How Will The Influencer Sector Change In 2021?
The Drum
Ian Randolph, head of product and R&D at Tailify, believes that in 2021 consumers will begin to lose faith that tech giants are aligned with their interests and that marketers will have the confidence to shift budgets toward influencers.
Why it matters: An April 2019 survey from YouGov found that just 19 percent of users trust Facebook, while a Google study discovered that influencer marketing was five times more effective than directly measured.
Mass Exodus From The Coasts To The New Heartland Is Well Underway
Forbes
Recent data shows a huge amount of Americans leaving crowded metropolitan cities for suburbs in the Midwest, Southwest and Southeast.
Why it matters: According to a report from Heartland Forward, the mass exodus can be attributed to a trend of millennials finding that many of their goals are more achievable in the New Heartland, where the cost of living is less and the same amenities as coastal cities exist but with additional benefits.
Sponsored Influencer Posts Mentioned These Video Game Brands The Most
ION
A new analysis from CreatorIQ found 2,700 sponsored posts from 870 influencers on Instagram and YouTube that featured video game companies in September. Appearing in 426 posts from 131 creators, Twitch was the most-marketed gaming platform among influencers.
Why it matters: The increased activity around influencer marketing comes amid a surge in consumer spend on video games, which is set to reach $13.4 billion this holiday season.
PS5, Xbox Rollouts Drive 80% Jump In Ad Spending For Video Games
Marketing Dive
The release of Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X contributed to an 80 percent rise in ad spending for the video game industry in November, according to data from MediaRadar.
Why it matters: Sony spent more than $15 million to promote the PlayStation 5 in the month prior to launch, more than triple what Microsoft spent on advertising Xbox Series X and S.
How Do You Evaluate Performance During a Pandemic?
Harvard Business Review
To avoid lasting consequences for workplace diversity and crisis-specific biases, managers must figure out how to approach performance reviews and reward women who are stepping up during this time without inadvertently penalizing those who have needed to lean out.
Why it matters: While important, compassion isn’t enough. Managers must implement good processes to help block bias in their assessments. That includes defining effective criteria before making critical decisions about employees, aligning all decision makers and engaging others in being consistent and equitable.
Pantone Names 2 Colors Of The Year For 2021: Gray And Yellow
Adweek
Pantone has revealed two new colors of the year for 2021—ultimate gray and a yellow hue called “illuminating.”
Why it matters: The two shades represent resilience and positivity, respectively—two things that many will seek after a tough year as they shift from a quantity to quality mindset.
Advertising Giant Dentsu Just Announced Huge Job Cuts. Insiders Are Speculating About How They’ll Play Out And The Growing Influence Of Data Agency Merkle
Business Insider
Dentsu is laying off 6,000 people, or 12.5 percent of staff outside its home country of Japan, causing worry about the growing influence of Merkle, which Dentsu acquired a majority stake in for $1.5 billion in 2016.
Why it matters: After Merkle was fully acquired, around 25 executives received both equity and senior roles at Dentsu. The reorganization has also forced out some longtime execs elsewhere at the company.
It’s Time To Stop Looking To Brands To Save Us
Fashionista
2019 research from Edelman found that across seven nations including the US and the UK, citizens trust brands more than they trust the government.
Why it matters: Brands have widened their influence beyond the scope of their products and services, causing people’s expectations of them to increase. But as brands fail at defending worker’s rights, halting racism and upending sexism, it’s futile for consumers to continue to place so much hope in them.
Speeding Up To Become Even More Consumer-Obsessed: An Interview With GSK’s Keith Choy
McKinsey
Keith Choy, the head of the Asia-Pacific unit of GlaxoSmithKline’s consumer healthcare group, considers the pandemic a chance to double down on existing digitization initiatives and strengthen end-to-end supply chains to better respond to emerging consumption trends across the 23 marketers the company serves.
Why it matters: Choy says that part of GSK’s response to the pandemic includes the development of an end-to-end consumer data management platform for which GSK needs to build out the framework, operationalize it and find the talent to support it.
HumanCo’s Next Step: The Intersection Of Helping Humanity & Driving Shareholder Value
Forbes
With the wellness market valued at $4.5 trillion, HumanCo was created to focus on long-term investments in companies in which brand equity can be built around integrity
and trust.
Why it matters: Together with CAVU Ventures, HumanCo has launched a special purpose acquisition company called HumanCo Acquisition Co on the Nasdaq to help publicly traded, high-growth consumer companies focus on advancing healthier living.
