• by Skip Brand , April 16, 2012

A good ad is worth talking about. The day after Super Bowl Sunday, the ads often get talked about more than the game. In fact, some people only watch the Super Bowl for the ads. But the idea that a good ad drives conversation is not just limited to TV advertising. Catchy, creative advertising across highly engaged digital media such as social networking platforms can create a far-reaching, viral buzz.

If you’re an advertiser for a luxury brand it only gets better.

The Four Seasons’ Luxury Trend Report revealed that roughly 78% of affluent consumers (household incomes of $100K+ per year) are very active on social networks. In addition, a report by Ipsos Mendelssohn found that 74% of affluent consumers say a good ad is worth talking about. The affluent want to share ads that interest them with their families and friends and the easiest and fastest way to do that is via social media.

It’s important for brands that want to reach the affluent audience to leverage the power of social in their creative, especially since 71% of these consumers claim that recommendations from family members or friends exerts a “great deal” or “fair amount” of influence on purchase decisions, according to Ipsos Mendelssohn. Further, this group mentions specific brands in social media conversations with friends and family 90 times more than the average consumer.

But in order to capitalize on those attitudes, brands need to be strategic about where and how their ads are placed. Advertisers need to understand that they don’t have to advertise directly on social media sites to achieve the viral sharing they desire. Instead of relying on the audience to check their Facebook page to see an ad, brands are better served to invest in advertising on sites that cater to an audience’s specific interests.

The affluent are the least likely to respond to simple advertising messages.

Instead, they are interested in dynamic, targeted advertising that finds them on the sites they visit. Just because they are more likely to enjoy and share good advertising doesn’t mean they go looking for it. As a marketer, you still have to bring the goods to them to ensure when surfing they notice the ad, and then buy or engage.

To that end, social plug-in tools can turn a display ad into a social ad, allowing consumers to see a display ad on any site and with a click of a button on the ad, share it with their friends across social networks and email, creating a viral wave of additional people viewing the ad. The result is an ad that was initially seen on one site, can now be seen on others.

The advertiser really only invests in that initial ad impression, but because of the social tools, gets more eye-balls free of cost. Marketers can then measure when, where and how an ad is shared across the social environment to help shape future ad creative and placement. Social tools can ensure the brand can begin to achieve more earned and owned media, not just rely on traditional paid media.

As the affluent spend more time online and immersed in social media, it is becoming increasingly important for advertisers to develop a strategy for reaching these consumers on their social channels. Utilizing social plug-ins in vertical and niche media sites allows brands to reach those specific segments of consumers that are more likely to enjoy and share an ad with their friends.

The affluent audience wants to spread the word on memorable ads. Your job is to create dynamic, engaging content and place it on sites that interest them. They will do the rest.