We’re searching for the most pressing marketing insights this week. Updated daily.
What Is The Future Of Brands Within Closed Ecosystems?
The Drum
Brands can protect consumer privacy more effectively in a login environment like a closed ecosystem.
Why it matters: Consumer expectations are shifting to demand the same seamless digital experience they get using services with walled gardens.
ANA CEO Sees A Slow Recovery Post-Pandemic
Ad Age
On the level of industry participation he expects for ANA’s Masters of Marketing event, which was moved to October, ANA CEO Bob Liodice said: “We are, candidly, not expecting anywhere near the types of attendances we have had in the past,” he says. “But I think if we get a representative crowd … that will be good enough for us. It gives us an opportunity to bring back the community.”
Why it matters: Dramatic declines in event turnout will be inevitable post-pandemic.
Jägermeister Brings Cold Brew Martinis To Virtual Brunch
Adweek
Jägermeister will host a virtual brunch on Instagram Stories showing how its digestif can be mixed with cold brew coffee to raise funds for Relief Opportunities for All Restaurants.
Why it matters: Brands that show how they’re adding value to the lives of people and employees will leave a lasting impression on consumers.
Michelob Ultra Streams Workouts While Helping Personal Trainers
Mobile Marketer
Michelob Ultra has launched a series called “Movement by Michelob Ultra Live” on its Facebook Live, Instagram Live and YouTube Live channels to reach consumers stuck at home during coronavirus and give them a chance to tip trainers who appear in the videos. For each dollar donated, Michelob Ultra and Optimum Nutrition will match the donation up to $7,500 a week.
Why it matters: A broadcasting series will help Michelob Ultra reinforce its brand’s positioning in the crisis while also showing consumers it cares about the members of the fitness community.
Spotify Tops Ranking Of Brand Intimacy During Pandemic, Study Says
Mobile Marketer
Spotify ranked number one in a study of brand intimacy during coronavirus according to MBLB’s “Brand Intimacy Study 2020.” Facebook, Instagram, Pandora, Snapchat, Twitter, Airbnb, Uber, LinkedIn and Venmo rounded out the list. MBLB defines brand intimacy as a measurement of the emotional bonds that consumers form with brands.
Why it matters: Spotify may have outranked brands on intimacy but Quartz reports that in Italy the top 200 most streamed songs on Spotify averaged 18.3 million total streams per day in February but dropped to 14.4 million on March 9th.
‘We’ve Stopped Being So Strict About Brand Positioning’: Burger King CMO Fernando Machado On Marketing During Coronavirus
Digiday
As per Burger King CMO Fernando Machado: “For us, we’ve stopped being so strict about whether or not something makes sense for our brand positioning. We did what we thought would be helpful to people. In the case of Burger King, we gave away free kids meals. Why? Because we know that many peoples’ kids eat at school. Without kids in school, we know many parents struggle to put something together. We have provided roughly a million meals in the US.”
Why it matters: Marketers should take a page out of Burger King’s pandemic playbook: help communities by doing concrete things and repurpose existing advertising assets to remain relevant.
Oreo’s Local-First, Globally Connected COVID-19 Strategy Around Playfulness
Campaign Live UK
With guidance from its team in China, Oreo pulled irrelevant content from its marketing and created a video spot featuring user-generated content of consumers doing the brand’s #CookieWithACause challenge on TikTok. The challenge calls for participants to place an Oreo on their forehead and try to land it in their mouth in creative ways. For every post marked with the hashtag, Oreo is donating to Save the Children for the first 1 million video uploads.
Why it matters: Adapting your marketing strategy to social distancing orders is paramount to staying relevant.
Opinion: Brands Should Not Stay Silent During The Pandemic, But They Should Avoid The ‘Hero Trap’
AdAge
Brands like Budweiser, LMVH, Verizon and Nature’s Bakery are letting their actions speak for themselves by hosting American Red Cross drives at stadiums, converting production to make hand sanitizer and offering practice advice on how to keep kids active in quarantine, respectively.
Why it matters: Instead of relying on “sweet words and piano music,” brands should explore how to turn people into heroes instead of posing as heroes themselves.
How To Win At Instagram Live
The Business Of Fashion
Designers, celebrities and creators alike are doubling down on Instagram live stream programming that features quarantine versions of “a day in the life of,” career advice and tips on handling the new normal.
Why it matters: Brands are increasingly using Instagram Live to connect and inform—not to sell products.
Frito-Lay’s New COVID-19 Ad Is An Anti-Brand Manifesto. Too Bad It’s Still A Commercial
Fast Company
Frito-Lay’s new television commercial scolds other brands for advertising during coronavirus yet its spot does just that—by humble-bragging about its efforts to help create jobs and donate to relief efforts.
Why it matters: “The risk, of course, is that this approach also draws the more critical eyes of an audience who, sitting at home, has nothing better to do than look for holes in the Frito-Lay story.”
Young, Shafted And Black: Is Anything Being Done To Close The Influencer Ethnicity Pay Gap?
The Drum
After being paid in the “low £100s” for a style content activation, black plus-size influencer Stephanie Yeboah found out that white influencers were paid in the “£2,000-£3,000 range” for the same job.
Why it matters: The racial influencer pay gap drives down black influencers’ prices, affecting their ability to afford to pursue such a career, in turn leading to less creators available to activate the community for brands.
Editor’s Note: Our weekly reading list is updated daily. This installment is updated until Friday, April 17. Have a tip? We’re looking for must-read articles related to trends and insights in marketing and media. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.
