What Is DTC? DTC Brands Disagree On Definitions

BY

At Advertising Week New York, panelists sought to find a common definition of DTC. While there was some overlap between the definitions provided, there were also points of disagreement around what constitutes a direct-to-consumer brand.

Moderator Jeff Fagel, SVP and head of marketing at Epsilon and Conversant, began Wednesday’s ‘Breaking Down DTC’ panel with a level-setting quote from Henry McNamara at Great Oaks Venture Capital:

“The term “‘direct-to-consumer’ is outdated. The opportunity isn’t about being strictly direct, but having a way to engage and interact with customers, knowing what customers want and meeting the customers where they already are.”

Heather Steiger, senior marketing manager at Freshly, disagreed. The concept of direct-to-consumer is basic, she said. “I am basically cutting out all intermediaries, I’m going straight to the consumer and selling my wares.”

Chris Moore, head of strategic partnerships at Publishers Clearing House, agreed. “There’s a level of engagement directly between the brand or company and the consumer.”

While most panelists were aligned that there is some direct relationship between so-called DTC brands and their customers, some approached the problem of defining DTC tangentially, focusing on the relationship consumers have with DTC products rather than the relationships they have with the brands behind them.

Steiger reasoned along these lines. 

“DTC all came about because they were trying to solve a problem. If you hate grocery shopping, a DTC brand will pop-up to say “this is how we’ll solve that problem,” she said. “It all (came) about to think about a different way to do all the traditional things we used to do.”

“Do you consider Freshly DTC even though there’s still a level closer to the consumer, you can go to a farm stand, or somewhere before that?” asked PCH’s Chris Moore.

“If you want to just eat an apple, yeah. But if you want risotto and you don’t want to have to cook it you can go to Freshly.” Steiger said.

Tracey Kambies, Deloitte’s US retail and consumer products sector and global analytics ecosystems and alliances lead, also defined DTC on a product-basis. 

‘Direct-to-consumer has to focus really hard on having a quality product and reaching the consumer directly, like we talked about, that ‘faux purpose’ of DTC, but if your product isn’t good […] then you will automatically lose. We’ve seen a lot of brands that enter the market, have an interesting concept or product that may fit a need or was ethically inclined to the values of (consumers), but it did not actually deliver. It didn’t meet my expectations of what I was paying for to have that direct experience.”

Not all panelists agreed with this approach, however.

“Hasn’t this just always been true?” counterposed Dan Levi, chief marketing officer at ClearChannel. 

“What’s different here is not the importance of a good product—it’s the velocity that that happens. In the traditional retail model, you’re manufacturing and distributing that product at a much slower pace, I think the beauty of DTC is that constant direct customer relationship and the feedback and engagement gives you the ability to optimize that product,” Levi said.

At ‘The Changing Face Of DTC Brands,’ moderator Anna Hensel of Modern Retail began her panel in a similar search for the core of DTC. She noted that earlier in the week someone had described DTC as a mindset, which she did not fully agree with, but noted, “not all of the brands that say they’re direct-to-consumer are selling just direct-to-consumer.”

Alternately, Fluide co-founder Laura Kraber suggested that perhaps DTC is a mindset, noting that most brands don’t believe they can be exclusively DTC at this stage. “We want to have a direct relationship with our consumers and sell online. DTC is a mindset in the sense that you’re building a community online and are focused on that direct relationship.”

At the same panel, Shopify’s CMO, Jeff Weiser, put DTC into an historical context: 

“One of the things we always like to remind people of is that direct-to-consumer is really the natural state of commerce. You don’t really have, until the 1800’s with the rise of the department store as a shopping experience, (something that’s) gone beyond exchanging goods, or with any intermediation in commerce at all.”

Debates about definition aside, 80 percent of consumer brands believe DTC brands are impacting how they think about marketing.

Brands Enter Uncluttered TikTok Market As Influencer Marketing Gains Traction

BY

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.)

Five years ago, popular lip-syncing app Musical.ly was formed. About two years ago, Beijing-based ByteDance acquired Musical.ly and renamed it TikTok, thereafter launching in Europe. Since then, the short-form video platform beloved by Gen Z is quickly gaining traction for its user-friendly experience and the rise of the platform’s unfiltered influencer. 

TikTok is now available in 75 different languages across 150 global markets. Since debuting, the app has been downloaded 950 million times. The app allows users to create videos that range from 15 seconds to one minute long with the option to add music as well as branded hashtag challenges. Sony Pictures, American Eagle Outfitters and Gymshark are among the first brands to dip their toes into the relatively uncluttered market—and for good reason, as Forrester predicts short video ad spending will reach $6.5 billion in 2020, up from $2.1 billion in 2018.

Short-form videos as an effective format to lower the barrier for creation are part of TikTok’s grand plan. Unlike YouTube, for which brands and influencers pour considerable thought into, TikTok features creators as their raw selves, in mostly unedited videos doing quirky things like lip-syncing and dancing like no one’s watching (think: watermelon dress challenges and animal emoji karaoke). Part of TikTok’s appeal is that the platform is planned around specific challenges that include hashtags and memes, then it presents content to users based on their watch habits.

In addition to branded hashtag challenges, TikTok’s features include branded augmented reality (AR) lens, limited-time brand takeover ads and more recently, it started testing in-feed video ads. The platform has become so popular that it created its own “Best TikTok Compilations” YouTube channel, which has accumulated 1.4 million subscribers. 

TikTok is where users go to engage rather to connect with friends and family, and because its ad platform is still being developed, influencers are the best place to play right now on TikTok. If influencers aren’t a big part of your TikTok strategy, it’s hard to rely on just their ad tools. If you have the right audience, however, it’s worth trying.

Despite TikTok’s nascence, some influencers on the platform are able to make a living via brand partnerships. Take popular TikToker Holly H, for example. The 22-year-old West Sussex native has 14.7 million fans on TikTok where, according to Vice, her posts have been liked over 285 million times. Holly admitted she doesn’t plan her videos, but rather, makes content that comes to mind. In one sponsored video, Holly is shown lip-syncing a scene from Nickelodeon’s Victorious to Gen Z singer Billie Eilish’s song “Bad Guy.” Recently, Holly worked on an ad for the movie How to Train Your Dragon 3.

Then there’s Leanne Bailey, a baker who named her TikTok channel @thebaileybakery after her real-life Kentucky-based business. Since starting on TikTok, Bailey has amassed 4.4 million fans and posts a sponsored video once weekly. Music labels often pay Bailey to use a particular song, the influencer told BuzzFeed News. 

At the start of 2019, UK-based online gym wear retailer, Gymshark, announced a “66 Days Change Your Life” personal goal challenge, calling on users to upload an initial photo on January 1 then uploading both the initial photo and an updated photo 66 days later, on March 8. In return, winners would receive a year’s supply of Gymshark goods. Gymshark not only helped users improve themselves but the brand also naturally created a connection with fans. To raise awareness of the 66 days challenge, Gymshark tapped six influencers in categories across health, lifestyle, fitness and dance.

For its second 2019 TikTok challenge, Chipotle asked fans to come up with a dance with the hashtag #GuacDance. To raise awareness about the dance-off, the brand tapped Youtubers Loren Gray and Brent Rivera. The activation garnered 532,388,592 views and 24,714 posts that incorporated Dr. Jean’s “The Guacamole Song.” In addition to engaging TikTok’s Gen Z users, Chipotle was able to promote orders online and on its mobile app given that entry required ordering from either.

Sony Pictures has also experienced success with TikTok. In its effort to promote a song from the US band, AJR Brothers, the company tapped TikTok influencer duo Max and Harvey. The duo created a challenge using AJR Brothers’ “100 Bad Days” and a hashtag to accompany it for a chance to meet them and the AJR Brothers at their London concert. The lighthearted video received 230,000 views and 40,000 likes.

Guess encouraged TikTok users to create and share videos using the #InMyDenim and Bebe Rexha song “I’m A Mess.” The six-day campaign was part of the apparel company’s strategy to promote its autumn season denim collection. Over 5,000 entries were submitted and Guess’s newly created account got 12,000 followers and 10.5 million views on its videos.

This month, American Eagle Outfitters used TikTok’s latest ad unit, the in-feed video, for a back-to-school campaign that includes a fall collection made in collaboration with rapper Lil Wayne. The challenge called for users to post videos of themselves in pieces from the collection with the rapper’s “Uproar” song.

The content the resonates well on TikTok is younger by nature. If you’re on there as a brand and your typical demographic is older, the content and audience aren’t going to feel right since those go hand in hand. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who doesn’t have a natural Gen Z audience. 

It’s also worth noting that while Gen Z dominates TikTok’s current demographic, a study from GlobalWebIndex found that the global user base might be expanding from just teens. Data shows that the number of TikTok users from age 26-34 is higher compared to the number of 16-to-24-year-olds in countries such as Malaysia, China, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

Facebook Announces Multiplayer VR Social Experience And AR Glasses

BY

This week, Facebook announced that it’s developing AR glasses and a VR social experience, Twitch’s brand identity gets a makeover and TikTok clarifies its censorship practices.

Facebook Is Developing AR Glasses And A “Live Maps” 3D Project

Facebook confirmed it’s developing augmented reality (AR) glasses that’ll be ready in a few years, and launching a project that depicts multi-layer representations of the world.

Why it matters: In light of Facebook’s recent $5 billion settlement with the FTC regarding data privacy practices, the company’s announcement of AR glasses may be met with scrutiny.

The details: The “Live Maps” project was announced at the Oculus Connect developer conference where Facebook said it would bridge the physical and digital divides via “a shared virtual map of the world.” As for its AR glasses, rumor has it the platform is teaming with Ray-Ban to create glasses that will live stream your surroundings.

Twitch Overhauls Brand Identity Ahead Of TwitchCon2019

Twitch has updated its color palette, logo, font and entire community experience.

Why it matters: Up until now, Twitch hasn’t advertised itself heavily. Its fresh brand identity comes just in time for the company’s biggest event, TwitchCon2019, and a forthcoming first-ever brand campaign, “You’re already one of us.” TwitchCon2019 takes place from September 27-29 at the San Diego convention center.  

The details: In a blog post, Twitch explained that its goal for the brand refresh is to maximize its community’s expression. If Twitch’s goal is to tell its users’ stories in exciting ways, the post said, “Twitch itself needs an upgrade.” Updates include a new brighter purple palette, a less text-heavy logo font with a retro game aesthetic, increased emote visibility and edge-to-edge video player.

Facebook Announces VR Experience, Oculus Hand Tracking 

In a blog post, Facebook said it’s in the process of developing a virtual reality (VR) social experience called “Facebook Horizon,” that features build-your-own environments and games. It’s also introducing hand tracking on the Oculus Quest device for hands-free interaction in VR.

Why it matters: The VR experience is an opportunity for Facebook and brands to monetize social interactions via in-game ads and billboards. It also gives users who are bored with Facebook a new place to play.

The details: Facebook Horizon will allow users to design their own landscapes, avatars and play multiplayer games with friends. Additionally,, by early next year, owners of the hands-free Oculus Quest device will be able to control some apps with their hands and fingers.

TikTok Censors Videos Critical Of Chinese Government

According to Engadget, TikTok tried censoring user posts that touched on certain Chinese topics such as specific world leaders and historical incidents.

Why it matters: The platform’s popularity in China is leading to a rigid style. TikTok once took a blunt approach to minimizing conflict on the platform, but now it employs localized approaches including region-specific moderators and policies.

The details: The Guardian obtained documents showing TikTok’s policy guidelines instruct moderators to remove content about the 1998 riots in Indonesia and Cambodian genocide. While TikTok wouldn’t necessarily delete these posts, it wouldn’t allow them to be picked up its algorithm either.

Over Half Of Content Creators Face Copyright Claims On YouTube

Music licensing company Lickd conducted a study that found over half of YouTubers have battled a copyright claims on the platform.

Why it matters: The potential to generate revenue through online content is at risk. One solution may be providing claims-free commercial tracks.

The details: Lickd’s study revealed that 58 percent of creators have had to fight a copyright claim on their online content. In March, the European Parliament passed Article 13, an agreement that requires social platforms to take responsibility for copyrighted material. Forty-nine percent of creators said the ruling would create further challenges for them.

LinkedIn Introduces Recruiter Mobile App And Talent Insights Feature

LinkedIn has a revamped mobile app for recruiters and data-driven features for talent professionals looking to hire.

Why it matters: Given 70 percent of responses to recruiters from candidates on LinkedIn happen after 7 p.m., and the rise of mobile, the platform seeks to provide users a seamless experience and make hiring more efficient.

The details: The mobile app will allow recruiters to communicate on the go and collaborate with their team right from their phone. LinkedIn also added a new “Talent Insights” tab in LinkedIn Recruiter & Jobs to give professionals “the ability to have more metric-driven conversations with teams about who, where and how to hire.” The company’s also streamlining candidate management with its LinkedIn Talent Hub feature, available for customers starting today.

Reddit Updates Mobile Landing Pages For Video Ads, Adds Standard Sizes

Per Marketing Land, Reddit announced this week the launch of a new mobile landing page experience, the addition of two aspect ratios for ad sizes and optional referral URLs for cost per view (CPV) campaigns. 

Why it matters: A new mobile landing page could mean improved completion rates and conversion rates. The standard ad sizes will allow advertisers to utilize cross-platform video assets without tweaking formats. Lastly, referral URLs will provide a cleaner viewing experience. 

The details: With the updated mobile landing page, a user will be redirected to a website where an uninterrupted ad continues to play. Reddit will also now support 1:1 square and 4:5 vertical video sizes, in addition to the current 16:9 and 4:3. Brands can also optimize campaign views via the URLs for CPV campaigns.

Instagram Introduces Highly Requested Dark Mode Feature

For most, Instagram is the first thing they check in the morning and last app they scroll before bed yet the app’s glaring white background takes away all the fun. Now Instagram is testing a dark mode feature that would give users the option to make their app background black.

Why it matters: Instagram fans had taken to Twitter begging Instagram to add the dark mode feature, likening the opening of the app to having curtains lifted after sitting in the dark. Giving users what they want incentivizes even more downloads.  

The details: Instagram is gradually rolling out the dark mode, available on iOS13 and Android 10. Users must manually turn on the feature in the system’s settings and have the latest version of Instagram.

Snapchat Extends Ads To Three Minutes, Implements Goal-Based Bidding

Campaign reports that Snapchat is enabling three-minute ads and giving advertisers the ability to optimize for 15-second video views with its new “goal-based bidding.”

Why it matters: Now, commercial campaigns can be viewed via a swipe to a web view, camera attachment or long-form video, allowing studios to create a full film or television trailer.

The details: Prior to this update, marketers could only upload partial trailers, limiting viewing of a full trailer to a swipe up action similar to a YouTube pre-roll. Snapchat is also implementing “goal-based bidding” which will allow agencies to purchase against a specific level of ad engagement. 

Facebook Won’t Intervene In Political Speech, Pledges To Better Screen Deepfake Videos

In a speech given by Facebook VP of global affairs and communications, Nick Clegg discussed the steps Facebook is taking to prevent outside interference in elections as the platform faces antitrust investigations. 

Why it matters: Facebook says it won’t remove politicians’ posts that break Facebook rules with the exception of paid ads and speech that could “lead to real world violence and harm.” The statement comes after many politicians have accused the platform of political bias.

The details: The company cites its “fundamental belief in free expression” the reason for bending the rules for politicians although it has tightened its application rules for political ads, now requiring identification and information about the organization. Additionally, Facebook launched a Deepfake Detection Challenge to spot manipulated content quicker and take action.

YouTube Reverses Decision That Unverified Influencer Accounts

After announcing that it would be updating its verification criteria, on September 19—a move that unverified many creators—YouTube has changed its mind.

Why it matters: In the age of influencer fraud, making improvements to the verification system remains important for brands. However, it appears YouTube missed the mark on this one and will have to regroup on how to improve verification.

The details: YouTube sent an email to creators saying it would be proactively verifying channels instead of accepting requests for verification badges. As a result, many influential YouTubers immediately became unverified, including YouTube’s own channel. Twenty-four hours later, YouTube reversed the changes and restored verification to the creators affected. The platform confirmed that channels with over 100,000 subscribers will continue to be eligible to apply for verification. 

Snapchat Announces Eight New Snap Original Shows, Renews Four

Due to audience requests to batch drop its show episodes, Snapchat has been increasingly releasing serialized scripted shows all at once as opposed to daily. This week, it’s revealing eight new shows and serializing four.

Why it matters: Snapchat is enhancing its mobile storytelling strategy and connecting with users in meaningful ways via shows that reflect their voices, experiences and passions.

The details: Snapchat’s new slate includes eight shows including a mix of docuseries and scripted series premiering this fall and throughout 2020. The platform also renewed four originals including Bringing Up Bhabie, Two Sides, Kappa Crypto and The Dead Girls Detective Agency.

Snapchat Launches 3D Camera Mode

Snapchat is adding depth to snaps with 3D camera filters and 3D effects that users can swipe on in the filter carousel.

Why it matters: Snapchat’s 3D camera mode will give its users a new reason to stay in the app, preventing them from sharing it on Instagram Story. Selfies taken with the 3D mode can be shared on the app, though sharing it outside the app takes away the ability to change the photos’ perspective when moving your phone round. 

The details: The new camera mode allows users who have an iPhone X or newer the ability to capture a selfie and apply 3D effects, filters an lenses. It captures spatial details, making the snaps change in perspective and appearance based on how you move your phone when viewing them.

Pinterest Announces New “Shop The Look” Ads For Mobile

The mobile visual discovery tool is rolling out in the US over the next few months.

Why it matters: “Shop the Look” ads will give brands more incentive to extend campaign initiatives and the ability to reach more shoppers for it lets retailers feature multiple products in a single ad.

The details: Users can discover products in the contest of a pin’s image and click to checkout on the brand’s site. Inspired by Pinterest’s “Shop the Look” pins, the addition gives retailers the chance to tag up to 25 items in an image. Shoppers will be shown a preview showcase of four items that they can click through to see more. Pinterest will roll out “Shop the Look” ads in the US over the coming months. 

Facebook Acquires Startup To Build Customer Service Bots

Facebook is working on a network of bots to complement customer service teams on digital wallet group Calibra.

Why it matters: Facebook is developing a digital wallet called Calibra for its forthcoming cryptocurrency Libra, launching in 2020. Bringing on startup Servicefriend to build hybrid chatbots will be essential for Facebook to boost customer service experiences and rebuild its credibility. 

The details: Servicefriend builds chat bots for messaging apps based on artificial intelligence (AI). Facebook has acquired Servicefriend to help fulfill its promise to Calibra users—24/7 support in WhatsApp and Messenger. 

YouTube Introduces Video Reach Campaigns

The platform is offering advertisers simpler ways to drive growth across the customer journey with video.

Why it matters: YouTube already helps marketers drive leads and conversions with its TrueView feature. Now, brands can build full-funnel video strategies by using “Video Reach Campaigns” and TrueView in conjunction. Additionally, brands will have a better chance of reaching cord–cutters with the introduction of its masthead to television screens. Currently, YouTube reaches more millennials in the US than any television network.

The details: Marketers can upload multiple video creatives into a single campaign and thereafter Google’s machine learning will produce the most efficient combination of these YouTube ad formats to help reach audiences at scale. YouTube cited Ford as one example of a brand that has lowered its campaign cost over 30 percent with the help of the feature.

Marketers can purchase YouTube masthead on television screens on a cost-per-thousand basis and customize which audiences they want to see it.  According to YouTube’s research, YouTube ads on television screens drive a 10 percent greater lift in recall than ads on linear television.

WhatsApp Lets Users Share Status On Facebook

With the roll out, WhatsApp users on android devices can automatically share their status to Facebook Story.

Why it matters: Instagram users can share their Story status to Facebook automatically. Facebook-owned WhatsApp now lets Android users do the same, which means the social networking giant could boast higher user engagement to advertisers.

The details: WhatsApp gives users the ability to share status Stories that disappear after 24 hours. The new update will allow them to share these statuses to their Facebook Story as well, creating a centralized mode of communication.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly social media news post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, September 27. Have a news tip? We’re looking for changes to and news surrounding social media platforms as they relate to marketing. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

Audio’s Big Comeback

BY

Tuesday at Advertising Week New York was audio’s big day. Panelists converged at AMC’s Lincoln Center Theater to discuss topics such as the growth of the medium as a marketing channel through the proliferation of smart devices and podcasting, how brands should strategize around audio and the neuroscience of consumer awareness as it relates to sound. 

Panelists offered consistent perspectives on the current state of audio and its impact on the consumer.

Stats On Audio Marketing

At ‘The State of Listening 2019,’ Tom Webster, SVP of strategy and marketing at Edison Research, set the stakes for brands wondering if they should enter the voice technology audio space.

Webster noted that smart speaker ownership is now the fastest-growing tech sector in America. Nearly one-third of American households have a smart speaker and almost every smart speaker owner has more than one device.

Podcasting shows similar growth, according to Webster. 

“This is a watershed moment for podcasting, a true milestone. With over half of Americans aged 12+ saying they have listened to a podcast, the medium has firmly crossed over into the mainstream.”

Bret Kinsella of voicebot.ai took to the stage for ‘The Voice Shift,’ giving more heft to Webster’s outlook on the podcast front. He noted that podcast users are also more likely to trust the ads they hear on that medium.

“We are seeing a true shift,” said Kinsella. “First there were clicks, then mobile and now there is voice.”

The Neuroscience Case For Audio

Not only do the statistics point to wider tech adoption, but neuroscience is finding applications in marketing by measuring the duration of brand memories and the attentiveness of consumers toward specific mediums. The results are myth-busting.

At ‘Feel the Story: Emotionally Immersive Storytelling,’ Wondery’s founder and CEO, Hernan Lopez, made the case for the power of audio’s impact using reports drawn from neurological imaging done by NeuroLab. 

NeuroLab’s studies showed that audio storytelling trumped visual storytelling for emotional impact across categories, citing 21 percent more “emotional intensity” when the same brand story is told audibly rather than just visually. 

Host and producer-read podcast ads had a 30 percent higher average of emotional intensity when compared to social media ads, which increases their memorability.

According to the press release announcing the launch of NeuroLab by Mindshare, the studies used “medical-grade EEG (electroencephalogram) and GSR (galvanic skin response) technology to measure second-by-second, non-conscious neurological responses to brand stories and media. The NeuroLab supplements the data from these neurological responses with pre-and-post Implicit Association Tasks (implicit bias testing), as well as quantitative survey responses.”

NeuroLab’s studies also showed that podcast recall is more likely to sustain over time due to the strong emotional component.

When charting implicit trust associations with brands before and after ad exposure, the advertisements on podcasts grew “subconscious brand trust” while social media ads decreased subconscious brand trust.

At ‘Make Your Brand Memorable: The Neuro-Science Of Audio Messaging,’ similar study results were presented by Pranav Yadav, CEO of Neuro-Insight US, whose panel addressed how audio advertising affects the human subconscious and consumer behavior.

In one study, Yadav showed how the alignment between NPR’s program segments and their sponsored messages helped in making the NPR sponsored messages more memorable to NPR listeners when compared to traditional radio, a testament to the cohesive sonic branding that in layperson’s terms could be described as, “that NPR sound.” 

Podcasts Are Open For Business

The current state of audio marketing, specifically with podcasts, is wide open for brands.

Nick Southwell-Keely, US director of brand partnerships for Acast noted that the podcast industry is expected to pass the $1 billion dollar mark by 2021. “There’s been an explosion this year from investment […] and there are over 700,000 podcasts out there right now.”

According to IAB and PwC’s third annual Podcast Revenue Report, “driving the growth in revenues is podcast listening which continues to surge in the US, increasing 7 percent in one year. In addition to this, “podcast listeners continue to respond well to ads, scoring high marks in terms of engagement with ads as well as responsiveness.”

Janet Levine, head of invention+, a division at Mindshare, noted that with the diversity of voices and stories in the podcasting market, brands can carve out a niche in the space due to its magnitude. 

“Podcasts are so fragmented. Every single brand has the opportunity to own a vertical; they can own a show. There are just enough out there. And because the ecosystem is very much in DTC, it gives bigger brands the opportunity to make a greater impact.”

Panelist Grant Durando, growth marketing consultant at Right Side Up, has high expectations for the state of the market in two years’ time: “From an in-house advertising perspective, we’re going to start to see podcasting [become] one of the major new channels of customer acquisition as opposed to an incidental channel.”

So, why were DTC brands first-adopters of the medium and what does that mean for everyone else?

“About five to six years ago we had a bit of a revolution in DTC products where you had new models coming out, notably the subscription and box model, that was one piece,” explained Durando.

 “And the other piece was, I’m not exactly sure why this happened, you had these innovative products like Ring.com and Casper […] and at the time, podcast advertising was so non-diluted that we were able to buy a spot for 30 seconds and then that endorser would go on for five minutes about how he got a mattress in a box, liked it, kept it, but he could have returned it.”

“That was the moment we were able to do top-funnel messaging, full-on education on a new delivery system for a product and drive it all the way down to the deep funnel, and then finally, it was successful because we had vanity URLs and promo codes, something we’ve used in radio for a decade or so, so listeners were already trained on how to do that,” Durando said.

Brands In The Audio Space

Rob Walker, global director of creative solutions at Spotify, explained how he worked with Snickers at ‘A Brand Strategy, In Audio.’

“You have to start with what’s true about their brand,” he said.

Walker offered an example: “We tend to take what’s true about their brand in terms of their ideas, the key visuals, and try to translate those […] into audio through our data and things we know about our consumers.”

For Snickers, that meant translating the tagline, “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry,” into an audio-only version of the same brand messaging.

“We took people who were switching their usual repertoire of music listening and changing it in a very peculiar way, so someone who listens to pop music is suddenly listening to hardcore metal […] because of all those behavioral signals we pick up using our data we can serve messaging to them in a very contextual, quick way,” Walker said.

“[We used] little audio snippets, almost like little songs […] which spoke to people in those music genres that they just switched to saying, “maybe you’re doing this because you’re hungry.”

For Sabrina Caluori, EVP of digital at HBO, audio was the right channel for marketing Westworld because it aligned so closely with the HBO brand. “Audio is the oldest form of storytelling. What is HBO at its core? High-quality storytelling.”

The Alexa Skill that HBO released, Westworld: The Maze, led to over 500 million earned media impressions and focused on reaching tech early-adopters while echoing the show’s themes of artificial intelligence and our interaction with it⁠—not to mention snagging a Grand Prix in Radio and Audio at Cannes Lions.

The main takeaway from panelists offering guidance to brands around audio was that you can start small but should have the same respect for your audio initiatives as you have for those in the visual medium.

Audrey Arbeeny, founder, CEO and executive producer at Audiobrain, commented that the idea that brands must go “all-in” on audio is one of the biggest misperceptions around audio branding.

“That (audio branding) is a sound logo or single asset.”

To Arbeeny and others, audio branding requires a cohesive approach with respect to the context and content of a brand’s messaging in spaces where visual advertising is either unable to penetrate or simply ineffective.

At the end of the day, panelists echoed the same sentiments toward strategizing around audio. That is, this type of marketing isn’t reinventing the wheel when it comes to foundational ideas for brand success. 

“Be authentic, understand your brand and understand that the experience of your audience is paramount now,” said Abbey Klaassen, NY president of 360i. “Treat your sonic portfolio with the same respect you treat other aspects of your brand.”

Creating Clothing For Kindness With Ashley Daly Of BeCandylicious

BY

During this episode of “Marketing Today,” I interview Ashley Daly, president and founder at BeCandylicious. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Daly was the senior vice president of global marketing at Experian Marketing Service. 

BeCandylicous, a direct-to-consumer fashion brand, is a dream come true for Daly. She discusses growing the sales of BeCandylcious through social media, digital promotion and word-of-mouth, expanding the company’s reach by signing her first retail distribution deal with Dylan’s Candy Bar and what inspires the company’s concept of kindness. 

Daly talks about turning 40 and wanting to spend more time with her family. She delves into how her passion for design and her over 15 years of marketing experience came together to push her towards creating BeCandylicious. Having a young daughter that likes to dress like her and not finding the right options opened a niche that needed filling for Daly. BeCandylicious makes the clothing in youth sizes also available in adult sizes. With a focus on paying it forward, the brand reinforces positivity and kindness, and the fact that sometimes your clothes can do the smiling for you.  

What advice does Daly have for start-ups and entrepreneurs? “An idea is only as good as it is executed. So many people will have ideas. It’s those that actually are willing to implement them and put in the hard work and chase after it and make it a reality that separates those from just ideas.” 

Highlights from this week’s “Marketing Today”:

  •  Why did Ashley Daly leave the world of marketing to start BeCandylicious? (01:31)
  • What was Ashley’s career path and who helped to spark it? (02:50)
  • When did you know that you had a company and not just an idea? (07:41)
  • Ashley talks about what BeCandylicious is and how the merging of candy and clothes came about. (12:32)
  • How did Ashley respond when she had a few doubters early on? (21:37)
  •  What is the “Collection of Hope?” (22:24)
  • How did Ashley launch BeCandylicious? (26:10)
  • In the first three months, BeCandylicious sold to every single state in the United States. (28:55)
  • What were the biggest adjustments to becoming an entrepreneur? (30:55)
  • How is she focusing on growth now moving forward? (33:37)
  • How has feedback influenced the brand? (37:00)
  • Does she have any concerns about the marketplace? (40:08)
  •  Is there an experience in Ashley’s life that has defined who she is today? (45:27)
  • What advice would she give her younger self? (46:43)
  • What fuels Ashley to keep going in his career and life? (47:00)
  • Are there brands that she thinks we should pay attention to? (47:46)
  • Where does Ashley Daly see the future of marketing going? (49:16)

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.

Generation Z: A Generation Of Distrust And Disruption

BY

Originally published at AW360 by Nadya Okamoto.

Generation Z stands to disrupt the status quo, question decades-old societal constructs, and take matters into their own hands; because we feel every conversation should always centre the voices of those closest to the issue being discussed.

Generation Z is the generation of young people born after 1996 composing 32 percent of the global population. One of the key differences between millennials and Generation Z is our mindset: millennials want a seat at the table, Generation Z wants to flip the damn table. When we don’t trust that the table is equitable, we build our own that creates space for as many of us as possible—and that’s what we try to do every day at JUV Consulting.

I know that I am one of the millions in Generation Z who are jumping into the political field with a heightened sense of ferocity to fight for progress and demand action around issues that are affecting us. We are scared, frustrated and tired of issues that have persisted for far too long. According to the Harvard Institute of Politics Fall 2018 Youth Poll, 59 percent of young people in America are more fearful than hopeful about our country’s future. We wake up to more and more headlines about police brutality, natural disasters, the climate crisis, mass shootings, racism, gender inequality and other global emergencies. We constantly hear about scandals and abuses of power made by the people and systems in power who are supposed to represent and protect us but aren’t.

Unlike generations who have felt similarly in the past, we feel empowered. With social media now being an extension of our own self-expression and a way that we can connect with people beyond our own geographic region, we have all the tools we need to build an audience and collectively take action. March for Our Lives, Black Lives Matter and #MeToo are just a few examples of young people mobilizing and taking action, often propelling these movements with social media.

As members of Generation Z, we have an extreme level of distrust in systems and institutions, and it sparks an ambition to be disruptive. We grew up witnessing our parents and adults losing faith in the systems that govern us—very much shaped by 9/11, a financial crisis, foreign conflict and domestic political turmoil.

Yes, of course, every generation grows up with their own set of real-world crises, and it is not a new phenomenon for people to question politicians. The difference is that we have never had the luxury of ignorance. We always know what is happening in the world because we have social media and news notifications at our fingertips. As the most diverse generation in history—we are either personally impacted by what’s happening around us, or know someone who is, so the effect of the crisis is much closer to us, and we feel empowered to do something about it. Our digital presence means that our disruption can become mainstream with a simple tweet—and we are using that power to agitate for progress.

We are constantly looking at platforms that are oversaturated with content, including news that catalyzes a great deal of distrust toward government, major institutions, systems and people in power. And now, in the era of #FakeNews, we’re questioning whether or not we can trust the outlets publishing that content in the first place. Perhaps what you could call a coping mechanism to this collective distrust is Generation Z’s turn to memes–our own art of reactionary, humorous, extremely replicable visual content. For many younger members of Generation Z, meme groups are one of the final reasons to still have a Facebook account.

With an increasing number of successful young entrepreneurs, activists, creatives, celebrities and political leaders who are rising to their status and impact in unconventional ways (often through the power of social media), more of Generation Z is realizing their potential to take action now. We look at the world and, yes, feel scared, but we also feel a heightened sense of individual responsibility to do something about the issues affecting us and our communities, and we are feeling more empowered to unite and create.

Of course, you cannot make large blanket statements about an entire generation of people—especially when we’re talking about Generation Z, the largest segment of a population in the history of the world. Obviously, not all young people have an interest in politics, and many may not have the resources or opportunities to build their own movements or initiatives. That being said, these insights here about Generation Z being one of distrust, disruption and drive to flip the damn table are what we at JUV believe can explain the rising trend of young people inspiring change-making grassroots organizing, mass media cycles and transformative public discourse.

When I was 16, I started my first nonprofit, which is now the largest youth-run NGO in women’s health in the world with our network of 500+ chapters in all 50 states and almost 30 countries. When I was 19, I ran for public office, and accidentally became the youngest Asian-American to run in the United States at the time. When I was 20, I published my debut book Period Power. And now, at 21, I’m continuing to lead my nonprofit and company as I return to finish my last two years at Harvard College.

I took the last year off of college to work and travel a lot for speaking, and when I speak about my work, many adults are very surprised by it and tokenize me as a unique young leader. But truth be told, while I know that I have been very privileged to have the mentors and opportunities I did to make my work moves possible until now, I don’t feel unique in my attitude or will to make change regardless of age. To me, it just goes to show that they have not talked to enough young people! I’m constantly inspired by peers who are starting even younger and acting upon their passion. I truly believe that we are never too young to make a difference—and JUV Consulting is evidence of just that.

Coca-Cola Great Britain Launches ‘Round In Circles’ Campaign To Encourage Recycling

BY

Coca-Cola Great Britain has launched a multi-brand ad campaign called “Round in Circles” to raise awareness about its 100 percent-recyclable packaging initiative.

The campaign includes print and out-of-home (OOH) with a focus on transport centers, and will coincide with Recycle Now’s Recycle Week, which Coca-Cola will support by turning the Coca-Cola London Eye green on Wednesday. Creative for the campaign incorporates various different Coca-Cola brands.

The campaign’s message is simple: all Coca-Cola Great Britain bottles are recyclable, and if recycled, can be made into new bottles. Coca-Cola’s aim is to encourage more consumers to recycle and highlight its commitment to helping develop a “true circular economy for its packs.” 

Coca-Cola Great Britain’s marketing director, Kris Robbens, said that the company’s goal is to use more recycled materials across all of their packaging, and hopes that the “Round in Circles” campaign will push them closer to fully sustainable packaging.

One of the founding UK Plastics Pact members, Coca-Cola has been working on its sustainable packaging strategy since 2017. To start, it changed its Sprite bottle from green to clear to make it easier to recycle into a new bottle. Over the next few months, the company’s GLACÉAU Smartwater will be its first brand to move to 100 percent recycled plastic in its bottles. Coca-Cola has also increased the amount of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)—a highly recyclable plastic resin— used in its plastic bottles to at least 50 percent, making Coca-Cola the largest user of recycled PET plastic in Great Britain.

Last week, Coca-Cola announced it will no longer use plastic shrink-wrap across multipack cans sold in Great Britain. Instead, the company will use 100 percent recyclable, sustainably sourced cardboard. This means more than 30 million packs will use cardboard instead of plastic, resulting in 4,000 tons saving of plastic across Western Europe.

Tiffany & Co. Opens Immersive Shanghai Exhibition As Part Of Mainland China Strategy

BY

After two years in the making, Tiffany & Co. opened its first-ever experiential exhibition in Shanghai called “Vision & Virtuosity” to appeal to its large and important social media-savvy consumer base there. The multilevel exhibition—housed in the culture and arts building, Fosun Fondation—showcases the company’s 180-year history through six themed rooms, or “chapters.”

To reach the first room, “Blue is the Color of Dreams,” a room dedicated to colored gemstones, visitors must enter through a hall of mirrors. There, Tiffany & Co. incorporated mural work from local contemporary artist, Ran JiWei. 

“The World of Tiffany,” highlights the intersection of the brand and pop culture. On display is a ruby-and-diamond clip which John F. Kennedy gave to Jackie Kennedy Onassis as a push present in 1960 and a diamond-and-sapphire brooch that Tiffany & Co. gifted to Elizabeth Taylor in 1965.

In chapter three, visitors experience some of the jewelry designs featured in the Tiffany blue book, which, in 1845, became America’s first mail-order catalog. Signature pieces spanning about two centuries as well as vintage Tiffany blue books can be viewed.

Tiffany & Co. is also giving its guests a glimpse of how and where its stones are sourced and mined in the “Love” room, where eight signature engagement settings are featured. 

Many moments within the exhibition were set up to encourage social media posting. The “Love” room, for example, includes walls lined with interactive screens on which guests can write messages and a lit selfie station. Additionally, situated at the end of the exhibition is an oversized Tiffany & Co. ring box chair.

Lastly, a room dedicated to the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s reveals never-before-seen images of Audrey Hepbrun filming scenes at the New York City Tiffany & Co. flagship. Also on display is Hepburn’s original script and clips from the movie in which the brand’s jewelry appears. Tiffany & Co. merged its cinematic history with Chinese contemporary art with a sculpture of the little black dress Hepburn wore in the movie. Li Xiafeng, the sculptor who’s partnered with Lacoste and Louis Vuitton, created the dress via his broken porcelain technique using shards from the Song Dynasty.

The “Vision & Virtuosity” exhibition is key to Tiffany & Co.’s mainland China strategy and comes at a time when, by 2025, Chinese consumers will account for 44 percent of the global luxury market.

This week, Tiffany & Co. opened the doors to its first Blue Box Café in Asia at its Hong Kong flagship store. The interior matches the brand’s signature robin’s egg blue and will serve treats to guests on the brand’s silverware and flatware.

Twitter Suspends Another 10,000 Accounts For Spreading Political Disinformation

BY

This week, Twitter discloses another comprehensive archive of state-backed information operations, Snapchat publishes a report on Gen Z’s engagement with brands and Facebook announces the expansion of three interactive ad formats. 

Earlier this week, Instagram added restrictions on diet and cosmetic surgery ads, YouTube brought Masthead to the TV screen and Facebook launched second-generation Portal devices with access to WhatsApp.

Twitter Publishes New Data To Archive Of Information Operations

This week, Twitter disclosed the removal of another 10,112 accounts that were spreading political misinformation. 

Why it matters: With the initiative, Twitter aims to limit the spread of misinformation and bring more transparency to political conversations on the platform. 

“We see [the removal] as a necessary and vital step to regularize our transparency work in [the state-affiliated information operations] area, and to encourage more third-party investigation of these behaviors online,” the company said in a blog post dedicated to the news about disclosure. 

The details: The accounts suspended originated from the following six countries: United Arab Emirates and Egypt (273 accounts removed), Saudi Arabia (six accounts removed), Spain (265 accounts removed), Ecuador (1,019 accounts removed), China (PRC)/Hong Kong (more than 200,000 fake accounts removed).

Snapchat Publishes Study On Gen Z’s Approach To New Brands

Snapchat’s new report, conducted in partnership with CASSANDRA, finds that 28 percent of Gen Z’ers first heard about a new brand from friends and family.

Why it matters: The study dives into how the largest global generation interacts with brands, so marketers can find ways to better respond and approach conversations on social media with young consumers more effectively. 

The details: According to the survey:

  • 28 percent of participating Gen Z’ers first heard about a new brand from friends and family, which was especially true for retail, entertainment, fashion and technology brands
  • Nearly three in four (73 percent) participants said they would be interested in a new brand if their friends were talking about it
  • Two-thirds (65 percent) said they would be interested if a brand that’d create a unique experience for them and their friends to attend 
  • 35 percent of respondents said they go on a company’s website when familiarizing themselves with a new brand
  • Gen Z are more likely to share positive, rather than negative, brand experiences, as 46 percent said they’ve shared a positive experience at a store, and 40 percent said they recently shared a good customer service experience with their friends or family.

Facebook Announces Three New Interactive Ad Formats

Right on time before Advertising Week New York 19 opens next week, Facebook is announcing the expansion of three interactive Facebook ad formats.

Why it matters: The expanded initiative will provide more ways for marketers to engage with audiences on the platform. 

Eric Eckstein, senior director, digital marketing, at E! Entertainment said in a statement, “E! continually seeks deeper ways to connect with viewers. The launch of Facebook poll ads was an exciting opportunity for us to use media in a fun and interactive way ahead of the season 4 premiere of Total Bellas. Giving fans an opportunity to engage with the show helped us create meaningful interactions that drove success throughout the season.” 

The details: According to the social media giant, poll ads (which are already available for Instagram Stories) are being moved to the main feed of the Facebook mobile app. Also, the AR ads that have been in testing for some time are moving into open beta this fall. And finally, beyond gaming companies, Facebook is making playable ads available to all advertisers.

Instagram To Add Restrictions On Diet And Cosmetic Surgery Ads

Instagram will implement new restrictions on posts about diet products and cosmetic surgery, The Evening Standard reported. 

Why it matters: For certain companies, this means limited access to advertising on the platform. 

“The policy means that posts promoting products such as diet teas with a caption like ‘this helped me to lose 10 pounds really fast’ with a discount code to purchase will be removed,” The Evening Standard writes. 

The details: The posts will no longer be allowed under Instagram’s community guidelines and users will have an option to report those that violate new guidelines. In addition, Instagram will be restricting posts for users under 18 years old that promote certain weight loss products or cosmetic procedures and include incentivizing language. Instagram will also be removing posts to all users that make a “miraculous claim” about certain diet or weight loss products and linked to a commercial offer, such as a discount code. 

RBC: Snapchat Isn’t So Appealing To Advertisers 

According to The Wall Street Journal, a recent RBC advertising survey discovered that despite the fact that advertisers are heavily investing ad dollars in social media marketing, Snapchat’s appeal to them might be limited. 

Why it matters: RBC’s survey demonstrated that Snapchat ad spending remained the lowest among all platforms surveyed, even though future spending intentions on Snapchat have improved (September versus April). 

The details: The researchers found that 95 percent of participating advertisers said they are spending on social platforms with 54 percent of those allocating more than 20 percent of their ad dollars to the category, which makes this number a record high across the past 14 semiannual surveys RBC conducted. However, 76 percent of all survey participants indicated they didn’t advertise on the Snapchat platform.

Study: One Third Of Users Buy Directly From An Instagram Ad

Per a study from VidMob, about 60 percent of Instagram users have followed a new brand after seeing an appealing ad and made a purchase. 

Why it matters: VidMob’s survey findings suggest that Instagram shoppable ads are generating a solid rate of direct sales for advertisers and that it is a suitable platform for product discovery (especially true for fashion and beauty products). 

The details: According to the study:

  • Four out of 10 people who see a product they like on Instagram do additional research on it within the app 
  • 60 percent of respondents said they research products in other apps or websites
  • Gen Z’ers showed the highest tendency to buy via an ad
  • Women ages 35 to 45 showed the lowest tendency to buy via an ad
  • Men were found to be 10 percent more likely to buy through the social app compared to women 
  • 81 percent of women and 75 percent of men said they had purchased from an unfamiliar brand. 

Nielsen Social Content Ratings Adds Instagram To Talent Promotion Measurement 

Nielsen Social Content Ratings announced that it will now measure the talent’s promotion of TV programs on Instagram, in addition to already measuring the metric on Facebook and Twitter.

Why it matters: The update will allow Nielsen Social Content Ratings to measure talent’s social TV promotion on a larger scale, and thus, help, marketers and creators make more effective and informed decisions about their marketing efforts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

The details: According to Nielsen Social Content Ratings data, more than 6,000 talent accounts published over 164,000 pieces of social content during the 2018 TV season, driving more than 170 million engagements for TV programs. 

Also, according to Nielsen, talent now drives nearly 60 percent of social engagements for TV shows.

Study: There Is A Decrease In Social Media Use Among Millennials And Gen Zers 

The Social Habit study, a yearly report from Edison Research and Triton Digital, discovered that millennials and Gen Z are using social media less, MarketingProfs reports.

Why it matters: The data suggests that it is important for marketers to look for new strategies to earn the attention of millennials and Gen Z on social media platforms and secure their loyalty. 

The details: Per the researchers:

  • Facebook usage dropped from 79 percent in 2017 to 62 percent in 2019
  • Twitter usage dropped from 36 percent to 29 percent
  • Pinterest usage dropped from 36 percent to 31 percent
  • LinkedIn usage is down from 23 percent to 21 percent
  • The only social network with stable usage is Snapchat, which neither grew nor declined from 2017 to 2019
  • The sole network that’s registered usage growth among Americans 12-34 over the last two years is—you guessed it—Instagram. Usage is up just 2 points, from 64 percent in 2017 to 66 percent in 2019.

Google Brings YouTube Masthead To The TV Screen

Google announced that the company is bringing the YouTube Masthead to TV screens.

Why it matters: This means that marketers can now reach their target audiences right when they open the YouTube app on their TV—as they discover new content and engage with it.

“The Masthead will autoplay for viewers after a few seconds on all compatible devices. This, coupled with the home feed placement, means brand creatives will be front and center of the YouTube app experience on TV screens,” the company said in a blog post announcing the initiative. 

The details: YouTube Masthead on TV screens can be purchased on a cost-per-thousand (CPM) basis, with an ability to customize the audiences marketers want to reach with their ads. It can be purchased as part of a cross-screen or single-screen Masthead buy.

Similar to CPM-based Mastheads on the desktop and mobile home feed, Masthead will be available as a reserved placement to help brands drive the visibility they need around important dates and specific events.  

Facebook Releases Second-Generation Portal Devices 

Facebook announced three new Portal gadgets, including two smaller versions of its flagship video chat device. The new devices are cheaper, smaller and support WhatsApp.

Why it matters: Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, the head of augmented and virtual reality technology at Facebook said that “Facebook will use [general] Portal behavior, such as how often [people] use its calling features or its streaming video apps, for ad targeting,” which means marketers will have access to this information and will be able to use it in their marketing efforts. 

The details: Also, for the new Portal devices, Facebook added a new way to connect through WhatsApp, beyond Messenger calling. “All WhatsApp calls on Portal are end-to-end encrypted,” Facebook stressed in a blog post. 

The new Portal screens will begin shipping October 15th, and Portal TV will come out on November 5th. Facebook is also bringing Portal to more countries; the products will be available for purchase in Australia and New Zealand, the UK, France, Italy and Spain.

Twitch Acquires An Internet Games Database Company 

Twitch is reportedly acquiring IGDB, the Internet Games Database, dedicated to collecting and combining information about games. 

Why it matters: With the acquisition, Twitch is aiming to improve its search abilities and better point the platform’s users to the right content. 

The details: A Twitch spokesperson told TechCrunch: “Millions of people come to Twitch every day to find and connect with their favorite streamers and communities, and we want to make it easier for people to find what they’re looking for. IGDB has developed a comprehensive gaming database, and we’re excited to bring them on to help us more quickly improve and scale search and discovery on Twitch.”

Per TechCrunch, IGDB was founded in 2015 by Christian Frithiof and is based in Gothenburg, Sweden. The company sources its content through community contributions and automation. 

Facebook Shares Updates On Combating Hate And Extremism On The Platform 

Facebook published a blog post, dedicated to a series of updates and shifts that improve how the company fights terrorists, violent extremist groups and hate organizations on Facebook and Instagram. 

Why it matters: The initiative comes as a response to the tragic terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, and its goal is to help avoid such incidents in the future and create healthier and safer environment on the platform for users and businesses. 

The details: The updates include an improved detection and enforcement system, updated policies related to hate and extremism, resources to exit hate groups (such as Life After Hate), an expansion of safety and counterterrorism experts and finally, Facebook’s re-commitment to transparency. 

Study: Marketers Overspend On Facebook News Feed, Underspend On Instagram

According to a new study conducted by social media marketing platform Socialbakers, over 60 percent of ad spending on Facebook’s apps is dedicated to its News Feed. 

Why it matters: The study of more than 140,000 brand profiles on Facebook and Instagram suggests that media spending may be over-concentrated on Facebook’s News Feed. In fact, about 30 percent of media spending goes to non-performing content that earns a “C” or “D” for quality. This suggests that marketers would benefit from shifting some ad spend from Facebook to Instagram.

The details: According to the study data, Facebook’s News Feed receives more than half of media spending, while only 20 percent goes to the Instagram Feed and as little as about 10 percent is then divided among Instagram Stories, Facebook Suggested Video and Facebook Instream Video. 

It is also important to note that per the study, mobile is the most critical channel for brands, with ads seen on mobile devices 95 percent of the time, compared to only five percent on desktop. 

Pinterest Adds Shoppable Pins To Visual Search Results

Today, Pinterest announced the new improvements to its Lens product and the launch of shoppable Pins on visual search results. 

Why it matters: The improved Lens is intended to help users find what they’re looking for with more ease and with shoppable Pins, conveniently shop the product without leaving the app. 

The details:

  • New and improved Lens camera search: a new Lens design makes it easier and faster to take a photo or quickly upload a photo from a camera roll; 
  • Visual search update: when people use Lens within a fashion or home Pin to hone in on a specific product or object, they’ll see shoppable Product Pins (Pins with the current price and a direct link to checkout on the retailer’s site) along with visually similar ideas to try or buy. 
  • Pincodes: Pincodes—Pinterest visual search-enabled QR codes are used by brands around the world to connect offline and online retail experiences. 

Snapchat Rolls Out A Political Ads Library Ahead Of The 2020 Election

Snapchat launched “Political Ads Library” for 2020 candidates, CNN reports.

Why it matters: As social media are heavily utilized as political campaign tools, Snap follows in Facebook and Twitter’s steps and makes political ads available in a public database, which is important for fair and transparent elections. 

The details: The new library is available as a downloadable spreadsheet and makes all political and issue-based ads on Snapchat visible to public. 

“At Snap we strive to create a safe, transparent, and trusted platform for our users. Our Political and Advocacy Ads Library is one of the many efforts we’ve taken in doing that. This gives the public an opportunity to find out details about all political and advocacy advertising running on our platform,” the company said. 

Twitter Takes Action Against Account Abuse

The social media company shared a blog post, reporting on the progress on making Twitter free of abuse, spam and other distractions from the active public conversation.

Why it matters: Healthy, abuse-free conversations on the platform boosts user engagement and create a safer environment for brands. 

The details:

  • 38 percent of abusive content that’s enforced is surfaced proactively to Twitter teams for review instead of relying on reports from people on Twitter.
  • 16 percent fewer abuse reports after an interaction from an account the reporter doesn’t follow.
  • 100,000 accounts suspended for creating new accounts after a suspension during January-March 2019––a 45 percent increase from the same time last year.
  • 60 percent faster response to appeals requests with Twitter’s new in-app appeal process.
  • 3 times more abusive accounts suspended within 24 hours after a report compared to the same time in 2018.
  • 2.5 times more private information removed with a new, easier reporting process.

Facebook Rolls Out Updates For Video Creators And Publishers

In a recent blog post, following the announcement at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) in Amsterdam, the social media giant shared important updates to “Live,” “Watch Party” and “Creator Studio” features.  

Why it matters: The initiative promises to benefit creators and publishers by allowing them to prepare for and simulcast live broadcasts, make better use of “Watch Party” events, utilize new metrics to track video performance, as well as a new option to schedule Instagram/IGTV posts for up to six months’ in advance.

The details: Per Facebook, the new updates include: 

  • “Live: Rehearsals, trimming, extended duration, simulcasting via the Live API, and global availability of Live on Facebook Lite.
  • Watch Party: Scheduling, replay, new metrics, branded content and global availability of Live Commentating. 
  • Creator Studio: A new visualization in Loyalty Insights, a new Distribution metric, 13 new languages for auto-captioning, and the ability to publish and schedule content for Instagram Feed and IGTV.”

Facebook Expands “Today In” Nationwide 

After starting the test for “Today In” back in 2018 in six cities in the US, Facebook announced the expansion of the initiative to more than 6,000 cities and towns nationwide. 

Why it matters: Facebook’s goal with “Today In” is to keep the platform’s users updated on happenings in their communities, allowing publishers to create more content, and thus, improve engagement on the platform. This goal is reasonable, as per the company, “there are now over 1.6 million people who have opted in to receive regular local updates from Today In within News Feed.”

The details: The feature can be accessed via in-feed prompts or Facebook apps listing; and the list of cities and towns where “Today In” is already available can be found here. 

Facebook has built a dedicated “Today In” dashboard, allowing publishers to see which of their articles are appearing on “Today In,” in reverse chronological order, with a list of the communities where each article is appearing. This was done in response to publisher demand for more transparency, visibility, and control over the way in which content is displayed in the feature.

Also, Facebook said in a blog post: “Over the course of testing this product, we have gained valuable feedback through regular conversations with news publishers. To improve the quality of the content we show on ‘Today In,’ we have started to limit access to the news section to publishers who are registered with our news Page index. We’ll complete that process by the end of the year.” 

Editor’s Note: Our weekly social media news post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, September 20. Have a news tip? We’re looking for changes to and news surrounding social media platforms as they relate to marketing. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

Can Twitter Reinvent Itself To Support Influencer Marketing?

BY

Originally published on ION.

(Editor’s note: AList is the publishing arm of Ayzenberg Group. To get up to speed on the rapid changes affecting the influencer marketing landscape, click here.)

Twitter released a study that examines how 75 UK sub-communities use the platform to drive conversation and what inspires them to engage with brands. The data shows that 93 percent of Twitter community members are open to brands collaborating with them, if done correctly. 

Compiled in partnership with Jaywing and We Join The Dots, the findings are based on behavior within four influential Twitter micro-communities—health, music, football and gaming. Marketers will find the most success with these Twitter micro-influencers by offering support to their causes. This entails helping amplify awareness of key issues, funding grassroots activities and showing support that justifies the community’s interests. 

How a brand’s support should be directed varies across the communities analyzed in the study. For example, members in the health community want to see brands spread awareness and challenge perceptions. In gaming, marketers can utilize these micro-influencers by collaborating with gamers and sponsoring eSports. The music micro-community wants to see brands back emerging artists and local venues. 

“Over the last few years Twitter has worked hard to clarify its purpose for brands and advertisers. Ten years ago, everything was about followers, virality, and engagement [. . .] and we needed to rediscover Twitter’s unique purpose amongst our peers,” said Dara Nasr, managing director of Twitter UK.

Data from the study, “Flocks: Finding and understand communities on Twitter” was sourced from a combination of online diaries in each community, in-depth interviews, cultural analysis and a quantitative survey of 1,500 profiles.

By offering brands this insight, Twitter is trying to replant itself within the journey of someone’s everyday life—where are folks interacting with Twitter and how are they interacting? Taking a closer look at the conversations happening there helps marketers figure out where to slot them into their own consumer journeys.

In general, Twitter’s ability to start a trend and make tweets go viral is valuable for getting eyes on brand activations and product launches, but will tapping small but influential Twitter members lead consumers to action? For example, while pithy tweets are sticky, the character limit hinders brands’ abilities to story tell which is one reason Twitter has historically played a small supporting role in brand campaigns. 

With the exception of Popeyes and Wendy’s—who’ve found the Twitter marketing sweet spot—today’s business-to-consumer (B2C) brand needs a platform that can sustain influencer marketing initiatives, which as of late, it hasn’t. Beyond the ease with which companies can handle customer service via Twitter, the platform has remained a place for driving immediate conversation. 

Still, Twitter’s influencer sphere has pull with consumers. Last year, Twitter reported that 40 percent of its users have made a purchase as a direct result of a tweet from an influencer—though they didn’t define influencer. Comparatively, 60 percent of Instagram users say they seek out and discover new products on the app.

The more help that a Twitter community needs, the more open it is to brands getting involved, according to the research. If they’re to successfully tap these micro-influencers, marketers must prove their genuine support of a community in the form of money or participation

A niche video game or niche sport where there’s a ton of active dialogue happening, for example, could benefit from a Twitter-based influencer initiative. The tricky part for brands, however, will be coming across as genuine.

Tacking on FTC requirements, like #sponsored or #ad, takes away from the authenticity of the conversation. Given it’s hard to have an authentic conversation that is also sponsored by a brand, it’s important for brands to make sure the influencer marketing system feels natural.

Instagram’s shoppable content gives brands greater power when implementing an influencer campaign as it provides analytics on product page views and tag clicks, giving brands the insight to tweak strategy accordingly. The checkout feature, launched earlier this year, allows users to remain in the app for a seamless shopping experience, making Instagram’s ecommerce influence undeniable. 

Twitter saw a 50 percent increase in ad engagement from October 2017 to October 2018. Recently, it launched an Agency Playbook which includes tips on how businesses can use the platform to boost discovery and improve tweet performance. 

Whether Twitter will ever evolve into a platform that can back influencer initiatives remains to be seen, but for now, brands should keep their eyes peeled for opportunities within the micro-communities while also experimenting with them before inking any deals.