LinkedIn’s New Insights Hub Provides Deeper Details For Marketers

This week, LinkedIn publishes new people, industry and advertising insights for marketers, YouTube responds to The Federal Trade Commission and considers removing targeted ads from videos that children are likely to watch, Twitter acquires the Lightwell team to improve “Conversations” on the platform and Pew Research Center survey finds that smartphone and social media users have broader social networks.


LinkedIn updates “Success Hub

This week, the professional social media platform added a new centralized hub for actionable marketing insights. 

Why it matters: According to LinkedIn, the initiative aims to provide detailed information on specific audiences and verticals, making it easier to create and execute data-driven strategies.  

The details: LinkedIn’s “Success Hub” marketing data and insights platform now offers “People’s Insights” to help marketers better understand who their audience is, where they are from and what they engage with. 

“Industry Insights” section provides information about key insights, trends and research within the industry, and can be used to better the development of marketing strategy. 

And last, but not least, “Advertising Insights” provides a more robust understanding of the makeup/behaviors of audiences, the context of industry and the most recommendable practices for advertising on the platform.  


YouTube To End Targeted Advertisements On Kids’ Content 

This week, Bloomberg reported that the video sharing company is finalizing plans to stop targeted ads on videos for children. 

Why it matters: Considering that targeted, or “behavioral” ads are made possible from collecting information about the user, Children’s Online Privacy Act (COPPA) bars companies from serving them to children under 13 without parental permission. This means that brands advertising on YouTube will lose the opportunity to place ads on certain clips. 

The details: The Federal Trade Commission is currently investigating whether YouTube breached COPPA. The settlement between YouTube and The Federal Trade Commission has been reached, however, the terms are yet to be disclosed. 

According to Bloomberg, we don’t know how this targeting ban would be delivered with the thousands of video channels with whom YouTube splits ad sales. It’s also not clear how YouTube would distinguish which videos are “directed at children” and which aren’t.


Twitter Employs The Team Behind Lightwell To Improve “Conversations” 

Twitter has welcomed the team from Lightwell, a startup producer of developer tools to build interactive, narrative apps. 

Why it matters: Twitter is a challenge when it comes to following conversations, and that’s made it hards for brands looking to build buzz around user engagement. This is one potential way to solve the challenge.

The details: A Twitter spokesperson confirmed the employment of the team to TechCrunch saying, “We are excited to welcome Suzanne and her team to Twitter to help drive forward the important work we are doing to serve the public conversation.” 

Lightwell launched in 2012 as Hullabalu, producing original-content interactive children’s stories for smart devices.


Pew Research: “Smartphone And Social Media Users Have Broader Social Networks”

A Pew Research Center survey of adults in 11 nations across four regions around the world examined whether or not smartphones and social media platforms are impacting social interactions between users in developing economies. 

Why it matters: The survey found that smartphone owners, especially social media users, are more exposed to interacting with people who have different backgrounds. They are also more connected with their online friends, which means they can discuss and share news about their favorite products with more people from various backgrounds, age groups and interests. 

The details: Per Pew Research, “people with smartphones are much more likely to engage in activities on their phones than people with less sophisticated devices–even if the activity itself is quite simple. 

For example, people with smartphones are more likely than those with feature or basic phones to send text messages in each of the 11 countries surveyed, even though the activity is technically feasible from all mobile phones. And, although buying and selling goods may be feasible from a basic phone, people with smartphones are much more likely to have participated in these commercial activities than those with other types of devices.”


Facebook Is Testing Cryptocurrency For WhatsApp In India 

According to Bloomberg, Facebook is planning to make a cryptocurrency that will allow money transfers on WhatsApp, with the main focus on the remittances market in India.

Why it matters: The initiative makes sense, as WhatsApp is wildly popular in India, with more than 200 million users. Per World Bank, India leads the world in remittances with people sending $69 billion home to India in 2017 alone. 

The details: The company is reportedly working on a stablecoin, which is a type of digital currency pegged to the U.S. dollar–to minimize volatility. However, at this time, Facebook is not close to releasing the coin, because the strategy hasn’t been developed yet, including a plan for custody assets or regular currencies that would be held to protect the value of the stablecoin.

“Like many other companies, Facebook is exploring ways to leverage the power of blockchain technology,” a company spokesman said in a statement for Bloomberg. “This new small team is exploring many different applications. We don’t have anything further to share.”


Facebook Is On A Hunt For Journalists For Curated News Content 

Facebook again is hiring a team of journalists and editors to work on dedicated News Tab, The New York Times reports, back-pedaling on a previous shift away from a news content emphasis.

Why it matters: The company’s goal is to employ journalists who would curate the most recent, credible and relevant news stories, which are still the main driveforce for Facebook use. Thus, according to Pew Research, 45 percent of Americans identify Facebook as the main news source. 

The details: The job posting is already available on Facebook Careers page. And the job description reads, “We are building a new surface for news that will give more visibility to the journalism of news publishers. We’re looking for experienced journalists to help identify the top stories from news organizations. The ideal candidate will have sound news judgment, and a passion for breaking news. You should have the proven ability to work quickly under pressure, to make smart news decisions, and to work collaboratively with both news partners and global colleagues. 

This isn’t the first time Facebook has employed journalists. The company notably staffed journalists to curate its’ Trending section prior to shifting to an algorithm-based curation before ultimately shutting down the feature.


LinkedIn Explains How It Eliminates Fakes And Spammers

The company shared a blog post, outlining its efforts to proactively find and remove fake accounts from the platform. 

Why it matters: The effort is necessary as fake accounts on social media increase inefficiency in media spend and often jeopardise brands’ reputation. 

The details: According to the company, between January and June of this year, LinkedIn team prevented 19.5 million fake accounts from being created at registration, meaning that about 95 percent were stopped automatically. Two million fake accounts were restricted before members reported them and 67,000 were restricted after being reported. Also, 98 percent of all fake accounts we prevented or took down with the help of automated defenses, including AI and machine learning. 


TikTok Introduces Sponsored “Hashtag Challenge” For In-App Shopping 

The video sharing company introduces a new feature that allows in-app shopping for products associated with sponsored “Hashtag Challenge.”

Why it matters: The sponsored challenges, targeted mostly at Gen Z’ers, are marketing campaigns within which users are encouraged to post videos of them using a product, such as showing off their favorite clothes from Uniqlo or their moves to Guacamole Song in a challenge from Chipotle, making the experience more interactive and memorable. With the new eCommerce feature, called “Hashtag Challenge Plus,” a shoppable option is added to the hashtag and TikTok users can conveniently make in-app purchases. 

The details: Kroger was the first brand to give the new feature a try, Adweek reported. The company partnered with several TikTok influencers, including Joey Klaasen, Cosette Rinab, Mia Finney and Victoria Bachlet and asked TikTok users to share videos of their dorm makeovers using the hashtag #TransformUrDorm. The campaign resulted in around 477 million views across hundreds of videos. 


TikTok Download Rates Are High And Growing 

An app download report from Sensor Tower showed that TikTok download numbers are stable and growing. 

Why it matters: The rankings look promising, however, it is important to remember the difference between downloads and active users. The report on TikTok’s unique users, issued earlier in 2019 suggested that TikTok had around 26 million monthly active US users. 

The details: According to the July app download report, TikTok ranks second in overall downloads (losing only to Facebook) and Google downloads and leads App Store downloads ranking. 


Facebook Lets Users See And Control The Data That Apps And Websites Share With The Social Media Platform 

Facebook shared a blog post introducing “Off-Facebook Activity,” a new way to view and control off-Facebook activity. 

Why it matters: As explained by Facebook, “Many apps and websites are free because they’re supported by online advertising. And to reach people who are more likely to care about what they are selling, businesses often share data about people’s interactions on their websites with ad platforms and other services. This is how much of the internet works, but given that the average person with a smartphone has more than 80 apps and uses about 40 of them every month, it can be really difficult for people to keep track of who has information about them and what it’s used for.”

The details: With “Off-Facebook Activity,” the users will be able to see a summary of the information other apps and websites have sent Facebook through Facebook’s online business tools (Facebook Pixel or Facebook Login), choose to disconnect this information from their account and

choose to disconnect future off-Facebook activity from their account. This can be done for all of off-Facebook activity, or for specific apps and websites only.


Reddit Brings Live-Streaming To The Platform 

Reddit joins  Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat and offers live-streaming capacity to the platform, but with a twist.  

Why it matters: In the past few years live-streaming became one of the most crucial parts of social media experience, so the offering is great news for marketers creating content on Reddit because it opens more creative opportunities for video content creation. 

The details: “Starting today until 5PM PT, and from 9AM-5PM PT through Friday, redditors around the world will be able to create live broadcasts. In true Reddit fashion, voting will determine the top broadcast, and you can explore different broadcasts by swiping or clicking right or left. As you move further from the top broadcast, the broadcasts you see will be increasingly more random, so we encourage you to explore and vote,” the company said in a blog post


Editor’s Note: Our weekly social media news post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, August 23rd. 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.

Mercedes-Benz Creates AR-Enabled Tennis Lessons For Guests At US Open

Mercedes-Benz is launching an interactive consumer exhibition at this year’s US Open featuring a voice-activated, augmented reality (AR) tennis lesson from 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens as she competes in real life on the court. The activation was modeled after the tennis pro’s winning game.

To develop the AR experience, Mercedes-Benz recorded Stephens’ 2017 US Open Champion game in front of a green screen as an alpha-channel enabled video to create the illusion of mimicking her real-life motions. The captured footage of the tennis player’s style and play was then translated into AR features without the need for mobile device target or facial recognition.

Upon approaching the tennis court backdrop, guests can activate the game by verbally asking, “Hey Mercedes, teach me to play like Sloane.” In response, she will appear. The fully immersive court side will give visitors a personalized one-on-one tennis lesson, with an untethered racquet in hand, from Stephens.

Visitors can partake in the immersive experience at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queen, New York starting today through September 8 before it debuts at the US Open. Thereafter, the AR activation will travel to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium during the first Atlanta Falcons home game of the season. The second phase of the activation will give guests control of the lesson with voice controls, DMX integration and 4D environmental awareness for an experience that mirrors real-life play.

Mercedes-Benz has continued developing technological advancements at full throttle for the in-car experience and beyond. In April 2018, it introduced the Mercedes cAR app which lets users configure any of the vehicle models from where they are via Apple’s ARKit and Mercedes’ Car Configurator product. Prospective buyers can use the app to customize any car, even if it’s not physically on the shop floor, then take it for a spin. The app was downloaded by more than 34,800 iOS users in the first three months following its release. 

Cinema Ad Market Is The Fastest Growing Medium After Internet

Despite the rise of over-the-top (OTT) content, cinema ad market is the fastest growing medium after internet, according to the latest WARC Global Advertising Trends report. Global cinema adspend is expected to generate $4.6 billion in advertising this year, marking a 6.8 percent increase from last year. The experiential nature of cinema and the exclusivity of box office hits ensures the threat from subscription video on demand (SVOD) services is minimal in the short term, the report notes.

WARC’s database shows that cinema ad investment has consistently outperformed other traditional media since 2014. Cinema makes up for 0.7 percent of total global adspend and the figure is expected to hold steady in 2019, making it the only medium other than internet not to lose share. This year’s forecasted growth of 6.8 percent for cinema adspend is several percentage points ahead of the 4.6 percent forecast for all media.

Even with the increase in subscriptions to online streaming services, moviegoers are showing no signs of abandoning the silver screen. About 74 percent of Americans use OTT services to watch a movie two to three times a month, and 46 percent of UK consumers said that Netflix is their top choice for movies. 

WARC’s findings revealed that US moviegoers visited the cinema an average of five times in 2018, which equates to about 263 million consumers every two months. Similarly, the UK recorded 177 million admissions—the highest ever—last year, with those ages 16-34 visiting 7.5 times in an average year. This could be the result of advertisers in Europe spending 1.5 times more on cinema per admission than in the US.

China is expected to spend $1.8 billion on cinema this year and hold a 47.3 percent share of global cinema adspend, making it the largest cinema ad market globally. The world’s second-largest cinema market, the US has a projected value of $735 million this year. 

“Cinema offers advertisers access to younger, more affluent audiences who have an affinity with the medium. This enables ads to be screened in a brand safe environment where they will be noticed, often in a location that is close to a retail outlet and, by extension, a point of purchase,” noted James McDonald, managing editor, WARC Data, and author of the research.

Nordstrom Appoints First Ever CMO

This week’s marketing moves include Teri Bariquit’s appointment as Nordstrom’s first ever chief marketing officer, a new SVP of digital marketing at RCA Records, the departures of Albertsons’ chief marketing officer Shane Sampson and Walmart CMO Barbara Messing and the hiring of ex-TikTok executive Stefan Heinrich Henriquez as Cameo’s chief marketing officer and GM of international.


Nordstrom Names Company Veteran As First CMO

This week, Nordstrom appointed Teri Bariquit to the newly created role of chief marketing officer.

Per Bariquit’s LinkedIn page, she has been with the company since 1986. Most recently, she served as EVP of merchandise, planning and inventory, supporting merchandise planning, inventory deployment, solutions and strategic capabilities across all channels.

She will report directly to co-president Pete Nordstrom. 

“”During her 33-year career with Nordstrom, Teri has demonstrated unparalleled understanding of our customer needs and has an excellent grasp on the complexities of our industry. Merchandising is in her DNA and I’ve consistently been inspired by her ability to reimagine the future,”” Nordstrom said of the appointment.


RCA Records Promotes Tarek Al-Hamdouni To SVP Of Digital Marketing

Tarek Al-Hamdouni has been promoted to the role of SVP of digital marketing at RCA Records, reports Music Business Worldwide. He previously held the position of VP and has been with RCA for a decade, based out of the company’s New York headquarters.

Al-Hamdouni will continue to oversee RCA’s digital marketing staff and lead online marketing campaigns for the label’s artists.


REI Co-Op Appoints Marketing VP And VP Of Customer And Brand Shared Services

REI Co-op announced the appointment of Vivienne Long as VP of marketing and Pardis Ghorbani as VP of customer and brand shared services, SGB Media reports.

Prior to joining REI, Long spent a decade at Starbucks in several leadership positions.

Ghorbani’s promotion to VP of customer and brand shared services comes after 14 years at REI. He previously served as interim VP of marketing and divisional VP of Brand Lab and Creative Shared Services and led the #OptOutside campaign.


Seven Bucks Productions Hires CMO

Seven Bucks, a production company owned and founded by partners Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia, has tapped Maya Lasry as chief marketing officer, Deadline reports.

Lasry will be moving over from Universal Pictures where she spent 7 years as director of creative advertising and developed marketing materials for projects such as The Mummy.


Claudia Butzky Joins Warner Records As SVP Of Brand Partnerships

Warner Records has named Claudia Butzky their new senior vice president of brand partnerships, strategic marketing and commercial sync licensing.

Butzky will join the company and serve as a replacement to former EVP Lori Feldman who departed last month. She previously held the position of SVP of global brand partnerships at RCA Records.


BevMo Names Matthew Champion SVP and CMO

Matthew Champion, an ex-P&G brand marketer and Amazon Canada’s former head marketer,  will be filling the role of chief marketing officer and senior vice president at beverage retailer BevMo!.

According to the press release announcing his new role, Champion will be responsible for “all aspects of marketing including traditional and digital marketing, in-store activation and eCommerce.”


Albertsons CMO Shane Sampson Steps Down

Supermarket retailer Albertsons is on the hunt for a new chief marketing officer and chief merchant with the departure of Shane Sampson, effective Sept. 7.

Sampson has served as chief merchandising and marketing officer since 2015 and has 35 years in grocery retail.

“He has helped our team turn-around operations in addition to building a robust merchandising and marketing function to help support our 2,200-plus locations,” said Albertsons president and CEO Vivek Sankaran in statement announcing the departure.


Walmart CMO Is Out, Replaced By Former Target CMO

Walmart is cycling out their fourth chief marketing officer in four years, AdAge reports

Walmart CMO Barbara Messing will be exiting her position, according to an internal Walmart memo, to reside with her family in the Bay Area. She will be temporarily replaced by former Target CMO and DreamWorks chief brand officer Michael Francis.

The departure has brought about a marketing operations reorganization, shifting senior marketers to a new “Retail Marketing” team.


Cameo Hires Ex-TikTok Exec As Chief Marketing Officer, General Manager

Cameo, a Chicago-based startup service that lets users purchase video messages from celebrities, has named Stefan Heinrich Henriquez as chief marketing officer and general manager of international, Variety reports.

Before joining the startup as chief marketer, Heinrich led TikTok’s rebranding from Musical.ly as head of global marketing. He will lead Cameo’s branding and global expansion.


Check out our careers section for executive job openings and to post your own staffing needs.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly careers post is updated daily. This installment is updated until Friday, August 23. 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 

Chief Marketing OfficerBumbleAustin, TX
Vice President, Film MarketingNew York UniversityBrooklyn, NY
Chief, Marketing And Communications OfficerSCRRA/MetrolinkLos Angeles, CA
Senior Vice President of MarketingClear Channel OutdoorNew York, NY
Vice President of Marketing, InternationalRokuSan Jose, CA
Chief Marketing OfficerFounders Brewing Co.Grand Rapids, MI

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

Miller Lite Launches Blockchain-Enabled Mobile Game

Miller Lite launched a mobile experience called Great Taste Trivia as part of the latest phase of its nationwide “Know Your Beer” educational program. Utilizing blockchain, the “edutainment” trivia game will appear in select apps, social channels and a geotargeted media buy that reaches users in identified bars and restaurants. Others can play the game via QR codes on posters and additional point-of-sale materials in bars.

Given the need to authenticate and instantly reward trivia game players on-premise, Miller Lite tapped Vatom Labs, a creative platform that tracks activations, engagement and attributes the reward based on those insights to the channel where the user was originally acquired.

The trivia game leverages non-fungible tokens called SmartMedia Objects to deliver an engaging experience within the game with social badges, rewards for vitality and to ensure that the $5 rebate coin gifted to winners can’t be counterfeited.

“Great Taste Trivia allows Miller Lite to extend the success of Know Your Beer into the digital space,” said Lucy Bloxam, associate marketing manager for Miller Lite.

To participate, the game asks legal-age drinkers in over 230,000 bars across the US to enter their email before providing them with 12 multiple-choice questions about beer and Miller Lite. Those who answer all 12 correctly will win $5, instantly transmitted via Paypal. Miller Lite will award 10,000 winners across the US.

Launched in May 2017, Miller Lite’s “Know Your Beer” campaign invited more than half a million drinkers in bars and restaurants to experience blind taste tests. Per MillerCoors data, seven in 10 participants chose Miller Lite over Bud Light. The campaign helped boost sales of Miller Lite for four consecutive weeks and raised sales by 3.3 percent, according to a company blog.

Miller Lite re-launched “Know Your Beer” in 2018 with another round of blind taste test activations that included 500,000 legal-age drinkers. The campaign extended to social, digital videos and OOH ads. 

Walmart And BuzzFeed Partner To Create Shoppable Recipes On Tasty

Walmart partnered with BuzzFeed’s cooking platform, Tasty, to introduce a seamless grocery experience by making over 4,000 in-app Tasty videos shoppable. The new shoppable recipes feature allows customers to add ingredients to their Walmart Online Grocery carts for curbside pickup in over 2,500 stores or at-home delivery from more than 1,100 stores.

The in-app feature, available for iOS app users only, directs shoppers from the Tasty app to the Walmart Grocery app, where they can view their cart and shop ingredients from Tasty’s oddly satisfying videos. Geo-specific capabilities of the app map a recipe’s ingredients to the products available at the closest Walmart location. Users can also swap items within the Tasty app—such as price, brand, quantity and organic—based on dietary preferences.

“More than two-thirds of our audience have made a Tasty recipe and 90 percent of American live within ten miles of a Walmart store, so we’re excited to build upon our partnership with Walmart and provide a new feature that will solve the pain point of grocery shopping and make it even easier for our audience to cook their favorite Tasty recipes,” said Ben Kaufman, BuzzFeed’s chief marketing officer.

The Shoppable Recipes feature is the latest phase of Walmart and BuzzFeed’s partnership. In March 2018, the brands released a kitchenware line collaboration that includes non-stick cookware, bakeware and more kitchen equipment that has sold more than four million units since launching. Walmart said it has plans to launch additional Tasty branded licensed products within its Celebrations, Deli, Dry Grocery and Frozen Meats departments. Walmart’s Q2 2019 earnings revealed that the company’s US eCommerce sales grew 37 percent with strong growth in online grocery, which could explain why it decided to further its Tasty partnership.

Walmart joins a growing list of brands that BuzzFeed has helped innovate products. In October 2018, the media company co-developed a home goods line with Macy’s called Goodful, based on the site’s lifestyle platform. Earlier this year, McCormick Spices also partnered with Tasty on five different Tasty Seasoning Blends inspired by global cuisine, launching McCormick into the ecommerce channel.

“We’re using our rich audience insights to not only develop content but also create lines of products that extend our brands into real life and help marketers solve some of their toughest challenges,” Kaufman told Forbes.

Hootsuite CMO Penny Wilson On Social And Data-Driven Marketing

During this episode of “Marketing Today,” I interview Penny Wilson, the chief marketing officer at Hootsuite, the social media software company that enables users to integrate digital profiles and share scheduled content, run online campaigns, and manage analytics. With a degree in computer science, Wilson offers a unique perspective on social media and marketing that is steered by data. 

Wilson talks about Hootsuite’s growth, going from 10 million users to 18 million users. 

She also offers her understanding of the importance of being customer-first and helping them add value and mature in their social media usage. 

Learn why she believes employees are the most important source of information about a company, reasons why marketing will become not just more personalized but also more permission-driven, and what it takes to increase trust in social media.

Wilson defines the type of marketer she is by stating, “I am very data-driven as a marketer. So, I look for tying whatever I do to the results I can drive.” She highlights her marketing approach by sharing, “I use an acronym called ‘ACE,’…A.C.E. The ‘A’ stands for ‘advocacy.’ The ‘C’ stands for putting ‘customers’ at the center of everything you do, and then the ‘E’ stands for building an ‘ecosystem’ so you can really use the information effectively.” If you need a reason why customer service is key to your company, take Penny’s word for it, “customers have very practical reasons for giving us their attention on social. They have a moment of need. Customer service is typically ranked as the number one reason that they want to talk with a company.” 

Highlights from this week’s “Marketing Today”:

  • Penny Wilson introduces herself and explains her career path. (01:32)
  • How does her degree in computer science impact her marketing work? (04:03)
  • What was Penny’s transition into marketing? (04:37)
  • While at Hootsuite, what has Penny been focused on? (08:11)
  • Penny shares her perspective on the need for companies to use social media. (09:15)
  • What is driving Hootsuite’s growth? (15:09)
  • What advice does Penny have for marketers as it pertains to privacy? (16:52)
  • What does Penny Wilson see as the biggest trends for social media? (18:30)
  • Are there any experiences in Penny’s past that have helped define who she is today? (21:59)
  • What advice would Penny give to her younger self? (25:10)
  • What currently fuels Penny to keep going today? (26:13)
  • Are there any companies, brands, or organizations that Penny Wilson believes marketers should pay attention to? (27:18)
  • What does Penny Wilson feel is the future of marketing? (29:40)

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.

OkCupid Gives Millennial Indian Daters A Voice In New 360-Degree Campaign

Dating app OkCupid has launched its first 360-degree campaign in India, called “Find My Kind,” to convey Indian millennials’ desire for personal agency when choosing partners. To launch the integrated campaign, OkCupid created a 60-second television spot that follows a man and a woman in their 20s answering questions on the app that defy social norms and peoples’ expectations of them.

The spot opens with the woman gracefully shunning her prospective match in an arranged marriage situation then goes on to show the man dodging a double date setup by his friend. In the end, their answers to questions like “How much do you care about the environment?” and “Do clothes define your character?” yield a 93 percent match on OkCupid leading them to a crossroads named “Something Real” where they meet face to face and lock eyes. 

The “Find My Kind” television spot celebrating authentic connections will air on national channels with a focus on English entertainment and movie channels as well as outdoor and print campaigns in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Mumbai. The campaign will also extend to an all-girl comedy tour across Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi where stand up acts will explore the lives of millennials who grew up in India and their experiences with dating. To expand the campaign’s message digitally, OkCupid worked with a variety of social influencers and advocates who champion the right to choose their own partner and make their own decisions.

“Today’s single Indian is battling ‘suitable’ recommendations by parents, friends, extended family or matrimonial services that don’t account for personal preferences. At the other end are exploratory dating services that don’t cater to Indian millennials who want a genuine partnership based on shared personal values. OkCupid celebrates people who are expressing their own preferences in this important decision and empowers them to live life on their own terms,” said Shuti Gupta, Brand Manager, OkCupid India.

In 2018, OkCupid launched its “DTF” campaign in the US under the brand’s first CMO, Melissa Hobley. Through a series of out-of-home (OOH) ads, “DTF” aimed to desexualize the derogatory term using ads and phrases that displayed experiences couples could relate to—like “Down to Fall Head Over Heels.” Although the campaign sparked controversy among some major outlets, the brand told AdWeek that it boosted social buzz by 50 percent. 

Dr Pepper Parody Television Show ‘Fansville’ Returns For College Football Season

Dr Pepper announced the return of its parody television show drama, Fansville, for the 2019-2020 college football season with a 60-second video spot that dramatizes football fandom in the fictional town of Fansville. Back for its second season, Fansville will air throughout the football season on ESPN, CBS and FOX via nine unique campaign spots that feature classic television story lines. The series will extend to digital, radio, out-of-home (OOH) advertising and Dr Pepper’s social platforms. 

The second season’s trailer opens with the mayor of Fansville kicking off celebrations of the 150th anniversary tailgate at the town hall. Residents of Fansville are then shown in various real-life situations responding to events that test their diehard love and commitment to football while drinking the official drink of Fansville, Dr Pepper. In response to a gurney being pushed in the emergency room, the doctor exclaims, “Someone get him a Dr Pepper, stat!” On a surprise visit to their son’s college dorm room, a mother and father walk in on their son holding a lacrosse stick, much to their dismay. The son is later shown being arrested for betraying his hometown’s favorite sport of football. The trailer concludes with a girl bellowing in disbelief when her friend tells her she’s switching from football to tech. 

Fans can watch the drama of Fansville unfold every Saturday during the college football season and expect the season finale to air during the National Championship on January 13, 2020. 

Fansville was created to celebrate the commitment of Dr Pepper to both the sport of college football and the fan community. Loyalty, rivalry and competition are inherent to college football, and it is important to us that Fansville leans into those real fan feelings,” said Derek Dabrowski, vice president of brand marketing for Dr Pepper.

The second season of Fansville is part of a variety of Dr Pepper marketing initiatives that tie into the beverage brand’s sponsorship of the College Football Playoff and Presenting Sponsorship of the National Championship Trophy through 2026. This year marks the 11th anniversary of Dr Pepper’s Tuition Giveaway which has so far awarded $10 million to deserving college students.

Booking.com Offers Giant Sandcastle Sleepover For National Sandcastle Day

Booking.com continues its push for experience-based accommodations by letting guests sleepover in a giant Coney Island sand castle. The three-day promotion corresponds with National Sandcastle Day on August 19 and features the work of Sand Masters star Matt Long.

In celebration of National Sandcastle Day, travelers can book an overnight stay in a mini-mansion built from 50 tons of sand. The “Sand-sion” construction will be overseen by Matt “Sandman” Long, known for his work on the Travel Channel show Sand Masters.

Booking opens on August 21 and guests can stay on August 23 or 24. The sandcastle accommodations were designed to look like a modern mansion that stands eight feet tall and 18 feet long and wide. The travel package includes dinner for two on the Coney Island Boardwalk, sunrise beach yoga and VIP passes to Luna Park, where the sandcastle is located. 

Booking.com has priced the package at $29 per night as an homage to the 29th Annual Coney Island Beach Sand Sculpture Competition taking place on August 17.

The travel brand cited a 2019 study finding that 43 percent of travelers want to stay in an accommodation type they’ve never experienced before. The study was commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among nearly 54,000 respondents across 321 markets.

The Sand-sion promotion is a continuation of recent Booking.com campaigns that send guests to unusual sleepover locations. In March, the brand partnered with Madame Tussauds to offer a $99 “Ultimate Slumber Party with the Stars” package. The trip included VIP entry, dinner, snacks, breakfast and a “selfie butler” to make sure guests always looked their best for social media photo ops.

Last October, Booking.com offered an exclusive one-night stay for two inside The San Francisco Dungeon, located in Fisherman’s Wharf. The Halloween-themed experience included dungeon-themed pajamas, snacks, as well as interactive activities like a bedtime ghost story and  “witching hour” séance.

Travel activities, which includes tours, activities and events, is the third-largest segment in travel, according to Deloitte, accounting for 10 percent of global travel revenue. Revenue generated by travel experiences is expected to reach $183 billion by 2020.

Several brands have taken advantage of National, International and internet holidays by creating themed experiences. For National Caramel Day last April 15, Werther’s partnered with Hasbro to create a life-sized Candyland game board at the Santa Monica Pier.

Pabst Blue Ribbon created its own holiday, but not for their beer. May 7 was declared the first National Mural Day in the U.S. which included a mural outreach program and artist partnerships.