens on the daily and tossing out our phones, we love that he made this launch feel unique and special. But, how did he do it? Let's dive into why we loved this launch strategy and why it worked!
A Recap of the Strategy:
In case you missed it, this spring, Ed Sheeran HQ launched another Instagram page. Ed ditched his phone back in 2015 and recently found it. With that, came a rush of memories from his life, like he opened a digital time capsule. He wrote his single inspired by all the things he found on this old phone, the good and bad, and the best part — he shared more beyond the song. He created this page dedicated to sharing what he found. He started posting his old notes, photos, emails, and tweets. He gave us a sneak peek into what it looked like in preparation for the song's release. And, people LOVED IT!
Why was this a successful launch strategy?
Let’s talk about it…
How Ed Sheeran Nailed His New Single Launch with This Fun Social Media Strategy
Authenticity in Marketing
Authenticity is in. Celebrities can often feel untouchable, and getting to know them on a real level can be challenging. But, as marketers and public relations experts, it's important to showcase a lot of that behind-the-scenes feel so people can connect with them beyond their work. That's exactly how this felt. He's letting us into his personal life through photos on his old phone.
Nostalgia in Marketing
Nostalgic marketing campaigns are so in. Brands all over have been tapping into the nostalgic feels over the past year, and boy, is it working. Audiences love to reminisce on old times, and it ties in with where they are now. It evokes a different kind of feeling than you get with present-day campaigns. It takes them back. Don't believe us?
🍸 Read Next: Tapping into Nostalgic Marketing
Generating Buzz
Getting people to talk about your launch = a successful launch. In the past 10 years, we all have changed, and Ed showcased that, which spilled a bit of tea along with it. It stirred up some conversations about celebrities that used to be friends, 2015 headlines we forgot about, and even a few riffs we might have forgotten about. This opened a whole window view into life back in 2015 and got people talking.
🍸More on generating buzz in this blog: Why We Love Poppi’s Launch Strategy
In conclusion, this launch made such a huge impact! It was real and raw, and tapped into the ethos side of marketing. It took us all back in time to 2015, and made us excited for the song to release. And what we can take away from this into our marketing is...
Nostalgia works!
Creating an intentional launch strategy pays off.
People want the behind-the-scenes content.
How are you taking a page out of Ed Sheeran's marketing playbook?
Whether you’re craving MORE CONSISTENCY, DEEPER STRATEGY, or A TRUSTED TEAM TO TAKE IT ALL OF YOUR PLATE, WE OFFER SUPORT THAT MEETS YOU WHERE YOU ARE and SCALES WITH YOU.
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