Marketers Should Care About De-influencing, the TikTok Trend that Won’t Quit

Influencer marketing is maturing. Creators are leaving #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt back in 2022, declaring 2023 the era of #De-influencing instead. As “eat the rich” storylines permeate culture (see: The White Lotus, The Glass Onion, The Menu and your Twitter timeline), Gen Z is mounting its own push against capitalism on TikTok. In the simplest of terms, “De-influencing”…

A Marketers’ Guide to 5G and XR in 2023

The advent of 5G mobile technology is revolutionizing marketing and advertising. The high speeds and low latency allow marketers to create campaigns that are not just interactive, but immersive. Brands can deliver 360-degree live video streams and sensory experiences that engage customers in remarkable ways, no matter where those users are. And they can deliver…

How the Chicago Red Stars Recreated Wednesday’s Viral Dance to Rebuild Brand Trust

With just weeks to go until the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League season begins, one team is looking to dance all over the competition. A founding member of the NWSL, the Chicago Red Stars have been part of the league since 2013. But the team has undergone several tumultuous years, finding themselves at the center…

Lack of Standardization Stalls Media Decarbonization Efforts

Agencies and ad-tech vendors are working to clean up the media supply chain–environmentally speaking. But real progress will be slow without common agreed-upon measurements. Last week, WPP’s GroupM announced an updated version of its carbon calculator, based on the media decarbonization methodology released last July. It lets agencies estimate the carbon emissions of a client’s…

What Luxury’s Resilience Says About Marketing in a Downturn

Despite a global economic slowdown in 2022, luxury brands had no reason to cork the champagne. With strategies rooted in experiences, excitement and escapism, mass-market brands could stand to glean a few lessons from their more exclusive peers in an increasingly tough market. Over the past 12 months, luxury has been buoyed by a post-lockdown…

How CMOs Can Lead the Way on ChatGPT

Recently, I gave ChatGPT, OpenAI’s artificially intelligent content creator, the following prompt: “Write a five-sentence paragraph about what ChatGPT means for chief marketing officers and marketing organizations.” Here’s what it generated in a matter of seconds: ChatGPT is a cutting-edge technology that holds great promise for chief marketing officers and marketing organizations. It uses advanced…

The Future of Marketing Is Earned

In May 1998, a tank waving a Union Jack rolled through the streets of New York toward Times Square. Once there, the armored vehicle smashed through a wall of stacked cola cans. The intended message: America’s soft drink giants, Coke and Pepsi, were under attack. Onboard was flamboyant British entrepreneur Richard Branson, who was promoting…

In-Stream vs. Out-Stream: Inside the Update Reshaping Video Advertising

In late January, inside a sunny conference room at the JW Marriott in Marco Island, Fla., a working group of advertising technology executives gathered to discuss a contentious new update to a pair of terms–in-stream and out-stream advertising–whose precise definition would determine the fate of billions of dollars in digital video advertising. The overhaul, which…

TikTok Loves an Underdog Story. Where Does That Leave Big Brands?

For a struggling taco shop in Glenview, Ill., the difference between a disheartening lack of foot traffic and a sold-out menu was a 10-second TikTok post. A decor company based in Grand Rapids, Mich., was saved when the owner’s daughter brandished his collection of horror-themed Christmas ornaments on the platform. And Keith Lee, a former…

Super Bowl Advertising Can’t Be One-Off Spots Anymore

Super Bowl ads have long been the biggest spots of the year for brands, the ones that set the tone for their annual performance and beyond. Brands like Coca-Cola, Budweiser and Frito-Lay have made the Big Game their big showcases, with mostly winning results. Memorable spots have ranged from Mean Joe Greene tossing his jersey…

Inside Michelob’s Game Plan to Become a Super Bowl Advertising Tour de Force

For many Super Bowl advertisers, their moment on America’s biggest stage is over in a matter of seconds. Only a handful are remembered beyond watercooler chatter the next morning–and even fewer remain in viewers’ collective consciousness in the days, weeks and even months following the Big Game. The latter brands achieve something of a cult…

Why Creators Are Poised to Take Over Super Bowl Advertising 

Super Bowl advertising is its own red carpet, with celebrities from Melissa McCarthy to Serena Williams to Pete Davidson appearing in this year’s commercials. But lately, that carpet has grown wider. In addition to traditional celebs, brands are increasingly turning to creators and influencers to broaden the reach of their campaigns. To name just a…

Should Creatives Keep Hit Super Bowl Ads for Failed Brands in Their Portfolios?

Super Bowl advertising costs money, but being in the Big Game doesn’t guarantee long-term success. Some brands that have had lauded and memorable spots in Super Bowls past are limping along or have faded away completely. The dotcom boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s found a lot of companies trying to gain a…

How the Streaming Shift Has Shaken Up TV Marketing

John Landgraf, a.k.a. the exec who coined the phrase “Peak TV,” has been at the helm of FX for nearly 20 years. However, he’s recently seen more change in the TV industry than ever before. “It’s so unpredictable and bumpy right now,” the chairman of FX content and FX productions told Adweek. “Every day, I…

With Little Marketing Budget but Lots of Moxie, How Stuckey’s Is Plotting a Big Comeback

In the Autumn of 1968, Truman Capote–the novelist famed for bestsellers including Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood–decided to do something decidedly below his social rank: He took a cross-country road trip. More surprisingly still, he persuaded model and socialite C.Z. Guest to come along. Giddy with the spirit of adventure, the pair motored…

Advertising Has Its First Union. Why Marketers Should Worry

This story may sound familiar to many working in advertising: Thom Binding, a strategist at a London agency, was struggling with burnout and mental health issues. He partly attributes this to toxic experiences in previous workplaces. However, unlike everyone else, when leaving one such agency, he took an unusual step to provide a solution: He…

What the Heck Is M&M’s Doing With Its Spokescandies?

Ever since M&M’s updated its mascots a year ago to focus more on inclusivity and belonging, many loud voices on cable news and social media have expressed disapproval. Last week, the candy brand announced an “indefinite pause” on its spokescandies due to their “polarizing” nature. Critics cheered. “Go woke, go broke,” many tweeted. Tucker Carlson…

Avon’s CMO Says It’s Been ‘Deprived’ of Brand Investment. Now It’s Back With a Bang

Founded in 1886, Avon is older than women’s right to vote in the U.K. and U.S. But for the past two decades, the brand’s sales have been lackluster as customers skipped out on door-to-door selling–first in favor of department stores, then later ecommerce. The legacy beauty brand’s recently instilled global chief marketing officer, Kristof Neirynck,…

When Vandals Targeted His Campaign, This CMO Went Guerilla

Various brands across the plant-based meat sector have stirred up controversy with their marketing in hopes of generating debate and making consumers think hard about their diets and the benefits of cutting out animal meat. However, one such brand became more controversial than it expected, despite aiming to highlight how its products could bring cultures…

Ford Has No Desire to Be the ‘Apple of the Automotive Industry’

When Tesla launched in 2003, its mission was to “to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport by bringing compelling mass market electric cars to market as soon as possible.” Fast-forward almost 20 years and every major car manufacturer has entered the ring, from Volkswagen to Toyota, Peugeot to Ford. EV sales now account for 10%…