A rundown of the insights we’re sharing internally here at AList for the week of March 28th, 2021.

Advertising Going Back For The Future: The Upside Of A Post-IDFA World

AdExchanger

Jonathan Stringfield, vice president and global head of business marketing, measurement and insights at Activision Blizzard, believes that moving towards a healthier ad industry will require replacing obscurity of audiences with transparency on the outcomes of ad buying.

Why it matters: Despite what doomsayers are saying, Stringfield believes measuring real consumer outcomes will still be possible in a post-IDFA world, but that advertisers must hold platforms accountable for scientifically rigorous accounting of how a campaign impacted their customers.

They’re Small But Mighty: Why The Nano-Influencer Is The Surest Bet For Brands In 2021

Yahoo

Marketers are increasingly utilizing nano-influencers, or those with 1,000 to 10,000 followers, because they have dedicated, highly engaged audiences and reasonable rates.

Why it matters: Profitable customer acquisition from very few sales is a realistic outcome when working with nano-influencers because doing so doesn’t cost a brand much if they’re simply gifting the influencer product.

Content Is King…But Why? Here Is A Data-Driven Answer

Neil Patel

When Neil Patel polled his Twitter followers on why content is king, nearly half of the 1,141 voters said it’s because “People & Google like it.” Some believe content is losing steam, but most brands are investing 41 percent of their overall marketing budget on content.

Why it matters: Brands looking to engage audiences and rank well on Google should focus on quality content, including blog posts, videos, podcasts and any other type of content people can read, listen or interact with.

CMOs – If You Want To Cancel ‘Cancel Culture’, It’s Time To Embrace Vulnerability

The Drum

Mordecai believes that the key to overcoming cancel culture, or scrutiny around your core brand values, is to make vulnerability one of them. 

Why it matters: True vulnerability comprises diverse teams, transparency in decisions, empathetic leadership and inclusive workspaces, according to Mordecai. Conveying vulnerability in campaigns, products and internal organizations creates a brand ecosystem that’s immune to being “canceled.”

Why Procter & Gamble Is Putting More Money Behind Black Creators And Media

Ad Age

Procter & Gamble is launching an expanded content platform called Widen The Screen to amplify black talent across advertising, film and the TV industries. The initiative kicked off at the 2021 NAACP Image Awards via a film by the same name, which challenged viewers’ expectations of black stories and characters. This summer with black creators, P&G will release a series of scripted stories each told in eight minutes and 46 seconds—the length of time former officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on George Floyd’s neck before killing him.

Why it matters: P&G chief executive Mark Pritchard says the company has built an entire ecosystem of black-owned media companies to invest in and build, with the goal of ensuring the “full view of Black life, not just struggle or triumphs.”