NPD Group: Consumer Spend On Video Gaming Reaches $11.6 Billion In Q2

BY

The gaming industry is seeing massive growth during lockdowns. According to the NPD Group’s Q2 2020 Games Market Dynamics report, in Q2, consumers spent a record $11.6 billion on video gaming in the US—a 30 percent increase year-over-year, and a 7 percent increase from Q1’s record $10.9 billion.

Video game sales during Q2 reached $10.2 billion, a 28 percent increase YoY fueled by gains across physical content, digital console and PC content, mobile and subscription spending, as per NPD Group.

Hardware category sales saw a whopping 57 percent increase to $848 million due to strong growth across Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Sales on video game accessories like gamepads, headsets and steering wheels ballooned in the same way, increasing 50 percent to $584 million.

The NPD Group says top Q2 titles included Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Candy Crush Saga and NBA 2K20, to name a few.

As the gaming market surges, the ways people engage with games are changing. Newzoo’s revamped Gamer Segmentation data debunk the misconception that young, unemployed men dominate gaming. In fact, Newzoo’s found that nearly 46 percent of game enthusiasts are women.

Women comprise 40 percent of ultimate gamers—what Newzoo defines as the most dedicated gamers who are infatuated with all things playing, viewing and owning—and 41 percent of the hardware enthusiasts group—those who are more engaged with tweaking and optimizing the game system’s internal components.

Another common misconception Newzoo’s findings negate is that only teenagers interact with games. At 27 percent, gamers aged 21 to 30 represent the majority of gamers, followed by 23 percent for teen gamers and gamers aged 31-40, respectively.

In addition, most gamers are medium to high earners with full-time jobs, according to Newzoo.

New to Newzoo’s consumer insights this year, the lapsed gamer persona—or those who played games in the past but now neither play nor watch game content—present an opportunity for game publishers as 29 percent of lapsed gamers intend to play games again in the next six months. It’s interesting to note that 35 percent of lapsed gamers who plan to return are women between the ages of 36 and 65.

Listen In: Bracing For A Sea Change In Post-COVID Media Planning

BY

(Originally aired August 11th on LinkedIn Live.)

We’re back with another episode of Listen In. This week, we’re featuring a conversation between Ayzenberg’s Matt Bretz and Heather Cohen, VP of Media, about the widespread changes in media planning.

Matt and Heather discuss how COVID has accelerated everything as they examine hyper-trends that are being adopted faster due to the pandemic. Other topics include: What’s happening in the world of media, how to grapple with the uncertainty occupying our minds in the midst of so much change and what we’re hearing from clients during these times.

About Listen In: Each week on Listen In, Bretz and a rotating cast of hosts from Ayzenberg interview experts in the field of marketing and advertising to explore uncharted territory together. The goal is to provide the a.network audience with actionable insights, enabling them to excel in their field.

Emarketer: Digital Out-Of-Home Ad Spend Will Reach $3.84 Billion In 2023

BY

According to eMarketer, this year, digital out-of-home (DOOH) ad spending will account for one-third of total US OOH ad spending, increasing by 1.6 percent to reach $2.72 billion.

As more and more direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands invest in outdoor advertising, the researcher expects the figure to rise by 19.2 percent in 2021.

DOOH has significantly grown since 2015, when its share of total OOH was just 17 percent, about half of what it is today, says eMarketer.

By 2023, 42 percent of all US outdoor ad spending will come from DOOH. 

Digitized outdoor displays have gained momentum in recent years, as Outfront Media saw the number of total digital displays in its US portfolio during 2017 to 2019 jump from 1,693 to 7,266. Whereas Lamar Advertising reported 335 new digital outdoor ad units in 2019, with the intention to add another 250 DOOH displays in 2020.

Insight from Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) reveals that during the first half of 2020, in the US, there were 7,847 digital transit displays, 5,830 digital shopping mall-based ad units and 5,742 digital street furniture outdoor ads.

During the first half of 2020, the number of digital billboards, the most common type of DOOH ads, in the US reached 9,600, a 43.3 percent increase since 2016.

EMarketer estimates DOOH ad spending will reach $3.84 billion in 2023.

The expansion of 5G networks has enabled brands to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to create more targeted DOOH campaigns, says Grand Visual chief creative officer Dan Dawson. For example, McDonald’s used data on weather and the time of day to present messages on DOOH ads in the morning to remind passersby how long until breakfast finishes, and on sunny days to promote ice cream sundaes.

What We’re Reading: Week Of August 3rd

BY

We’re rounding up the latest marketing insights from the week of August 3rd.

P&G Hikes Adspend 8% To $7.33BN In First Increase For Four Years

Campaign

Procter & Gamble increased its annual advertising expense by $575 million to $7.33 billion, an 8.5 percent increase, its annual report shows.

Why it matters: The move marks P&G’s first annual increase since 2016.

Understanding Channel Capability For Better Digital Marketing Strategy

The Drum

Customers in channel capability can be divided into existing or lapsed customers, competitor’s customers and potential new customers.

Why it matters: Understanding channel capability is critical for strategy to make sense given marketers think certain channels can reach types of people that they typically don’t.

This Nike Ad Took 4000 Hours Of Sports Footage To Make. The Result Is Stunning

Forbes

Nike’s new 90-second spot, “You Can’t Stop Us” draws on the sense of community to display the optimism of sports during a time when many sports events are canceled due to COVID-19.

Why it matters: Created by Wieden+Kennedy, the commercial matches an athlete on one half of the screen and mirrors another on the opposite side move-for-move as if they’re one person.

8 Ways Managers Can Support Employees’ Mental Health

Harvard Business Review

The mental health of nearly 42 percent of people declined in April since the outbreak began, a study of global employees by Mind Share Partners found.

Why it matters: To support employees in times of uncertainty, managers should be open about their own mental health struggles, have regular check-ins with employees and communicate more than they think they need to.

Reels Leaves The Everyday Instagram User Confused

Adweek

Experts have been quick to call out Instagram Reels features that have blatantly been replicated or seem to be missing.

Why it matters: As users and marketers get used to Instagram’s TikTok clone Reels, marketers shouldn’t abandon TikTok just yet, but should have a unique purpose for posting on Reels.

TikTok Helps Gen Z Learn About Social Justice Issues, Study Finds

Mobile Marketer

Social activism posts on TikTok have inspired 54 percent of Gen Z to engage in discussions with family and friends, and 44 percent to sign petitions, a study from Reach3 Insights found.

Why it matters: Brands should tailor their TikTok messaging to reflect Gen Z’s awareness of movements.

Burberry Opens First ‘Social Retail’ Store In China

Retail Dive

In partnership with Tencent, Burberry debuted a 5,800-square-foot store in China designed for customers to interact with its products via social media content, QR code-induced contactless payments and their own animal character.

Why it matters: Burberry is the latest company to integrate WeChat into its strategy as part of a larger goal to reach digital savvy shoppers.

As Advertising Plummets In Q2, NYT’s Total Digital Revenue Exceeds Print

AdExchanger

During Q2, The New York Times added a record 669,00 digital subscriptions, bringing its total subscriber count to 6.5 million. Still, its digital advertising decreased 32 percent to $39.5 million, while its print ad business declined 55 percent. 

Why it matters: The company plans to sell fewer ads but with larger formats, which it’ll target with privacy-forward ways.

Contactless Tech May Make Or Break Small Businesses

Adweek

Eight in 10 consumers worldwide have changed the way they pay in order to reduce contact, and 54 percent of American consumers said they’d switch to a new store that installed contactless payment systems, Visa’s ‘Back to Business’ study revealed.

Why it matters: In response, 67 percent of small businesses have created ecommerce sites, or adopted touchless technology.

Marketers Warily Continue To Spend On TikTok But Some Are Building Escape Clauses Into Their Contracts

Business Insider

Obviously founder Mae Karwowski said, “We’re just having really candid conversations with our clients and writing into the contract that they have the ability to move this to a different platform if they so choose.”

Why it matters: The Trump administration has allowed Microsoft to bid for TikTok in the US after initially announcing plans to outright ban the app.

Meredith And Kroger Partner On Data Play For CPG Advertisers

Adweek

Kroger Precision Marketing and Meredith Corp. are offering a new integrated media service providing consumer packaged goods brands with closed-loop sales data, custom reports and shoppable display ad units.

Why it matters: Expanding upon the targeting capabilities of Meredith’s proprietary shoppable display and recipe units, the service will enable participating CPG brands to measure the impact of their campaigns on sales.

Reframe How You Think About Self-Care

Harvard Business Review

Your reason for forgoing sufficient sleep might seem logical, but sleep loss hinders cognitive capacity by degrading alertness and attention.

Why it matters: Investing in proper sleep, nutrition, exercise and play yields the self-control necessary to practice empathic listening and the energy to be fully present. 

No Longer The Exception: 69% Of Brands In-House Programmatic

AdExchanger

A survey from IAB and Accenture Interactive found 69 percent of brands have either partially or completely moved programmatic buying of display, video and/or connected television (CTV) in-house. 

Why it matters: Brands are inclined to in-house programmatic following increasing data privacy regulations and the imminent demise of cookies.

3 Actionable Insights From Simon Sinek

The Drum

New York Times best-selling author Simon Sinek suggests leaders in the age of COVID-19 should consider the wellbeing of human beings before considering their performance and results.

Why it matters: Brands thriving in the pandemic are those that have put their customers, not profits, at the center of the equation, says Sinek.

Grocery Apps Get Smart During The Pandemic

Grocery Dive

Grocery apps have become the full store experience for many shoppers during lockdowns, inspiring retailers to create a unified omnichannel experience for customers.  

Why it matters: In April, the Walmart Grocery app’s average daily downloads ballooned 460 percent compared to January, according to App Annie data. Similarly, Target, which expanded same-day grocery pickup to over 1,000 stores in 47 states, saw a 98 percent surge in daily downloads of its app.

Trump’s Order Will Ban TikTok And WeChat In 45 Days If Parent Companies Don’t Sell Them

BY

This week in social media news, President Trump issues an executive order banning TikTok and WeChat in 45 days if they’re not sold by their parent companies, TikTok responds to Trump’s order, Twitter adds new labels to the tweets and accounts of government officials, TikTok launches an app on Amazon’s Fire TV, Instagram launches Reels globally, Microsoft confirms it’s considering buying TikTok in the US and more.

President Trump Signs Order Banning TikTok, WeChat If Not Sold In 45 Days

On Thursday, President Trump issued executive orders that would ban both TikTok and WeChat from the US in 45 days if they’re not sold by their Chinese-owned parent companies, ByteDance and Tencent, respectively.

Why it matters: The order comes days after Microsoft announced it’s in talks with ByteDance about acquiring TikTok’s US operations, and after TikTok updated its fact-checking and misinformation moderation policies amid intense national scrutiny.

The details: Trump’s TikTok order bans after 45 days “any transaction by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, with ByteDance Ltd.”

For WeChat, the order would mean a ban on “any transaction that is related to WeChat by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, with Tencent Holdings Ltd. (a.k.a. Téngxùn Kònggǔ Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī), Shenzhen, China, or any subsidiary of that entity, as identified by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) under section 1(c) of this order.”

TikTok Responds To Trump’s Executive Order To Ban The App

In a company statement, TikTok asserts President Trump’s executive order that will ban the app if it isn’t sold in 45 days, which was signed yesterday, was issued “without any due process,” citing the platform has tried engaging with the US for nearly a year to devise a “constructive solution” to Washington’s concerns.

Why it matters: After reversing a decision to outright ban the app, contingent on TikTok selling its US stake, Trump issued an executive order that will ban Chinese-owned TikTok and WeChat if they’re not sold within 45 days.

The details: As per TikTok’s company post:

“We have made clear that TikTok has never shared user data with the Chinese government, nor censored content at its request. In fact, we make our moderation guidelines and algorithm source code available in our Transparency Center, which is a level of accountability no peer company has committed to. We even expressed our willingness to pursue a full sale of the US business to an American company.”

TikTok also said it “will be here for many years to come,” encouraging creators to express “your opinions to your elected representatives.”

Twitter Will Label Tweets And Accounts Of Government Officials, State-Controlled Media

Twitter is adding new labels for accounts and tweets connected to government officials and state-affiliated media as part of a larger effort to protect political discourse and increase transparency and accountability, the company announced in a blog post.

Why it matters: Twitter’s labeling initiative follows a similar one Facebook introduced in June.

The details: Twitter will add labels to the accounts of key government officials including foreign ministers, institutional entities, ambassadors, official spokespeople and key diplomatic leaders; starting with the US, China, France, the UK and Russia. In addition, the accounts of state-affiliated media, their editors-in-chief and their senior staff will be labeled. 

TikTok Launches “More on TikTok” App On Amazon Fire TV

TikTok made its first foray into video streaming this week when it launched an app on Amazon Fire TV called “More on TikTok,” according to Business Insider.

Why it matters: TikTok’s connected television endeavor comes a month after Amazon issued an email ordering employees not to use TikTok on company smartphones over potential security risks.

The details: The “More on TikTok” app, which is free to download, will let Fire TV users in the US stream TikTok videos on their television through Amazon devices.

“People are looking for community right now and TikTok is connecting users to content and people that resonate and are meaningful to them,” said TikTok’s head of global marketing Nick Tran in a statement.

Instagram Launches Reels Feature Globally

Instagram has officially launched its TikTok-style feature Reels, which enables users to record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio and augmented reality (AR) effects that can be shared in Instagram’s feed.

Why it matters: Though Reels has been in the making for a while—it was first tested in 2019 in Brazil—Facebook’s timing is lucky given government threats to ban TikTok in the US have led some users to delete TikTok.

The details: Reels is now available in the US, in addition to key international markets including the UK, India, Brazil, Germany, France and Japan, among others. Reels that are shared from public accounts are eligible to be discovered through a new section on Instagram’s Explore page.

To create Reels, users can record a series of clips or upload videos from their album. Clickable hashtags can also be added to Reels.

Microsoft Confirms It’s In Talks To Acquire TikTok In The US

Following the government’s threat to ban TikTok in the US, Microsoft published a statement saying it is in fact considering buying TikTok from parent company ByteDance, and will make a decision by September 15.

Why it matters: President Trump said the US government would seek a “very large percentage” on the TikTok transaction.

The details: As per Microsoft:

“The two companies have provided notice of their intent to explore a preliminary proposal that would involve a purchase of the TikTok service in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand and would result in Microsoft owning and operating TikTok in these markets. Microsoft may invite other American investors to participate on a minority basis in this purchase.”

The company added that any new structure would build on the current TikTok experience, while any private data currently stored or backed-up outside the US would be deleted from servers outside the country after it is transferred.

Snapchat Shares Regional Audience Insights

Snapchat has updated its Snap Focus education module to reflect stats on its 304 million “addressable reach” users worldwide, the average number of Snapchatters a brand’s ad could potentially reach over 28 days.

Why it matters: The new insights follow Snapchat’s Q2 report showing its daily active users grew 17 percent year-over-year to 238 million.


The details: Snapchat’s addressable reach in the US and Canada is 108 million; in Europe, 77 million; in the Middle East and North Africa, 51 million; in Latin and South America, 32 million; in India, 30 million; and in Australia, 6 million.

As per Snapchat, addressable reach is “based on recent data for your selected targeting criteria and placements, so it may not be predictive for your combination of flight dates, budget, and optimization strategy. [Addressible Reach] size is not the same as monthly active users. It may vary due to performance and seasonality.”

Retailer Apps See Highest Rate Of Location Opt-In In Years

A new Airship study of 750 million devices found the number of smartphone users who opted-in to share their location data reached 23 percent during the pandemic, a 31 percent increase from before the pandemic and the highest rate in years.

Why it matters: The uptick in location data sharing reverses a downward trend reported in previous years due to privacy laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation the European Union enacted two years ago.


The details: According to Airship, retailer apps outperformed location sharing data rates across categories like utilities (14 percent), travel and transportation (12 percent), media (8.2 percent) and entertainment (7.1 percent).

App usage also spiked during the pandemic, as Airship says the average number of app opens per user grew 29 percent from March.

Snapchat Licenses Rights From Major Music Labels

Snapchatters in New Zealand and Australia can now add music to their Snaps as part of a test following a licensing deal Snapchat made with major companies like Warner Music Group, Merlin and Universal Music Publishing Group, Bloomberg reports.  

Why it matters: Snapchat’s new music feature will let the app catch up to rivals Instagram and TikTok, which already offer users the ability to add music to their video clips. The move to add music comes just days after Snapchat launched its first brand-facing campaign highlighting Gen Z appeal.

The details: According to Bloomberg, starting Monday, Snapchat will launch a test of the new music feature in New Zealand and Australia, with plans to make it more widely available later this year. The deal will enable Snapchatters to use music in their videos without violating copyrights.

TikTok US General Manager Affirms App Is Here For The Long Run

TikTok’s US general manager Vanessa Pappas said in a video posted to the app’s discover page that TikTok isn’t planning on going anywhere, and is working on making it “the safest app.”

Why it matters: Pappas’ video message follows President Trump’s threats to ban the app in the US, which has led Microsoft to explore an acquisition of TikTok’s operations in the US, according to Bloomberg.

The details: Pappas begins the 60-second video with:

“I want to say thank you to the millions of Americans who use TikTok everyday bringing their creativity and joy into our daily lives. We’ve heard your outpouring of support and we want to say thank you. We’re not planning on going anywhere.”

Pappas goes on to thank TikTok’s 1,500 US employees, adding the app plans on bringing 15,000 new jobs to the country over the next three years.

Pappas affirms TikTok is “here for the long run” and is working on “building the safest app because we know it’s the right thing to do,” encouraging users to continue sharing their voice on the app.

The video has received 1.8 million views.

Microsoft Eyes Acquisition Of TikTok’s US Operations

Microsoft is said to be in talks to buy TikTok in the US from its Chinese parent company ByteDance, as reported by FOX Business.

Why it matters: Owing to concerns over TikTok’s ties to China, the Trump administration has been weighing whether to force ByteDance to sell its stake in TikTok’s US operations, according to FOX Business.

The details: TikTok and Microsoft have declined to comment, and there are “two to three serious buyers that have expressed interest,” a person with direct knowledge told FOX. The source said that discussions between Microsoft began about a month ago.

Twitter Surveys Users On Paid Subscription Features

Since confirming it’s testing a subscription platform, Twitter has been surveying users on a list of paid features the platform might offer, as spotted by social media expert Matt Navarra.

Why it matters: Asking users which features they’d be willing to pay for signals Twitter’s progress on developing a subscription service at a time when Facebook is under fire from congress, brands and civil rights groups.

The details: The range of extra services Twitter’s subscription platform might include are an undo send option, custom color options, auto-replies, profile badges, advanced video publishing tools, job listings, education resources and insights into other accounts. Twitter is also asking users if they’d pay for an ad-free experience.

In Q2, Pinterest Adds 49 Million More Users, Sees 4 Percent Revenue Increase

Pinterest reached 416 million monthly active users (MAUs) and saw a four percent increase in revenue, according to the company’s Q2 performance report.

Why it matters: Pinterest’s performance update marks a dramatic improvement on Q1, when the platform’s growth was stagnant. Following the announcement, Pinterest shares spiked 25 percent.

The details: Pinterest added 49 million more users in Q2, a 39 percent increase globally year-over-year. About the update Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann said:

“People needed Pinterest in Q2. They needed a service that helped them adjust to radically changed circumstances – one that inspired them to cook at home, build vegetable gardens, plan activities for their kids and set up remote offices and home gyms, to name just a few typical COVID-19-related use cases we saw during the quarter.”

69 Percent Of Brands Shift Programmatic In-House Amid Heightened Data Privacy Rules

BY

Sixty-nine percent of brands have taken their programmatic advertising in-house, according to an international report conducted by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Accenture Interactive.

The report analyzes how programmatic’s role in the digital media ecosystem is evolving in companies in the US, Europe and Latin America amid heightened data privacy regulations and concerns.

Programmatic’s share of digital ad spend worldwide is poised to grow to 68 percent this year, according to Zenith. That number is likely to further increase as mobile and digital consumption rates soar during the pandemic. In the last five years, programmatic’s share of digital ad spend worldwide has increased 54 percent, with more than two of every three display ad dollars being spent on programmatic.

Programmatic advertising represents 89 percent of digital ad spend in the UK, nearly 85 percent in the US, 80 percent in Europe and 63 percent in Latin America.

Due to programmatic’s scale and efficiency in targeting and placing digital ads, at a time when digital consumption is at an all-time high, more and more brands are in-housing some or all of their programmatic, the survey reveals.

Twenty-one percent of brands have completely brought programmatic in-house while 48 percent have partially done so.

Europe has displayed the strongest desire to move the function in-house. In fact, 74 percent of European organizations have completely or partially shifted programmatic in-house, which is more than organizations in either the US and Latin America.

Thirty-one percent of brands in Europe have fully moved programmatic in-house while 43 percent have partially done so. Whereas 16 percent of brands in Latin America have completely moved programmatic in-house and almost half have partially done so.

In 2018, the European Union issued the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The US followed when in 2020 it debuted the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). While stricter data regulations reduce the number of consumers who can be targeted, those that can be targeted are more interested and relevant, which results in more effective ad spend and a great sense of trust between brand and consumer.

With the demise of cookies looming, a brand’s ability to effectively control programmatic in-house will depend on its ability to obtain and manage its own first-party data.

“It’s an issue of transparency. We had a contract through our agency, but they didn’t have a transparent programmatic offering. Without transparency, we can’t improve ad effectiveness.” one consumer packaged goods executive told IAB.

Bringing the capability in-house has its challenges, including getting buy-in across the company and flexibility in making the shift. Hence why the companies that have taken all or some of their programmatic operations in-house are utilizing a hybrid approach by seeking external support.

The survey also found that digital video ad spend share worldwide is estimated to be 75 percent this year, an eight percent increase from 2019.

Peloton Names Dara Treseder As Head Of Global Marketing And Communications

BY

This week in leadership updates, Peloton names Dara Treseder as head of global marketing and communications, AT&T lays off 54 employees from its consumer marketing division, LegalZoom hires John Buchanan as CMO, Tim Reid accepts a promotion as SVP of repertoire and marketing at BMG Record Music, Apple names Greg Joswiak as SVP of worldwide marketing and more.

Peloton Appoints Dara Treseder Senior Vice President, Head Of Global Marketing And Communications

Peloton has hired Dara Treseder as its new head of global marketing, replacing Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, who left the company in May.

Treseder most recently served as CMO for Carbon. Prior to Carbon, she was CMO of GE Business Innovation and GE Ventures.

AT&T Lays Off 54 Employees From Its Consumer Marketing Team

Following its reduction of 3,400 jobs and 250 store closures in June, AT&T has laid off 54 employees from its consumer marketing division.

The company said the layoffs are the result of economic impact and changed consumer behaviors due to COVID-19.

Ducati Names Patrizia Cianetti As Head Of New Marketing And Communication Department

Ducati announced the launch of a new marketing and communication department, which will be led by the company’s former marketing director Patrizia Cianetti.

BMG Record Music Promotes Tim Reid To Senior Vice President Of Repertoire And Marketing

BMG’s Tim Reid has accepted a promotion as SVP of repertoire and marketing, Billboard reports.

Prior to joining BMG, Reid was VP of product management at Ingrooves Distribution. Prior to that, Reid held various marketing leadership roles at Interscope Geffen A&M Records, MCA Records and Priority Records.

LegalZoom Hires John Buchanan As Chief Marketing Officer

LegalZoom has announced it’s bringing on John Buchanan as CMO.

Buchanan joins LegalZoom from the National Football League, where he served as SVP of marketing strategy and sciences.

Apple Names Greg Joswiak Senior Vice President Of Worldwide Marketing

Apple announced it’s replacing CMO Phil Schiller, who’s worked at Apple since 1987, with veteran product marketing executive Greg Joswiak.

In his new role, Joswiak will serve as SVP of global marketing.

Joswiak most recently served as Apple’s VP of worldwide product marketing for four years.

Deloitte Promotes Matt McGrath To Global Chief Marketing Officer

Matt McGrath has accepted a promotion as global CMO of Deloitte.

McGrath joined Deloitte Australia in 2017 as CMO before rising to CMO of Deloitte Asia Pacific in June 2019.

Prior to Deloitte, McGrath served as chief brand officer for Network Ten and CEO and executive creative director of Y&R Brands, respectively.

Capitol Records Promotes Arjun Pulijal To Senior Vice President Of Marketing

Arjun Pulijal has accepted a promotion as SVP of marketing for Capitol Records, as reported by Variety.

Pulijal was most recently VP of marketing for the label since 2017. He joined Capitol Records in 2013 as director of marketing.

Prior to Capitol, Pulijal worked for seven years at Epic Records.

Vonage Hires Joy Corso As Chief Marketing Officer

Vonage has appointed Joy Corso as CMO. Corso will oversee all areas of the company’s global marketing function.

Corso joins Vonage from Virtustream, where she was SVP and CMO..

Robinhood Appoints Christina Smedley As Chief Marketing Officer

Christina Smedley is joining Robinhood as CMO.

Smedley comes from Facebook, where she spent nearly five years in marketing roles working on Messenger and Calibra.

Domino’s Promotes Art D’Elia To Executive Vice President And Chief Marketing Officer

Art D’Elia has accepted a promotion as EVP and CMO of Domino’s, according to a press release. D’Elia, who will lead the brand’s global marketing initiatives, joined Domino’s in 2018 as senior vice president, chief brand and innovation officer before taking on some of the brand’s digital marketing efforts earlier this year.

Prior to joining Domino’s, D’Elia spent seven years at Danone, most recently as their marketing director in the UK.

Pernod Ricard Hires Estelle Martin As Head Of Experiential And Consumer Activation

Pernod Ricard has promoted Estelle Martin to lead its UK experiential marketing division, replacing Kenny Hyslop, who departed in June after 15 years.

Martin joined the company in 2018 as an on-trade customer marketing controller.

Prior to Pernod Ricard, Martin served as the customer marketing director for Quintessential Brands Group.

Real Growth For All With Marc de Swaan Arons

BY

During this 219th episode of “Marketing Today,” I interview Marc de Swaan Arons, founder of the Institute for Real Growth.

Today we talk about what the Institute for Real Growth focuses on and what it hopes to achieve for all stakeholders. We discuss how the Institute for Real Growth is helping marketers and CEOs realize that growth potential.

De Swaan Arons begins by describing the journey to founding the Institute for Real Growth, which involved thousands of interviews with brand heads and an initiative to understand the role of marketers in organizations that outperform others in long-term growth. They created an independent organization to meet the needs of CMOs without selling anything. As de Swaan Arons describes it: “We connect those CMOs and other senior growth leaders to benchmarking, research, best practices, experts, but most importantly, other practitioners around the themes of real growth.”

We discuss the importance of driving growth for all stakeholders and shifting away from shareholder primacy. De Swaan Arons says, “The new reality is going to have to be a far more balanced equation of value creation, yes, for shareholders, but also for our colleagues and our communities and our customers.” He reminds us that businesses were initially created for communities. Our conversation is about the importance of growth for everyone involved.

Highlights from this week’s “Marketing Today”:

  • What attracted Marc to Woodstock, NY. 01:29
  • How Marc became interested in marketing. 03:00
  • The events that led to the founding of The Institute for Real Growth. 05:41
  • The Institute for Real Growth’s mission. 14:26
  • The Institute’s progress after one year. 15:06
  • Their pivot from in-person meetings to an online program when COVID hit. 17:04
  • The Humanizing Growth webcast series. 19:06
  • Conclusions from the Initiative for Real Growth. 21:13
  • Businesses were initially created for communities. 23:40
  • The Institute’s focus on CMOs. 26:21
  • How CMOs can get engaged with the Institute for Real Growth. 29:35
  • The Institute’s end goal. 32:04
  • Marc shares a defining experience. 35:20
  • Marc shares about an impactful purchase he made in the last 6-12 months. 37:32
  • Are there any brands, companies, or causes that Marc follows that he thinks
  • other people should take notice of? 38:20
  • Marc’s take on the top threat facing marketers today. 40:49

Resources Mentioned:

Subscribe to the podcast:

Listen in iTunes (link: http://apple.co/2dbdAhV)
Listen in Google Podcasts (link: http://bit.ly/2Rc2kVa)
Listen in Spotify (Link: http://spoti.fi/2mCUGnC )

Connect with Marketing Today and Alan Hart:

http://twitter.com/abhart
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanhart
http://twitter.com/themktgtoday
https://www.facebook.com/themktgtoday/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketing-today-with-alan-hart/

Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on opportunities around brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine startups.

Listen In: When Is A Strategist Not A Strategist?

BY

(Originally aired August 4th on LinkedIn Live.)

We’re back with another episode of Listen In. This week, we’re featuring a conversation between Ayzenberg’s Matt Bretz and Ashley Owen about the roles of creatives and strategists. Topics include: Where does the job of a strategist end and a creative editor begin? What does it mean to be a strategy director? 

About Listen In: Each week on Listen In, Bretz and a rotating cast of hosts from Ayzenberg interview experts in the field of marketing and advertising to explore uncharted territory together. The goal is to provide the a.network audience with actionable insights, enabling them to excel in their field.

Chipotle Debuts Online Apparel Collection After Digital Sales More Than Tripled In Q2

BY

Using its leftover avocado pits, Chipotle is launching a sustainable line of apparel and accessories made with organic cotton called Chipotle Goods, all profits from which will benefit organizations advancing sustainability in fashion and farming. To promote the collection, Chipotle is teaming up with influencers to host a pop-up shop on Depop, where it will drop customized goods in real-time.

Timed for National Avocado Day, Chipotle Goods features apparel and branded unisex gear dyed with upcycled avocado pits. In a 30-second video spot, Chipotle shared how its heavy consumption of avocados—its restaurants are left with 300 million avocado pits per year— sparked the idea to collect, soak and simmer the pits to produce the light beige natural dye for the collection. Each piece requires five avocado pits, which amounts to five orders of guacamole.

Items like a bomber jacket and customizable graphic tees comprise the collection, which Chipotle says is “focused on size inclusivity, gender-neutral pieces and features unisex sizing on most products.”

Starting today, Chipotle’s 15 million reward members have exclusive access to the Chipotle Goods digital store using a special password shared via email. Chipotle will open the collection to the public on August 4.

On August 5, Chipotle will feature its Goods during a live Depop pop-up shop with mega influencers Avani Gregg, Natalie Mariduena, SpencerX and DevonOnDeck.

In 2012, Chipotle started buying uniforms from organic cotton farmers, making it one of the biggest US buyers of Global Organic Textile Standard cotton.

Chipotle’s uniform partner Loomstate created many of the collection’s items using energy-efficient materials. It’s the fast-casual chain’s hope that using Loomstate’s organic cotton will help prevent the use of synthetic pesticides. In 2019 alone, Chipotle prevented approximately 1.7 million pounds of synthetic pesticides from being used through its purchase of Loomstate employee uniforms.

Chipotle’s foray into merchandise coincides with an SMS guessing challenge it launched called “Unlock the Guac” as part of its yearly celebration of National Avocado Day on July 31. Chipotle is giving 52 of its rewards members a chance to win a year’s worth of free guacamole by correctly guessing the secret password for one of its six Chipotle Rewards accounts.

Despite challenges due to restrictions on indoor dining, Chipotle had a solid Q2—revenue declined 4.8 percent to $1.36 billion, but still beat expectations at $1.32 billion. In addition, digital sales surged 216 percent while comparable sales declined 9.8 percent. In July, comparable sales have increased 6.4 percent.