Ahh, Nostalgia

Many companies use nostalgic marketing to tap into past emotions to drive current sales. While it can be very effective if it works, it can also be very damaging if it doesn’t. Companies from food products to video games try taking a new twist on an old idea to boost sales.

These companies take a symbolic shared image or experience to promote their product. There are many advantages when taking this marketing route. Loyal customers remember those happy memories associated with the product and continue to stay devoted. Bringing up feelings of nostalgia in consumers increases their emotional engagement in the product. If they have history with the product and a sense of familiarity they are more likely to associates positives thoughts about the products. It is also easier for the companies because it is less costly and risky to just reinvent and already known image rather than reinventing and entire new image that society cannot relate to.

There are disadvantages about nostalgic advertising that should be taken into account as well. A company should have an idea of many consumers experienced the product in the past and will be able to actually have a connection with it and recall happy memories to induce that nostalgic feeling. This also runs the risk of recalling negative association with the product and therefore negative attitudes towards the product. Some people just may not be able to relate to the product and it may distance those people as potential consumers. 

In certain cases this may not be the best strategy for some brands or products. It is possible that for certain products the consumers that would have nostalgic feelings about may have no use the product anymore. Certain brands or products may not have been out long enough for consumers to establish a sense of loyalty with it that would create that nostalgic feeling, so there would be no benefit in using that type of advertising