A rundown of the marketing and advertising insights we’re reading for the week of August 16th, 2021.


Taco Bell Partners With Cashmere On All Things Culture

Marketing Dive

Winning and mature brands seeking to perform on new platforms and with new audiences employ the expertise of third-party social culture experts. That’s why Taco Bell has employed Cashmere to help develop its cultural brand strategy.

Why it matters: According to Barbara Yolles, chief executive of Ludwig+, people want to buy into something more than just a taco—they want to buy into a community. Brands that nurture this truth while continuously improving tend to perform well. Yolles notes that there are two sides to the discussion of culture: the culture that creates a company and the impact a brand has on culture. 


Four Key Areas Help Organizations Attract And Retain Talent

Forbes

LinkedIn recently implemented a policy to permanently remove office expectations and let employees work remotely indefinitely. And Google may find employees are willing to accept pay cuts based on geography if it means being able to work from anywhere.

Why it matters: As employers prepare for “The Great Resignation,” the four ways brands can attract new talent and protect current talent are by: (1) prioritizing and valuing flexibility to manage life’s many challenges and uncertainties; (2) adopting an “Always Be Recruiting” mindset; (3) rethinking the 9 to 5 workday and allowing for greater flexibility and remote options for work; and, (4) offering opportunities to build or experiment on something new.


What A TikTok Creator Earns With 1 Million Followers

Business Insider

Vi Luong is a social media content creator based in California who quit her social media marketing career 10 months after creating her first TikTok. With 1.1 million TikTok followers, 94,000 Instagram followers and 7,000 YouTube subscribers, Luong’s two primary sources of income are brand partnerships and TikTok’s Creator Fund. This year, Luong is working with three brands in year-long campaigns and several others in one-off collaborations. So far this year, she’s earned about $131,000, with four to seven deals per month (including monthly posts as a part of the year-long campaigns). She also earns between $150 to $300 per month from the Creator Fund.

Why it matters: Creators with engaging content are able to earn sufficient incomes to maintain influencer lifestyles and careers; Luong is a testament to that. She advises others embarking on a similar journey to not take every brand deal presented, stating that she now has the option of prioritizing five-figure deals with brands she loves.


Kellogg’s And First-Party Data: How Large Companies Seek Ways To Deliver Online Ads With Precision

Adweek

Last week, Kellogg’s introduced a dedicated Cheez-Its website where consumers can purchase Cheez-It-themed merchandise, marking a first for the 115-year-old company. The idea behind it is to collect information and test new products before offering them to the rest of the US.

Direct-to-consumer sites have also been created by PepsiCo, which launched two sites in 2020 and found that shoppers mix products in ways that the company doesn’t offer in stores. Procter & Gamble’s Olay, Pampers, Gillette and Braun have all launched DTC platforms that gather first-party data.

Why it matters: Purchasing data will become more difficult as time progresses, leading to media inefficiency and a need to acquire it through other outlets. According to Jordan Narducci, director of global direct-to-consumer ecommerce at Kellogg’s, the best focus group to test a product before offering it nationwide is the group that is “going out and paying for something.” Companies investing in data will put themselves in a more competitive position while also creating better shopping experiences for their customers.


Advice For Managers Seeking Balance Between Efficiency And Compassion

Harvard Business Review

According to experts who study motivation and compassion at work, managers seeking a balance between efficiency and compassion should focus on their interactions with their employees not as being lenient but as being flexible while creating the space for employees to be open about their mental health issues at work and encouraging employees to keep each other accountable.

Why it matters: The amount of pressure experienced by managers who often have to navigate deadlines and expectations set by upper management while maintaining the well-being and efficiency of employees can lead to burnout, low output and poor work quality. 


Excessive Use Of Facebook Linked To Envy, Depression

The Drum

Those who spend the majority of their time on Facebook experience a greater risk of suffering from depression, according to a study by Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. The study found that those with signs of depression linked to Facebook spend more time on social networking sites. Among Singapore residents, the study could not discern a difference between passive and active Facebook use. Additionally, the effect of age and education levels on Facebook use and depression was marginal.

Why it matters: The effect of Facebook usage on depression is nothing new—it’s an ongoing issue that highlights the need for remedial action. A Facebook spokesperson responded to the study by stating that Facebook aims to “enable people to build stronger communities and more meaningful connections.” Additionally, Facebook has announced initiatives and partnerships with mental health experts and agencies to address mental health issues afflicting Facebook users.