UGC Renaissance: The Future of Creative Marketing

Dove’s return to the Super Bowl after nearly 10 years comes via an ad that will tug on the heartstrings. It utilises several touching user-generated content (UGC) videos of young girls stumbling in sports, only to reveal that failing at sports isn’t what deters girls from continuing in sports, it’s body confidence issues. Part of the reason why the ad resonates is because you know you’re seeing real-life girls and their real struggles. 

While this year’s Super Bowl featured a Friends reunion, Pete Davidson dating a cat, and OpenDoor selling a house during the game, Dove is the only big game advertiser using the powerful creative strategy of 'user-generated content.' Nerds does have a spot featuring Addison Rae, who got her start as a TikTok star, but she’s now a celebrity who has starred in several movies and released a debut album, and the ad was created with all new content. 

It was not too long ago that Doritos 'Crash the Super Bowl' campaign banked an annual spot to be created by users. The lack of UGC use in Super Bowl ads is surprising considering just how mature that market is and how millions of amazing content is produced daily. 

For those who may have the misperception that UGC is passe or a relic of the past, here’s what you need to know. We’re in the middle of 'UGC 2.0.' which offers brands a panoply of content from multiple social networks in different formats and genres, covering the entire human condition.

1. Forget what you may have thought of UGC. It is far more than just lo-fi home videos, thanks to smartphone cameras that outpace most DSLRs now and the variety of free or low-cost editing software. Incorporating a piece of UGC content will not look out of place alongside “professionally-developed content” if you want, like Dove, to create an ad combining the two. An audience raised on social media have honed their creative prowess over the years and are capable of diverse, resonant creative running the gamut from comedy to drama to action and everywhere in between. 

2. Smart brands are investing heavily in this space, despite the Super Bowl miss. Domino, Disney, Telaflora, Nike have all launched recent campaigns with UGC. The simple reason why is because it works. Time and time again, viewers respond favourably to people like them. Dove knew that parents would react very strongly to short clips of real-life kids participating in sports because it will more directly remind them of their relationship with their own children.

3. A return to campaign resonance. For every Addison Rae, Charli D'Amelio, and Paul brothers, who have grown well beyond social media to be multi-dimensional celebrities, there are literally millions of content creators who are building up sizable audiences, but haven’t yet gotten their first big brand break. It’s time for brands to recalibrate and think of UGC creators not just for their follower counts, but for their creativity and brand fit. It’s no longer wise to hire influencers for their follower counts and then try to shoehorn messaging or brand fit in. Smart brands know it’s worth the search for the right creator and know that they can put their marketing might behind amazing content. 

4. Extend social UGC to other marketing channels, not vice versa. Brands have learned the hard way that traditional content does not do well on social media. Simply put, TikTok and Instagram users do not want to see your 30-second spot as they’re browning through their apps, but content that originated in social media can have a huge second life in other marketing channels. 

5. Quick, actionable campaigns are at your fingertips. While the Super Bowl is on the mind, think about the ads you remember years or even decades later? Are they packed with celebrities or are they filled with commercial actors that focus on storytelling and humour? Advertisers often feel the need to justify their $7 million media buy with equally expensive talent, but hiring a celebrity doesn’t guarantee success. You can avoid costly and time-consuming negotiations with celebrities and expensive sets. Tap into creators who have already made the content that will blow away your audience, and focus your work on storytelling, curation, and editing.

6. Using UGC is not sacrificing creative control. Marketers tend to rely on original production for high stakes campaigns like the Super Bowl because they want total control. But here’s the thing: using UGC does not diminish that control. Here’s a thought experiment: for an upcoming creative campaign, sketch out or whiteboard your creative vision for the ad, and then search for relevant content in social media. It’s never been easier to find content that works for you. I am certain there would be multiple compelling options for you to use to stitch together a high-impact and professional looking ad or editorial video that uses those assets. 

Now, more than ever, there is an inherent value in including UGC content into your marketing strategy. You can create more content at more affordable prices while meaningfully connecting with your audiences. Today, everyone uses social media for one reason or another, and they love to see content they’ve interacted with or that reminds them of other enjoyable UGC in traditional campaigns. You will be keeping up with the leading organisations who are already using UGC and lapping the competition that fails to see the value in it. 

The best part about UGC is it costs nothing to get started. Begin by researching mentions of your brand on various social platforms and learning more about creators who may be interested in licensing content to you. Look at what other brands have done with UGC and you’ll soon realise that it opens up so many different doors for your future campaigns.