Love Island: Marketing Lessons Brands Can Learn

The popularity of the reality show Love Island might be an odd source of inspiration, but with the finale taking place this evening (Monday 23rd August, 9pm), it’s hard to miss its undeniable presence across social media platforms. Reality TV might not be your ‘type of thing on paper’ but – whether you love it or hate it – it’s been everywhere we look for the past eight weeks – it’s a marketing phenomenon that every brand should feel inspired by. 

Google Trends for the term ‘Love Island’

Throughout the summer, our screens have been blessed with sun-kissed scenes and troublesome twenty-somethings. Engaging with the prized 16-34 demographic, it’s the most watched show in ITV2’s history. We can accuse the show of a million negative things, but it’s impossible to downplay its success. Many disregard it as nothing more than a guilty pleasure show, but there are a handful of lessons brands can take away. 

Sharp peaks in searches for ‘Love Island Faye’s Outfit’ during particular episodes

With the search for Love Island, its contestants, their fabulous outfits and personalised water bottles skyrocketing whilst the show is aired, it’s time to ‘gather round the fire pit’ and truly understand Love Island and their sponsors’ marketing tactics and what makes them a stand-out brand within the industry. 

I’VE GOT A TEXT!

Communication is key! The show is in constant communication with the islanders and when viewers hear ‘I’ve got a text’, they know something exciting is about to happen. This should be the same when you are communicating with your audience as a brand. 

According to Kantar, Love Island was the most tweeted show in 2018 and engagement has grown through the 2021 series, with #loveisland trending on Twitter nightly. However, Love Island doesn’t stop at Twitter. With official accounts currently boasting 3 million Instagram followers and 1.1 million Facebook likes, the programme has an outstanding number of connections which they remain in constant communication with.

Consistent and relevant communication will help your brand to maintain relationships with your potential customers and audiences. Standing out and reminding your audience that you are present will keep them excited about your brand, services and products. 

‘Moving Mad’ with Branding

Love Island contestants range from semi-professional sports stars, models, the Insta-famous and thoses with their own clothing lines. The majority have a story and a brand to uphold – no different to yourselves and your brand. We all want our businesses to mean something to our audience and that means having a recognisable brand to back it up. You need to grab people’s attention in order for them to listen to you. 

The key to a successful brand proposition is truly understanding your audience. Love Island managed to average a 42% share over its first week of broadcast back in 2018. The reason for this is simple – Love Island understands its audience. Love Island allows the viewers to feel as if they are a part of the programme. From being available on multiple channels to having a voting function on their app – they have built a lasting relationship with the viewer and their brand. Remember to learn who your audience is and ensure your brand is delivered in a way that will resonate with your viewers. 

Be Loyal!

Whether you are a true reality TV fan or not, there is no doubt Love Island’s catchphrases dominate timelines across the country throughout summer. ‘Loyal’ is a word that Love Island viewers associate with the show year after year and especially with the loyal queen, Georgia, from season four. Throughout the show she said it hundreds of times, losing all its meaning, but when it comes to marketing loyalty is everything! As a brand you will want to branch out and reach new engaging audiences, but it’s all about balance. Staying ‘coupled up’ with regular and core audiences to ensure you don’t lose them is key to creating a recognisable brand. 

‘It Is What It Is’ When it Comes to Influencers 

As marketers, we all know the power of influencers, but no one does it better than Love Island. Love Island contestants show a real understanding for product placement. Starting with the personalised water bottles and piles of I Saw It First clothing, anything that is on the show highlights the brand’s sponsors and is an instant sell out. Love Island’s social media feeds are full of plug-in ads for the popular water bottles or links to your favourite contestants outfits, letting the audience buy whatever they have just seen on TV. 

A Summer of Love 

In business a little bit of love can go a long way, and showing love towards your business, audience, local community and more will have a positive impact on your brand. Long-lasting connections can be extremely powerful for brands and, as Love Island proves, it’s the ones with the best relationships that last throughout the competition. Customers love brands that act in more personal and human ways – they want emotional engagement. More than ever, people are starting to define themselves by the brands they associate with. So make sure your brand is one that a consumer would be proud to associate with.

Adopting a Love Island-style approach in marketing and SEO might just help you to start building the relationships with clients that you’ve been looking for, whilst spreading the love for your brand this summer. 

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