What We’re Reading—Week Of September 14th

A rundown of what we’re sharing internally this week.


Brand Equity – History Matters

Forbes

Nurtured over several years, brand equity can provide its holder with tremendous staying power. Some have withstood the test of time and lasted over 100 years, becoming household names in the process. Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, L.L. Bean, UPS and Carhartt are spotlighted for their ingenuity, adaptability, utility and most of all–their entrepreneurial spirit and vision.

Why it matters: Some companies are able to utilize their original, timeless vision as fuel to propel themselves through decades of social change, economic highs and lows, changes in consumer behavior, market volatility and changes in marketing strategy. This evolution is written into the brand’s history, and builds upon its DNA, creating a molecular structure, or brand equity, that provides insight on how to market honestly and organically.


Youtube Appeals To Advertisers With More Performance, Prediction Metrics For TV Ads

Tubefilter

Youtube is attempting to harness some of the ad money that would normally go to traditional television networks were it not for COVID-19-induced production delays, by expanding its unique reach metrics to television viewership–showing how many unique users within particular demographics, rather than devices, viewed an ad. The platform has also added programmatic deals into its forecasting tool, predicting what type of reach a campaign is expected to have.

Why it matters: Viewers of YouTube television currently watch over 450 million hours of content daily. With YouTube’s new programmatic deals, advertisers will know who’s viewing ads and how much they can expect to increase a marketing campaign’s reach.


McDonald’s App Offers Mock Insurance To Drive Trial Of New Spicy McNuggets

Mobile Marketer

McDonald’s aims to appeal to the younger generation of spice-lovers with its first McNugget flavor change ever–Spicy McNuggets. The marketing campaign driving the new release includes a 40-minute reading of “Spicesurance,” a mock insurance offering mobile orders free McNuggets by former NFL player Anthony “Spice” Adams.

Why it matters: The “Spicesurance” marketing campaign points to the possibility that big chains may be returning to pre-pandemic approaches to advertising—leaving behind the emotional, empathetic messages that dominated ads beginning in March, in favor of humor.


Applebee’s Gets Back to Its Grill-And-Bar Roots. An Interview With CMO Joel Yashinsky

Forbes

Joel Yashinsky of McDonald’s came on as CMO of Applebee’s during a turnaround period for the casual-dining chain and just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit–with the task of re-establishing the restaurant’s “neighborhood” roots. With its customer base equally divided between millennials, Gen Xers and baby boomers, Applebee’s believes it can reach each cohort through loyalty to its comforting and simple, bar-and-grill identity.

Why it matters: After COVID-19 hit, 85 percent of Applebee’s business disappeared as dining rooms were ordered to close. The company adapted by driving business toward its patios; implementing pandemic safety protocols; incorporating brand-appropriate communication points; shutting down all national marketing campaigns; going completely local; and utilizing the Applebee’s app, Google search, Facebook and its virtual brand Neighborhood Wings. 


Here’s What Facebook’s New Future-Facing AR Glasses Look Like

Ad Age

Facebook has unveiled Project Aria, a research program that’s developing the platform’s new augmented reality (AR) glasses, designed in partnership with EssilorLuxottica, the maker of Ray-Ban sunglasses. The data gathered by the glasses will support the development of head-tracking, eye-tracking and audio algorithms as Facebook’s Silicon Valley staff tests the specs before they are available for sale in 2021.  

Why it matters: On the benefits of wearing the glasses, Facebook said, “If you’re at a grocery store, the front-facing cameras might scan the room and identify the store’s contents, while the eye-tracking cameras recognize your gaze has fallen on a fruit, and the display function pops up with an identification, its price, its nutritional value, potential recipes, and so on.”


JCPenney Avoids Liquidation, But Hard Work Remains

Adweek

Mall operators Simon Property Group and Brookfield Property Group are purchasing JCPenney in a stalking horse asset purchase agreement for $1.75 billion in cash and debt. The move will allow for the company to avoid liquidation and keep as many stores open as possible. 

Why it matters: Along with JCPenney, Simon and Brookfield have bought themselves time in determining how to address a string of vacancies they anticipate in the coming months and years—vacancies that could have potentially caused serious trouble for the mall operators given co-tenancy clauses in lease agreements requiring certain minimum levels of occupancy.


Listen Carefully, You’ll Hear The Fraud In The Details

Forbes

Las Vegas-based fraud prevention startup NS8, hydrogen-electric automaker Nikola, Outcome Health and a number of other companies are being investigated for fraud. In addition, Wirecard’s former CEO was arrested for a scandal surrounding the disappearance of $2.1 billion.

Why it matters: After a string of fraud cases have come to light, it has become more important now than ever to ensure agencies and ad tech vendors are held accountable, and that companies entering into business with them protect themselves.


How Has The Coronavirus Outbreak Impacted Consumer Purchase Behaviors And Intentions?

The Drum

Roughly one third of American consumers report shopping online more frequently post-pandemic and say they’ll continue to do so after things return to normal. Driving this trend isn’t only safety, but convenience as well. Food and grocery products, household essentials, personal care products, clothing and personal electronics are among the sectors that have experienced the greatest boost in sales. 

Why it matters: This phenomenon has reinforced the importance of social media content creators in connecting consumers with new products and recommendations, as a study from Influencer and GlobalWebIndex found the sectors that are particularly ripe for content creator influence include: beauty/personal care (52 percent), fashion (39 percent), entertainment subscriptions (31 percent) and food delivery services/cooking kits (28 percent).


Don’t Just Lead Your People Through Trauma. Help Them Grow.

Harvard Business Review

Post-traumatic stress disorder is the most common outcome after experiencing a traumatic event, but for most, resilience is the natural response. In 54 studies analyzing thousands of individuals, many responded to shocking events with a “fresh start” attitude and a reconsideration of their values—also known as “posttraumatic growth,” or PTG. In a study of roughly 10,000 trauma survivors, about half of them experienced at least some PTG. 

Why it matters: When the pandemic is over, rather than anticipating recovery, leaders must affirm values in order to boost morale, allocate resources for employee mental health and encourage community.


Millennials Are Killing The ‘Ethnic Aisle’ — And Insiders And Experts Say That’s A Good Thing

Business Insider

Products that don’t fit into standard conceptions of mainstream American cuisine are collectively labeled as the grocery store’s “ethnic aisle,” an outdated approach that doesn’t align with consumer behavior. 

Why it matters: What’s considered traditional, mainstream or ethnic is in constant flux as American palettes’ expand. White millennials are open-minded and outgoing in their consumption, and ethnic minorities in the US have increased buying power. For ethnic food companies not to have to fight for limited shelf space, and in order for more Americans to experience a wider array of cuisines, grocery stores might want to disperse these products throughout the store and next to more “mainstream” items that could complement them.

Recipe For Brand Refresh With King Arthur Baking’s Bill Tine

On this 225th episode of “Marketing Today,” I interview Bill Tine, the vice president of marketing at King Arthur Baking Company.

On the show today, we talk about Tine’s refresh of King Arthur Baking’s brand, including the process and research that went into the refresh. We also discuss the impact of the current months on his business and the explosive growth that they’ve had.

We start this episode by talking about some of Tine’s favorite recipes. We then dive into our discussion about King Arthur’s rebrand, which emphasizes their identity as a baking company. Tine shares insights from the rebranding process, including what they learned from consumer research and the value of their core team. Then we learn about how King Arthur has experienced significant growth during the pandemic. Reflecting on this moment, Tine says, “Baking has become at times a new national pastime.” He shares how the company keeps its audience engaged. He says, “It’s really the core of our approach that we want to help and inspire.” He talks about the importance of building your audience so that you can reach out directly to your consumer. This discussion highlights how a company with a long history can rebrand effectively.

Highlights from this week’s “Marketing Today”:

  • Bill’s favorite recipe. 01:24
  • Bill’s path to King Arthur. 02:13
  • King Arthur’s name change and a new identity. 04:09
  • Rebranding while staying true to a long heritage. 05:30
  • The rebranding process and insights along the way. 07:05
  • The consumer research that went into the rebrand. 08:41
  • Insights from consumer research. 09:50
  • The effect of stay-at-home orders on their business. 12:41
  • Ways they had to adapt to react to shifts and demands. 15:09
  • Engaging with customers on their baker’s helpline and beyond. 17:21
  • Focusing on driving category growth. 20:28
  • Advice for marketers who want to engage customers during this challenging time. 22:11
  • Bill reflects on an impactful experience. 23:28
  • Bill reflects on advice he would give to his younger self. 26:45
  • Bill shares about an impactful purchase he made in the last 6-12 months. 27:59
  • Are there any brands, companies, or causes that Bill follows that he thinks other people should take notice of? 29:21
  • Bill’s take on the top opportunity and threat facing marketers today. 31:45

Resources Mentioned:


Subscribe to the podcast:

Connect with Marketing Today and 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.

Burberry To Live Stream Spring/Summer 2021 Runway Show On Twitch

Making the best of a canceled in-person fashion month, Burberry has announced it will debut its spring/summer 2021 collection via a Twitch live stream, making Burberry the first fashion house to partner with Twitch for a virtual fashion show.

On Burberry’s Twitch account, the brand posted a 23-second trailer teasing the show, which will be streamed live on September 17, the first day of London Fashion Week, at 12:30 p.m. BST, or British Summer Time. The teaser marks the first video from the fashion house, whose Twitch account has 480 followers.

“Burberry has always been a brand of firsts and partnering with Twitch continues this legacy,” Burberry chief marketing officer Rod Manley said.

Manley’s words aren’t merely press release fluff. In 2010, Burberry became the first luxury brand to livestream its runway show—in 3D to five global cities and streamed to the rest of Burberry fans through 73 websites including Vogue, CNN and Grazia. During a 72 hour-window right after the event, people could buy the shearling jackets from the show.  

Burberry’s virtual Twitch event comes just two months after the brand teamed up with WeChat’s parent company, Tencent, to open a tech-enabled social retail store in Shenzhen, China. Digital touchpoints including a WeChat mini program and a digital animal avatar enable shoppers to earn in-store rewards and unlock exclusive content.

The immersive store concept is gaining traction among luxury brands. In August, Lancôme opened a virtual flagship store in Singapore that offers skincare enthusiasts artificial intelligence-powered skin consultations and customizable products via a machine.

How Warner Bros. Super-Served Fans At DC FanDome, Its First-Ever Virtual Convention

At a time when in-person events are canceled until further notice, finding ways to enliven consumers in the age of coronavirus can be tricky. Yet Warner Bros. did just that when it celebrated DC properties across film and television at DC FanDome, a two-part live-streamed convention that super-served loyal comic fans and influencers from around the world through hours of free content including panels, premieres, masterclasses and after-parties, plus shoppable merchandise.

On August 22, Warner Bros, kicked off DC FanDome: Hall of Heroes, an eight-hour event live-streamed on DCFanDome.com, which over the course of 24 hours repeated three times to give fans everywhere a chance to watch. 

Warner Bros. announced the event over two weeks in advance with a TikTok challenge called #DCSuitUp. Each video featured a different celebrity comic character—including The Rock, Gal Gadot and Javicia Leslie, to name a few—whose covering of the camera lens with their hand prompts fans in cosplay to appear as that celebrity’s character.  

The studio says DC FanDome: Hall of Heroes drew in 22 million views across 220 countries and territories over its 24-hour run, Variety reports.

Part two of the virtual experience, DC FanDome: Explore the Multiverse, which debuted on September 12, was once again all about the fans. Available for 24 hours after premiering, the over 100 hours of on-demand programming included panels, an escape room, original content, fan art and masterclasses from talent across DC television, film, publishing and games.

Other immersive experiences at Multiverse included a chance for fans to create their dream ride with the new 2021 Chevy Trailblazer; vote for their favorite fan art, and cosplay and fandom finalists; and tweet reactions to DC FanDome in real time.

Warner Bros. even made it a point to enhance attendees’ customer service experience. In fact, the company created a separate Twitter account named @DCFanDomeHelp solely to answer fans’ questions about the event. Similarly, to make it accessible to people in different countries, videos were subtitled into nine languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Traditional Chinese.

Warner Bros. also created a merch site, which feels like an online mega-mall for DC FanDome fans. The store features graphic t-shirts featuring comic cover art, DC FanDome-inspired Lego sets, all the DC movies and shows, in addition to DC collections from Uniqlo, Hot Topic and Eleven by Venus Williams.

Like with any virtual event, the Multiverse activation wasn’t without snags. Upon trying to access panels on launch day, many viewers received 502 Bad Gateway errors and took to Twitter to express their frustration.  


The event ended with yet another interactive experience designed to entertain fans—an Instagram live version of the second annual “Blerd and Boujee” Hall of Heroes after-party hosted by DJ D-Nice, who also co-moderated a panel celebrating women of color in the DC universe.

Get Out Of The Experiential Business And Into The Emotion Business

(Originally aired September 15th on LinkedIn Live.)

On the show today, we’re featuring a conversation between Ayzenberg’s Matt Bretz and head of entertainment at Unit 9, Davide Bianca.


Davide and Matt discuss the concept of experiential marketing and why emotion lies at the foundation of these experiences. Davide shares his ‘futurist’ approach to content creation and how various types of experiential are still viable despite the limitations imposed by physical distancing. Ultimately, the show is a call to arms for marketers to think more about the emotions they are creating with consumers rather than the experiences their campaigns provide.


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.

NPD Group: Consumer Spending Across Video Games Reaches $3.3 Billion In August

In August, consumers spent $3.3 billion across video game hardware, content and accessories, a 37 percent increase year-over-year, The NPD Group’s latest US video game sales report shows. Spending on content, hardware and accessories each increased by over 20 percent since August 2019.

According to NPD, year-to-date video game spending reached $29.4 billion, a 23 percent increase from August 2019.

Among the largest growth segments were digital content on console platforms, mobile content and subscription spending.

Video game content spending reached $2.9 billion, a 37 percent surge when compared to a year ago. Content spending YTD now exceeds $25.9 billion, a 22 percent increase YoY.

Hardware spending grew 37 percent to $229 million, while YTD spending on hardware reached $2 billion. Nintendo Switch helped boost hardware sales as its unit sales volume more than doubled, helping achieve a new US August record for hardware dollar sales.

Consumer spending on accessories grew by 42 percent, reaching an August record of $166 million, fueled in part by the best-selling accessory of August–the PS4 DualShock 4 Wireless Controller Black.

Spending on accessories YTD surged 26 percent to an all-time high of $1.4 billion.

The best-selling titles of August include Madden NFL 21, which saw double-digit percentage dollar sales growth compared to the release month of Madden NFL 20; UFC 4; Final Fantasy VII: Remake; and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

The industry’s August performance follows a strong Q2, when total consumer spending on video gaming in the US reached a record Q2 $11.6 billion—a 30 percent increase YoY and a seven percent increase from Q1.

What We’re Reading—Week Of September 7th

We’re tracking the most important news for marketers making the rounds the week.


‘Retailers Are Media Owners In Their Own Right’: Why E-commerce Is Driving More Of Unilever’s Media Spend

Digiday

Claire Hennah, Unilever’s vice president of ecommerce, says the company has created digital hubs in the majority of its markets that focus on data-driven marketing opportunities through reseller collaborations, in addition to thinking about how Unilever ads can be used to encourage someone to shop online even from within its own stores.

Why it matters: In 2019, Unilever made $3.7 billion from ecommerce sales and $2.6 billion in the first six months of 2020. 


This Campaign Encourages Voters Of Color To Cast Their Election Ballot From Home

Adweek

Grassroots organization Vote From Home 2020 is sending mail-in ballot applications to people of color who are “most likely to contract and die from Covid-19 and the least likely to request mail-in ballots” in swing states including Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. To promote the campaign, Vote From Home 2020 will run ads on Buzzfeed, Pandora, Vevo and Entertainment Weekly.

Why it matters: People of color have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, polling location closures, long wait lines and voter ID laws.


COVID-19 Will Be Remembered As The ‘Great Accelerator’ Of Digital Transformation

Forbes

A new consumer study from FIS Global shows most consumers are spending more of their money online. For example, a quarter of consumers are subscribing to new digital streaming services and almost half of consumers are more frequently shopping via their mobile devices.

Why it matters: Ecommerce is on the rise and consumer behavior is unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels, so if a business is to thrive, it must quickly become digitally-enabled.


Taboola, Outbrain Merger Collapses, Ending Bid To Form Rival To Walled Gardens

Marketing Dive

Taboola and Outbrain have cancelled plans for a $850 million merger after Taboola attempted to change terms of the deal and pay less than half of the initial agreement.

Why it matters: Since the pandemic began, digital advertising is performing better than traditional media and will grow 6 percent in the US in 2020, as compared to an 8 percent decline for the broader ad market. Additionally, the merger could have possibly produced a player in Google and Facebook’s ad duopoly, especially given that Google’s total advertising revenue in 2020 fell 8 percent (its first ad revenue decline in its 26-year history).


Diversity In Advertising: The Art Of Being Self-Aware And Giving A Damn

The Drum

Criticized for its lack of intercultural sensitivity, Volkswagen’s now-withdrawn ad that ran in May 2020 proves that visible diversity in advertising doesn’t necessarily mean a brand is being representative, inclusive or nondiscriminatory.  

Why it matters: Diversity in advertising starts with being aware, empathizing and speaking up.

Gartner: 44 Percent Of CMOs Are Facing Midyear Budget Cuts Due To COVID-19

Almost half of chief marketing officers (44 percent) are facing midyear budget cuts in 2020 as a direct result of the pandemic, shows Gartner’s “The Annual CMO Spend Survey Research: Part 1.” Fielded from March to May, the responses reflect CMOs’ optimism about business rebounding in the next year and a half, in addition to a desire to play things safe in 2021 by targeting existing markets.

After somewhat adjusting to COVID-19, CMOs are hopeful about the future—when asked about the impact of the business and economic climate over the next 18 to 24 months, 73 percent of CMOs said they expect the pandemic’s negative impacts to be short-lived. Similarly, 57 percent believe performance will return to pre-pandemic levels in the next 18 to 24 months.

Those who expressed some signs of concern about the future impact of COVID-19 include respondents in travel and hospitality (22 percent) and consumer product brands (34 percent).

Despite their rosy outlook, CMOs acknowledge the pandemic’s effects on their marketing budgets. For example, 44 percent of CMOs are prepared for a moderate cut of up to five percent or a larger cut of more than 15 percent.

Among some of the adverse actions CMOs have taken in response to COVID-19 are canceling or postponing customer-facing marketing events (44 percent), delaying a campaign launch (41 percent) and reducing permanent, temporary and contractor headcount (37 percent).

Other ways CMOs responded to the pandemic include launching special COVID-19 communications to customers (61 percent), adding listening tools to monitor COVID-19 customer sentiment (47 percent) and promoting ecommerce offerings (40 percent).

Over the last few months, CMOs have come to value brand strategy more. In fact, 33 percent of respondents cited brand strategy as their most vital strategic capability, overtaking analytics at 29 percent. Whereas last year, brand strategy was at the bottom of the list.

Looking ahead, 79 percent of CMOs are focused on their existing markets to fuel growth, particularly by introducing new products (45 percent) and increasing sales of existing products (34 percent).

Gartner’s findings are based on an online survey conducted among 432 respondents in the US, Canada, France, Germany and the UK.

Pepsi To Host Virtual Experiences For Football Fans In Celebration Of SoFi Stadium Debut

Timed to the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers season openers, Pepsi is gearing up to launch a virtual pregame concert and tailgate, an augmented reality (AR) filter that lets fans show their pride and a contest to award 1,000 people with Pizza Hut digital gift cards. The at-home game day experiences aim to celebrate the debut of the football teams’ new home, SoFi Stadium, a $5.5 billion stadium and entertainment complex for which Pepsi is the official soft drink.

To drum up hype for the Rams season opener on September 13, Pepsi is hosting a virtual pregame show featuring rapper Jay Rock that will live on Pepsi’s YouTube channel for 24 hours.

Pepsi is also launching an AR filter that will virtually paint team colors onto Rams fans’ selfies, which can then be shared across social media channels.

Chargers fans can get in the football season spirit from home too, as Pepsi is hosting a virtual tailgate featuring fan filters, merchandise and game day eats to celebrate the Chargers season opener on September 20. During the tailgate, Pepsi will give 1,000 fans $20 Pizza Hut digital gift cards that let them redeem a free pizza and two-liter Pepsi.

In addition, Pepsi has partnered with the Chargers’ popular defensive line, known as the Jackboyz, and Los Angeles-based artist Francisco Reyes Jr. to design a limited-edition t-shirt that 100 fans can win through a giveaway on Instagram and Twitter.

The aforementioned activations are part of Pepsi’s larger 2020 football campaign, “Made for Football Watching,” which includes a new digital hub featuring content, recipes and consumer sweeps. One such sweepstakes will give three fans the chance to receive a visit from a branded Buffalo Bills tailgate truck and veteran running back Thurman Thomas. The truck, dubbed Pepsi x Bills Tailgate Truck, features a stocked fridge, tailgating games and a branded table. To enter, participants must submit their email, location, phone number and date of birth.

Instagram Tests Three New Designs To Accommodate Reels And Shopping

This week in social media news, Instagram is testing three new designs to accommodate tabs for Reels and shopping, Twitch launches a suite of competitive tools for organizers called Versus, Snapchat’s new study reveals Gen Z has higher ad recall than older age groups, Facebook explains how it’ll enforce ad limits for pages in 2021 and more.


Instagram Tests Three New Designs To Make Room For Reels And Shopping

Instagram is globally testing the insertion of two new tabs on the platform—one for its newly launched TikTok clone, Reels, and one for shopping. Three new designs are in works to accommodate the new tabs, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri confirmed to The Verge.

Why it matters: Mosseri says Instagram’s goal with the addition of two new tabs is to help individual creators “earn their livelihoods on the app, whether by becoming video stars or e-commerce moguls.”

The details: To avoid making the app feel crammed, adding two new tabs will require Instagram to move at least one existing tab—which could prove tricky and fruitless given many have already criticized the app for feeling crowded. For example, writer and investor Eugene Wei described Instagram’s current design as “a jumble of formats.”


Twitch Launches Invite-Only Suite Of Organizer Tools Called Versus

Twitch has debuted an invite-only suite of competitive tools called Versus that enables competitive organizers to “build cutting-edge competitions in just a few steps.”

Why it matters: Versus marks Twitch’s latest attempt to boost its esports presence. In April, it launched an esports directory to keep viewers updated on the most recent tournaments.

The details: In closed beta for now, Versus lets organizers customize their competition with rules, banners and a profile image, plus set up participant registration, all within Twitch. Game developers, Twitch Rivals competitors and collegiate esports leagues will have access to Versus starting today. And for those not invited by Twitch, there’s a waitlist.


Instagram Creates Equity Team, To Hire Director For Diversity And Inclusion

Instagram has convened a dedicated product group that’s tasked with better understanding and addressing bias in its product development and users’ experiences, head of Instagram Adam Mosseri announced in a blog post. In addition, the company is hiring a director for diversity and inclusion.

Why it matters: The news follows Instagram’s commitment in June to review the ways it could be underserving certain groups of people, which has led the platform to develop and update a variety company-wide policies to support communities around the world. This work includes Instagram’s removal of 23 different banned organizations and the platform’s two-month review process of its verification practices to ensure a fairer process.

The details: Mosseri says the new Instagram Equity team will work to create “fair and equitable products,” by working with Facebook’s Responsible AI team to ensure algorithm fairness.

Instagram’s director for diversity and inclusion will help it find, keep and grow more diverse talent, the post says.


Snapchat: Gen Z Shows Higher Ad Recall Than Millennials And Gen Xers

According to the results of a study Snapchat commissioned Kantar to conduct, Gen Z are more likely to recall advertising than older age groups, even when they spend less time viewing skippable content.

Why it matters: Gen Z’s shorter attention span presents a challenge to marketers who are trying to reach the consumer group that has, according to Snapchat, estimated annual spending power of $1.2 trillion.

The details: The findings show that 59 percent of Gen Z recalled a brand’s skippable video ad, compared with 57 percent of millennials and 47 percent of Gen X. The study also found that 55 percent of Gen Z who watched a skippable ad for less than two seconds correctly recalled it, compared with 46 percent for millennials and 26 percent for Gen X and baby boomers.

Gen Z also has a higher rate of brand preference, as 65 percent of them say brands help them to express themselves, compared with 40 percent for Gen X and baby boomers.


Facebook Outlines New Ad Limits For Pages

Facebook is introducing four limit tiers of advertiser categories that outline how many ads each page can run concurrently to improve ad performance. The platform says it will start enforcing these ad limits from February 2021 through summer 2021.

Why it matters: As per Facebook, “When an advertiser runs too many ads at once, each ad delivers less often. This means that fewer ads exit the learning phase, and more budget is spent before the delivery system can optimize performance.”

The details: Facebook’s four tiers to help guide ad volume include 250 ads for small to medium-sized pages; 1,000 ads for medium to large-sized pages; 5,000 ads for larger pages; and 20,000 ads for the largest pages, or those with advertising budgets greater than $10 million in their highest spending month in the last year.


Facebook Watch Has Over 1.25 Billion Visitors Each Month

Two years after Facebook launched Facebook Watch, the network says 1.25 billion people visit Facebook Watch every month, head of video products Paresh Rajwat wrote in a blog post.

Why it matters: The news comes a month after Facebook challenged YouTube’s offerings when it launched official music videos in the US on Facebook Watch. The music destination, where Katy Perry exclusively debuted her music video for “Smile,” lets fans discover music videos through filters like artist, genre and mood. 

The details: Facebook Watch’s success coincides with a string of new content partnerships it formed with television and media companies in France, Germany, Italy,  the Middle East, North Africa, Spain and the UK.

In the gaming category on Facebook Watch alone, over 200 million people watch live videos each month, with watch time on Facebook Gaming increasing 75 percent from Q1 to Q2 this year.

In addition to music videos, gaming and television programming, live sports has contributed to the rapid growth of Facebook Watch, especially during the pandemic. Just this past weekend, the UEFA Champions League broadcasts in Latin America drew in over 13.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched soccer match in history on Facebook, according to Rajwat.

Facebook also recently launched paid online events to help struggling small businesses and creators. Facebook says it won’t collect any fees from paid online events for at least the next year. 

Lastly, Facebook expanded the availability of fan subscriptions and Stars so fans can donate to their favorite creators.


TikTok Announces New Marketing Partners And Stitch Feature

As ByteDance figures out a way to sell TikTok’s US operations, TikTok announced the launch of its new Marketing Partner Program and 20 partners who specialize in areas like campaign management, creative development, branded effects and measurement. In a separate announcement, TikTok said it’s launching a new editing feature called Stitch, which will enable users to clip and integrate scenes from others users’ videos into their own.

Why it matters: TikTok’s Marketing Partner Program is the latest addition to the company’s advertising platform, TikTok for Business, which it launched in June.  

The details: TikTok’s new marketing initiative comprises partners like Bidalgo, QuickFrame, Bare Tree Media, IgniteXR, Kantar and more. The app says its goal is to  “build new opportunities for marketers to be creative storytellers and meaningfully engage with the TikTok community.”

Regarding the new app’s new Stitch feature, TikTok says it’s similar to Duet in that it’ll let users reinterpret and build on another user’s content. Every video created with Stitch credits the original creator in the new video’s caption, which directly links to the original video. Users can decide in their settings whether or not others can “Stitch” their content, according to TikTok’s company post.


Instagram Launches Reels Trend Insights, Adds ‘Suggested Reels’ To Main Feed

A month after launching TikTok clone Reels, Instagram has added ‘Suggested Reels’ in the main feed of some users, as well as launched a monthly Reels Trend Report on the @creators Instagram account.

Why it matters: Despite receiving criticism for its similarities to TikTok, Instagram Reels is gaining traction. Obviously found that Reels was the second most popular short-form video platform in August after TikTok.

The details: As spotted by influencer marketing strategist Lindsey Gamble, Instagram’s ‘Suggested Reels’ display is TikTok’s version of the ‘For You’ page, once again reflecting Instagram’s desire to mimic the Byte Dance-owned company’s success.

The Reels Trend Report will “take a deeper look” at popular monthly trends. The first report, posted to the @creators account, explores the “infotainment” trend, which involves creators teaching a special skill in an entertaining 15-second tutorial.