For more than 20 years, Nov. 21 has been recognized as World Television Day. As proclaimed by the United Nations, the day recognizes TV’s increasing impact on consumers’ decision-making process and day-to-day lives. This year, World Television Day centers on diversity in two forms: diversity of content and diversity on-screen. We must continue to recognize…
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands have spent huge amounts on social media ads this year to acquire customers and will assuredly continue this holiday season. Because ads on Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Google and Snapchat are only getting more expensive, that customer growth strategy is–as Mary Meeker stated in her annual report–unsustainable. Heading into the pivotal last two…
In recent years, marketers have gotten on board with portraying the less-than-perfect parts of parenthood (also known as reality). A current diaper ad shows a mom on the verge of a meltdown cradling her newborn, who, naturally, has just spit up on her. Then there’s one of a dad (well played, ad creatives) with his…
For many, Forever 21 filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy is a wake-up call for the fast-fashion industry. There is a challenge for brands to stay relevant and favored, and as always, there are great opportunities for those who understand where consumers are moving toward. Some analysts have mentioned that the Forever 21 crisis was primarily…
Let’s imagine, for example, that you’re selling a soft drink. The category typically has two types of buyers: passionate and infrequent. Either you drink soft drinks every day and twice on Sunday, or you have them occasionally when eating lunch. The former kind of customer is of serious interest to the marketer, who will want…
The ability for brands to speak with customers as individuals and address their needs within the context of their own unique customer journeys remains one of the universal acmes of marketing. If a recent voice dialogue Infiniti campaign is any indication, it’s the emerging era of voice that just might provide a shortcut to speeding…
As advertising specialists, the very strength that we pride ourselves on can also be our biggest weakness: the ability to craft and promote an effective message. Many of us have the tendency to overly self-congratulate and project to others the perception of an unblemished history. We’re quick to state successes–yet slow to admit, reflect or…
Facebook recently unveiled a new corporate logo and brand identity, adding another item to a list of questionable decisions made by the company as of late. As was generally the case with many of the marquee rebrands in 2019, people weren’t happy with Facebook’s either. As these things go, it is fair to expect a…
It’s no secret the marketing industry is in a period of incredible upheaval. At the core of this transition are two forces: technology and humanity. How do we balance the enormous benefits of the robots with human creativity and innovation? How can there be room for both? What does that look like? And what value…
We’ve heard it ad nauseam: The agency model is broken. Consulting companies are coming for us, and Big Tech is stealing our best people with cafeterias that promise carving stations and kombucha on tap. As an agency based in San Francisco, we don’t see doom; we see an opportunity to reinvent ourselves. Silicon Valley is…
Brands and agencies are working overtime to establish a cost-effective model that maximizes the impact of both paid media and creative in a highly disrupted marketplace. This is evidenced by a recent increase in agency reviews, in-housing and hiring transformation experts. While the explosion of inventory that is available to be purchased programmatically has been…
Last month Google rolled out first-price auctions, which–because they are Google–means that now everyone else will follow suit. First-price will be the universal method for the $48 billion programmatic market. To provide some perspective, that’s the same size as organic food sales in the U.S., the cannabis market worldwide and the entire wearables industry. First-price…
Where, how and what we buy is constantly changing. A scenario where we turn to Amazon’s Alexa to order “a dress that Emma Hill wore on her Instagram post from Wednesday” may now be less far-fetched than buying that same dress directly on Instagram from Emma Hill herself. Powered by the Instagram Checkout feature, social…
The stories began popping up around the end of August: a mysterious illness attacking people’s lungs. The devices have existed in some form since the early 2000s, with brands like NJOY leading the way. Initially ushered in as an adult-focused alternative to traditional smoking, they quickly achieved broad distribution. As they became more popular, companies…
Every day, there’s a new story about plastic packaging finding its way into our oceans or our landfills. Single-use plastics are a huge problem for the recycling industry, obviously, but it may surprise you to discover that this crisis is also largely about branding. That’s because most plastic is generated by consumer packaging, and packaging…
If I could use one word to describe the current meatless market, it would be froth. Impossible and Beyond Meat brands are trending at fast-food restaurants nationwide, with meat-centric chains like Burger King launching a plant-based Impossible Whopper. Some herald this as a paradigm-shifting moment, the end of meat even. And while I do believe…
The idea of using trade-ins to drive sales may conjure images of the automotive industry. But this marketing strategy is now being embraced by another less obvious category: food products. From pizza to sausage to even a donut brand has begun offering trade-in programs. And it’s easy to see why when the benefits of this…
When I joined the cannabis industry, I was most excited to join a company that understands the science behind the plant and values transparency to a degree that I have yet to experience after working at large corporations in Silicon Valley. Working in cannabis is amazing. I haven’t found the rampant sexism I’m used to…
The long-predicted digital media consolidation has finally come to pass. More than 100 online publishing companies are on pace to be sold this year, highlighted by the recent purchases of Refinery29, PopSugar and New York Magazine. The impetus for the sudden deal velocity is the direct result of a newfound profit imperative. The optimistic period…
This year, I was lucky enough to present a talk at the fall 3% Conference on “Why the Future Is Female and Why Men Need to Get Over It.” The talk is based on my own experience of what’s happened at Goodby Silverstein & Partners and the critical role that women have played in our…
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
