Campaign Analysis - Sony's "Link Buds Never Off"

Sony's "Link Buds Never Off" launch campaign

Introduction 

Sony, created a campaign to celebrate and advertise their new product Sony LinkBuds S, which was an addition to their pre-existing range of LinkBuds which are Bluetooth earplugs. They can come in

various different colours, and are meant to be “ultra small”, “lightweight”, and “super fit”, with “immersive music and clear calls”. Their slogan “never off” is in light of them being super comfortable, with the idea being that users have a comfortable Hi-res listening experience from morning to night, without the discomfort of usual earplugs.  

 

Target audience 

The target audience of this particular campaign are digital natives, which is mostly denoted through the incredibly vibrant colours of the entire campaign, as well as the choices of media used to enforce the campaigns message. The colours are customisable, giving users a range of different colours to express themselves with, inferring that the target audience can be of any gender expression and age however. Also, pre-existing fans and users of Sony’s products would be anticipating their new releases and seeing what other innovative designs they might come up with next, and the concept of consumerism is what makes this idea work. Sony’s target audience is expected to constantly want new and fresh products with completely unique designs, in order to stay relevant and to not bore their users if they keep releasing similar designs to other products or not releasing anything at all. However, due to the nature of technology usually being targeted toward an upmarket audience, this product in particular would most likely be aimed towards an ABC1 audience due to the high price tag. Although, compared to other earplug products, Sony’s LinkBuds S  are somewhat a cheaper and possibly more affordable alternative. 

Key Messages 

In terms of the key messages for this campaign, it’s vaguely simple. Sony are priding themselves on the basis that with these new earplugs, you don’t have to ever take them out due to them supposedly having the most comfort ever for an earplug – enabling users to supposedly be able to wear them all day and night without the slightest discomfort. They were designed so users effectively would never have to take them off, hence the slogan, as it allowed their target audience to switch from music to ambient noise to calls and back, based on their desired activity. Overall, Sony want to have the highest possible viewership of their campaign in order to maximise sales and thus profits, so their campaign is so diversified to the extent that they will easily be able to achieve this hopefully. 

Engaging an audience 

The “never off” slogan would intrigue an audience who value comfort and longevity, and who

seek an easy-to-use product, that promises to make people’s lives easier. In a world where technology is rapidly advancing and developing, the general public would be constantly seeking out new and inventive products, with twists on old products that better them and better adapt them to the future needs of users. Furthermore, Sony uses a very colourful approach to their campaign, giving it almost a futuristic and sci-fi feel, connoting that their product is also futuristic thus meaning that their earplugs will be sporting futuristic features that will make users feel like they are using a High-Tec product from the future!  Additionally, they employ SZA to further engage the audience as this product was released at a time when she just released a new album after a long 6 year hiatus, and so they celebrated her comeback by showing previews of her album's photoshoot and songs in the particular video

How demographics, issues, and stereotypes are used to enforce the campaign. 

The colours portrayed in this campaign will appeal to a wide range of audiences due to the versatility of blues, purples, and neon in general. Despite stereotypes of which gender likes what colour the most, as well as toxic stereotypes that seek to prevent certain genders from using or even liking certain colours (for example, men wearing pink). Due to this, it makes the product feel more inclusive and representative of the also rapidly growing society. A society where multi-culturalism is expected, and people’s differences are celebrated, not marginalised and punished. This enforces the campaigns message as it enables Sony to advertise their product to a larger audience, therefore maximising sales and profits from one product only.  Furthermore, the issue that sony is apparently attempting to solve is the supposed struggle of having to constantly remove and place back your earplugs in a day to day setting, therefore their product aims to remove this constraint which enforces the campaigns message of being innovative, and unique. Seeking to benefit their users, not just sell products for the sake of the company getting profit. Furthermore, to have SZA, a WOC, be one of the main faces of the campaign is very significant as it denotes inclusivity, and that everyone can use and benefit from Sony's product. This connotes that this product in particular is a positive thing to support and purchase as it doesn't discriminate people, instead celebrating them and having them be the face of their new futuristic themed product - implying that they believe in equality and a multi-cultural future.

The campaign's logistics 

In this particular campaign, many different approaches and methods to different media were utilised to maximise their audience, and who would see the campaign. For example, Sony used celebrity endorsement to influence fans of artists to us their product, as their celebrity is using them too. This is denoted in SZA’s collaboration with Sony, where she is leading her audience towards Sony by using her own music and style, and mixing them with Sony’s product. The promotional video featured SZA wearing the LinkBuds S and listening to her own new, recently released music, which therefore persuades pre-existing fans of her to go and buy the earplugs that she’s personally using to listen to her music – implying that it’s the best way to enjoy her music. Furthermore, for their posters and billboards, they released this a lot earlier than other promotional footage in order to gain necessary traction in order to release this product properly, allowing the target audience to access the campaign via websites, videos, and images. This is the desired way of interaction due to the target audience for this particular market being digital natives who grew up with technology and therefore know how to use and access it properly. Furthermore, through the collaboration with SZA, Sony also collaborated with Amazon music to celebrate her new album as well as the release of the LinkBuds. This created a bigger target audience thanks to joining together 3 pre-existing audiences, and combining them and uniting them.

Legal and ethical issues 

Due to having a plethora of songs used in their promotional videos, Sony would have had to gain the rights or permission to use them. In the case of SZA, she collaborated with them in a way that is mutually beneficial and so permission would’ve been granted easily to Sony in order for them to use her songs (e.g. “Shirt”). Also, Sony would’ve had to give SZA an NDA in order for her to not disclose working with Sony for the Launch of their product, as then it would spoil the launch campaign. Sony also would’ve had to follow laws of copyright and patents whilst in development of their new product, as if they breached these laws then they could be sued and have to pay hefty fines, so they made a completely original product, with a completely original and unique design. Despite earplugs being a rather a large market at the moment, they still provided new and enticing features, to lure their audience in and to ensure it differed from other competitors in the same industry.  Moreover, due to Amazon's involvement this would have issued more NDA's as well as copyright and patents due to needing original ideas and concepts for the compain, product, and album and visuals.

 

How each media enforces the key messages of the campaign 

In terms of the promotional footage employing celebrity endorsement, SZA enforces the key messages of the campaign due to her bringing in a new target audience for the product, allowing Sony to profit off of it. In the video, she’s denoted to be stating almost elusive phrases that make the earplugs seem effectively perfect, for example “solitude” and “isolation”, “Wanting to share myself and wanting to isolate” finishing with “it’s necessary... to make us stronger”. These statements seem to be illustrating

an effectively perfect way of life that many people would envy and want to live, so she’s implying that if you wear these specific earplugs, you too can experience this life that she lives – you too can live like SZA. This is very persuasive to an audience as artists’ are seen as ideal self and partners, and huge inspirations to people, so whatever they share with their audience and fanbase, people are going to take note of and essentially copy it, with the mindset that it’ll get them closer to their favourite artist, or give them the same opportunities. Additionally, the phrase “it’s necessary... to make us stronger” hints at something that people desire. Strength. Strength is considered a vital aspect of life, that allows people to endure things that give experience and valuable lessons to people, enabling them to grow and mature. So to infer that these LinkBuds are “necessary” in order to

achieve it, will just simply emphasise the public’s want to get these earplugs, as they need them.Secondly, the posters and billboards enforce the key message of the campaign as they entice audiences in who would usually not see the products promotional footage on say platforms such as social medial, due to perhaps being digital immigrants. So the act of using offline advertising, alongside online ensures that Sony gets the biggest possible market and users to purchase

their new products. For example, people on public transport may see Sony’s adverts on the way to work, and imagine how their life might be different or more easier with this new innovative product – due to Sony's particular marketing methods and strategies. Moreover, for the actual advert that denotes the product, and people wearing the product, this has a similar way of enforcing the messages of the campaign to SZA’s. Seeing actual people wear the product and speak highly of it, praising the new features and feel, it makes people feel more inclined to want to purchase it too, as they will relate to them more. Transforming the product from simply being just another tech product, to instead being a relatable device that will aid you in your day-to-day life.  Furthermore, most of the methods used in this campaign connote an almost sci-fi and futuristic element which supports Sony's aim to be innovative and new, releasing products that are unique.

 Sony's "Link Buds Never off" Campaign

Sony's "Link Buds Never Off" campaign created consistency throughout the entire campaign due to the prevalence and repetition of the slogan "Link Buds Never Off", which was featured on posters, in adverts and many more. This establishes to the audience the main selling point of Sony's new product, by hyperbolically boasting about the battery life, and the features included in the product that ensure you 'never' have to get them off. Additionally, the colour scheme and house style used across the entire campaign is very consistent too. On every piece of marketing for these products, blues and purples were consistently employed to advertise the products, establishing the idea for the audience to associate those colours with Sony's latest product. This is continued even in their promotional video marketing this product, as SZA's outfit consists of blue, and the backdrop occasionally goes purple. This heightens the consistency throughout the campaign. Furthermore, they use futuristic imagery across the entire campaign to denote the message that these are a breakthrough product. This is also very consistent as it's in everything. Also, Sony's logo is employed across the entire campaign, thus also increasing the consistency of the message and their branding.