How The Cannabis Industry Is Finding Ways To Market Around Regulation

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With the legalization of cannabis in Canada and nine U.S. states, the marijuana industry is wide open, but marketing the product still comes with its problems.

Canada has strict rules on branding—the packaging must be generic and informational with mandatory labels. There are even restrictions on colors.

In California, a state that legalized medicinal marijuana way back in 1996, companies can’t place an ad on TV, print, digital or radio if at least 71.6 percent of the audience is expected to be under 21.

Not only do marketers have to work around state regulations but online platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Google do not allow drug or drug-related ads on their site—unless you can sneak past the censors or offer products ancillary to the cannabis industry.

Despite the hurdles, cannabis marketing has found ways to reach out to OG users familiar with the drug, as well as those new to it—and the secret seems to be “luxury” style branding.

High-End Helps To Expand

“Consumers are tired of being sold products with “dank” and “canna” in the title, and we’re here to alleviate those pains,” said Adrienne Airhart, Ionic’s director of social media.

Ionic prides itself in making small batch luxury cannabis oils and concentrates. The LA-based company sells disposable vaporizers, applicators, wax and cartridges—its bestseller.

Like all of their other accessories, they want quality and prestige, with a side of discretion due to the industry.

“Consumers can see, feel, and taste the quality in our packaging and products, so we keep the pressure on ourselves to constantly set that bar even higher. That’s why we’re known as a luxury cannabis brand, with a broadly-ranging clientele,” said Airhart.

Edibles have also come a long way from the stereotypical homemade pot brownie.

In 2015, Altai came into the California market and it stood out for its sophistication. The cannabis chocolate-maker focuses on having a world-class quality and lets the product speak for itself.

The confectionary company, with its motto “Elevating the Art of Cannabis,” promotes itself through in-store demos and educational marketing.

“Customers shop with their eyes first and tend to assume that the quality found on the outside of a package will carry through to the product inside,” said Alan Kropf, vice president of marketing for INDUS Holding Company, the group behind Altai.

“That said, California has been going through a transition to an adult-use recreational cannabis market that has limited what brands can do with packaging.”

For example, cannabis product packaging must be tamper-evident, child-resistant, resealable (if the product includes more than one use) and it can’t resemble traditionally available food packaging.

Even products that aren’t cannabis, but related to it, are jumping on to the luxury bandwagon.

MJ Arsenal, a cannabis glassware company based in Denver, Colorado, made the original Blunt Bubbler and Joint Bubbler.

“We are 100 percent brand-driven. Brand power is a big part of us,” said Sam Campbell, MJ Arsenal director of marketing. The green fairy on all of their packaging aims to represent their distinguishable products and affordable price.

The products not just strictly seen at brick and mortars, but Instagram influencers are another major component of their visibility.

“There is a grey area when it comes to cannabis on Instagram,” he added. MJ Arsenal uses the platform for giveaways, product announcements and to drive up excitement during special holiday releases.

Although digital advertising can be tricky for cannabis companies, it isn’t totally ditched by some. 

The Foray Into Online Content

“The best way to market is to use really good quality content,” said Brad Bogus, vice president of growth and marketing at Confident Cannabis.

The Palo Alto-based software company created the only lab information management system for the cannabis industry. It’s also the only place where producers, processors, wholesalers and retailers showcase and discover products from verified businesses with test results directly from licensed labs.

One of his plans is to use third-party publishers such as Cannabis Now, Leafly, Now This Weed and Marijuana Moment to promote Confident Cannabis.

They’ve been focused on building apps they are marketing over the last three years and now the company is starting to launch its marketing and advertising strategies.

This month, the company’s CEO Steve Albarran wrote a story for Green Entrepreneur Magazine, an edition of Entrepreneur Magazine centering on cannabis news.

“You have to provide value in the content in order to get to your customers to respond to it. You have to think bigger and broader,” he added.

SEO is a big focus for www.HERB.delivery, a Los Angeles cannabis delivery service.

Almost all of their marketing expenditures are in the digital realm. The online business focuses on creating a brand that is accessible to both long time cannabis consumers and the senior citizen trying it for the first time.

HERB will make personal welcome calls when a new member signs up. They also closely manage their reputation on consumer review sites such as Weedmaps.

“In terms of marketing, we make sure to always reference the plant by its scientific name, cannabis, and never ‘weed’ or ‘marijuana’,” said an HERB spokesperson who wanted to remain anonymous.

“There has been immense growth in the amount of cannabis specific online marketplaces and war is being waged on a daily basis to become the go-to advertising platform for the cannabis space.”

However, cannabis companies can also work with publishers outside the industry. There are opportunities with local news organizations, as well as weekly and national publications.

 

The Rebranding Of The “Stoner”

Events are a big part of cannabis marketing. Aside from personal face-to-face interaction, it’s an opportunity to show the many layers of the plant and change its “stoner” stigma.

Confident Cannabis supports STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, so they sponsored an event by The Oregon Girls Collaborative intended to educate and increase awareness on getting young women involved in STEM fields.

They also covered the cost of three tickets for women who couldn’t afford a retreat by The Initiative—a Portland-based cannabis industry accelerator program focused on women.

“Seeing cannabis companies support community organizations is huge in showing the heart and passion behind the industry to citizens of the community, particularly those impacted most harshly from the drug war,” said Bogus.

Oregrown, a dispensary based in Bend, Oregon, recognizes the importance of making customers feel comfortable. They sponsor many local, family-friendly events making them well known in the state.

The company places a heavy emphasis on educating its members on the history and science behind cannabis so they become a more informed consumer.

“Going to customers where they are comfortable taking their family is a great way to answer any questions they have on cannabis,” said Chrissy Hader, co-founder and chief brand ambassador of Oregrown.

“We want to show people that you can consume cannabis and be responsible,” said Hader. “We recognize the ‘stoner’ stereotype and we want to change that by showing them not telling them.”

Cannabis Collaborations

Oregrown produced a film called Low Pressure, about Oregon-based snowboarders. They’ve already had a few previews before its digital release this month.

The movie was screened at 10 Barrell Brewing, a local beer company, but the marketing takeover didn’t end there.

Oregrown collaborated with the brewery to make Hazed and Confused, an IPA infused with non-cannabis derived terpenes, the essential oil giving cannabis its distinctive flavor and aroma.

“We try to control how the message is sent and whom it’s being sent to,” said Hadar.

As more states legalize marijuana, it’s not surprising alcohol and weed joined forces. Dude’s Brews, Lagunitas, Point Ybel and Devour Brewing is among the beer makers creating their versions of cannabis-infused ales.

Some brewers have taken it a step further to make CBD and THC-infused beers without the alcohol. Napa Valley start-up Saka Wine made its version of the cannabis-infused drink.

“What the sector lacks are true luxury products targeted to a sophisticated female consumer. That’s what we’re singularly focused on delivering: Infused Luxury by and for Women,” said Saka Wines CEO Tracey Manson in a press release.

With any new creations, lawmakers are getting involved as the cannabis industry grows. In September, California passed a bill that prohibits mixing CBD in cocktails or beverages. Many attorneys suggest keeping the two drugs apart for now.

There are a variety of collaborations popping up and the right ones can create the right buzz as well as go around strict cannabis marketing rules.

Forrester: Inspired By Nike, CMOs Will Exploit Societal Division In 2019

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CMOs will harness customer energy in the coming year, Forrester predicts, using cultural disruption as fuel for short-term growth. In the long-term, however, building a brand with emotional impact will rely on enhanced customer experience (CX) and trust that goes beyond mere provocation.

Forrester has released its CMO predictions for 2019, drawing attention to the trends and challenges that will face marketers in the new year. Disruption will take multiple forms, Forrester predicts, as innovative CMOs create value both real and perceived.

Nike’s provocative Colin Kaepernick ad tapped into existing customer energy to explode into the public conscious. The risk paid off, opening the door to other brands hoping to repeat the performance. While societal division can inspire companies to take a stand, any resulting success may be a flash in the pan.

Forrester predicts that in 2019, CMOs will look to exploit such division for short-term gains, but notes that new long-term growth can be achieved if a large enough audience is motivated. Between this month’s US mid-term elections and the 2020 Presidential campaign trail, brands should have ample fuel.

Tech-fueled disruption, meanwhile, will continue to put pressure on CMOs to innovate on the go. When this happens, Forrester predicts that CMOs will have to galvanize the C-suite around a collective vision—breaking down organizational barriers to deliver on brand promise. “The smart ones” never lose sight of their essential purpose and brand promise, Forrester noted.

Marketers experiencing a downward trend in CX quality will reflect and return to their roots next year and some may go so far as to rebrand completely.

“Driven by an understanding that brand vision and purpose must serve as a base for building and articulating a CX vision, we expect a deluge of companies to undergo brand transformations, which will presage alignment with future CX efforts,” Forrester said.

Customers will remain at the center of all strategies in the coming year, with CMOs assuming the role of an ally for data privacy and trust. To better communicate with audiences, marketing chiefs will shift their focus from marketing tech stacks to consumer tech. Tools, coordination, conversation and emotion will be emphasized to meet consumers where they are—on apps, devices and personal assistants.

Audi, ‘Departures’ Target Luxury Car Buyers With Responsive Print Ad

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Audi of America created an interactive print ad that showcases the lighting features of its 2019 A8 model. The light-up insert targets affluent magazine readers, inviting them to engage with the vehicle using a physical key fob.

Brands primarily seek engagement on digital, but some, like Audi are keen to use an old format in an innovative way. The Departures campaign is being launched at a time when digital advertising spend continues to increase year-over-year, but print has been on a steady decline. In fact, national spending on print advertising dropped 18 percent YoY in July, according to Standard Media Index.

Alongside the November/December issue of Departures, 25,000 targeted readers will be given a faux key fob. Pressing buttons on the fob will simulate locking and unlocking the Audi A8, which has been printed on a special light-up insert.

The virtual Audio A8 responds to a reader’s commands with organic light-emitting diode (OLED) taillights that animate just like the real thing. The lights can then be activated either by closing and reopening the pages or with the key fob.

The Audi ad simulates the physical relationship between driver and car while showcasing a new feature for the Audi A8—responsive lighting.

Departures is a luxury magazine given exclusively to Platinum Discover Card Members. The publication caters to global traveling consumers with an average net worth of $3.5 million. Departures got a redesign earlier this year under editor in chief Jeffries Blackerby, who favors large, bold images more akin to niche fashion magazines.

“The all-new Audi A8 marks the next generation for Audi lighting design, which is why we wanted a thoughtful and tech-forward approach to our print advertising,” Loren Angelo, vice president of marketing for Audi of America said in a statement. “The ad is more than a stunning visual; it’s a limited-edition experience that we hope will intrigue Departures readers and Audi fans who are consistently on the go. We wanted to create something so impactful that it would naturally get those readers’ attention.”

Audi’s light-up campaign is designed to engage consumers in a digital world the same way brick-and-mortar stores still bring crowds. VR and voice commands are neat, but sometimes you just want to hold something in your hands before you buy.

Zenith estimates magazines will only account for 3.8 percent of global ad spend by the year 2020, compared to 5.2 percent in 2017. Mobile internet, meanwhile, is predicted to reach 29.3 percent of global ad spend by 2020.

Search Data Reveals A Battleground Of Political Marketing Spend

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Election day is upon us and somewhere, political marketers are waiting to see if their hard work and investments have paid off. Ever wonder how much is spent on political ad search marketing? Search intelligence firm Adthena compiled statistics from Google’s Transparency Report and revealed just how much was spent this year on all the promises, the attacks and the just plain weird in a race to the polls.

According to the latest Google data, political marketers have invested the most funds in California and Florida since May, spending $6.8 million and $4.9 million, respectively. The battle for voters is especially heated in Missouri ($4.1 million), Tennessee ($3.9 million) and Arizona ($3.6 million).

Missouri’s tops the list in terms of ad spend by congressional district—pouring a whopping $1,173,200 into the state ahead of the US midterm elections.

Republicans Make It Rain On Ad Spend

Groups backing Republican candidates spend 1.6 times on Google than their equivalent Democrat-supporting counterparts, Google reported.

Topping the list of heavy spenders, Senate Leadership Fund (R) poured $4.6 million into Google ads and dramatically increased its weekly spending in September and October. By comparison, the highest-spending Democrat interest group, Priorities USA Action and SMP, dished out a total of $3.1 million and steadily increased its spending over the last two months instead of all at once.

An ongoing campaign by Trump Make America Great Again Committee has garnered $1.63 million in political advertiser spend. These ads ask voters to take a survey or sign petitions that demand a wall on the US-Mexico border.

O’Rourke Vs. Cruz: Battle Of The Keywords

Despite considerably more ad spend by the Republican party, the hottest keyword term is “Democrat.” US Representative Beto O’Rourke is running for Senate in Texas against Republican Ted Cruz. The keyword phrase “beto o rourke” has driven the greatest ad spend, with over $2.2 million between May and November. Weekly ad spend for his name reached a weekly high of $464,600 by October 29. Cruz, on the other hand, fetched a weekly high of $122,600 by the same date.

“Beto for Texas” text ads have been viewed up to four million times over the same amount of months.

Both candidate names are driving considerable ad dollars when used as a keyword search term, with $400,000 for “ted cruz” and $300,000 for “beto.”

While Beto has launched a mostly text-based political ad campaign, Cruz has opted for a video-based approach.

Political Ads Get Weird

TV ads are a given, but politicians turned to YouTube and other digital outlets in an attempt to reach more voters, especially the younger ones. This year, voters have had to endure the usual onslaught of attack ads, but the 2018 US midterms have yielded some . . . interesting campaign messages. Just take a look at this mashup from Vice News.

Microsoft, Amazon Most Impersonated By Email Fraudsters

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Display name deception is the most common type of email attack, a new report found, eroding brand trust through the impersonation of well-known companies.

“Email Fraud & Identity Deception Trends: Insights from the Agari Identity Graph” is a quarterly analysis of statistics and attack samples captured by Agari, a company that uses AI to protect against email and phishing scams.

For this Q4 report, Agari examined its own customer base from July 1 through October 31 and crawled publicly-available DNS information for comparison.

Agari found that 62 percent of advanced email attacks leverage display name deception and more than half use trusted brand names as a way to trick recipients. Microsoft and Amazon are the impersonated brands in digital deception-based attacks, at 36 percent and 27 percent, respectively.

Posing as service updates, security alerts and password resets, these brands have become attractive disguises for fraudsters. Out of all the attacks Agari observed, 54 percent impersonated trusted brands and eight percent impersonated individuals.

“The risk is that a successfully compromised Office 365 or AWS account may be used to launch subsequent attacks that are even harder to detect,” warned Agari, noting that three percent of Q3 attacks originated from compromised email accounts.

In terms of impersonation attacks targeting executives, Microsoft is far and away the favorite brand used by email fraudsters, representing 7 out of 10 brand impersonations followed distantly by Dropbox.

Agari states that “file sharing services such as Dropbox or OneDrive are common impersonation targets because they can link to a file with embedded malware and are common within many companies, lowering user scrutiny of the message.”

Business email compromise is a huge problem—to the tune of $12 billion—according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). To help combat this problem, more brands are adopting domain-based Message Authentication (DMARC).

Los Angeles Rams CMO Ronalee Zarate-Bayani: ‘Marketers Have To Be Chameleons’

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For nearly two decades, Ronalee Zarate-Bayani has proven her ability to navigate this turbulent landscape with panache. Zarate-Bayani started out at Taco Bell and Visa, before working her way up at Hershey, eventually becoming the head of global integrated marketing. In 2016, the St. Louis Rams moved backed to Los Angeles, and a year later the team hired Zarate-Bayani to be franchise’s chief marketing officer.

Moving from a legacy chocolate brand in Pennsylvania to the bright lights of the NFL in Los Angeles certainly has its differences in audience. Zarate-Bayani sat down with AList to discuss the changing landscape and what it takes to survive, no matter what kind of brand you represent.

What was it like transitioning from food to sports marketing?

In the world that I came from—Hershey, Visa and Taco Bell—the product isn’t alive. In sports, you have a team and that is your product. Your product can get hurt. There are all these dynamic forces that change what you can or can’t do. The fundamentals are still the same, which is why it’s so exciting to come into this world. What is different is the level of intensity in which the fans engage with your product. In sports, it is by far the most intense fandom, good or bad.

What has changed in marketing the last few years that’s affected your position?

Wow, what hasn’t changed? I always say the best marketers are modern day marketing alchemists. It’s about being able to pull the right experts into the mix, understanding enough of the language to be able to put the mix together so it’s that much better. But, it takes having to understand a lot more than the fundamentals of marketing. You have to be a GM, you have to be part technologist [and] you have to be part data analyst. It’s about the marriage of art and science and translating that from a business perspective as well as being in touch with the heart of the fan and the consumer.

In the last five years, I’ve looked at technology alongside our CTO or CIO, I’ve looked at the business P&L alongside our GM and have actually operated the P&L. Gone are the days where it’s just about the art—now it’s infused with all the data and how do you make sense of it from a business perspective.

How do marketers view themselves in 2018?

Marketers, more so than any other function, are constantly having to stay ahead of the curve and to learn new skills. It is a constant transformation almost daily. If you stuck to what you knew to work in the past, you’ll be dead in the future. How do you take what works but then take it to a whole other level given all the factors that are changing all around you so that you can adapt to the new environment?

Marketers are like chameleons—they’re constantly having to adapt to the environment, which is changing faster than it ever was before.

What is the most immediate challenge marketers are facing?

Marketers have to exercise both sides of their brains more. The traditional world of marketing and thinking of channels is going to be gone. It’s about the mix of the virtual and the real—the blending of experiences across all environments and it’s underpinned with data and technology. If you don’t understand the world of data and technology and know how to bring that to make the marketing work, you’re going to be in a whole world of hurt.

Where does personalization fit in your marketing strategy?

It’s absolutely critical, but personalization can be interpreted in many ways and the question is, “How personal is personal and not creepy?” It’s personalization to the extent that you are providing relevant value. In a stadium full of people, personalization is 1:1 in a world of one-to-many. I say that in the sense that if you go 1:1 too much, it is very creepy. You never want to cross that line. The reality is, that personalization is all about making sure you’re delivering something of value each and every time you’re interacting.

Facebook Adds Transparency Tools For Businesses; Pinterest Launches Carousel Ads

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This week in social media news, Facebook reigns in third-party data sharing, Pinterest debuts promoted carousels, Instagram adds voting stickers and Twitter plays with the order of its posts.

Also, Twitter’s double character limit had the opposite effect, Snapchatters in the UK get access to Shows, Snapchat Lenses arrive on desktop and Twitter doesn’t like its like button anymore.

Facebook Adds Transparency Tools For Sharing User Data

Facebook is now requiring advertisers to define business relationships and reaffirm policy compliance when they share certain data with third parties.

Why it matters: The social media giant has made it so easy to share user data that reigning it back in has been a challenge, to say the least. These new policies will allow businesses to share data with agencies or other third parties while keeping Facebook informed.

Details: Facebook has added new controls for sharing the Facebook pixel and offline event sets. In order to begin sharing pixel or offline event information with another business, brands will need to define their relationship with the business they want to share data with and review and reaffirm compliance with Facebook’s policies.

Snapchat Encourages Voting With New Features

Snapchat users will have access to voting-themed lenses and Bitmoji this election, as well as access to nearby polling stations.

Why it matters: As a popular hub for teenagers, Snapchat is using its influence to encourage voting in the US. Several brands like Instagram, Uber and Lyft are getting involved to make sure American voices are heard in the US mid-term elections.

Details: Snap Discover will cover live election results, as well as send a reminder to all its users on November 6. Users can announce that they’ve voted through stickers, filters and custom Bitmoji.

Vimeo Adds Native LinkedIn Publishing Option

Businesses on Vimeo can now publish directly to their company page on LinkedIn.

Why it matters: Vimeo is the first video platform to offer an end-to-end integration with LinkedIn. While users can add YouTube links to posts, Vimeo’s new “publish to social” features allows them to share videos directly to company pages such as tutorials, announcements or sizzle reels.

Details: In addition to LinkedIn, businesses that use Vimeo can natively publish on social networks.

“Over the past year, Vimeo has invested heavily in building a central distribution hub for video content to be shared everywhere and across platforms. Our Publish to Social feature makes it possible for creators and businesses to reach audiences in more places, while also enabling them to better understand video performance,” said Mark Kornfilt, CTO of Vimeo. “We’re excited to be the first video platform to integrate with LinkedIn, and to extend this feature to an essential destination for professional content.”

Pinterest Introduces Promoted Carousel Ads

Brands can now promote interactive carousels that include up to five images.

Why it matters: Carousels offer users a collection of ideas and therefore more opportunities to engage. Pinterest is a visual platform, making carousels a natural, unobtrusive ad format for users. In testing, Cover Girl experienced a 32 percent increase in click-through-rate.

Details: Brands on Pinterest now have access to promoted carousels. Each card can include a different image, title, description and landing page, making them like miniature websites. Pinterest users see the promoted carousel ads just like any other Pin. They can swipe through the images directly from the feed and tap the carousel to see images and landing pages.

Instagram Adds Voting Stickers To Stories Creation

On Election Day November 6, users will be able to share their voting accomplishments and see who else did, too.

Why it matters: The US Midterm election is drawing unprecedented attention from brands, celebrities and young citizens this year. Instagram is encouraging users to vote by tapping into the humble brag, aka the lifeblood of the platform.

Details: Beginning on November 4, Instagram users will be able to create Stories with “I Voted” stickers in both English and Spanish. Followers can tap the sticker to find out a polling location near them. Beginning November 6, users will see a “We Voted!” story at the front of their stories bar when several friends post a story with the “I Voted” sticker.

Twitter Tests Switch To See Chronological Listing

A small number of iOS users are testing the ability to switch back and forth between “best tweets” and “latest tweets.”

Why it matters: Twitter’s algorithm tries to prioritize content based on what it thinks you want to see, based on a tweet’s interaction. While this might boost overall engagement, it means that a lot of content gets lost in the shuffle. Users can now turn off “best tweets first” in the settings, but this new option would make it easy to switch back and forth.

Details: On Wednesday, Twitter’s product lead Kayvon Beykpour asked the community for feedback on a test that would allow users to toggle back and forth between tweet priority.

Twitter Users Actually Use Fewer Characters After Last Year’s Upgrade

A year after Twitter extended its character limit from 140-280, statistics show that it wasn’t such a game changer, after all.

Why it matters: When Twitter extended the character limit, many users weren’t happy about it. It seems they can relax now, as it didn’t bring about the endless paragraphs they might have imagined.

Details: According to Twitter, the most common tweet length has gone down by one character, from 34 to 33 in the last year. In fact, 88 percent of tweets are still 140 characters or under. Twitter is always talking about serving the conversation, but 99 percent of tweets are short and sweet, keeping it under the 280 character limit. Okay, they’re usually not that sweet, although the use of “please” and “thank you” are up by 54 percent and 22 percent, respectively.

Mark Zuckerberg Assures Investors About Long-Term Strategy

After Facebook missed Wall Street revenue estimates for the third quarter, CEO Mark Zuckerberg told investors how they are planning long-term.

Why it matters: Facebook has endured a bruising news cycle of scandal, lawsuits and data breaches that may have investors thinking twice about the future of Zuckerberg’s social media empire. The company is growing but struggling to remain agile in a changing consumer landscape.

Details: In a Tuesday call to investors, Zuckerberg assured investors that company expenses will be lower, but revenue growth will be more long-term as they focus more on video and messaging.  “We have great products here that people love, but it will take some time for our business to catch up to our community growth,” he said.

Twitter Lets Users Report Suspected Bots

Twitter is now allowing its community to help flag suspected bot activity on the platform.

Why it matters: Twitter has been busy removing bots and accounts associated with misinformation campaigns, but they can’t do it alone.

Details: Now when Twitter users flag content for violation of policies, they can identify it as posted by a fake account. This will allow Twitter to be notified of spam or automated messages that it might have otherwise missed.

Snapchat Debuts ‘Shows’ In The UK With Media Partners

Snap has extended its Shows feature to the UK after it proved popular among US users.

Why it matters: Snapchat is ramping up its content and quickly becoming an entertainment platform. The UK expansion comes on the heels of Snapchat Originals and after a proven track record with its Discovery platform.

Details: During a London press conference on Tuesday, Snap’s head of international content partnerships Rami Saad announced that Shows has been extended to the UK. Publishing partners at launch include Sky News, Sky Sports, VICE, Gleam Futures, The Guardian, Culture Trip, Hearst /Cosmopolitan UK, Tastemade, COPA90, Channel 4 [trial], Global, Boiler Room, GRM Daily, JOE.co.uk, Brave Bison, PinkNews and Manchester City.

“Ever since we began focusing on bringing the Shows format to Snapchatters in the US market, we’ve seen more than triple the time spent on Shows from the beginning of the year until today,” explained Saad.

Snapchat Eyes Streaming Community With Desktop Lenses

Now anyone can apply Snapchat Lenses to their videos from a desktop computer but as the introduction video shows, Snap is particularly interested in streamers.

Why it matters: Video streaming is big business, hence the major investments by giants like Facebook and Twitter as they try to compete with Twitch and YouTube. Everyone loves to steal Snapchat features, but the original ghost is getting the last laugh by allowing creators to wear Lenses wherever they stream, although for now, Facebook doesn’t appear to be one of the compatible platforms.

Details: Snap Camera features “thousands” of Lenses that can be applied to desktop videos. The new app syncs with a computer’s camera and adds AR effects while someone records or streams. This includes a custom Snap Camera integration for Twitch in addition to compatibility with YouTube, Skype, Google Hangouts and OBS.

Twitter May Soon Remove ‘Like’ Buttons

The ability to “like” a Tweet by clicking a heart-shaped button may be removed “soon,” in order to improve Twitter debates.

Why it matters: For a while now, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has expressed concerns that his sight feeds bias by matching posts with a user’s interest. While this fuels interaction, it also helps create an echo chamber—repeating opinions that someone already agrees with. Removing the “like” button could change the way Twitter’s algorithm suggests content.

Details: The Telegraph reported that Twitter will remove its “like” button in order to improve the quality of debate. Twitter confirmed that it is “rethinking everything” about the service, but did not provide additional details.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly social media news post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, November 2. 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.

This Week’s Exec Shifts: Columbia Records Ups Marketing SVPs; Habit Adds Former Jack In The Box CMO

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This week’s executive moves include promotions for two Columbia Records’ senior vice presidents of marketing, Intel nabs a GPU guru to direct product marketing and the former Jack In The Box CMO becomes The Habit’s first chief brand officer.

Also, Grand Rounds hiring an Intel veteran as CMO, a former Hershey’s brand VP starts a new marketing career at Medifast and The Honest Company adds Coca-Cola’s award-winning CMO to its Board of Directors. We also saw a “rejuvenation” hire for Avon, Fluxx hires a CMO, Walker Zanger welcomes a new marketing director and Foxwoods Casino hires a vice president of brand marketing. Plus, a dynamic shift for Volkswagen Australia’s customer experience role and The Trade Desk’s CMO joins the Cision Board of Directors. Snap loses its WarnerMedia hire after just two months, Jungle Creations names its first CMO and Topdeck Travel hires a global marketing head. Times Internet hiring a CMO for its newly acquired YouTube competitor, Bardstown Bourbon Company lands a new marketing VP, Tui UK and Ireland names its first director of brand marketing and Holloway Friendly promotes for a marketing director position.

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

Columbia Records Promotes For SVP Of Marketing Position

Jay Schumer has been promoted to senior VP of marketing for Columbia Records in New York. Schumer was previously the vice president of marketing and before that, worked his way up through several positions at the Sony Music label.

Columbia Records general manager Jennifer Mallory said of the promotion: “Jay is an incredibly creative marketing executive with a very intuitive understanding of the business. His deep knowledge and passion for music, as well as his years of experience, make him a powerful marketing force at Columbia. I’m certain he will thrive in his new role continuing to drive strategy and lead the wider team to develop cutting-edge campaigns for our artists.”

Columbia Records Ups West Coast SVP

Erika Alfredson has also been promoted to senior VP of marketing for Sony Music imprint Columbia Records in Los Angeles. Alfredson served as vice president of marketing in New York and will now lead the West Coast marketing team.

Alfredson joined the Sony Music Label Group in 2005, working as a retail marketing representative. Doneen Lombardi, head of marketing at Columbia Records said: “It’s been a tremendous experience working with Erika over the years and witnessing her growth as an executive. She is an invaluable asset to our department and all of Columbia joins me in congratulating Erika on her promotion.”

Cision Adds Trade Desk CMO To Board Of Directors

Susan Vobejda, chief marketing officer for The Trade Desk, has been appointed to Cision’s Board of Directors, the company announced Friday. Vobejda was named one of Forbes’ most influential CMOs in 2018.

“Susan brings a passion for brand building, an impressive background in strategic marketing and advertising, and a strong track record in the digital transformation of major brands to the Cision Board,” said Kevin Akeroyd, Cision CEO on the appointment. “We are committed to bringing data, technology, and measurement to communications, showcasing the role of earned media as a true business results driver on par with paid and owned media. Susan’s fluency in these areas across global B2B and B2C organizations will assist us in making our vision for a new era of communication a reality.”

Ex-Intel CMO Becomes Grand Rounds’ First Marketing Chief

Medical technology company Grand Rounds has appointed Deborah Conrad as its first chief marketing officer. Conrad joins the company after 27 years at Intel, serving as CMO the last six years. As Grand Rapid’s first CMO, Conrad will focus on elevating the brand and accelerating the company’s growth in the emerging employee health navigation category.

Speaking on the high-profile hire, Owen Tripp, CEO and co-founder of Grand Rounds said: “I’m confident that Deborah will connect us on a deeper level with our members, employer customers and provider partners to realize our vision of unparalleled, quality care.”

Former Jack In The Box CMO Becomes The Habit’s First Chief Brand Officer

The Habit Restaurants Inc. has named former Jack in the Box CMO Iwona Alter its chief brand officer. Alter brings 13 years of restaurant industry experience to the newly created position starting on December 10. She worked at Jack in Box since 2005, with the last two years as CMO. Previously she held various marketing roles at Elmer’s Products, Shiseido Company Ltd., Johnson & Johnson and J. Walter Thompson.

“Iwona is a proven leader and marketing innovator and we are pleased to welcome her to The Habit team,” The Habit Restaurants CEO Russ Bendel said in a statement. “We believe that her extensive restaurant and leadership knowledge, combined with her expertise in marketing, brand management and advertising will be a great asset to the company as we continue to focus on key initiatives surrounding quality, convenience and innovation.”

Former Coca-Cola CMO Joins Honest Company Board Of Directors

Katie Bayne has been appointed to the Board of Directors for The Honest Company, the brand announced on Thursday. Bayne brings nearly 30 years of consumer marketing experience to her new position, including CMO of the Coca-Cola Company, where she created the brand’s loyalty program and led her team to multiple awards, including Lions, Clios and an Emmy. At Coca-Cola, Bayne worked her way up from a brand manager to senior vice president of global center, working over Coca-Cola and all sparkling brands.

“Creating more diversity within our business is critical to executing our strategy,” said Nick Vlahos, The Honest Company CEO. “As we continue to grow and expand into new markets around the world, we need to mirror the communities that we serve within our own operations. Katie is an exceptional, proven business leader who truly understands our mission and business, and I look forward to her support as we continue on our journey to becoming a global brand.”

Avon Names New Execs Amid Restructure

Avon has appointed James Thompson as chief beauty and brand officer. Thompson joins the legacy beauty brand after 24 years at Diageo North America, where he served as chief marketing and innovation officer. In his new role, Thompson will lead Avon’s “rejuvenation” efforts. Prior to Diageo, Thompson had positions at Guinness Brewing and Unilever.

Alex Long will transition from global vice president of global brand marketing to GVP of global commercial marketing.

Fluxx Appoints Chief Marketing Officer

Philanthropy connection group Fluxx has named Jill Richards as its new CMO. Richards previously led marketing strategy and execution for Appthority, as well as similar roles at Stitch Labs and Terracotta.

“We’re thrilled Jill has joined Fluxx’s leadership at this important time in the company’s evolution,” said Madeline Duva, CEO of Fluxx. “Against a backdrop of policy and other changes that are leaving people in need, it’s more important than ever for foundations and nonprofits to effectively collaborate. Jill’s experience and expertise in marketing and management will be crucial to building the scalable, secure network Fluxx envisions for those we serve.”

Walker Zanger Appoints Director Of Marketing

Erika Egede-Nissen has been named the director of marketing for Walker Zanger. Egede-Nissen joins the luxury stone and tile brand from Caesarstone US, where she served as director brand marketing.

Foxwoods Casino Resorts Hires VP Of Brand Marketing

Foxwoods Casino Resorts has appointed Anika Howard as its vice president of brand marketing and digital. Howard previously served for six years at IGT, where she launched iLottery for the Illinois State Lottery and Georgia Lottery.

In this new role, Howard will lead Foxwoods’ advertising, public relations, digital marketing, sponsorships, marketing, web and social business efforts in addition to working closely with resort operations and loyalty marketing teams

Volkswagen Group Australia Consolidates Marketing, CX Roles

Executive shifts continue at Volkswagon Group Australia this week. Ben Wilks, general manager of marketing, has been appointed the general manager of sales for passenger vehicles. Wilks served in a marketing capacity for nearly five years.

Wilks’ marketing duties have been absorbed by Jason Bradshaw, Volkswagon Group Australia’s director of customer experience. Bradshaw has held this position with the brand since 2015.

Medifast Nabs Hershey VP As Chief Marketing Officer

Tony Tyree has been appointed chief marketing officer for Medifast. Tyree joins the health brand with 20 years of experience in the consumer packaged goods industry, serving most recently as vice president of global snacks at Hershey. Prior to Hershey, Tyree worked for almost at decade at Kraft Foods, and had posts at Mondelez, LifeSavers and Kellogg.

As CMO, Tyree will lead the company’s marketing, scientific and clinical affairs, nutrition support, product development, and strategic planning and program management teams.

Former WarnerMedia Exec Exits Snap After Two Months

Snap vice president of global business solutions Kristen O’Hara has exited the company not long after she joined. O’Hara left her job as CMO of WarnerMedia when Snap CMO Evan Spiegel offered her a chief business officer position. Two days later, the offer was instead given to Jeremi Gorman, Deadline Hollywood reports, so O’Hara is moving on.

In a memo to employees, Spiegel commented: “In her time here, Kristen had an immediate and positive impact on the company. She had a deep understanding of our business from the outset and forged strong client relationships that we will continue to build upon. I will miss the leadership and enthusiasm she brought to the organization and wish her only continued success.”

Jungle Creations Appoints First CMO

Publisher Jungle Creations has named Charlotte Emmerson its first chief marketing officer. Emmerson previously served as CMO for The Guardian. In her new role, Emmerson says she will bring different aspects of the business together to “drive greater affinity and awareness of its unique offering in the industry and among consumers.”

Jungle Creations’ content includes VT, Twisted, Four Nine, Four Nine Life Hacks and others. The brand won a Bronze Lion at Cannes this year for its campaign “Little Casanova.”

Topdeck Travel Hires Global Head Of Marketing

Youth-focused travel group Topdeck Travel has appointed Anna Fawcett to the position of global marketing head. Fawcett previously worked at VisitBritain as global influencer manager. In her new position, Fawcett will be charged with developing a global marketing strategy to develop Topdeck Travel’s current position in the market and its continued growth.

Topdeck Travel global general manager Daryl Raven said of the new hire: “Anna’s appointment provides Topdeck with some exceptional marketing expertise. Anna brings with her great industry experience. We’re excited to leverage her skills as we continue to grow, develop and innovate our brand and our business.”

Times Internet Appoints CMO For Newly Acquired MX Player

Abhishek Joshi has been named chief marketing officer and head of business partnerships for MX Player, the video app recently purchased by Times Internet. Joshi most recently served as SVP and head of digital marketing, subscriptions and content licensing for Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI). He has also served in a number of marketing roles for brands including Reliance Big Pictures and ABP Group.

In July, Times Internet acquired MX Player, a video streaming app similar to YouTube that boasts 175 million monthly users in India.

Bardstown Bourbon Company Appoints VP, Brand Sales And Marketing

Ahead of the 2019 product launch, Herb Heneman has been appointed vice president of brand sales and marketing for Bardstown Bourbon Company (BBCo). Heneman brings 20 years of experience in sales and marketing to the American Distillery, having served as general manager at Southeast Division at Sazerac Company, Inc. and brands such as Buffalo Trace, Blanton’s, Stagg, EH Taylor and Weller. He was also a managing partner in his own agency, providing marketing for Red Bull and others.

In his new role, Heneman will manage BBCo’s brand portfolio, including the development and execution of its sales, marketing and distribution strategy, building its sales and marketing team and helping to develop and position the company’s innovative products.

Tui UK And Ireland Appoints First Director of Brand Marketing

Travel and hospitality company Tui UK and Ireland has appointed Toby Horry to the newly created role of director of brand marketing and content. Horry previously worked three years at Tesco, where he held roles in customer propositions and director of marketing.

In his new role, Horry will take on responsibility for the brand marketing and content teams.

Holloway Friendly Promotes For Sales And Marketing Director

Income protection service Holloway Friendly has announced the promotion of Andy Rowson to sales and marketing director. Rowson has been at Holloway Friendly for a year and a half, serving as head of distribution. Prior to joining Holloway Friendly, he ran his own company as a financial service consultant.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly careers post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, November 2. 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 

Global Head of Brand Marketing Uber Eats San Francisco, CA
VP, Marketing & Communications Boingo El Segundo, CA
VP, Originals Marketing Starz Los Angeles, CA
VP, Marketing, Brand & Customer Strategy Banana Republic San Francisco, CA
Head of Marketing, Stephen Curry Under Armour Baltimore, MD
VP, Marketing Strategy Operations Paramount Pictures Hollywood, CA

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

Moët, Virgil Abloh Turn Bus Shelters Into Designer Experiences

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Moët & Chandon has partnered with fashion designer Virgil Abloh for a series of bus shelter pop-ups around Chicago. The activation promotes limited edition bottles of Moët Nectar Impérial Rosé and wraps bus shelters with branded hazard tape that consumers can take home.

From October 31 to November 20, Chicago residents can visit three bus shelters that have been wrapped in hazard tape and images of Moët Nectar Impérial Rosé. The tape reads, “Do not drop,” a message from the designer to seize the moment and engage the art, when using the product.

“We feel that this collaboration best articulates our commitment to pushing culture forward and stirring creativity,” Christine Ngo Isaac, Moët & Chandon brand director and head of US consumer engagement told AList. “We are a brand that’s been around that’s been around for 275 years and as you can imagine, it’s really hard to let go of that legacy—but it’s about evolving. We are so honored to have such a visionary rethink our iconic bottle on his own terms and see his own articulation of us.”

Off-White founder Virgil Abloh has collaborated with brands like Nike, Apple and Louis Vuitton, but this is his first foray into the alcohol industry.

“Innovation and a pioneering spirit are very much in Moët & Chandon’s DNA,” said Isaac. “We’ve been following Virgil’s work for some time now. As a brand, we really aim to push culture forward and stir creativity and so collaborating with one of the greatest creative visionaries of time was really natural for our brand.”

Branded bus stops can be found on Michigan Ave and Monroe St. next to The Art Institute of Chicago, on the corner of Halsted St. and Taylor St. just South of Greektown and on the corner of Wacker Dr. and Franklin St. in Printer’s Row.

If you’re surprised to see a luxury brand on a bus stop, that’s the idea. Moët saw bus shelters not as a way to reach bus riders but as an unexpected canvas for creative.

“[Bus shelters] are not something you would typically imagine for a luxury brand to engage with,” said Isaac. “What we really wanted to do is outfit these bus shelters in a way that you’ve never seen bus shelters before, truly engaging with our fans and Virgil’s fans at the ground level.”

For one day only (November 2), on-site dispensers allow consumers to take hazard tape home that reads, “For display only.” This slogan appears on an even more limited edition of Moët Nectar Impérial Rosé—300 bottles—available only to friends and family of Abloh or Moët’s Maison.

Allowing visitors to take a piece of the activation home encourages them to decorate their own belongings or environments with the hazard tape. This, Isaac said, is all part of the brand’s personalization strategy. She said that the brand doesn’t target demographics, but rather passion points.

“Personalization is really important to us and shame on any marketer that doesn’t see the value of it and incorporate it into their marketing strategy.”

Moët customizes outreach for each of its champagnes depending on the core audience. Nectar Impérial, for example, is targeted to creatives.

There is one platform that brings all these audiences together, and that’s social media—something Moët has invested heavily in over the past year. Abloh, with his 3.1 million Instagram followers, can certainly help with that.

“Virgil has that online and offline influence that’s so difficult to achieve in this busy world,” explained Isaac. “For us, it made a lot of sense to partner with him not just for his vision but [because] our target is heavily engaged with social media. Working with one of the biggest influencers is kind of a no-brainer for us to continue to foster online engagement.”

The Moët x Virgil collaboration will be promoted across social media with the hashtags #DoNotDrop and #MoetxVirgil. Isaac says they hope that these bus shelter pop-ups will prove inspirational to passersby.

Cannes Lions Announces 2019 Dates, New Awards And Confirmed Speakers

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The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity made several announcements on Thursday that impact its future events. In addition to revealing the dates for 2019 Cannes Lions, changes have been made to content, awards and the management of tracks.

Cannes Lions 2019 will take place from June 17-21 and delegate registration is now open.

Last year, Cannes Lions organized its programming into nine tracks—Communication, Craft, Entertainment, Experience, Good, Health, Impact, Reach and Innovation. For first time, Track Ambassadors will be chosen to represent each of the core disciplines. They will be selected from the 2019 jury presidents.

Next year’s agenda will be more immersive and interactive, the organization said, including more case studies, Q&A and debate. Topics will include but are not limited to: “The Impact of Creativity,” “Equality, Diversity and Inclusion,” “Industry Transformation,” “Digital Transformation,” “Creative Strategy,” “Multi-touchpoint Storytelling, Craft and Brand Experience” and “Trust, Ethics and Transparency.”

Speakers confirmed for 2019 include:

  • Jen Rubio, founder of Away
  • Philip Krim, founder of Casper
  • Jessie Horwitz, founder of Hubble Contacts
  • Dr. Mark Sagar, CEO and co-founder of Soul Machines
  • Tracey Follows, founder of Futuremade
  • Jamie Myrold, vice president of design at Adobe
  • Bessie Lee, founder of Withinlink

Delegates have until December 14 to propose stage content. There is no charge to speak on stage and submissions are open to anyone. Cannes Lions 2019 content will be chosen based on originality, uniqueness and the unexpected. Check out some of the outstanding content we witnessed at Cannes Lions 2018.

There will be a few changes to awards this year, including the retirement of the Lion for Creative Strategy. Categories from this award will be absorbed into Design and Innovation.

Two new Lions have been announced for 2019—The Creativity Lion and the Entertainment Lion for Sport.

“Both of these Lions represent a shifting industry landscape and now is the right time to recognize these disciplines through our awards,” said Cannes Lions Simon Cook, VP of creative excellence in the announcement. “With an increasingly broader creative communications ecosystem, the Creative Strategy Lion will elevate and define the importance of strategy in creative vision, while the Entertainment Lion for Sport will give credence to the breadth of content and communications surrounding this unique global market.”

The Creative Strategy Lion will be part of the Reach Track and will celebrate “the idea behind the idea, how strategic planning can redefine a brand, reinvent its business and influence consumers or wider culture.” The Entertainment Lion for Sport, meanwhile, will celebrate “creativity that leverages the galvanizing power of sports and eSports for brands.”

Click here to see a full list of 2018 Grand Prix Lions winners.