TikTok Emphasizes The Power Of Sound

For TikTok, whose logo is is modeled after the shape of a music note, music is everything. Just look at the Billboard top music charts and it’s easy to draw direct lines to songs that have taken off on TikTok.

Trends on the platform largely revolve around trending sounds, which has made careers for artists who have broken through. Now, we are seeing the music industry cater to creating music with viral potential on TikTok, and has now become the preferred channel for marketing new music releases.

“It’s the top of every label’s strategy for getting their artists out there,” says Bryan Cosgrove, Director of Commercial Music and Creative Licensing at TikTok in a blog post. “And what’s driving these campaigns is not high touch from anyone at the organization, but the community. We’ve really let the community power that discovery and power that engagement.”

But this impact isn’t only extending into the music industry, but how brands are leveraging the platform. 

According to TikTok’s own statistics, 50 percent of users say music makes content on TikTok more engaging, uplifting and energizing, with 88 percent of users citing sound as a vital component to the TikTok experience.

It’s been well-known for decades the power that sound has for brand recall. Jingles and sonic logos have long leveraged sound’s impact. 

According to TikTok’s data, brand recall with sound is 8x greater than brand visuals, colors, slogans and logos, showing that now more than ever, it is important for brands to manage their sonic identity.

Burger King CMO Ellie Doty Departs

A look at the marketing moves from the past few days, including the official departure of Ellie Doty from Burger King.


Burger King CMO Ellie Doty Departs

Joining Burger King in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020, Ellie Doty is leaving the burger chain after less than 2 years. During her brief tenure, Doty made some big impacts at Burger King, including serving as the company’s interim president. Doty led a brand overhaul in January 2021—the company’s first in 20 years—and a loyalty program, while overseeing $400 million in cross-channel marketing spend.


Toyota Australia CMO To Lead Lexus Australia as CEO

John Pappas is taking the reins as Lexus Australia CEO. A long-time marketer in the auto space, Pappas most recently held the title of CMO for Toyota Australia since July 2020.

“I am really excited to build on the strong momentum for Lexus, supported by stunning new models including our first all-electric vehicle, UX 300e, the upcoming all-new NX range, and the next-generation flagship LX SUV.”

Trend Set: Ready For The Weeknd

Ayzenberg Junior Strategist Ashley Otah recounts this week’s trends.


Consumer Spending Habits

Shopping the social way. According to Accenture’s latest study, social commerce will grow three times as fast as traditional e-commerce, reaching $1.2 trillion globally by 2025. Social users can now authentically connect with and showcase purchases made through platforms. Sharing items users have seen online versus how they look in real life and sharing codes that ultimately crash sites is becoming more persistent. However, authenticity and reliability are at the top of consumers’ minds. Integrating shopping options while staying true to the feel of each platform may continue to be a necessary feat and a determining factor for brand success.

The Weeknd: Dawn FM

Watch the space. With The Weeknd’s drop of Dawn FM trending and already receiving “Album of The Year’ claims, looking at the rollout through a social lens is a must. The immersive rollout built suspense and conversation that spanned the social vertical, with tracklists and sneak peek visuals being made specifically for each platform. Additionally, the Weeknd’s accompanying live tweets with phrases like “together,” “all of us,” and “we” highlights fans’ craving for connectivity, even if online. Artists, brands, and the like, can incorporate similar strategies accordingly to satiate the diverse desires of many while also reaching a broader audience.

Taco Bell

Time to taco bout’ it. Taco Bell announces a taco-a-day subscription program to bolster visits.

The nationwide $10-a-month service is available exclusively in the app and showcases how brands must innovate around changing consumer habits, especially within oversaturated spaces. The use of apps, programs, and subscriptions sets brands apart and satisfies consumer cravings.

Twitter

Tweet and delete. Twitter will now let tweeters quote tweets with reactions dubbing it a “Tweet Take.” Currently tested on iOS, the feature is similar to that of TikTok and Instagram’s recent Reels feature. The addition underscores shifting user behaviors as expectations rapidly change. For example, the surge of social audio indicates users’ desire for varying experiences as cultural changes in the world occur. Although not always easily predictable, actively understanding the implications of these features and how they align with brand principles allows space for innovation.

Metaverse Fashion Week

The future of fashion week. This upcoming March will mark Decentraland’s inaugural four-day-long virtual fashion show. In previous digital ventures, brands have tapped platforms such as Roblox, draped dresses and collections virtually like Hanifa, and teamed up with the likes of Animal Crossing.

The displays of digital ingenuity give an exclusive look at what the space continues to blossom into. Virtual fashion shows will allow brands to reach audiences that may have previously been ignored and offer opportunities for new players in the game. Keeping an eye on the space and better formalizing how to show up in an ever-increasing digital age is an integral pillar not to be ignored.

Melissa Waters Joins Upwork As CMO

Here’s what’s happening this week in the world of executive marketing moves, including news that gig work platform Upwork looks to capitalize on growth amid global workforce shifts with their new CMO, Melissa Waters.


Upwork Names Melissa Waters Chief Marketing Officer

Upwork has landed Melissa Waters as CMO, who previously held the global vice president of marketing at Instagram, part of Meta, as well as past roles at Lyft and Pandora.

“In 2022, our strategy remains laser-focused on continuing to innovate, evangelize, and scale the world’s work marketplace – the career platform for every skilled worker, and every business, regardless of employment type and geography. Melissa’s deep expertise in helping high-growth companies scale, establish new categories, and build world-class brands is key to increasing awareness of Upwork and capitalizing on our $1.3 trillion total addressable market opportunity. We couldn’t be more thrilled for her to join the team,” said Upwork CEO Hayden Brown in a press release.


Kravet Brings Aboard Ex-Condé Nast Executive To Helm Marketing

Home furnishings company Kravet has brought on Kim Fasting Berg as chief marketing officer. Fasting Berg previously oversaw strategy, branding and marketing for Condé Nast publishing brands Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair and Allure.


Former EasyJet/Bulb Energy CMO Joins MoneySuperMarket

As the brand looks to a relaunch, Lis Blair, former CMO of EasyJet and Bulb Energy has joined as general manager of insurance, marketing and customer operations.


Rene Villegas Named CMO of Starry

Broadband internet company Starry has landed Rene Villegas as CMO. Previously, Villegas held as head of marketing and sales role at Amazon for “Subscribe with Amazon.”


E Automotive Names First-Ever CMO

Emma Weisberg, former executive at Waze and Google, joins the automotive digital-commerce site E Automotive as their first-ever CMO.


Halo Collective Brings Aboard New CMO

Publically-traded cannabis company Halo Collective brings aboard cannabis industry veteran Sky Pinnick as chief marketing officer.

“I’ve been entrenched in brand building for the past couple decades and I’m excited to join Halo’s progressive team as we focus on expanding operations in Oregon and California,” commented Mr. Pinnick in a press release.

How Are Brands Stepping Into The Metaverse? P&G Is Leading The Way

The metaverse is quickly transforming from theoretical to (virtual) reality. P&G joins the leagues of Nike and Coca-Cola by unveiling a new experience at CES this year, dubbed BeautySPHERE. The activation allows consumers to interact with P&G’s portfolio of brands through content and will continue after CES is done.

“BeautySPHERE was inspired by our ongoing commitment to find new and surprising ways for people to connect with our brands, products and values,” said P&G Beauty CEO Alex Keith in a press release. “Our hope is that, through these fully immersive, digital experiences, visitors can interact with our brands in surprising, engaging new ways.”

P&G Beauty Announces BeautySPHERE

The goal is to engage users of BeautySphere around P&G’s purpose-driven initiatives around sustainability and Responsible Beauty. Experiences vary from virtual visits to brand partner organizations like the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew as well as a program to plant a tree for reforestation efforts in real life, both of which promote the Herbal Essences brand.

“Outside of BeautySPHERE, these principles drive real-world impact and serve as our blueprint of innovation and product development for generations to come,” said Alexis Schrimpf, Vice President of Design, Global Skin and Personal Care. “We’re excited to share this approach with more people around the world through BeautySPHERE.”

The experience can be accessed via desktop computer at BeautySPHERE.com.

Blockchain And The Future Of Marketing With Peter Shankman

Peter Shankman is a five-time, bestselling author and entrepreneur, and a corporate keynote speaker. He focuses a lot on customer service and the new and emerging customer economy.

In this episode, Peter and I discuss his way of thinking and his living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Later we transition to PR and then dive down the rabbit hole of Web 3.0, what it is, and what it means for the future of marketing.

Listen to hear more about the Web 3.0 revolution and the next evolution of web technology.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why you need to be useful and helpful
  • Understanding where blockchain fits in our future
  • The importance of creating with your audience in mind

Key Highlights

  • [02:22] Describing what Peter does
  • [03:40] ADHD as a superpower
  • [06:29] Peter’s advice for those suffering with ADHD
  • [07:44] Thoughts on PR as the only consistent marketing tactic
  • [10:58] What’s changed in PR?
  • [15:11] How blockchain applies to the future
  • [20:02] Creating with your audience in mind
  • [26:57] Listen to what people have to say
  • [29:34] Learning from electric cars
  • [31:04] “Hot or not” with Peter
  • [36:08] Peter’s advice for marketers
  • [38:55] An experience that defines Peter, makes him who he is today
  • [40:04] Peter’s advice for his younger self
  • [41:54] What marketers should learn more about
  • [42:35] The organizations and brands Peter follows
  • [43:15] The biggest threat and opportunity for marketers

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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 brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.

Nielsen ONE Hopes To Make Ad Measurement Easier With Debut At CES

While Nielsen is still closely associated with linear TV audience measurement, the company appears to have made some significant strides as of late to play catch-up in the digital measurement space.

Debuting at CES (which is also making its triumphant return this year in spite of panelists canceling due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant), Nielsen ONE Alpha is the first iteration of the Nielsen ONE platform that promises deduplication of data.

“All our hard work this past year has positioned us to take this significant step in fundamentally changing the game and providing the industry with what it wants, needs and deserves,” said Karthik Rao, Chief Operating Officer, Nielsen in the company’s press release.

Disney and MAGNA are some of the companies Nielsen is testing out Nielsen ONE Alpha with, which is slated to fully launch in December this year.

“There’s a critical need for the evolution of measurement to truly reflect audiences and engagement, and Disney is uniquely positioned to help define and develop that roadmap,” said Julie DeTraglia, Head of Research, Insights and Analytics, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution in the press release.

The cross-platform measurement system is said to allow for comparability and audience deduplication across screen devices (TV, computer and mobile) to “support the $100 billion video advertising ecosystem.”