A blog for students of Professor Kagan's Digital Marketing Strategy course to comment and highlight class topics. From the various channels for marketing on the internet, to SaaS and e-commerce business models, anything related to the class is fair game.
Wednesday, November 30, 2022
H&M Serving Up Style... or putting lipstick on Fast Fashion?
Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Shades of Truth & Influencer Marketing
In this morning's Marketing Brew newsletter, the below news snippet was posted regarding the FTC suit against Google and iHeartMedia for deceptive ads promoting the Pixel 4 smartphone.
The suit alleges that influencers were paid to make statements about a product that they never actually used, and recorded testimonials before they were even sent the product.
While scrolling on social media, tags like #ad and #sponsored make it painfully obvious when influencers are making paid statements about products that they clearly do not endorse on a daily basis. I'd bet that the majority of these influencers still use iPhones every day. As consumers of these ads, we're not fooled when we see influencers promoting a new beauty product or vitamin supplement; we know they were offered these products for free, and that they are being paid for endorsements.
In order for influencers to truly build community, their audience must trust their advice - and that it comes from a place of credibility and authenticity.
Something like a Pixel smartphone - which these influencers were so blatantly not using and would likely never use - is a perfect example of a failed attempt at influencer marketing. A smartphone is not a consumable or discoverable product like beauty, fashion or food. It's a device that for the majority of consumers, represents a medium-term purchase at a mid-to-high price point. There is less "test driving," and more research-driven purchasing, and so the idea that an influencer would switch their entire OS for a paid endorsement (unlike switching their lip gloss brand) is unreasonable.
Though we know it's all a sham, there are degrees of credibility we still expect from influencer marketing. Rules of the road that govern these influencers from an ethical perspective, and now, from a legal perspective as well. The FTC allocating attention to companies breaking these rules, when the very nature of the ad itself is so fundamentally untrue, reflects the gradiation of truth within influencer marketing.
Monday, November 28, 2022
When you set $44 billion on fire and no one comes to your bonfire
Advertisers Hit The Pause Button With Twitter
Well, that escalated quickly.
So, Elon had a genius idea to bring Twitter into the black - instead of relying on advertising dollars, move to subscription. Every tech company is doing SaaS these days, right? How hard can it be? Well, it turns out advertising accounted for 90% of Twitter's total 2021 revenue of $5.1 billion. One could increase the ~10% not-advertising dollars by more than 9x and reach that goal, but I guess if you decreased that 90% advertising down by say... 90%, mathematically, that would work too!
Omnicom (one of the world’s largest ad agencies with over 5,000 global clients) (full disclosure, I am not and could never afford to be an Omnicom client), "cautioned their clientele about Twitter’s new verification decision. The ad agency cited the departure of top -level executives, brand safety and fake verification accounts among other reasons." Basically companies calling for Twitter to re-establish: IT, security, privacy, trust, safety, leadership, moderation, full transparency... I mean, gosh - I suppose next they'll be clamoring for Twitter to allow the option to edit tweets too! (Twitter will finally let you edit tweets — if you pay)
Normally, I would elaborate more, but these direct quotes hit the nail right on the head:
" It’s reported over past two weeks one-third of Twitter’s top 100 marketers have not been advertising."
[Twitter has] "greatly expanded its tolerance for hate, negativity, and misinformation."
"The situation we’re watching unfold with Twitter right now is a real-time study of the myriad of risks that advertisers face in today’s unsteady landscape. With risk avoidance being paramount for brands..."
Hmm... risk avoidance is the keyword then. Brand management. Wokeness. Cancel culture... Which reminds me, I should probably set my Myspace to private - lest my next employer finds out I'm a diehard Michael Bublé fan.
Being a poor, unemployed grad student, I'm basically just the peanut gallery when it comes to critiquing these high stakes business moves, but goodness, I am constantly checking (my borrowed/shared) Netflix top 10 for when the Elon Musk Netflix documentary unveils. Hopefully it'll displace the Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes.
Imaginary Currency of TikTok
There is an imaginary currency called "Dabloons" that has been trending on TikTok over the last week. Users are engaging in a fake economy where they are spending, collecting and gaining/losing coins using the #dabloons. The hashtag has over 417 million views in just under a week. The way you gain or lose the fake money is by scrolling through content and if you happen upon a video that provides or takes Dabloons, you'll adjust your wealth accordingly (honor code of course). The depths to which this trend has gone has people keeping track of their Dabloons on white boards, creating a Dabloon University and even one account said it would hold an election. What's amazing about this trend is that it demonstrates just how engaged people can get on the platform and the lengths to which people will carry on a joke about a valueless economy. It's clear when gamification, trending momentum, and maybe a little bit of fun can create a viral experience on TikTok and demonstrate the power of the platform.
Saturday, November 26, 2022
World Cup advertising to Gen Z
Like many people, I’ve been watching the World Cup over the last week or so – the live games, the online highlights, the social media memes, and of course all the advertisements in between. The Super Bowl is known for producing creative (and expensive) ads given the desire for brands to stand out in front of a large audience, but search interest in the World Cup is actually seven to eight times greater (and lasts a full month), so for international brands especially, the potential for their advertisements to have an impact is quite large.
This year was a bit different, given the World Cup was moved from the summertime to holiday time, creating an interesting opportunity for companies to combine sports and holiday shopping ads. However, reaching Gen Z, which is an important audience for sports advertisers, continues to be difficult for a number of reasons: 1) fewer Gen Zers claim to be sports fans; 2) the way they engage with sports extends beyond traditional TV game watching; 3) they connect more with authentic, immersive experiences than traditional on-screen ads; and 4) the onslaught of digital advertising has made many numb to all but the most memorable and engaging.
Athletes are more than just athletes to Gen Z (and other demographics) – they’re influencers, tastemakers and celebrities that their fans want to engage with. Brands should aim to leverage that desire for interaction and influence by incorporating the athletes into immersive experiences that make people feel seen, understood and connected in an authentic way.
Article: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/engaging-gen-z-world-cup/467394/
Saturday, November 19, 2022
Digital Marketing strategy of Shein leads to its valuation higher than that of H&M + Zara combined
Valuation of Shien, the Chinese clothing brand founded in 2008, has surpassed the combined valuation of H&M and Zara in this short period. Young girls in over 200 countries including love these innovative fashion style clothes and extremely cheap price. For example, $10 for a beautiful blouse and $10 for a great looking jeans. Digital marketing including social media, influencer marketing, and co-creation of clothes with users by offering then free products are just some of the examples of great digital marketing strategies of Shein.
The link pasted below details all aspects of the digital marketing of this hugely successful brand Shein.
A few important points about Video Marketing
Video marketing is an important component of digital marketing. Effectiveness of a short video in engaging the prospects, creating a deep impression on mind, and instigating the prospects to buy on the spot or later is key to the success of a business.
I have copied the text below from iide.co that lists a few key points the brands should consider in their Video marketing strategy.
Video Marketing
In short, the use of engaging video content in your digital marketing strategy to bring in awareness and grow your business to earn a profit is called video marketing.
Today, most of the users end up watching videos that are informative yet quirky and funny. People find it more visually appealing to watch videos than read a piece of content, and many times they end up sharing it.
- Make sure your videos are consistent, informative, and content-rich. This matters a lot as this can help viewers engagingly learn more about your business.
- Make titles that are engaging and eye-catching. Make sure your video titles include your main keyword and are relevant to your brand. As a result, the title may be effective in attracting potential consumers.
- Use video to link to other pages on your website. Upload a few videos to video-sharing sites like YouTube and Vimeo, and consider linking to related content and other relevant videos on your site.
Brands should prepare digital marketing strategies for Metaverse version of ecommerce
It appears that trade in virtual goods and virtual real estate has already begun in metaverse space. Second Life has many examples of people striking rich by creating virtual objects such as bikes, beds, islands, houses, furniture, and clothes. Second life also creates and sells virtual real estate such as islands to virtual residents on Second Life.
Going by this example of Metaverse and popularity of NFTs for trading in virtual objects combined with imaginable future where brands may set us shops in metaverses, ecommerce may move from current ecommerce sites to Metaverses. And that would require the brands to have digital marketing strategies for the Metaverse world.
The text pasted below and copied from mpost.io lists points that brands should consider for digital marketing in the Metaverse world.
Top points to keep in mind for Digital Marketing in the Metaverse
1. Create In-game Advertising
Some of the world’s largest brands, such as Volkswagen, Coca-Cola, Samsung, and others, have included virtual hoardings in games like Hyper Space and others. Any marketer should aim to increase visibility in the Metaverse as a first step.
2. Retail Virtual Goods & Services
Given that the NFT marketplace is making millions in revenue, it’s safe to say that people are interested in buying digital assets. Businesses should consider creating and selling virtual goods and services in the Metaverse.
3. Develop a Brand Persona
Since the Metaverse is still a new frontier, it’s important for businesses to create a brand persona that fits the culture of this virtual world. This will help businesses connect with their target audience in the Metaverse.
4. Engage in Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing will be key in the Metaverse. Businesses should consider creating and maintaining a strong presence on social media platforms like Second Life, Avakin Life, and others.
5. Create Viral Content
Given the popularity of user-generated content, businesses should aim to create viral content that will be shared by people in the Metaverse. This will help to increase the visibility of the business in the Metaverse.
Digital marketing in the Metaverse is a new and exciting field. Businesses that are able to understand and tap into the power of the Metaverse will be well-positioned to reap the benefits of this new form of marketing.
Nike Announces the Launch of .Swoosh, New Web3-Enabled Platform, Store
(Copied from the website thefashionlaw.com
Nike’s latest web3 venture is here. Taking the form of a web3-enabled platform, .Swoosh is aiming to enable consumers to “learn about, collect and eventually help co-create virtual creations, which are typically interactive digital objects, such as virtual shoes or jerseys,” the Beaverton, Oregon-based company announced on Monday. Currently in beta mode, the platform will ultimately serve as a place “where our community can come in and co-create [the] future with us,” Ron Faris, GM of Nike Virtual Studios, said in a statement. “You can collect, trade, and flex Nike virtual products. You can go to IRL events with your token-gated virtual creations.”
Nike says that it will grow the platform by inviting in “a diverse, equitable community, then launch its first digital collection – shaped by its members – [beginning] in 2023.” Shortly after the first digital collection drops, “Members will be able to enter a community challenge to win the opportunity to co-create virtual product with Nike, [with] those winners [able] earn a royalty on the virtual product they help co-create.”
The point of the venture, according to Nike? “To expand the definition of sport – and serve its future – by democratizing the web3 experience so that everyone can collect, create and own a piece of this new digital world.” Faris notes, “We are shaping a marketplace of the future with an accessible platform for the web3-curious. In this new space, the .SWOOSH community and Nike can create, share, and benefit together.”
The announcement comes after Nike has continued to position itself at the forefront of the budding web3 universe. On the heels of first partnering with gaming platform Roblox back in the 2019 and also receiving a utility patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a “system and method for providing cryptographically secured digital assets” that same year, the sportswear titan hinted at future ambitions in this space by way of filed an array of intent-to-use applications in October 2021 for its most famous trademarks – word marks “Nike,” “Just Do It,” “Jordan,” and “Air Jordan,” its iconic swoosh logo, the Jordan silhouette logo, and a stylized combination of its name and the swoosh – for use on various virtual goods/services, kicking off a frenzy of similar filings by brands across industries.
Since then, Nike, Inc. acquired RTFKT, “a leading brand that leverages cutting edge innovation to deliver next generation collectibles that merge culture and gaming,” in December 2021 in furtherance of what Nike President and CEO John Donahoe said was “another step that accelerates Nike’s digital transformation.”
As for its actual output in the web3 front, Nike, landed in the top spot on a list of large brands that are generating revenue from non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”). According to data from Dune Analytics, which sheds light on the primary sales revenues, secondary transactions, and royalties associated with some of the early-moving brands participating in the NFT space, as of this summer, Nike had generated a total of $185.31 million in revenue from its NFT collections, namely, those from RTFKT. In addition to primary revenue, Nike boasts big number in terms of primary sales revenue ($93.1 million) secondary transactions (67.4k), secondary volume ($1.29 billion), and total royalties ($92.21 million).
In conjunction with the announcement, counsel for Nike filed a trio of intent-to-use trademark applications for registration for “.Swoosh”, “DOTSWOOSH”, and a stylized version of the swoosh logo with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for use in Classes 9, 16, 18, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 42, and 45.
Friday, November 18, 2022
Content Creator to CPG Company
Why is it easier to shift from content creator to consumer product good company than vice versa? Voted as one of the most innovated companies in 2019, Hodinkee is a successful company that leveraged this strategy. Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism alum and Founder and CEO, Ben Clymer started Hodinkee as a forum for watch aficionados. During this time, Ben and his team of writers made Hodinkee the go to site for everything watches through their educational and entertaining digital content. In 2012, the Hodinkee shop was launched and is now considered one of the most trusted sites for accessory and timepiece consumers.
Haven’s Kitchen is a premier sauce company utilizing the same strategy to help promote, build awareness, and a relationship with their consumers. Their mission is to make every home cook a champion. They have been successful at this mission through all of their digital platforms .Haven’s Kitchen has amassed over 200k followers on Pinterest because of their recipes and educational posts. Will this be a go to strategy for budding entrepreneurs? The main motivator of intentionally building rapport and a loyal following is that it lowers customer acquisition costs. Because Hodinkee and Haven’s Kitchen have such a strong following, they are able to leverage their platforms when promoting new products instead of depending on the costly Google Search Ads or other means of expensive marketing. We are seeing more examples of this through influencers and celebrities who are launching their own consumer product goods. This is becoming a norm and an expectation for new generations. It will be interesting to see if and how incumbent and older companies like McCormick, who own 80% of the spice category compete with rising digital content creator, Just Spices.
Experiential Marketing in the Digital Space
Video's role in Marketing
Video can be a valuable tool for helping internet businesses with building brand loyalty and acquiring new customers. Video content has been proven as one of the best approaches to capturing and retaining users because it’s an influential storytelling tool to quickly tell a story that intrigues, informs, and impacts people.
The rise of video marketing is strongly associated with the creator economy – creator-led content dominates social media video content and in order for brands to be competitive, brands have to also develop a creator strategy.
It’s telling that TikTok was the most downloaded social media app this year and the app is completely dedicated to video content. Video marketing has grown by 25% in the last six years and viewers retain 95% of a message watched in a video versus reading it by text. In addition, 88% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service after watching a brand’s video. Video is a valuable medium because it not only improves SEO, but also gives the brand a platform to reach customers directly at a lower cost than TV ads.
Short-form video is the future of video marketing and its key for brand awareness and reaching a targeted audience. With content overload happening all over the internet, short-forms video lets the audience consume information at a faster pace while also giving the brand an opportunity to display their brand proposition in a personable way for users.
Thursday, November 17, 2022
Twitter - Risk and Potential for Marketers
Twitter – Risk and Potential for Digital Marketers
With Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter for $44B last month, the tumultuous first few weeks have brought significant layoffs, exits of senior leadership, and an increase in hate speech on the platform. Twitter users are threatening to depart to legacy platforms (e.g., Tumblr) as well as try new entrants (e.g., Mastadon). The volatility of the platform is certainly raising alarms for brands and digital marketers to proceed with caution. If Twitter continues this downward spiral, it’s likely that more advertisers will withdraw investments in the platform.
However, with Musk’s original intent to minimize the allegedly rampant bot presence on Twitter, there could be a sliver of hope for marketers if the company can stabilize. Reducing bots and potentially improving ad targeting would make Twitter a more viable platform for marketers to generate the meaningful conversion rates.
Even still, with Musk opening new revenue streams through subscription, Twitter Blue for users to pay a monthly fee for a blue checkmark, it’s possible that Twitter differentiates away from ad revenue. This could reduce the focus on improving the ad targeting capabilities for marketers as the firm seeks to grow through delivering additional value to subscribers.
As for now, it will likely be a wait and see approach for marketers as Musk attempts to stabilize both employees and users in the coming weeks and months.
https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/elon-musk-completes-44-bln-acquisition-twitter-2022-10-28/
Chief Twit
The past couple of weeks, I’ve been obsessively following Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter. Elon Musk is a polarizing character – but whatever your perception of him, he has established a reputation as an effective executive that has an inspiring vision for the companies he leads (and a vision for the future of humanity at large). Twitter is an incredibly important platform in our society; it’s as close as we have to a “public square”.
Perhaps the most challenging issue at hand for Elon and Twitter is its ability to return to profitability. Furthermore, Elon’s has proclaimed he will do this with only a minority of the revenue coming from advertising. I am not a digital marketing expert, but based on my instincts – complemented by what I have learned in this class – I am very doubtful as to whether this can happen. Twitter currently makes such a small proportion of its revenue from non-advertising streams that its challenging to imagine a near to mid-term future where such a revenue is possible.
With that said, a hallmark of Elon’s leadership is his ability to achieve the unachievable, and I don’t think anyone would underestimate his determination to succeed. It will be interesting to see where Twitter is at in 12-18 months… I will be watching!
Marketing Measurement: No Silver Bullet
A significant advantage of digital media over other channels is its measurability - the ability to more easily quantify the value that can be attributed to investments in digital ads versus other forms of more traditional media. This doesn't mean however that a perfect single solution for measuring digital media effectiveness exists - yet for too long many advertisers have relied solely on models like last-touch attribution that provide a too-narrow view into the impact that their digital campaigns are driving. Working in advertising, I have seen a shift amongst marketers towards an approach some companies have started dubbing as a "Measurement 360" approach.
I think it's appropriate that this approach is described through a framework that illustrates how measuring the effectiveness of digital media is an iterative approach that involves a suite of tools and processes as opposed to a single solution that represents one absolute source of truth. Recognizing the unique value-adds and drawbacks of tools like MMM vs. experimental testing vs. more real-time attribution is important when defining clear swimlanes for each piece of a Measurement 360 approach. As more marketers move towards an approach that ditches over-reliance on one single solution and more openly acknowledges that measuring media isn't about finding a single absolute value (vs. a range of potential outcomes), I become more optimistic about the efficiencies and accretive value that digital advertising can continue to deliver for brands in the future.
Will I watch broadcast tv when I retire? Wait, that's not how statistics works?
https://www.axios.com/2022/08/02/record-ad-spend-for-2022-midterms
I suppose the midterm elections are still fresh on our minds. (technically they're not even over yet - hooray for me as a Georgia resident!). Who in the world is watching broadcast tv these days? (actually quite rhetorical if you just think about it for a minute)
Through August of '22, $3.6B had been spent on political and issues ads. It's estimated "that $1.5 billion will be spent on connected TV ads this year, surpassing the $1.3 billion it expects to be spent on Google and Facebook." Now, connected TV I get, but what the hey about the $2.1B spent on broadcast TV? I mean, who is really watching that these days?
Or maybe it's something a bit more interesting? Supposedly there are rules in place to provide equal amounts of airtime (if requested) to the various political interests. What is driving the massive gaps in cost? Could it be the so-called "super PAC tax"? Probably. Republicans, whose '22 fundraising is anemic when compared with the Democrats, are relying heavily on the super PACs to fund ads. Meanwhile, the Democrats are able to run ads at a ~50%+ discount rate due to the ability to use candidate funds. (wow! who knew your donations actually like, made a difference?)
Anyways, there's probably another blog post in here about how Democrats have a substantial edge for all voters under 40 - the digital media users, cord cutters, etc; Republicans are paying an uber premium to reach their recent voter base - apparently people who still watch broadcast tv? (Hi dad!)
Why political advertising is moving away from Facebook
The recent midterm elections illustrated the stark decline in political ad spending on Facebook, likely as a result of a few key factors:
Apple’s 2021 iOS privacy changes has limited advertisers’ ability to target voters;
a sensitivity to overreliance on one particular platform;
the maturation of connected streaming devices and platforms.
Political ads have historically been a relatively small part of Facebook’s overall business, so the significance of this shift is less about lost revenue (although Facebook’s stock has tanked recently) and more about the impact of privacy changes on industries that rely on highly targeted advertising. Connected streaming devices and services have matured such that location and behavioral click-through data can enable targeted advertising, and the tools to push those ads are comparably easy to that of Facebook, but I think it’s just a matter of time before the same privacy concerns crop up and limit ad effectiveness.
I think this highlights an interesting tension between effective advertising and user privacy. On one hand, if users are going to be served ads regardless, then they probably want ones that are more relevant than not. On the other hand, targeted advertising can create filter bubbles and perpetuate racial biases and inequality, amongst other unintended (or even intentional) consequences. I don’t know what the right answer is – and I’m not even sure there is one, given how rapidly the advertising landscape and accompanying legal and regulatory policies are changing – but it’s interesting to watch advertisers and ad platforms continuously try to adjust to an ever-changing industry.
Article: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/02/facebook-has-lost-political-ad-dollars-since-apple-crackdown.html
Will There be a Twexodus?
By and large, I've been amused by the brand impersonator accounts popping up since Musk's half-cooked launch of "Twitter Blue," aka paid verification. The NYTimes shared a nice roundup, including:
- "Verified" Eli Lily announcing they're making insulin free;
- "Verified" Nintendo sharing a photo of Mario giving the middle finger;
- "Verified" President Biden sharing some sexually explicit content;
- "Verified" Pepsi asserting Coke is better;
- "Verified" Lockheed Martin ceasing weapons production in support of human rights
Monday, November 14, 2022
Elon Musk
Elon Musk made the rounds a few weeks ago, visiting our companies CEO to assure us that Twitter was still a great place for advertisers. He is a dynamic yet divisive leader - while he has achieved great things, he also veers far from the status quo. I can understand why this makes advertisers and pundits uncomfortable.
Growing up during Twitter (and many other social platforms) inception and evolution has been interesting. I popped on for the first time in a while recently and was excited to see it's become more of a discovery platform. Overarchingly, I think anything that gets generations reading and thinking and caring about the world around them is a positive thing. But when these platforms begin to represent fake realities, it starts to feel dangerous.
It makes sense that Twitter has implemented a content moderation panel for the near future while new ownership finds its footing. Looking forward to seeing where Twitter Blue and Priority Ranking for Quality Content evolve to.
Saturday, November 12, 2022
All about conversion rate
https://www.hotjar.com/conversion-rate-optimization/
Increasing traffic is a matter of linking and optimizing for the right keywords.
- To increase interest and awareness, we need to create an eye-catching and compelling headline – that is relevant to your keyword and compels prospective clients to remain on the page to fulfill purchases or increase clicks.
- To increase the decision, we need to provide specific, targeted content that clearly communicates the offering and speaks directly to the keywords while not becoming too overwhelming for the viewer to digest.
- To increase actions, a user-friendly interface is key. The interface should include all the fields needed to fulfill the offer/interest, clarify the result/feedback, and be consistent with the brand value proposition.
Friday, November 11, 2022
Elon Musk's ZERO cost marketing
https://www.adcore.com/blog/elon-musks-marketing-strategy-secrets/
No wonder Elon is a digital marketing genius who spends 0 on marketing. Key takeaways are:
1. His personal Twitter account is for content marketing. The tweets are the content, and he uses them in the best way possible to promote his business and personal brand
2. Instead of advertising, Elon tries to get people to talk about their products through eye-catching things - the brand gets talked about by not only people who are interested in the product but those who are interested in Elon Musk, the person.
3. Marketing is all about brand awareness. The more people know the brand, the more discussion, the more discussion, the more conversion into sales and revenue.