Using Social Commerce To Influence Your Brand With Jane.com’s Meagen Johnson

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Meagen Johnson is the SVP of Marketing at Jane.com, a curated fashion marketplace with more than 2,000 brands and thousands of products released daily and only available for 72 hours.

In this episode, Meagen and I dive into her passion for marketing beginning in high school, how she ended up at Jane.com, and the trends she sees in the clothing and fashion industry and social media. 

Meagen believes the biggest opportunity for today’s marketers is to leverage social commerce not just for sales but also for brand awareness. She says marketers need to push to be different and that “what got you here today is definitely not going to get you where you need to go.” What should you be doing to not fall behind? Test, experiment, try different things to see if they work and align with your brand. How does the concept of “shopetainment” and influencers fit into this? Listen to their conversation to find out.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How to stand out and drive growth in a competitive marketplace
  • The evolution of social commerce 
  • How being different can feel more personal

Key Highlights:

  • [01:20] Why Meagen doesn’t eat fruits and vegetables
  • [02:55] Falling in love with marketing in high school 
  • [07:45] What is Jane.com?
  • [10:01] The competition of marketing to women
  • [11:20] Shopetainment: what works and what doesn’t work?
  • [16:00] Breaking down influencers, creators, and affiliates
  • [20:39] Meagen’s advice for marketers 
  • [22:35] An experience that defines Meagen, makes her who she is today
  • [25:25] Meagen’s advice for her younger self 
  • [26:18] What marketers should be learning more about
  • [28:32] The brands and organizations Meagen follows 
  • [30:11] What Meagen thinks is the biggest threat and best opportunity for marketers 

Resources Mentioned: 

Subscribe to the podcast:

Connect with the Guest:

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.

Vimeo And TikTok Announce Partnership To Help Businesses Create Better Video Ads

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This week in social media news, Vimeo becomes the first video software company in TikTok’s Marketing Partner Program, Facebook commits to investing over $1 billion in creator programs, TikTok becomes the first non-Facebook mobile app to pass 3 billion global downloads, Twitter axes its Fleets function and more.

TikTok And Vimeo Announce Partnership To Help Businesses Create Video Ads

Small and medium businesses on TikTok will now have access to Vimeo Create, an artificial intelligence-driven video production tool, via TikTok Ads Manager, as the result of a new partnership between the two platforms.

Why it matters: According to a press release, the partnership makes Vimeo the first video software company in TikTok’s Marketing Partner Program.

The integration provides a solution for marketers challenged with creating new content and ads more often than on other online channels given the high user engagement on TikTok.

The details: Using Vimeo Create, small and medium businesses can produce and publish ads directly into the TikTok Ad Manager. The integration also includes custom video templates optimized for TikTok.

In a pre-launch test, small business participants saw up to 50 percent higher clickthrough rates compared to previous campaigns on other platforms and were able to double the number of videos they created in a short time span.

A family-run soy candle company called NaturalAnnie Essentials saw a 5.5 times increase in conversion rate within the first two weeks of the trial campaign when compared to other forms of online advertising.

Additionally, more than 85 percent of participants reported successful campaign results and plan to run more TikTok campaigns, according to the release.

Facebook To Invest Over $1 Billion In Creator Programs By The End Of 2022

Facebook recently announced its plan to invest over $1 billion in programs that give creators new ways to monetize their content across Facebook and Instagram. That includes new programs that pay eligible creators for reaching certain milestones and provide seed funding for creators to produce their content. Facebook says its new bonus programs are designed to reward creators who are creating original and high-quality content.

Why it matters: Facebook’s increased focus on influencer monetization options echoes a message that Instagram head Adam Mosseri shared recently, noting that the platform is no longer a photo-sharing app and plans to lean into entertainment to keep up with TikTok.

The details: First up, Facebook is launching seasonal bonus programs. While bonus programs such as Badges and Stars Challenges already exist, Facebook will now have a dedicated place for bonuses within Instagram this summer and in the Facebook app this fall.

Available by invitation now on Facebook is the In-Stream Bonus, which pays an earnings bonus over the next four months to select video creators using in-stream ads. 

Also available now is the Stars Bonus, an expansion of the Stars Challenges program that will now include select gaming creators. The updated Stars Bonus will give video and gaming creators a monthly bonus for hitting specific Stars milestones over the next three months.

On Instagram, the first bonuses that will be available by invitation will reward influencers for signing up for IGTV ads and using badges in Live and Reels.

The IGTV ads bonus, open to US creators now, enables creators to earn a one-time bonus for signing up for IGTV ads, which enables them to earn a share of revenue when ads run during their videos.

The Live bonus badges, available now to influencers in 11 countries, reward creators when they meet certain milestones with badges, like going Live with another account.

Lastly, the Reels Summer bonus, which will launch in the coming weeks to US creators, will pay creators based on the performance of their Reels videos. Creators can learn more about this bonus in the new Bonuses section of the Instagram app.

TikTok Becomes First Non-Facebook Mobile App To Pass 3 Billion Global Downloads

According to Sensor Tower’s latest data, TikTok has now passed 3 billion installs globally from across the App Store and Google Play—including the iOS version of TikTok’s Chinese release, Douyin, and excluding third-party Android marketplaces.

Why it matters: This makes TikTok the fifth non-game app to join a tier that Facebook has historically dominated. Based on Sensor Tower’s data of worldwide installs from iOS and Android, excluding pre-installed apps, the four other apps that have amassed more than 3 billion installs since January 2014 include WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook and Instagram.

The details: According to Sensor Tower, TikTok was the most downloaded and highest-grossing non-game app globally in the first half of 2021, reaching about 383 million first-time installs and an estimated $919.2 million in consumer spending.

In Q2 2021, TikTok saw its highest quarter-over-quarter growth in consumer spending since Q2 2020, increasing from $384.7 million to $534.6 million.

First-time TikTok downloads grew from 177.5 million in Q1 2021 to 205.4 million in Q2 2021, the most growth TikTok has seen since its record-shattering Q1 2020 when it garnered more than 315 million installs—the most any app has seen in a single quarter, according to Sensor Tower.

Twitter Axes Its Fleets Function After Launching It Less Than A Year Ago

Twitter has announced that come August 3, Fleets, the Snapchat-like feature that gave Twitter users an ephemeral way to share their thoughts, will no longer be available after it failed to result in an increase in user engagement.

Why it matters: According to Twitter:

“We’re evolving what Twitter is, and trying bigger, bolder things to serve the public conversation. A number of these updates, like Fleets, are speculative and won’t work out. We’ll be rigorous, evaluate what works, and know when to move on and focus elsewhere. If we’re not evolving our approach and winding down features every once in a while—we’re not taking big enough chances.”

The details: Twitter launched Fleets about eight months ago as a way to compete with Snapchat’s Snaps and Instagram’s Stories, which disappear after 24 hours.

Twitter says it’ll use its learnings from Fleets to create other ways for users to join the conversation. For example, Twitter built the Fleets function to address some of the anxiety people have about tweeting but found that Fleets were mostly being used by people who were already tweeting to amplify their own tweets and communicate directly with others.

Twitter also found that most Fleets include media, which is why it says it’ll test updates to the tweet composer and camera to incorporate features from the Fleet composer, such as the full-screen camera, text formatting options and GIF stickers.  

The platform’s Fleet ads test concluded last month, making it one of Twitter’s first experiments with full-screen, vertical format ads; it says it’ll apply these learnings to assess how these ads perform on the platform.

Snapchat Data Show COVID-19 Accelerated Sports Viewership On The App

With the return to in-person sports events slowly underway, Snapchat has shared some new insight about how the pandemic boosted sports viewership on the app, plus the type of users that watch live sports on the app.

Why it matters: There are 90 million sports fans in North America alone on Snapchat, with 87 million Snapchatters watching sports content each month on the app.

The details: During the pandemic, Snapchatters watched an average of 28 hours of sports per week versus non-Snapchatters who watched 22 hours. Nearly half (46 percent) of Snapchatters started watching a new sport because of the pandemic versus 35 percent of non-Snapchatters. Plus, 86 percent of Snapchatters said they’re ready to go back to games versus 72 percent of non-Snapchatters.

Snapchatters are more engaged on their phones than non-Snapchatters while watching live sports, according to Snap research. Seventy-five percent of users use social media versus 59 percent of non-Snapchatters. More Snapchatters message people, play games and bet on sports than non-Snapchatters too.

Snapchat says it offers a 39 percent incremental reach to TV among ages 13 to 24 and a 38 percent incremental reach to sports events on TV and sports websites/apps among ages 18 to 34.

Gen Z Are The Most Conscious Alcohol Consumers

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Year to date, the share of ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails is growing at 15 times the rate as hard seltzer on Drizly, according to Drizly’s third annual Consumer Report.

Drizly commissioned a survey among 1,000 Americans over 21 to understand their summer and fall beverage choices, how newfound interests at home could influence consumption occasions in the long term and how they’re buying alcohol.

Traditional beer (61 percent), wine (56 percent) and spirits (44 percent) were the top three categories respondents listed when asked which drinks they’ll be reaching for most frequently this summer.

RTDs beat hard seltzers by 1 percent—30 percent versus 29 percent—despite RTDs share on Drizly being about half that of hard seltzer in 2021. Interestingly, less than a third of respondents could accurately define what hard seltzer is. Just 32 percent of consumers knew the correct answer—carbonated water with alcohol made from malt or sugar.

Twenty-three percent of respondents said they’d be drinking hard alternatives such as hard kombucha, hard tea and hard lemonade. And in last place, agave-based spirits such as tequila and mezcal are what 20 percent will be sipping on.

Consumers are seeking more transparency from alcohol brands about corporate ownership, ingredients listed on cans and sustainability practices associated with the product. Which of these factors matters the most differs across generations, Drizly’s research shows.

When taking traditional drivers like price and availability out of the equation, 39 percent of respondents reported that healthiness and how the beverage is made are what matter most while considering an alcohol brand to purchase, followed by 34 percent who said family ownership, size and localness is the top factor and 31 percent who said sustainable business practices were their foremost consideration.

As for the most important factor in respondents’ decision-making process when choosing alcohol to purchase, 20 percent named the ability to see all of the ingredients and the same number of respondents named calorie count. The third most important factor, as noted by 17 percent of respondents, is sugar content, the fourth is added health benefits like whether the drink contains probiotics and antioxidants, and the fifth most important factor is whether the beverage has a low alcohol level or is non-alcoholic.

Not surprisingly, Gen Z cares most about how their alcohol is made and who makes it. According to Drizly, the group over-indexed on both factors compared to other generations in purchase decision-making. In addition, nearly one-third of 21 to 24-year-olds surveyed cited minority ownership as an important brand choice consideration, followed by millennials at 18 percent, Gen X at 14 percent and baby boomers at 11 percent.

Sustainable business practices are also a driving force for 40 percent of Gen Z who say they factor environmental track record into alcohol brand selection, followed by Gen X at 33 percent, millennials at 32 percent and baby boomers at 20 percent.

For 67 percent of respondents, enjoying drinks while watching Netflix, television shows or movies at home was the top drinking behavior they partook in most during the pandemic. And 49 percent said it was having a couple of drinks on a weeknight.

As Drizly found, however, activities like cooking and streaming are poised to be enjoyed with a drink with the same or greater frequency as during the pandemic.

On-premise consumption is starting to rebound yet 54 percent said they’ll continue to drink at home this summer and fall, while 16 percent of respondents said they plan to drink most regularly at bars and restaurants. For 31 percent of those who plan to drink at bars and restaurants less often or not at all, the leading reasons are that they simply prefer to and that it costs less to do so.

About half (42 percent) plan to celebrate the 2021 holiday season the same way they did pre-pandemic — around friends and family.

One pandemic-induced behavior that will stick is shopping online for alcohol. According to Drizly, 53 percent of consumers will buy alcohol online more than before the pandemic and 33 percent will buy the same amount online as pre-pandemic.

Online marketplaces such as Instacart, Doordash and Drizly are where 72 percent of respondents said they bought alcohol online or for delivery in the past year. Thirty-nine percent listed their local liquor store website or via phone as their most-used channel to order alcohol.

Marketing Budgets Decrease As A Percentage Of Company Revenue To Lowest Level In Recent History

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Marketing budgets as a percentage of company revenue have dropped from 11 percent in 2020 to 6.4 percent in 2021—the lowest share allocated to marketing in recent history.

That’s according to Gartner’s CMO Spend Survey, conducted from March through May among 400 respondents in the US, Canada, France, Germany and the UK.

During 2020, Gartner found that the majority of chief marketing officers saw cuts well above 15 percent of the total marketing budget. Research from Gartner’s CMO Strategic Priorities Survey, however, shows that 56 percent of CMOs expected budget growth of more than 5 percent in 2021.

That decrease reflects a steady erosion of marketing’s funds amid marketing stakeholders’ lack of understanding on the impact that near-term marketing cuts have on brand awareness and consideration. As the report suggests, CMOs need to demonstrate in their next budgeting cycle that the current facade of savings presents a big risk to brand relevance, share of voice and the ability to engage customers with targeted, timely messages.

Accelerated investments in digital have come at the expense of functions such as marketing. All nine industries Gartner tracked were impacted by marketing budgets, with no industry holding a budget of more than 9 percent of revenue in 2021. 

Travel and hospitality saw budgets as a proportion of company revenue down from 10 percent to just 5.4 percent in 2020. CMOs from consumer products companies reported the strongest marketing budgets at 8.3 percent of revenue in 2021.

Investments in pure digital channels — be they owned, paid or earned — dominated CMOs’ investment priorities, accounting for 72.2 percent of the total marketing budget. Social media, digital ads and SEO are among the channels CMOs invested most in.

Almost a quarter of respondents told Gartner that cost reductions are what drove channel reallocations for the following reasons: to better meet the pace of change spurred by advances in digital technology (47 percent), to improve brand awareness (40 percent) and to gather data-driven insights from digital channels (39 percent).

Compared with previous years, marketing channel budget priorities have changed little year-over-year, with marketing technology still dominating at 26.7 percent of the total budget — a slight increase from 2020.

Agencies’ share of the total budget has declined slightly, by 0.7 percent, signaling the increase of efforts being moved in-house. Respondents reported that 29 percent of work previously produced by agencies has moved in-house in the past 12 months. The top three reasons for this, CMOs said, include brand strategy, innovation and technology, and marketing strategy development.

Across marketing programs and operational areas, digital commerce holds the largest share of the pie at 12.3 percent of the total budget, followed by marketing operations (11.9 percent) and brand strategy (11.3 percent). Marketing analytics came in fourth, comprising 11 percent of total budget.

Top Reason Consumers Distrust A Brand? Asking For Too Much Information

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As consumers spend more time online, the level of trust people have in brands has become closely linked to how brands use their personal data.

When it comes to communications that are mutually beneficial, Jebbit’s fifth bi-annual Consumer Data Trust Index found that interactive experiences such as product matches and personality quizzes take the cake, increasing consumer trust by 38.4 percent.

The report asked adult consumers in the US to rate, on a scale of one to 10, their level of trust in brands to use their personal data in exchange for relevant promotions, goods and services.

Over half (62 percent) of consumers said they prefer personalized products and experiences but a brand’s approach can make or break how that experience is received. For example, 54 percent of consumers said their trust in a brand decreases when receiving emails based on data they haven’t knowingly shared.

Interactive experiences are nearly tied with personalized emails (38.9 percent) based on knowingly shared data and are the least likely to decrease trust by far, according to the report. Such experiences provide both transparency about how consumer data is used and immediately deliver value on that data through personalized recommendations, notes Jebbit.

Creating a data collection strategy is critical, as 35 percent of consumers told Jebbit that a brand asking for too much personal information was their top reason to distrust a brand—the number one reason for the third time in a row. Jebbit clients have seen increases of over 30 percent in customer lifetime value by collecting as few as three points from each of their customers.

The second reason consumers distrust a brand when providing personal information is a public data scandal, as noted by 21.1 percent of respondents; the third is experiencing “creepy” advertising, as noted by 18.2 percent. Confusing privacy policies was also a factor, suggesting the importance of making consumer-facing copy about privacy laws straightforward and digestible.

Nearly 32 percent of respondents said that they’re more likely to trust a brand that provides an improved experience based on the data they have about them. Another 42 percent said conversational tools that provide personalized experiences increase their trust in a brand.

Among industries, technology remains the most trusted industry overall. Food, beverage and spirits brands are the lowest-ranked industry.

For the fifth consecutive time, Amazon holds the top spot for most-trusted brand while setting a new high at 7.05. Trailing closely behind Amazon is Adidas, with a consumer trust rating of 7.03. Other brands that made the top five include Netflix in third, Google in fourth and Samsung in fifth.

Earning a trust rating of 5.97 out of 10, Facebook landed 97 on the list of 100 and is the least trustworthy out of the social media brands. Instagram fared slightly better, ranking at 71 with a score of 6.23.

See the full list of rankings here.

What We’re Reading—Week Of July 12th

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A look at the marketing and advertising articles we’re sharing internally for the week of July 12th.

How CMOs Can Be A Force For Change When Defining Brand Purpose | Partner Content

Campaign Asia

At a roundtable hosted by Campaign and Twitter, Asia’s top marketing leaders agreed that their biggest challenge around fostering brand purpose is public skepticism, but that being consistent about what they stand for can inspire deeper trust from consumers.

Why it matters: According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, 70 percent of people think trusting a brand is more important today than in the past, and another 74 percent say a brand’s impact on society is a reason why brand trust has become more critical.

A TikTok Exec Says Livestreaming And Replying To User Comments Are Key Growth Drivers For Creators

Business Insider

According to Corey Sheridan, TikTok’s head of music partnerships and content operations in the US, creating livestream events and engaging directly with users in the comments are two effective strategies for building an audience on the app.

Why it matters: TikTok’s most recent show featuring Ed Sheeran set a new viewership record, surpassing 5.5 million viewers.

Ad Age’s 2021 Hottest Brands

Ad Age

The brands that made Ad Age’s annual list of ‘America’s Hottest Brands’ include Clubhouse, Draftkings, NFTs, Pattern, Reddit, The Home Edit, Figs and more.

Why it matters: Figs’ revenue surged 138 percent last year, and the brand boosted awareness with ads featuring real nurses’ stories, told on billboards and in subways in major cities. Plus, Reddit says it pinpointed the formula needed to reach $1 billion in ad revenue by 2023; the company raised $250 million in funding in February, giving it a $6 billion valuation

Shaping The Next Era Of Media, Inclusion And Business Ethics

Ad Age

Kirk McDonald, chief executive officer of GroupM North America, believes that brands need to connect with people in a meaningful and respectful way, and without infringing on their data privacy rights. That respect involves how brands deliver convenience and take into consideration the context of consumer needs and preferences.

Why it matters: In May, GroupM announced the formation of the Media Inclusion Initiative to support diverse talent and black-owned media companies and creators. The initiative includes a ‘Diverse Voices Accelerator’ fund which aims to create more diverse media ownership.

Digital Business Transformation: Defending, Differentiating, And Disrupting With Publicis Sapient’s Teresa Barreira

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Teresa Barreira is the CMO at Publicis Sapient where she works to transform businesses in the constantly evolving world.

In this episode, Teresa and I discuss her path to becoming CMO at Publicis Sapient, the new internship program she’s launched, and why she believes that diversity and inclusion are not only HR functions.

Along with her passion for D&I awareness, Teresa is passionate about transforming businesses. In her eyes, an organization should be like an operating room, constantly evolving and gleaning expertise and counsel from the experts in the room to accomplish a goal. Marketing plays a large role in driving that change. She says, “marketing is not just about telling a story or managing the brand. It is now about transforming the business.”

Listen to the full conversation to learn how you can also defend, differentiate, and disrupt within your organization and industry.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why content is the king and queen of a service company
  • Why diversity and inclusion doesn’t only belong in HR
  • Digital business transformation: defend, differentiate, and disrupt

Key Highlights:

  • [01:35] Growing up in Portugal and coming to the States
  • [03:38] From medical student to CMO
  • [07:16] What Teresa loves about the services division
  • [09:25] Selling a service as well as the people 
  • [10:30] Lessons learned by being your authentic self
  • [15:40] Publicis Sapient’s internship program
  • [22:11] Diversity and Inclusion is a company-wide endeavor
  • [26:34] An organization should be an operating room
  • [28:00] What is a digital business transformation 
  • [32:22] Transforming McDonald’s
  • [37:00] What Teresa says is today’s biggest opportunity for marketers

Resources Mentioned: 

Subscribe to the podcast:

Connect with the Guest:

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.

Snapchat Report Highlights Consumers’ Shopping Expectations Post-Pandemic

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This week in social media news, Snapchat’s new research reveals consumers’ post-COVID retail expectations, Pinterest updates its global ad policies to prohibit weight loss language and imagery, TikTok brings its violative content moderation technology to the US and Canada, YouTube releases its ‘Culture & Trends’ report and more.

Snapchat Shares New Insight About Consumers’ Post-COVID Shopping Expectations

According to a new retail study for which Snapchat commissioned Foresight Factory, virtual reality will play a large role in brick-and-mortar retail’s recovery, with 33 percent of consumers noting that their mobile phone is the preferred channel when shopping for products and 35 percent saying they’d go out of their way to visit a store if it had interactive virtual services, such as a smart mirror that let them try on clothes or makeup.

Why it matters: Forty percent of US consumers state that not being able to see and try out products are the top reasons they disregard online shopping, an issue brands could alleviate, they say, with more persuasive augmented reality (AR) and virtual try-on experiences.

The details: Snap’s ‘Future of Shopping’ 2021 market report breaks down global and US shopper expectations in life after the pandemic. The first key takeaway is that consumers will be looking for social and tactile experiences they couldn’t engage in during the pandemic, combined with the convenience and safety of online shopping.

According to the report, 50 percent of US consumers found it frustrating not being able to try on items in-store, reflecting the power that retail technologies can play in enticing customer footfall.

In addition, Snap predicts that in less than five years, there will be a 37 percent increase in the proportion of US Gen Z shoppers who use AR before buying a product. A whopping 62 percent of respondents who have used AR when shopping say that it encouraged them to make a purchase.

Lastly, just under half of US consumers told Snap that they’d consider buying a virtual product, signaling an opportunity for brands to leverage digital assets such as NFTs.

See the report’s full US findings here.

Pinterest Prohibits Ads With Weight Loss Language And Imagery

As of July 1, Pinterest has updated its global ad policies to prohibit ads with weight loss language and imagery, making it the only major social platform to ban all weight-loss ads. 

Why it matters: The new update marks an expansion of Pinterest’s current policy, which bars the following ad content: weight loss or appetite suppressant pills, supplements or other products; before and after weight loss imagery, weight loss procedures like liposuction or fat burning; body shaming, such as imagery or language that mocks or discredits certain body types or appearances; and claims regarding unrealistic cosmetic results.

The details: As per Pinterest:

“Many are now feeling added pressure as they look to rejoin their social circles in person for the first time in 15 months. Pinterest is the place people come for inspiration to create the life they love. It’s where everyone belongs—regardless of body shape or size. We’re empowering Pinners to plan for a summer and beyond without weight loss ads, so they can focus on what matters most.”

Pinterest’s updated global ad policy will now prohibit: any weight loss language or imagery; any testimonials regarding weight loss or weight loss products; any language or imagery that idealizes or denigrates certain body types; any references of body mass index (BMI) or similar indexes; any products that claim weight loss through something worn or applied to the skin.

YouTube Releases Its ‘Culture & Trends’ Report

YouTube has released the findings of its latest ‘Culture & Trends’ report in a 19-minute video overview hosted by YouTube head of culture and trends, Kevin Allocca. The key takeaway for brands is that video is increasingly being adopted by viewers as a tool to facilitate a sense of connection.

Why it matters: Based on its analysis of hundreds of global video trends and surveys conducted in 20 countries with Ipsos, YouTube found that 72 percent of people have posted video content online in the last year and that 79 percent say they’ve achieved deeper connections when they watch YouTube on TV with others.

The details: First up, YouTube found that 85 percent of people have watched a livestream in the last year and over half a million channels were livestreamed for the first time in 2020.

As Allocca notes, videos with #WithMe in the title were viewed over 2 billion times globally last year. YouTube is becoming a major destination for podcasts too, with 51 percent saying they watched a podcast recording on the platform over the past 12 months.

In addition, Allocca notes that gaming is emerging as the most influential space in youth culture, perhaps even bigger than music. One of the most popular entertainment viewing experiences was an improvised political drama played out by individual characters in Minecraft. As a result, YouTube found that videos with ‘Dream SMP’ in the title accumulated over 2 billion views since May 2020.

Lastly, 53 percent of viewers agree that a video they watched helped them feel like they were in a different place, suggesting the power video plays in fueling escapism. 

TikTok Brings Its Content Moderation Technology To US, Canada

After trialing and adjusting new systems that identify and remove violative videos and notify users of their violations, TikTok said it’s now expanding these systems to the US and Canada.

Why it matters: According to TikTok’s Transparency Reports, this technology initially launched in regions where additional safety support was needed due to the pandemic. Since then, TikTok found that the false positive rate for automated removals is 5 percent and requests to appeal a video’s removal have remained consistent.

Still, TikTok admits that “neither technology nor humans will get moderation decisions correct 100% of the time.” That’s why creators can appeal their content’s removal directly in our app.

The details: Over the next few weeks, TikTok’s new technology will start to automatically remove some types of violative content identified at upload, in addition to removals confirmed by its safety team.

TikTok will reserve automation for content categories where its technology has the highest degree of accuracy, beginning with violations of TikTok’s policies on minor safety, adult nudity and sexual activities, violent and graphic content and illegal activities and regulated goods.

TikTok has also updated the way it notifies people of their community guidelines violations. This new system—which it created with input from its US Content Advisory Council—counts the violations accrued by a creator and is based on the severity and frequency of the violation. 

TikTok will notify users of violations via the Account Updates section of their inbox. After the first violation, TikTok will suspend an account’s ability to upload a video, comment or edit their profile for 24 or 48 hours; or restrict an account to a view-only experience for 72 hours or up to one week; or notify a user that their account is on the verge of being banned and potentially permanently removed. Over 60 percent of people who received a first warning, however, didn’t need a second violation, claims TikTok.

YouTube Launches ‘New To You’ Discovery Feature

YouTube is adding a new discovery prompt called ‘New to You’ that highlights content from channels users have never seen before that are aligned with their interest or past viewing behavior on the platform.

Why it matters: The update will serve users with more personalized content, according to YouTube, though it said it will “take a balance between things we think you might be interested in plus things that are a bit further afield of what you’d typically watch.” This could translate to higher engagement for creator videos and longer time spent in the YouTube app overall.

The details: The ‘New to You’ feature will appear at the top of mobile users’ ‘Explore’ recommendations feed. The difference between this new feature and the ‘Explore’ feed is that the latter helps viewers find content in specific verticals or content that’s trending worldwide but not necessarily personalized to them.

Bloomberg Names Jason Angrisani Global Chief Marketing Officer

BY

This week in leadership updates, Bloomberg has named Jason Angrisani global chief marketing officer, Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux appoints Luke DeRouen as its first chief marketing officer, Qualcomm hires Don McGuire as senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Regent Seven Seas Cruises executive vice president, sales marketing, Randall Soy steps down and more.

Bloomberg L.P. Appoints Jason Angrisani Global Chief Marketing Officer

Bloomberg L.P. has named Jason Angrisani global chief marketing officer. Angrisani first joined the organization in December 2010 as global head of marketing for FX, economics and commodities.

Since that time, according to a press release, Angrisani has played a key role in building Bloomberg L.P.’s marketing department, including implementing a global planning framework, integrating marketing automation systems with the company’s proprietary technology and more.

Prior to joining Bloomberg, Angrisani spent five years at Ogilvy & Mather in leadership positions across various business sectors of the IBM brand account.

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux Names Luke DeRouen First-Ever Chief Marketing Officer

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux has appointed Luke DeRouen to the newly created role of chief marketing officer.

DeRouen previously served as vice president, brand experience and engagement, for Buffalo Wild Wings. Prior to that, he spent four years at Arby’s in brand director positions.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises Executive Vice President, Sales And Marketing, Randall Soy, Steps Down

Randall Soy, executive vice president of sales and marketing, for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, is exiting the company after over three decades of leading the US sales strategy.

The US sales team will report to Shawn Tubman, who will become senior vice president of sales.

Qualcomm Taps Don McGuire As Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer

Don McGuire, Qualcomm’s senior vice president of global product and technology, has been named senior vice president and chief marketing officer.

McGuire joined Qualcomm in 2016 from Intel, where he led global marketing strategy, campaigns and messaging supporting their client computing business, according to a press release.

McGuire was previously also the founder and chief marketing officer of Panelfly.

Union Square Hospitality Hires Marissa Freeman As Chief Marketing Officer

Union Square Hospitality has tapped Hewlett Packard’s chief brand officer, Marissa Freeman, as chief marketing officer.

Freeman was with HP for eight years. Previously, she was senior vice president of brand strategy and marketing communications for Time Warner Cable.

Oceania Cruises Executive Vice President Sales Marketing, James Rodriguez, Exits

James Rodriguez, Oceania Cruises’ executive vice president of sales marketing, has left the company after 19 years.

Oceania Cruises has not named a replacement.

Listen In: Got Purpose?

BY

Jon Rose is the founder of Waves 4 Water (https://www.wavesforwater.org/), an international humanitarian aid organization that provides access to clean drinking water for developing communities and disaster zones around the world. Waves 4 Water has programs in 40 countries and has helped provide access to clean water for an estimated 4 million people.

Rose joins Listen In to discuss the true integration of purpose into your organization and the relationship between purpose and problem-solving. Jon also shares the path that led him to Waves 4 Water, from his early days in Laguna with the beach as his babysitter to his first trip to Indonesia with water filters in tow.

About Listen In: Each week on Listen In, Bretz and a rotating cast of hosts from Ayzenberg will 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.