Podcasts

Podcasts have seen an incredible surge in popularity over the last few years, driven by the rise of streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts. This has led to an explosion of niche content, catering to highly engaged and dedicated audiences. Every industry now has a range of podcasts covering its key topics, making it an excellent platform for brand marketing.

Beyond placing ads on podcast platforms, businesses can leverage this medium by participating in guest appearances, sponsoring relevant shows, or even launching their own branded podcast. By engaging in real conversations that matter to your customers, you can build credibility, foster trust, and establish thought leadership in your field.

Reddit Ads

When we think of social media marketing, platforms like Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter) usually come to mind. However, Reddit remains an underutilised space with a unique and highly engaged user base.

Reddit is often where people go to problem-solve, seek recommendations, and discuss niche topics. This presents a perfect opportunity for brands to strategically position themselves in relevant discussions. With Reddit Ads, brands can target specific subreddits where their ideal customers are already engaging. By offering valuable insights rather than hard selling, businesses can gain credibility and generate high-quality leads.

Gaming integration

Video games have evolved into a cultural phenomenon, offering lucrative marketing opportunities through brand collaborations and in-game integrations. Iconic partnerships over the years include:

• Squid Game x Call of Duty
• Fortnite x Nike
• League of Legends x Mastercard
• Animal Crossing x KFC

Gaming offers a personal and immersive experience, making it a powerful space for brand engagement. Brands can integrate seamlessly within gameplay, feature in virtual events, or sponsor popular streamers and esports tournaments. By tapping into gaming communities, businesses can build long-term brand affinity in a way that feels organic and engaging.

Twitch

Staying within the gaming realm, we have the live-streaming platform Twitch, which hosts an average of 105 million monthly visitors. As users tune in to live, interactive content with their favourite creators, brands have the opportunity to connect with niche, highly engaged audiences.

Brands can utilise Twitch through both on-platform placements and creator activations:

• Twitch media leverages video and display ads across their homepage, discovery pages, and stream channels across all devices.
• Creator activations focus on bespoke experiences that happen directly on the live streamers' broadcast, such as playing new games for the first time or engaging in interactive challenges.

The live element of Twitch provides unique opportunities for brands to create impactful, immersive experiences. For example, streamer Julien Solomita collaborated with Apple TV+ to promote Invasion, a drama series situated around extraterrestrials visiting Earth, seen through the eyes of ordinary people.

Using a mix of pre-recorded and live video, Solomita tricked his viewers into thinking something otherworldly was occurring, as he suddenly developed a ‘nosebleed’ and his Twitch stream started ‘glitching’, before he ‘disappeared’.

This is a great example of creative advertising; it tied in perfectly with the subject of Invasion, captivated live viewers and, perhaps most importantly, sparked conversations across social media about what had happened, generating a buzz around the show.

Augmented Reality and Gamification

AR filters have become a popular tool across social media platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram. When combined with gamification, these filters can significantly boost engagement and organic reach.

Brands can create interactive AR experiences that encourage user participation, whether through face filters, try-on experiences, or mini-games that involve the brand’s products. Successful AR campaigns create shareable, viral moments that amplify brand visibility and generate a buzz without relying solely on paid promotions.

Recently, Goodfellas Pizza created a TikTok filter that acted as a game featuring characters from their previous ad. They then utilised their available budget to have influencers use the filter and attempt the game rather than pay them to speak about the product. Though it’s still a paid promotion, it creates more of a genuine moment and drives further reach.

AdSmart

AdSmart is likely the least niche channel on this list, but it’s still one that many businesses are unaware of by name. AdSmart delivers targeted TV advertising into Sky and Virgin Media households, offering a more precise and efficient approach than traditional television ads. Unlike conventional TV advertising, AdSmart enables different households to see different ads based on their demographics and interests.

This platform is ideal for brands looking to deliver personalised TV advertising with the use of demographic, purchase, and technology data. Additionally, AdSmart has a low minimum campaign price point, making it accessible for smaller advertisers that may not have the budget for traditional TV campaigns. By leveraging AdSmart, brands can achieve the reach and impact of TV advertising without the hefty costs associated with national campaigns.

In summary

In an increasingly competitive market, thinking outside the box is essential for effective brand promotion. While traditional marketing strategies remain valuable, embracing non-traditional channels like podcasts, Reddit ads, gaming integrations, and AR filters can provide fresh opportunities to connect with audiences in meaningful ways. By diversifying your marketing approach, you can stay ahead of the curve and create memorable experiences that resonate with your customers.