When I was younger and my mother was working abroad (and sometimes even after), my father, brother, and I used to dine in Tropical Hut whenever we could.
The retro ambience was always there. Sometimes, we were the only people enjoying their signature burgers and spaghetti. Whenever I come across a Tropical Hut today, adult me is happy the place is still standing.
Remember when it gained online virality in 2022 after stock analyst J.P. Tanyag tweeted about the food chain’s nostalgia? In the heartfelt tweet, he found that he was the only customer in Tropical Hut’s Escolta branch. After that, people flocked to the food joint, posted their stories, and one netizen even created a rebrand for Tropical Hut for the heck of it.
Tropical Hut may not be as big as its competitors, but it’s a brand that’s embedded in the hearts of many Filipinos because of the memories it holds. Nostalgia helps brands catch their second wind.
Let’s explore how nostalgia can add to anyone’s brand.
The Growing Appeal of Nostalgia Marketing
If we look at Oxford Languages’ definition of nostalgia, we’ll find that nostalgia is “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.” (Oxford Languages).
Nostalgia’s also been documented to be an effective marketing tool. In the Philippines, researchers from De La Salle University (2022) found that fast food chains like McDonald’s and Jolibee often used nostalgia in their commercials and connected it to consistently high sales markers. Likewise, in many ways, cultural identity persists through nostalgia (Sedikides and Wildschut, Nostalgia across cultures, 2022).
This doesn’t just apply to old businesses, either. Even new businesses that are using old references to stay fresh can deeply resonate with people through nostalgia.
How to Build on Nostalgia
Within these webs of nostalgia are countless stories waiting to be told. How are you going to tell them and use them for your brand’s leverage while staying authentic?
Amplify them with PR, of course.
Here are a few things to consider.
Know (and research) your audience.
Know your target demographic, and assume you know nothing. If you’re part of the target demographic, just remember that there are so many things you don’t know about yourself, either. Food for thought!
So, some steps to take:
- Research your target demographic thoroughly. Use social listening tools or old case studies if you must.
- From your research, identify cultural touchpoints within (and maybe outside of) specific eras that evoke positive memories for your target demographic.
- Align your research with your target demographic’s shared values, experiences, and ties to possible pop culture references.
Authenticity is a must.
Usually, authenticity is built alongside the body of research before a campaign. But never, ever forget that the heart of nostalgia is authenticity.
People are smart, so most consumers can sense inauthenticity from the jump. Ensure your references are genuine and align with your brand’s history and values.
Mix the old and the new.
The familiar and fresh is the brainchild of the old and new. Combine your nostalgia of choice with contemporary marketing trends and products to keep your campaign engaging and relevant.
PR Tip:
Take advantage of pop culture, but intentionally. Pop culture often turns into nostalgic moments for so many demographics.
Add emotions to your nostalgia.
This is for businesses catering to Filipinos.
Create compelling stories that connect with themes Filipinos resonate with: love, friendship, family, and belonging.
- If you’re an old brand needing a refresh, show how your brand has been a part of your customer’s life milestones. Your brand should be akin to a friend who’s been there for a long time.
- If you’re a new brand that uses an element of nostalgia, incorporate nostalgia into your origin story. Add nostalgia to your why.
Use an IMC approach and distribute across multiple channels.
Don’t just post randomly on Facebook and pitch a completely different article for the Manila Times.
To prevent the risk of siloed communication (which can come across as scammy), use an integrated marketing approach for your multiple channels. In other words, all your channels should harmonize with each other.
- Start a campaign for people to share their nostalgic stories across various platforms
- Create visually delicious social media posts, reels, and videos that complement each other,
- Try engaging email campaigns! Email marketing is still effective.
- Use interactive content (such as quizzes or polls) to connect with your audience.
Try User-Generated Content (UGC).
Even influencers thrive through authenticity: it’s often the smaller influencers that succeed in getting a wider reach.
Instead of big influencer names, try UGC, or user-generated content! Through social media prompts or contests, invite people to share their own nostalgic memories of your brand on social media. This builds a powerful sense of community and deepens affinity to your brand.
Nostalgia Incoming
Nostalgia is an art form that takes time (and research) to perfect. Coming from an authentic and intentional place could mean the difference between cheesy and forced, and a successful campaign worth remembering!
Having a hard time finding that sweet spot? For twenty years, NGP IMC has used the power of nostalgia to tell, share, and connect stories across whatever channels work best. You can contact them here or set an appointment here.
Kriztin Cruz is a recruitment and digital marketing professional, freelance writer, hobbyist painter, and frustrated sociologist–with too many things to want and too little time to spare. She graduated with a Psychology degree in 2019 at De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde Antipolo. When she’s not drafting a corporate letter or working on anything digital marketing, you can find her doing the following, but not in this order: reading a good book, scavenging for a good book, sketching, painting, journaling, junk journaling, obsessing over an obscure Czechoslovakian surrealist film (or anything by Miyazaki or Del Toro), cooking, finding a cafe to relax in, and creating new things while a nice documentary plays in the background.