Clorox’s Move Into Direct-To-Consumer With Jackson Jeyanayagam

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During this 181st episode of “Marketing Today,” I interview Jackson Jeyanayagam, the vice president and general manager of direct-to-consumer businesses at The Clorox Company.  Jeyanayagam’s experience spans agencies working with brands like Diageo, P&G, Jordan and NASCAR to executive digital marketing roles at Chipotle and, most recently, as CMO of Boxed.

Jeyanayagam shares the journey of his career and moves from Chipotle to Boxed to Nutranext and the shift from CMO to general manager. He discusses his approach to growing his teams, the tech stack they are building and new product launches. “I look for curiosity, empathy and versatility,” Jeyanayagam says on his criteria for marketers.

Jeyanayagam shares the important role of digital and social in customer engagement and crisis management. He dives into the critical nature of analytics and performance numbers. Jeyanayagam believes you should always be learning, growing and working hard to stay ahead of the game.

Highlights from this week’s “Marketing Today”:

  • Jackson’s background in PR, agency work and path into direct to consumer. (01:35) 
  • Mentors and their importance in your career. (07:15)  
  • The interesting switch to direct-to-consumer.  (09:30)  
  • “Sometime, the roles that don’t look sexy on paper might be the best roles for you.” (12:19) 
  • Nutranext: the products and the vision. (13:07) 
  • Building the team to be a leader in direct to consumer. (14:24) 
  • The “Bulldog” approach to creating a team. (16:05) 
  • Critical aspects of great team members. “I look for curiosity, empathy and versatility.” (17:20)  
  • The differences in running a direct to consumer business. (19:33) 
  • Nutranext’s tech stack and approach to new products. (22:53)   
  • The brand approach for Objective Wellness. “We felt like Gen X was a forgotten sandwich generation.” (23:52) 
  • The advantage of building your own tech stack. (25:55) 
  • Surprising challenges when working under a corporate umbrella. (28:22) 
  • The key to being a great Manager/Leader. “A good manager gives you autonomy” (29:53) 
  • The current state of the direct-to-consumer movement. (31:25) 
  • The experience(s) that defines who Jackson is today. (35:04) 
  • What fuels Jackson day-to-day? (39:02) 
  • Brands, companies or organizations to take note of. (40:07) 
  • The future of marketing. (41:48) 

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.

A Marketer’s Guide To 2020 MarTech Trends

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Since 2018, marketing technology (MarTech) has seen year-on-year growth of 22 percent with estimated market size of $121.5 billion globally. Combined, the North American and UK MarTech market are worth $65.9 billion. As marketers vie for the attention of an increasingly fickle consumer, they’ve turned to more sophisticated MarTech tools. Here’s what’s new and trending in the MarTech world in 2020. From optimizing customer experience to augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) apps and even machine learning for marketers, here’s how to most effectively leverage the technology for more successful campaigns and greater consumer engagement. 

Optimize Omnichannel For Better Customer Experience

Marketers are using tech to focus on customer experiences regardless of the media platform. This paves the way for customer experience optimization and tracking, as echoed by WARC’s study in which over half of respondents noted that customer experience optimization is a high priority for their organization. Still, less than 50 percent of brands are using MarTech to track customers between channels.

Today’s consumer expected a seamless interaction with brands across multiple channels, and brands should turn to tech to bridge the divide. Cross-channel sales should be top of mind for marketers as they’re expected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2018 according to Forrester, though only 44 percent of marketers applied uniform segmentation across multiple touchpoints. Using MarTech to build a customer experience is critical to improving omnichannel strategies. The answer? Integrate digital data and customer information from internal systems such as loyalty programs and CMS using automation platforms to create user profiles based data from multiple channels, collected in real-time.

Mobile And Mixed Reality Apps

Consumers are driving retailers’ need for yet another MarTech touchpoint for engagement—AR and VR apps. One-third of US consumers reported using AR, but 73 percent of that group said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their experience. While only 10 percent of consumers said they’ve used AR or VR while shopping, 45 percent say they’d like to try it. In the same survey, 30 percent of consumers said they’d never visit another clothing store again if AR allowed them to buy the right size item with confidence.

Despite the low consumer adoption rate for AR, consumers are showing an interest in AR/VR apps that could potentially simplify their retail experiences—and brands are taking note. Apps that have AR or VR features, also known as mixed reality apps, will more than quintuple their advertising revenue to $11 billion by 2024, from $2 billion this year. Smartphone mixed reality is also set to account for 75 percent of consumer revenues by 2024, according to a report from Juniper. 

IKEA, for example, was an early adopter of AR ads in 2013 when it released its iOS AR mobile app that lets users see virtual pieces of furniture from the company’s 2014 catalog.

“We expect social media applications to account for 40 percent of all consumer mixed reality revenues by 2024. Third-party content delivered on these apps has been key to their success, therefore investment in content development frameworks will increase their app’s content library with minimal investment,” noted the research author, Sam Barker.

Similarly, 5G cellular networks and edge computing are two emerging technologies expected to increase the precision of location intelligence and overall marketing efficiency in 2020. Looking forward, marketers can use insights from connected device data to improve campaigns in real-time using automation and artificial intelligence (AI).

Tailor To Various Types Of Search

Microsoft’s 2019 Voice Report revealed that 75 percent of households will have at least one smart speaker by 2020. On a similar upward trajectory is the usage of mobile to conduct searches and compares prices on products. But rather than text-based searches, consumers are increasingly researching and purchasing via voice searches. A whopping 72 percent of people used voice search through a digital assistant in 2019.

To reach target audiences, brands can make their online presence conducive to voice-based searches by updating keywords to reflect natural language in web content and sites as opposed to overly technical language. Machine learning is necessary here to improve internal searches and answer consumers’ questions.

Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Automation Tools

Over three-quarters of brands use MarTech to assist them with email and social media while nearly two-thirds of brands use MarTech for analytics, content and customer relationship management (CRM).

AI-enabled automation platforms can help simplify email marketing, lead generation and performance measurement. For example, brands should use automation to draft messages for each segment to reach different audiences wherever they are in the funnel. That extends to location-based data to support customer communications via mobile as well. Automation also takes care of repetitive tasks such as these to not only increase campaign return on investment (ROI), but also improve productivity and campaign management.

Improvements in systems and components have led to sophisticated algorithms, making AI a significant part of any company’s decision-making processes. The way that brands are successfully using AI to inform business predictions including price optimization, forecasting, upselling and lead scoring is growing sales. Data-driven insights from AI have become so helpful in generating sales that Accenture found that AI could lead to an economic boost of $14 trillion in additional gross value added (GVA) by 2035. 

Programmatic Buying

Programmatic buying is growing as over half of display ads in the US are now being bought programmatically. Programmatic buying involves AI software and technology to automate ad buying on the web at a speed greater than that which humans can achieve manually. Real-time bid impressions are made instantly when the system sees a cookie or mobile identifier that matches the advertiser’s targeting criteria. Marketers can position themselves to reach audiences based on their interests and demographics thanks to programmatic buying that utilizes a mix of data sources at the time an impression becomes available.

Over the course of a few campaigns, programmatic technology gathers additional performance data, allowing the system to determine what time of day and location performs best for the ad.

As beneficial as MarTech is, brands are challenged to implement the tools. Half of global respondents in WARC’s report said that budget constraints are a main barrier to MarTech investment, up 36 percent from last year. MarTech budgets in North America and the UK are up three percent, and 43 percent of marketers globally expect these budgets to increase over the next 12 months.

The roll-out of data privacy laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) could, however, limit marketers’ ability to enrich MarTech capabilities with data-driven insights. How companies collect and use customer data is a topic of concern that only limiting third-party-purchased data could mitigate. To maintain consumers’ trust while still encouraging them to share personal data requires marketers to implement interactive experiences that make consumers feel safe sharing information and as though they’re receiving a fair exchange of value for the data.

Why The Beauty Industry Is At The Forefront Of Experiential Marketing

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The global beauty market is predicted to grow to $750 billion by 2024, but not without a lift from experiential marketing. Be it in the form of virtual reality (VR) makeup try-on apps, influencer-led trips across the globe or striking pop-ups—beauty brands rule the queendom that is immersive marketing. Beauty brands are also taking advantage of the added pressure younger audiences feel to maintain a certain standard of appearance or present a curated lifestyle on social media. Here we’re exploring what fuels the beauty sector’s vigorous experiential marketing efforts and which brands are doing a beautiful job of engaging consumers.

Pop-ups takeover malls and museums 

Brick-and-mortar brands and direct-to-consumer (DTC) beauty brands alike are staunch advocates of the pop-up strategy. Last month, to celebrate the first-ever reformulation of its 10-year-old Advanced Génifique Serum, Lancôme debuted an experiential pop-up in Hong Kong’s duty-free shopping center called T Galleria by DFS. The “Microbiome Hub,” was meant to educate consumers on the benefits of microbiome science in an environment that married physical and digital—phygital. To start, guests were invited to test out the serum’s new formula and play with an interactive digital table. What pop-up would be complete without a photo booth? Lancôme cleverly displayed visitors’ photos on the eight-foot-high life-size LED-lit bottle of Advanced Génifique. Adding personalized touches to each guest’s experience was the engraving services offered to anyone who purchased the serum, which has sold over 25 million bottles worldwide since its launch.

Taking pop-ups to the next level, skincare brand Murad launched an experiential activation, “The Wellness Vault” this past summer to offer visitors a one-on-one skin consultation with the founder Dr. Murad himself. Additional vault perks included meditative sound baths, mini facials and an Instagrammable selfie wall. The pop-up, which was meant to celebrate Murad’s 30th anniversary, formed a tour, which debuted in Los Angeles, San Francisco and lastly, San Diego.

This month, the CEO of beauty research company Poshly Inc., Doreen Bloch, took the pop-up concept to another level when she debuted the Makeup Museum, the first museum in the US that brings the history of beauty to life through large-scale exhibits, events and interactive and shoppable programming. The flagship opening will begin with an immersive exhibit called, “Pink Jungle: 1950’s Makeup In America,” which explores entrepreneurs, icons and artifacts of the decade. Founding sponsors of the exhibition include Erno Lazlo and Alcone Company. Tickets to the exhibit will go on sale in March 2020.

Authenticity is key

“One of the key challenges facing beauty brands in experiential marketing is engaging in a truly authentic way that is free of gimmicks. It is so important for brands to not simply place their logo on a step-and-repeat backdrop for a quick photo opp, but rather, to really understand their audience and the story they are trying to tell through an experience. The right balance of product-led immersion experiences with vivid storytelling is what truly resonates with consumers and helps the brand to develop an ongoing relationship with them,” executive director and co-founder of the Makeup Museum, Bloch told AList. 

Beauty brands go on holiday

Beyond pop-ups, if there’s one strategy that beauty brands have the firmest grasp on, it’s experiential vacations that strengthen the connection between brand and consumer on a deeper level. This month, e.l.f. Cosmetics’ annual “Beautyscape” took place in Nassau, Bahamas. The event matches beauty industry professionals with fans of the brand looking to grow professionally. But not just anyone can attend. Consumers must apply for a chance to escape, and this year’s four-day Beautyscape received over 1,400 submissions. Leveraging its grassroots digital engagement strategy, e.l.f. selected finalists who were then challenged to work in teams to create a tropical-inspired collection with help from e.l.f. mentors. Members of the winning team received a $10,000 cash prize, as well as the opportunity to create their own palette with the e.l.f., set to launch in summer 2020.

Makeup tries on new VR technology

Beauty brands are also among the earliest adopters of VR and augmented reality (AR) technology. Smashbox was the first beauty company to test eye-tracking technology that would identify eye movement patterns to determine whether or not a consumer was reacting positively to a makeup product as they tried the product on. The company has seen a 27 percent increase in overall conversions since implementing the feature. 

As part of its revamp of customer experience, Sally Beauty recently expanded its ColorView artificial intelligence (AI) technology to the Sally Beauty app and kiosks in 500 Sally Beauty stores nationwide. The app lets shoppers virtually try on hair color and makeup before purchasing. If that’s not enough to produce a confident shopping experience, when a customer tries a product using the app, it’s automatically added to her shopping list with options to “add to cart” or “save for later.” The app is available in both iOS and Android. 

Similarly, L’Oréal’s Modiface app uses AI-powered skin diagnostic technology that provides treatment advice based on customers’ uploaded selfies.

Experiential marketing leaves a lasting impact and yields user-generated content (UGC), but to sustain brand awareness, beauty brands leverage YouTube influencer marketing. According to research from Pixability, makeup tutorials accounted for 68.5 percent of the views accounted for the top 200 beauty videos. Speaking of videos, YouTube’s six-second bumper ads have become significant in beauty brands’ growth. Clinique, for instance, replaced traditional ads for bumper ads and has since seen a 70 percent increase in ad recall, and a 26 percent rise in product awareness. Thirty-two percent of Gen Z and millennials say that without YouTube tutorials, their final look wouldn’t be nearly as good.

This summer, Google introduced an AR feature that allows users to see what they’d look like wearing the product being discussed by the influencer in the tutorial. During its testing, YouTube found that 30 percent of users activated the AR experience, and spent an average of 80 seconds trying on virtual lipstick.

“The very essence of makeup is meant to be an experience. Whether it be through color, transformation, expression, or downright playfulness…done in a rushed minute or an indulgent hour, the usage of makeup is immersive and powerful. In order for a brand to introduce something new or even breathe life into an existing product, it is key to show, rather than tell, what kind of unique, individualized experience can be expected,” notes Caitlin Collins, content director and co-founder of the Makeup Museum.

Direct Mail Isn’t Dead, Instead, It’s Boosting Multichannel Campaigns

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Today’s reliance on digital marketing has left a once-popular channel largely forgotten: direct mail. However, contrary to popular belief, direct mail isn’t dead. Instead, recent data suggest it’s a powerful tool to reach target audiences with personalized messages. 

In a new survey from PFL, “2019 Multichannel Marketing Research Report: Direct Mail in the Digital Age,” 83 percent of marketers reported good or very good return on investment (ROI) when direct mail was fully integrated into their multichannel campaign mix. Here we’re examining how direct mail positively impacts ROI, how brands have successfully used it and how consumers perceive it.

The role of direct mail in today’s multichannel campaigns to produce higher ROI shouldn’t be underestimated. Over half of the PFL respondents reported that ROI delivers a moderate to major improvement in overall campaign performance. That figure jumps to 89 percent when direct mail that is highly personalized and integrated into the channel mix is involved.

The response rate for direct mail is equally impressive. Direct mail sent to houses saw a 5.3 percent response rate, and for prospect lists, the rate was 2.9 percent. Comparatively, the response rate for email is a meager 0.6 percent. In 2016, direct mail’s customer response rate increased by 43 percent, and its prospect response rate increased by 190 percent compared to 2015. 

You’re probably wondering how direct mail measures up to social media and email in terms of boosting. Surprisingly, paid search and online display pale by comparison to direct mail for median ROI. Direct mail has a median ROI of 29 percent, putting it third behind email (124 percent) and social media (30 percent). Third place may not sound impressive, but when you consider median ROI was 23 percent for paid search and 16 percent for online display, respectively, it’s easy to see why direct mail is underutilized. 

It’s important to note that brands currently favor certain forms of direct mail over others. The majority of marketers are sending postcards (55 percent) and letters (52 percent), but most agree that these forms of direct mail fall short when it comes to demonstrating brand value. The third most popular form of direct mail—dimensional mail—is the most preferred. Today, 42 percent of marketers send this type of physical mail with 35 percent or marketers saying it does “very well” at representing their brand (versus 17 percent for postcards and 19 percent for a letter).

The reasons for why direct mail can help brands stand out are many. First, given its tangibility, direct mail feels more interactive than an email or a digital video. When the right form of direct mail is used, it can also spark an emotional response on some level, making it more memorable. 

An added benefit direct mail offers is creativity. For example, for its holiday campaign, a Utah-based marketing firm mailed out a card and a $20 bill to encourage recipients to put it towards their preferred charity. When they scanned the card’s code on the back, they were directed to a YouTube video explaining the initiative as well as a hashtag to use when posting about it on their social media.

Yet the greatest opportunity direct mail presents for marketers is less competition in the mailbox. PFL’s findings show that most marketers leverage three or four channels in a multichannel campaign, but only 56 percent are typically using direct mail. Despite this, 78 percent ranked integrated, branded, personalized direct mail as the second most effective channel for reaching their target audience. Personalized direct mail came in at a close second next to events (83 percent).

CMO Council’s study, “Critical Channels of Choice,” confirms that consumers have positive feelings toward direct mail. One out of every three consumers surveyed said they expect direct mail to be part of their ideal communications mix. 

Perhaps that’s why Mailchimp decided to try its hand at tangible mail. A few months ago, it introduced a feature letting users send printed postcards to potential customers. Users can customize postcards via the same email-style automation features currently offered for email services. Before clicking “send,” companies have the option of sending it to potential customers in the US in addition to 26 other countries. On Mailchimp’s decision to integrate the postcard feature, the company’s VP of product management, John Foreman said, “In interviewing customers, we noticed they still do a lot of print marketing, they still do a lot of direct mail.”

The postcard feature doesn’t come with the same click-and-open data that come with email or web ads, but users can track postcards online through the US Postal Service and note when recipients use coupon codes included on postcards at online stores linked to Mailchimp.

To get the most out of a direct mail initiative, brands should determine their desired target audience. Just as important is setting a call-to-action, be it in the form of encouraging the recipient to use a discount code, sign up for a newsletter or take a survey.

Why Connected TV Is The Most Appealing Route To Marketers Today

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US ad spend for connected television (CTV)—television programming that’s streamed through an internet-connected device—will grow 37.6 percent this year to reach $6.94 billion. Coupled with CTV ad spend’s current strong performance and the prediction that it will surpass $10 billion by 2021, it’s clear that online interactive media is critical to marketing strategies.

CTV usage in the US will grow 5.3 percent to reach 195.1 million viewers of all ages by the end of this year, and surpass 200 million in 2020. Marketers are therefore leveraging CTV marketing to reach audiences that don’t watch live television. Especially for direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands, CTV provides an opportunity to increase reach and brand awareness among younger audiences.

CTV includes Roku devices, smart TVs, gaming consoles as well as video content streamed on a tablet, iPhone or desktop. The CTV umbrella also includes over-the-top (OTT) content, which refers to network provider extensions like Netflix, HBO GO, Hulu, YouTube TV and DirecTV Now. eMarketer reported that in terms of ad revenues, leaders in the CTV market are YouTube, Hulu and Roku.

Users of the aforementioned CTV platforms are usually cord-cutters—a group that cancels or dramatically reduces their subscriptions to multichannel television subscription services for cable or satellite. Some TV ad buyers are willing to pay a premium to reach these users, who are otherwise difficult to reach via traditional TV ads. In fact, a study found that marketers have a better chance of getting their ads seen by CTV users because ads on CTV were considered “less annoying” than those on traditional TV. Half of the study’s respondents who view content on apps like Hulu are willing to sit through video ads to continue to watch shows. This gives CTV a huge leg up over traditional TV viewers.  

CTV audiences’ acceptance of unskippable ads is driving a shift to longer ad lengths. In a recent study, half of the respondents agreed that watching ads is a fair value exchange for low-cost content. 30-second ads displaced 15-second spots as the most common ad length in Q4 2018. The trend has continued as 30-second ads accounted for 69 percent of all ads in Q1 2019, a 20 percent increase over the prior quarter. 

CTV ad impressions are hard to ignore, too, as they currently make up about half of the total impressions, or nearly double those of mobile. Because CTV ads are unskippable, they have an unprecedented 97 percent completion rate.

Another characteristic of CTV that makes it so appealing to advertisers is that CTV ads will be seen by several people at once when viewed on a smart TV. When users watch an ad on a personal device, only the user will see the content. Smart TV owners tend to watch in the company of friends and family, which results in a reduced cost per impression for marketers. Knowing that millennials are a full 67 percent more likely to be in a CTV-only house, CTV platforms are also ramping up targeting, programmatic and attribution capabilities in order to attract buyers from the digital world.

Calling on digital signals to track users’ activity after ad exposure, CTV advertising also allows marketers to utilize cross-device mapping and see if a user who viewed a CTV ad later visited a brand’s site via another device tied to the same IP address. An individual’s ad exposure can then be tracked to a user’s activity and optimized to return on investment (ROI) actions.

In addition to the benefit of direct attribution, CTV helps marketers prevent wasting marketing budget on audiences they’re not trying to reach. CTV comprises precise audiences, allowing for granular targeting to reach high-value users. Research from Telaria found that shoppers are twice as likely to buy a product after seeing it in a CTV ad versus seeing it in the same ad on linear TV.

Despite the opportunities to advertise on CTV platforms, linear TV marketers are skeptical of how much to make CTV part of their strategy because there’s no real way to measure ad performance on CTV. Unlike traditional TV, CTV has no single, commonly accepted measurement across platforms. Adding to the caveat is the fact that CTV targeting, attribution and programmatic capabilities are significantly behind those of other leading digital ad platforms.

Wingstop Restaurants Promotes CMO

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This week in marketing moves, Wingstop promotes Christina Clarke to chief marketing officer, Wenny Katzenstein is named vice president, marketing strategy at Sony Pictures Television’s Funimation and JustFab taps new CMO.

Christina Clarke Named Wingstop’s Marketing Chief

The chicken chain announced today the promotion of Christina Clarke from SVP of marketing to CMO. 

Clarke joined Wingstop as vice president of marketing in October 2018 and was promoted to interim CMO in September. 

Clarke played an important role in the Wingstop’s national advertising strategy, helping to spearhead the brand’s “Where Flavor Gets Its Wings” campaign in February. 

Previously, she served as senior director of marketing, Portfolio for PepsiCo and was a field merchandising leader at Pizza Hut.

MAC Cosmetics Hires First Global Marketing SVP

MAC Cosmetics tapped former Coty’s CMO, Ukonwa Ojo, as the brand’s first senior vice-president, global marketing, effective December 2. 

In her new role, Ojo will oversee the consumer marketing and product marketing teams and will report directly to MACs senior vice-president and general manager, Philippe Pinatel. 

Pinatel said: “Ukonwa is a true brand builder who imbues a fast-moving entrepreneurial spirit and truly embodies the brands that she works on.”

TechStyle Fashion Group Appoints Chief Marketing Officer 

The global fashion retailer, TechStyle Fashion Group, appointed Daria Burke as chief marketing officer of JustFab, the company’s shoes and accessories brand.

In her new role, Burke will oversee JustFab’s global brand awareness and positioning and will be in charge of all marketing functions across channels and locations. 

Prior to joining JustFab, Burke was Head of Beauty Strategy, Innovation and Experience at CVS and was a part of Facebook’s Global Business Group, Beauty, Luxury and Fashion Retail.  

“Daria is a veteran digital strategist who brings to JustFab extensive experience leading integrated marketing programs within the retail and fashion industries,” said Laura Joukovski, president of Global Fashion Brands at TechStyle. 

UKTV’s Marketing Chief Steps Down 

Zoë Clapp, the first chief marketing and communications officer at UKTV, will exit the role on December 13.

Clapp spent 15 years with the BBC-owned broadcaster and before being promoted to CMO in 2016, she held several executive marketing roles. 

“I’m exceptionally proud of my bright and talented teams who have made my work so rewarding, and I give them heartfelt thanks for being such brilliant colleagues,” Clapp said about her departure.

Wenny Katzenstein Joins Funimation As VP,  Marketing Strategy

Sony Pictures Television’s anime brand, Funimation, has hired former NBCUniversal marketing exec, Wenny Katzenstein, as vice president, marketing strategy. 

Katzenstein is filling the newly created role of VP of marketing strategy and in this position, she will be in charge of Funimation-specific brand campaigns. 

Katzenstein joins Funimation from NBCUniversal Media, where she served as director, marketing strategy and analytics. She also spent 20 years at the Walt Disney Co., holding several executive marketing roles. 

Editor’s Note: Our weekly careers post is updated daily. This installment is updated until Friday, November 22. Have a new hire tip? We’re looking for senior executive role changes in marketing and media. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

Job Vacancies 

Vice President, Global MarketingShiseido Americas CorporationNew York, NY
Vice President, Creative MarketingFOX CorporationNew York, NY
Chief Marketing OfficerForresterCambridge, UK
Senior Vice President Of MarketingClear Channel OutdoorNew York, NY
SVP–Creative MarketingWalt Disney TelevisionBurbank, CA
Vice President, Marketing StrategyParamount PicturesHollywood, CA

Make sure to check back for updates on our Careers page.

Tupperware Opens Pop-Up In Effort To Enter Direct-To-Consumer Market

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Tupperware has opened its first-ever temporary store, a pop-up in New York, as part of its strategy to redefine the brand and launch its revamped shoppable website. Reduced dividends in the final quarter of 2018 and consumers’ shifting behavior led the brand to enter direct-to-consumer (DTC) retail. The kitchen and household products have historically only been available for purchase directly from sales reps or at Tupperware parties.

The Soho pop-up includes displays showcasing the original Tupperware items consumers still appreciate today in addition to microwavable grills, wine bottle openers and pull-cord food processors. Attracting shoppers of the anti-plastic generation has also encouraged the brand to use the pop-up as a place to educate consumers on Tupperware’s stance on single-use plastics. 

To coincide with the opening of the pop-up, Tupperware also launched an updated website, where customers can communicate with sales reps and learn more about hosting a Tupperware party.

Tupperware’s chief executive, Tricia Stitzel, said of the brand’s new direction that there’s a need for “greater engagement, access, updated business models and relevance.”

Given the brand is actively pursuing different ways to connect Tupperware products with consumers, a pop-up is a smart place to start. Vice-president of global brand engagement, Chip Reingold, said the pop-up gives Tupperware the opportunity to try experiential marketing and test the waters on reaction to the brand and the product mix. After building more access points, Tupperware’s mission is to promote awareness then roll ecommerce out across all markets as it currently operates in under 100.

Everything You Need To Know About YouTube Influencer Marketing

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Originally published on ION.

(Editor’s note: AList is published by a.network. To get up to speed on the rapid changes affecting the influencer marketing landscape, click here.)

Thirty-six percent of brands utilize YouTube for influencer marketing. That figure is low when you consider 79 percent of brands predominantly use Instagram for influencer activations. Instagram influencers might be in popular demand, but brands looking to convey a message or promote a product and have it linger in consumer’s minds would be wise to test the YouTube waters. On the Google-owned video platform, influencers have more time to genuinely connect with consumers and actually have their messages be heard—unlike on Instagram, one could argue, where just 60 percent of stories are viewed with the sound on. 

With no centralized YouTube influencer marketplace in place, however, marketers are often unsure how to manage successful influencer activations. For a better understanding of the best practices for YouTube influencer marketing, we spoke with Alex Gross, SVP of Audience development and digital Strategy at Mars Reel. Ahead, Gross sheds light on when to use YouTube for influencer marketing and how to get the most return on investment (ROI).

What kind of influencer activations should marketers leverage on the platform and what purpose does each activation play in the marketing funnel?

Two popular types of influencer activation are direct response (DR) and brand awareness. My campaigns are generally a mixture of the two.

It’s a rite of passage for many YouTubers to start producing direct response campaigns. YouTube makes these campaigns especially easy due to the handy inclusion of the “Link in Description.” Creators can ask their audience to click on the link to achieve the brand’s conversion goal. These DR campaigns can be placed further up the marketing funnel when used to generate leads or newsletter sign-ups. They can also be bottom of funnel when the influencer specifically asks the viewer to buy the sponsor’s product/service. 

Brand awareness campaigns get new fans to enter the top of your funnel. Brand awareness campaigns can be great as fans have a personal connection with their favorite creators. Aside from the influencer being required to disclose the sponsorship, the creator’s brand awareness ad can feel more like one friend recommending something to another. 

Which influencer activation are marketers having most success with on the platform?

I’ve had the most success with campaigns that blend direct response and brand awareness. Some best practices for sponsorships include: 

  • Tailor the idea and video creative to fit the influencer’s channel
  • Make sure the influencer’s audience is a fit for your product/brand
  • Do your research on the influencer to help understand his or her audience 
  • Get the creator passionate about the project

While I was Crypt TV’s SVP of audience development and distribution, my most successful sponsorship was a five-video series with Dead Meat, a popular horror YouTuber who counts the kills in horror films. My goal in the sponsorship was to grow Crypt TV’s YouTube audience. 

There was great synergy as Crypt TV films are famous for their kills and Dead Meat is famous for counting them. When Dead Meat’s first video was released, Crypt gained over 25K subscribers in a single day. Subscribers and views nearly doubled upon campaign completion. 

Beyond subscriber growth, I’ve also seen huge success in direct response while consulting for Algebra Media. They’re a brand-to-creator agency that builds out direct response and social sponsorships for brand clients. 

How do you scout influencers or determine which ones have pull on the platform?

I scout influencers using a plethora of YouTube tools and search strategies that I’ve developed over the years. I first identify the sponsor’s target audience and decide on which channel niches to mine. 

I like to mine out a genre on YouTube before making offers or beginning outreach. By mining niches, I mean finding as many influencers as possible that fit within the niche. You need to throw a wide net when planning. Not all cold calls turn warm. 

When assessing influencers, I recommend: 

  • Watch their content to see how I would categorize it and what niche it best represents
  • Assess their brand fit and brand safety
  • Note their expected view performance
  • Identify creative collaboration/sponsorship opportunities 

How do you measure the success of the activation or campaign on this platform?

At the end of the day, check if the value generated was worth the budget, time and effort spent. Essentially, based on the cost per conversion, would my time and money have been better spent elsewhere? Could I have gotten more conversions by spending the resources elsewhere? 

Success can be defined very differently depending on the goal and objective one is striving to achieve. Brand awareness is more intangible and difficult to measure than direct response. 

I always suggest setting expectations before launching campaigns. You should have an idea of what results would make you ecstatic, depressed or just merely content. Some basic metrics to track include:

  • Views on video
  • Number of promo codes used
  • Number of clicks on branded link
  • Subscribers gained
  • Sales and visitor uplift

Should the activation be cross-promoted on the brand’s other channels or social platforms? 

It doesn’t hurt to have your brand promoted on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and other social platforms in addition to YouTube. I generally see these posts as added value. I’m most concerned with YouTube performance as that’s where I see the most ROI. 

The value of cross-promotion will likely fluctuate hugely depending on what the sponsor is promoting. The sponsor’s niche and the engagement on the influencer’s other social channels will also be a huge factor. I don’t work in retail or beauty, but I imagine an influencer manager in that field would see huge value in Instagram posts/stories. 

Where’s the most growth potential for influencer marketing?

In my opinion, influencer marketing has a much more difficult learning curve than other forms of media because it’s so disjointed. Having a central, organized marketplace for YouTube influencers would be very helpful. Many companies are trying to do this, but I’ve yet to find one that adds enough value to justify their high costs. I think Google creating its own ads platform for influencers is the most likely scenario. 

Getting started in influencer marketing can be too daunting for marketers unfamiliar with YouTube and influencers. Influencer marketing on YouTube is still very much the Wild West. Many business owners have yet to run influencer marketing campaigns because it’s too complicated or they simply don’t know where to begin. There’s no set process in setting up influencer sponsorships. This can make it very inefficient for marketers and business owners compared to when they run Facebook and Google ads.  If you want to run paid media on those platforms, the set-up process is guided and relatively straight-forward. 

How does influencer marketing on YouTube compare with influencer marketing on TikTok or Instagram Stories?

TikTok and Instagram are much more ephemeral than YouTube. YouTube videos are significantly longer. YouTube creators have significantly more time to genuinely and authentically relay to their audience why their fans should buy/use the sponsor’s product/brand. With Instagram, you can’t guarantee that videos will even be watched with sound. 
Another big benefit of YouTube is that creators can tell their fans to click the link in description which allows for immediate action to be taken. Also, YouTube videos have evergreen value as they continue to accumulate views over time. To give an example, a sponsorship I ran with Bat in the Sun while at Crypt TV had only 1 million views after its first 30 days of release. One year later, it’s gained an additional 2.5 million views worth of added value.

Samuel Adams Launches Feel-Good Holiday Campaign Amid Declining Beer Consumption

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Samuel Adams is launching a campaign called “Toast Someone,” to encourage consumers to honor a simple gesture: a toast. In an effort to inspire drinkers to show their gratitude to someone who’s made a meaningful impact on their life, the American brewer has employed a glass raising social media challenge meant to drive awareness—and ultimately get people to drink more beer. 

Samuel Adams is asking fans to document themselves raising a glass to someone with a bottle of Samuel Adams Boston Lager then post the photo to their Instagram, Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #ToastSomeone. Participants are also encouraged to tag @SamuelAdamsBeer and the recipient. A bespoke augmented reality (AR) Snapchat filter will accompany the campaign. 

The campaign follows a survey conducted by the brand that shows 84 percent of Americans don’t express appreciation for others as often as they should, and 58 percent are more likely to do so during the holiday season.

Given 49 percent of survey respondents also said that feeling awkward was the biggest barrier to expressing appreciation, Samuel Addams has created a limited-edition “Toast Someone” two-pack carrier that fits two Boston Lagers and includes space for a written sentiment. Starting this week at retailers nationwide, while supplies last, the two-pack carriers will be available free of charge with any Samuel Adams purchase.

To demonstrate the power of a toast, Samuel Adams called on popular comedians like Brendan Schaub and Whitney Cummings to thank someone with a toast as opposed to a roast.

A feel-good initiative ahead of the holidays is an organic way to stand out from the crowd this season, especially amid US beer brands’ declining sales. Between 2012 and 2017, Bud Light saw its sales decrease 17 percent. Other beer brands such as Budweiser, Miller Lite and Coors Lite have also lost market share.

In its second-quarter results, Samuel Adams’ parent company Boston Beer noted, “We are disappointed with our Samuel Adams brand trends and continue to evolve our brand messaging.” Perhaps a touch of cause-marketing will help the brand bounce back.

Coca-Cola Great Britain Fuses Experiential, Cause Marketing To Launch Biggest Holiday Campaign

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Coca-Cola Great Britain is re-launching its “Holidays are coming” campaign with the biggest media plan to date including out-of-home, a new global television ad, digital activity and experiential activations at UK travel hubs.

Interactive moments around the campaign will include surprise karaoke takeovers in central London. The Piccadilly Lights will live-stream popular Christmas songs on its screens for 90 minutes each time, accompanied by a choir who will encourage the public to sing along.

To celebrate the return of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Cinnamon for a second year, Coca-Cola is infusing the Oxford Circus Underground train station with the scent of cinnamon. Starting December 9, consumers can also enjoy a cinnamon-inspired igloo experience at London’s Winterland in Fullham.

Coca-Cola partnered with Snapchat to create a bespoke lens to drive social engagement. An activation with Waze will also guide people to the nearest store where they can buy Coca-Cola products while on the go.

Lastly, Coca-Cola has created a new television spot for this iteration of the “Holidays are coming” campaign, set to air in December. 

The campaign, which kicked off with the brand’s annual Christmas tour truck on November 15, is tied to a charitable cause. As part of its partnership with homelessness charity, Crisis, Coca-Cola will help reunite unsuspecting friends and families on board for 19 stops nationwide. The brand will also donate 10 percent for every Coca-Cola can sample and recycled on the truck tour.

Coca-Cola Great Britain has continued to expand its recycling efforts since September when it launched the “Round in Circles” campaign. The multi-brand ad campaign was meant to raise awareness about its 100 percent-recyclable packaging initiative, which it supported by turning the Coca-Cola London Eye green for Recycle Week.