The Best Holiday Marketing Campaigns Of 2018 So Far

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Holiday marketing campaigns can inspire, entertain or simply highlight the latest deals. Every so often, there are a few that rise above the noise to surprise and delight—and this year, the UK is killing it. From hungry reindeer to celebrity tear jerkers, here are our picks for the top 2018 holiday campaigns so far.

John Lewis & Partners: The Boy and the Piano

Inside a lovely home decorated for Christmas, Sir Elton John sits alone at an upright piano. After a moment, he begins to play “Your Song.” The film works its way backward in time throughout the performer’s long career as he plays the music for adoring fans and friends throughout the decades. Finally, we land in the humble living room of a British family where a young boy receives a piano for Christmas. Eyes filled with wonder, the boy touches the ivory keys for the first time. As Elton John looks up from the piano, we realize that it is the same one.

Viewers are left with the message, “Some gifts are more than just a gift.”

Why it was chosen: John Lewis & Partners executed a touching story that ends with a thought-provoking message. The call to action is subtle, reminding audiences that a gift can change someone’s life. It does not, however, feature items for sale or the latest discounts.

The Boy and the Piano resonated with audiences worldwide and quickly became viral. On YouTube, the spot earned nearly 10 million YouTube views in its first week.

https://youtu.be/mNbSgMEZ_Tw

Twitter UK: #NotARetailStore

As one of the most popular retailers in the UK, John Lewis & Partners gets a lot of social media interaction. There’s just one problem—Twitter user @JohnLewis is not a retail store. For years, this teacher from Virginia has received countless messages from customers with everything from complaints to asking if an item is in stock. This engagement increases each holiday when John Lewis & Partners releases its Christmas ad.

Lewis has taken it all in stride, providing witty responses and tagging the retail store to make sure they don’t get ignored. For the past few years, John Lewis & Partners has rewarded the teacher with holiday gifts to thank him for his time and patience. This holiday, Twitter UK recognized Lewis’ role and gave him his very own ad.

Why it was chosen: Sometimes the success of an ad can be attributed to some very clever timing. Twitter UK capitalized on the trending John Lewis & Partners ad to encourage conversation—even if it’s by mistake—and it worked, garnering over 70,000 likes and 21,000 retweets in just two days. For his part, the “other” John Lewis received praise for the ad (both his and that of the retail store) and even received tickets to Elton John’s Farewell Tour.

https://twitter.com/johnlewis/status/1064505239770931202

Apple: Share Your Gifts

Apple released an animated spot on Wednesday that reminds people to share not just presents, but talents with others. The video features a young woman that tirelessly creates, but hides her work inside a box. Even as she goes through her life (at work, on the bus, etc.), the woman’s creativity shines, but she quickly hides it so no one can see. When her ideas float out the window, she runs desperately into the night to retrieve them but it’s too late. People are beginning to discover the woman’s work—and to her surprise, she made people happy.

Why it was chosen: Like John Lewis & Partners, Apple focused on an idea rather than a product. Aside from the woman typing on an Apple laptop, the brand didn’t push sales or products to holiday shoppers. Instead, Apple sent a message to all those creators out there who are afraid to share their work. The heartwarming ad quickly rose to the top 10 trending list on YouTube in just one day.

https://youtu.be/3dJCroCMBPM

McDonald’s UK: #ReindeerReady

Nothing says Christmas tradition like Santa Claus, but why should he get all the snacks when his reindeer work so hard too? McDonald’s UK continued its #ReindeerReady campaign for 2018 with a new spot and a few new surprises.

In the new commercial, Santa makes his rounds on Christmas Eve, enjoying the cookies and mince pies left for him. House after house, his poor reindeer go hungry as no one leaves carrots. When the reindeer get too tired to continue, Santa finds the solution at a nearby McDonald’s and brings back a large supply of “Reindeer Snacks,” i.e. baby carrots.

Why it was chosen: McDonald’s has traditionally used the “Santa visiting a restaurant” motif, but this year includes new, interactive elements like an ebook and Snapchat Lens and filters. Snapchat users can engage with the campaign with a game that makes them look like a reindeer, tasked with catching as many falling carrots as possible. Honestly, just seeing reindeer flash their big, sad eyes may be enough to make a lot of people run out and stock up on carrots.

Krazy Glue Enlists World’s Strongest Man To Prove Its Muscle

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Krazy Glue has partnered with World’s Strongest Man and actor Hafþór Björnsson (Game of Thrones) to see how much weight its adhesive can really handle. Consumers are invited to suggest outlandish weightlifting challenges for Björnsson to attempt during a live event in December.

“Man vs. Glue” seeks to prove Krazy Glue’s declaration that its adhesive can hold up to 1,000 lbs. with a single drop. Björnsson holds the title of World’s Strongest Man and was happy to test this first-hand.

Consumers are invited to suggest weird and wacky challenges for Björnsson, such as a motorcycle or “70-gallon fish tank filled with electric eels.” Each item has to weigh at least 500 lbs. And will be suspended from a barbell using only Krazy Glue. Suggestions can be made through Krazy Glue’s social channels with the hashtag #ManVsGlue. Fans can also suggest them directly to Björnsson himself, whose video announcement has garnered nearly 300,000 views in its first day.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqX8yyEAPcE/

Curious fans can watch the challenge live on December 5 from Krazy Glue’s Facebook page or in-person at Center415 in NYC from 6:15-8:00 p.m. The “Man vs. Glue” event is free and open to the public.

In a statement announcing the partnership, Newell Brands (parent of Krazy Glue) said they are always looking for fun and extreme ways to showcase the glue’s strength.

Last December, Krazy Glue hosted a pop-up in Manhattan that hung heavy items from the ceiling and shelves. Consumers who visited the pop-up or followed Krazy Glue’s social media pages could guess the weight of each item for a chance to win it. Dangling items included a 263 lb. Pool table, a 130 lb. home gym, a TV and an Xbox console, among others.

Newell Brands includes other familiar names like Paper Mate, Sharpie, Prismacolor, Elmer’s, First Alert and Yankee Candle. The company reported a 7.7 percent drop in revenue for Q3, citing a new revenue recognition standard and the loss of business from Toys ‘R’ Us. The company predicts total net revenue to reach $9 billion for 2018.

LinkedIn Tests Stories Feature; Snapchat Launches Holiday Shopping Channel

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This week in social media news, LinkedIn tries its hand at the popular Stories feature and Snap’s new glasses will have two cameras for AR and 3D effects. Also, Twitter makes follower counts seem less important, Snapchat helps brands connect with AR creators and launches a shopping channel, Instagram cracks down on fake engagement and Facebook invests in local UK reporters.

LinkedIn Tests Video-Only Stories Feature

LinkedIn is testing a disappearing video feature. While it is planned for different user groups, the initial test is with US college students only.

Why it matters: Stories began with Snapchat and were subsequently cloned by just about every social network out there. LinkedIn is toying with the idea as well, although the feature will highlight videos only. The only problem with this idea is that students are used to using Stories as a way to post off-the-cuff moments or photos with the knowledge that they disappear. LinkedIn’s version will disappear from feeds, but remain permanent on a user’s profile, so users need to be careful about what they share if they don’t want a potential employer to see it.

Details: “Student Voices” is a test for college students on LinkedIn to post videos about shared experiences on campus. When users post to Student Stories, they’ll have their university’s logo overlaid as a sticker they can move around.

New Snapchat Spectacles Will Feature Two Cameras

A report from Cheddar suggests that the new glasses will be released by the end of the year.

Why it matters: Snap has a goal of becoming profitable by 2019 and a fun new gadget may be a way to reach affluent young users. Two cameras would allow the Spectacles to gauge depth and therefore open the creative doors for AR lenses, 3D photo effects and more.

Details: The latest Spectacles will be called “Newport,” sources told Cheddar. At a price point of $350, the new glasses will feature more powerful hardware and two cameras.

Twitter De-emphasizes Follower Counts In iOS Update

A new update to the iOS Twitter app adds a subtle but notable change—follower counts are presented in a smaller font.

Why it matters: Font size may not seem all that important, but it’s all part of a plan to make Twitter interactions more “meaningful.” This meaning, according to CEO Jack Dorsey, was unintentionally placed on follower count by displaying it in a larger font from the get-go. Dorsey has repeatedly said that he wants to rethink the app’s design, citing follower counts as a motivator for polarizing content.

Details: Twitter has changed the font size in an iOS app redesign that impacts follower counts but also locations, birthdays, join dates, mutual follows, and following counts. According to a spokesperson, this change is meant to prioritize other elements of a user profile.

Snapchat Launches ‘Lens Creative Partners’

Snap has begun certifying augmented reality creators, giving brands someone to turn to when they want a new AR Lens.

Why it matters: More than one in three of Snap’s 186 million active users engage with AR Lenses on a daily basis, averaging three-minutes of play-time, according to the brand. As demand for augmented reality engagement rises, finding an experienced and approved Snapchat Lens creator may help streamline the process for marketers while encouraging creators to become certified.

Details: Snap unveiled a new program on Monday called Lens Creative Partners. To be certified, creators have to be “experienced in developing quality AR and complete a rigorous course about the development process, creative best practices, ad policies and buy models of sponsored AR Lenses on Snapchat.” More than 30 creators have already become certified and the company plans to have more than 100 in the program.

Instagram Removes, Condemns Fake Follower Apps

Instagram announced that it will remove fake likes, comments and follows that artificially boost an account’s popularity.

Why it matters: Social media interaction is influential to purchase decisions and potentially, a user’s mental health. Instagram, like its parent company, Facebook, is cracking down on this false behavior to create a more authentic experience for both users and advertisers. After all, you wouldn’t want to partner with a social media star only to find out that most of their followers are fake.

Details: Instagram is removing fake likes, comments and follows beginning on Monday. In addition, the site is warning users that they may have unwittingly contributed to this behavior by signing into third-party apps. Giving a username and password to some apps has allowed them to impersonate that user and engage with content. Those impacted by fake engagement apps will receive a private message and be asked to change their passwords, preventing the apps from accessing their accounts further.

‘Shop And Cop’ Channel Adds Holiday Ecommerce To Snapchat

Snapchat has added a new channel to its Discovery section called “Shop and Cop” that offers deals and shopping directly from the app (as handled by Shopify).

Why it matters: Black Friday is just over a week away, and the new shopping channel will allow brands to reach young consumers where they hang out. Based on the resulting engagement, Snapchat will be able to use metrics to inform future ecommerce integration.

Details: Snapchat added the “Shop and Cop” channel on Friday, just in time for the holidays. Current partners include Kylie Cosmetics, Gymshark, Chinatown Market, TourLife and Coco Breezy. There will be a total of around 20 brands systematically rolling out discounts and special offers into the holiday season.

Facebook Invests In Local UK Reporters

Facebook has set up a £4.5 million ($6 million) fund to train around 80 new local journalists in the UK as part of a new “Community News Project.”

Why it matters: Many publishers, especially local papers, are struggling to keep up or shutting their doors as advertisers turn to Facebook and video. Facebook says its program is designed to support local towns in the UK that have lost their reporters and papers. Facebook may be trying to undo some of the collateral damage it has caused on its quest for world ad revenue domination.

Details: This new program is part of Facebook’s Journalism Project, launched early in 2017. The money will be divided among local publishers in order to recruit trainees via the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ).

Editor’s Note: Our weekly social media news post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Wednesday, November 21. Have a news tip? We’re looking for changes to and news surrounding social media platforms as they relate to marketing. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

This Week’s Exec Shifts: Target CEO Joins Yum! Brands Board; Nielsen Names CEO

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This week’s executive moves include the addition of Target’s CEO to Yum! Brands’ board of directors, UPC Switzerland promotes its CMO after just two months, ForEyes names a CMO, there’s a new VP of marketing for Big Loud Records and Big Label Records names a director of Northeast promotion and marketing.

Also, this week saw Tom Dixon appoint a Swarovski marketer as CEO, new marketing director for retailer C&A, McDonald’s UK loses its marketing vice president and J.Crew’s CMO exits on the tail of its departing CEO.

Check out our careers section for executive job openings and to post your own staffing needs.

Yum! Brands Adds Target CEO To The Board

Brian Cornell, CEO of Target, has joined the Yum! Brands board as a non-executive chairman. Cornell has over 30 years of experience in retail and food leadership. Prior to joining Target, he served as CEO of PepsiCo Americas Food, CEO of Sam’s Club, CEO of Michael’s Stores, Inc. and EVP and CMO for Safeway.

“I’m thrilled that Brian Cornell has agreed to become Non-Executive Chairman of Yum! Brands, ensuring a seamless transition of the Board’s leadership,” Greg Creed, CEO of Yum! Brands said in a statement.

UPC Switzerland Promotes For Chief Marketing Officer

Stefan Fuchs has been appointed chief marketing officer for cable operator UPC Switzerland. The promotion comes just two months after Fuchs joined UPC as vice president of marketing. His experience spans over a decade, holding executive marketing positions at Unitymedia, Virgin Media and Liberty Global.

In this new role, Fuchs will oversee customer value proposition, experience and value management as well as products, content, business intelligence, brand and marcom.

For Eyes Appoints New CMO

Optical retailer For Eyes has named Lauren Macleod chief marketing officer. Macleod brings over 20 years of business leadership to the role and recently served as VP of digital experience and the Retail Lab at Starboard Cruise Services, a division of LVMH.

Nielsen Names CEO, Board Member

David Kenny will join Nielsen as its chief executive officer, effective December 3. He will also join the company’s board of directors. Kenny most recently served senior vice president of cognitive solutions at IBM, where he led IBM’s AI platform and portfolio. Prior to that, he was chairman and chief executive of The Weather Company before it was acquired by IBM. Kenny also served as president of Akamai and chairman and CEO of Digitas.

Big Loud Records Names VP Of Marketing

Big Loud Records has named Candice Watkins its new vice president of marketing. Watkins most recently served as Universal Music Group’s senior director of marketing and artist development. In addition to marketing, Watkins brings a wealth of talent management experience that she earned working with Red Light Management, Mozes, Inc., Borman Entertainment, Martingale Entertainment and her own company, First22

Tom Dixon Finds CEO In Former Swarovski Marketer

Alessandro Vergano has been appointed the new CEO for luxury furniture and home decor brand Tom Dixon. Vergano joins Tom Dixon after serving in various marketing roles at Swarovski in Zurich, Switzerland. Most recently he held the post of executive vice president of marketing, serving much of Swarovski’s luxury portfolio including jewelry, watches, and home decor.

Prior to that, Vergano served eight years in brand direction and management for Procter and Gamble.

C&A Names Marketing Director

Aida Rizvo has been appointed the new marketing director of fashion retailer C&A for Europe and Germany. Rizvo previously ran her own consulting firm, Emerge Partners. Prior to that, she held a number of marketing and brand management roles for companies like Schwarzkopf, Henkel and Remington, where she was responsible for brands including Taft and got2b.

“I am very pleased that we have attracted an extremely competent and experienced persona for the position as Director of Marketing at C&A,” said Alain Caparros, CEO of C&A Europe in a statement.

McDonald’s UK Marketing VP Departs To Start Own Consultancy

McDonald’s vice president of marketing and food development Emily Somers has left the company after three years. During her time at the brand, she became the most senior marketer in the UK. Prior to her time at McDonald’s, Somers held a variety of marketing roles, including managing director at Havas London, client services lead at Leo Burnett (McDonald’s advertising agency in the UK) and just under a year as a consultant for the BBC.

J.Crew Chief Marketing Officer Exits

Vanessa Holden has relinquished her role as CMO for J.Crew. She had been with the company since July of 2017 and recently spearheaded J.Crew’s relaunch. Her departure comes as J.Crew CEO Jim Brett also exits.

Holden held previous positions at Williams Sonoma and Martha Stewart Living.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly careers post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Wednesday, November 21. Have a new hire tip? We’re looking for senior executive role changes in marketing and media. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

Job Vacancies 

Global Head of Brand Marketing Uber Eats San Francisco, CA
VP, Marketing & Communications Boingo El Segundo, CA
VP, Originals Marketing Starz Los Angeles, CA
VP, Marketing, Brand & Customer Strategy Banana Republic San Francisco, CA
Head of Marketing, Stephen Curry Under Armour Baltimore, MD
VP, Marketing Strategy Operations Paramount Pictures Hollywood, CA

Make sure to check back for updates on our Careers page.

Macallan’s First Global Campaign Compares Life To A Leap Of Faith

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The Macallan has launched its first global campaign in the distillery’s 194-year existence. “Make the Call” is a cinematic campaign that, for the moment, takes a step back from Macallan’s immersive marketing strategy in favor of emotional storytelling.

“Make the Call” tells the story of a man who takes a literal leap of faith off the top of a mountain. He falls for what seems like an eternity through clouds and storms before his arms transform into wings. Just before he hits the ground, the man soars into the air—validating the risky jump and frightening journey.

Macallan says that the man’s story is a visual metaphor. “Make the Call” was designed to offer encouragement to “a new generation of consumers who are faced with increasingly complex and often daunting life decisions.” Luckily for young consumers, trying single malt whisky won’t hold the same risks as leaping off a cliff.

While audiences will view the campaign without the aid of fancy gadgets, that’s not to say that this 90-second film isn’t high tech in itself. “Make the Call” used matte paintings created using VR headsets. In addition, the production was the first to use motion capture inside a wind tunnel. The campaign will roll out nationally across digital and social channels.

Macallan went all out for this campaign, enlisting Oscar-nominated cinematographer John Mathieson (Gladiator) and director Juriaan Booij, who works with RSA Films.

“The launch of our first ever global advertising campaign marks a new chapter in the long and illustrious history of The Macallan,” said Paul Condron, global brand controller for Macallan.

2018 has already been a big year for the legacy brand, having launched a new Distillery and Visitor Experience in June. An experiential marketing campaign was launched to commemorate the milestone that featured 4D group virtual reality.

“The Macallan Distillery Experience” was erected at Grand Central Station in New York City for two days in July. The installation allowed visitors aged 21+ to “visit” the new Speyside, Scotland location by stepping into a 15x15x15-foot booth. An in-person guide highlighted the new distillery and its estate as 360-degree videos were projected around the audience. Wind and scent diffusion were added to complement the footage. Guests could choose which part of the distillery they wanted to learn about by swiping in mid-air.

For those unable to attend in person, The Macallan offered a virtual experience as well. “The Macallan Distillery Experience” was available for viewing on mobile phones or desktops, through social media, or at select wine and liquor retail stores, bars and restaurants using a VR headset.

Macallan Manor was a similar multi-sensory, multi-room experience which toured nine cities across the U.S. The experience recently concluded in Los Angeles at the famous Greystone Mansion.

https://youtu.be/wiLJIZK9AmU

Ocean Spray Partners With Ripley’s, Debuts 500-Pound Can Of Cranberry Sauce

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Ocean Spray wants to remind consumers that cranberry sauce plays a “big” of a part in holiday traditions, so it unveiled a very big can of sauce in Times Square. For the next three weeks, visitors to Ripley’s Believe it or Not! can take a photo and join a social media conversation about their holiday feasting habits.

The giant can of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce debuted on Thursday at the Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Museum in New York. Prominently displayed in the lobby, this colossal can weighs in at 500 lbs and stands three feet high by two feet wide. Guests are invited to interact with the can by stepping onto the platform and taking photos.

The attraction is made of real cranberry sauce and was assembled in Kenosha, Wisconsin with the rest of Ocean Spray’s products. The brand says that it could feed over 3,000 guests and boasts 57,000 individual cranberries inside.

Canned cranberry sauce is a staple of American holiday cooking. Ocean Spray cited an unknown study in which 76 percent of Americans serve store-bought cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving instead of homemade. Nearly three-quarters prefer their sauce served in the shape of the can and just over half use the imprinted can line as a slicing guide.

Ocean Spray is inviting consumers to share their holiday dinner traditions on social media, especially details about how they consume their signature berries. The brand is asking whether consumers use the can lines embedded in their jellied sauce as a slicing guide or if they just scoop it. Fans can answer #CanLines or #CanScoop on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. The “winner” will be announced by Ocean Spray on Thanksgiving.

Google recently released a visual trends about which holiday foods are searched for most often by US state. When it comes to cranberry sauce, New York is #20 on the list, making this activation a timely one for brand awareness. Cranberry sauce is most popular in Alaska, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Delaware and Kansas, at numbers one through five, respectively.

California Dreamin’ VP Jonathan Bishop On Regulation And Big Soda’s Cannabis Ambitions

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Cannabis is poised to become a $50 billion industry in the US over the next decade, but as start up California Dreamin’ soon learned, marketing their low-dose cannabis soda isn’t as easy as one might think. Strict, yet vague regulations prevent the brand from using traditional marketing techniques or tech stacks that many take for granted—forcing its VP of marketing, Jonathan Bishop, to get creative.

Though his official title is vice president of marketing, Bishop does a bit of everything at California Dreamin’ from recruiting talent to design and even a little coding. He sat down with AList to discuss the challenges and opportunities of launching a cannabis brand at the time when the industry is young but booming.

You have some background in B2B. How was the transition to B2C with this new start-up?

I tend to be a consumer that always pays attention to different marketing campaigns in general, it’s just something I’m passionate about. The whole B2B to B2C thing wasn’t as much as a shock. In previous start-ups, we’ve had to move fast, it’s very competitive, [you work] long hours, crazy things happen and you have to adapt. It’s nothing compared to this job. I’ve had to re-learn all that and adjust my limits just to be able to handle all the changes I come across [such as regulations].

The harder transition has been going from a non-regulated industry to one that is very much regulated. They have these strict rules [about cannabis] but they’re also very vague. There’s a lot of gray areas to deal with.

How do you market with the restrictions?

There’s what you’d expect in a regulated industry, like restrictions on marketing to people who are under 21. We have to have channels that have 70 percent or above users that are 21 and over. That shuts certain things off.

Advertising out of state is problematic, though. When we look for different options, especially in advertising, there are certain tools like geofilters that we have to have otherwise we can’t consider that channel.

Outside of that, the regulatory environment is changing. Next year we’ll have a lot more solidified and a lot more permanence which will be great because I can build off that. But certain things are happening like next year, it looks like it will be illegal not only to hand out free product samples but free anything. Our current campaign includes a free shirt, so if that regulation stays in place, I have to figure out something else. Maybe it would work to charge them a dollar to satisfy the requirements, but that does change the nature of the campaign.

How does regulation impact personalization?

It makes it hard. We currently maintain retail relationships so we’re only selling through licensed retailers in California like dispensaries and delivery services. They own the customer relationship, however. It’s actually very hard to get any kind of data out of these retailers. A lot of times we’re just waiting for them to place an order again before we know if something’s actually sold, as ridiculous as that sounds.

We’re looking at direct to consumer next year. That’s where I think we’ll have a lot more opportunities for personalization because we can capture email addresses, our website experience will be more personalized, etc.

Your current campaign targets Baby Boomers. Why did you choose this demographic?

Our main audience is millennials and we’re not deviating from that focus, but boomers are very friendly as a group to cannabis. Their usage is increasing every year and a lot of them have better attitudes around [cannabis] because they grew up around it.

But the products today are very, very intense so it’s kind of a scary thing. There’s still that stigma with dispensaries. For us, [having a low dose product] it’s a valuable market to work with. It’s also super valuable for these dispensaries that don’t do much boomer marketing if any.

Where do you find marketing inspiration?

The industry still has a lot of growing up to do—it’s still not very professional in many ways. There are different things I wouldn’t look at [for inspiration] but at the same time, these are people who know the rules. It’s almost a head start. If I see a tactic I like outside of the industry, I’m not sure if that’s going to fly legally.

A lot of inspiration does come from outside the cannabis industry. Diet Coke actually has an interesting new campaign—this tagline that “I drink Diet Coke because it makes me feel good.” It’s such a nice, simple way to say what we’re trying to get across. We talk about getting high, but the problem is that people equate that with being drunk or wasted. There isn’t this gradient in terminology between “I was kinda high” and “I was really stoned.” Trying to find that balance is important.

Speaking of Coca-Cola, what do you think about big brands jumping into the cannabis market?

It’s good and bad. The good stuff is that it validates things and helps normalize and gets people talking about cannabis. One of the things about the industry is that there are a lot of people that helped build it up and I worry that a lot of them will get pushed out when a big company comes in. I’m not exactly sure how to deal with it except for the regulations being set up to give these smaller shops a chance to get solidified before the bigger companies come in.

CBD is another thing that’s blowing up. If Coke doesn’t do it, I expect another big brand to get into it soon.

Facebook Releases TikTok Competitor; Snapchat’s Cheaper AR Tier Attracts Brands

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This week in social media news, Instagram updates three shopping features, Facebook expands its career offerings and cancels its connected TV ads, Twitter considers an edit function and Snapchat gets creative with Bitmoji.

Also, Snapchat celebrates friendship and Instagram tries its hand at pop-up shops. Pinterest handles friend activity more like Instagram, Facebook woos teenagers with an imitation of TikTok and thanks to a lower price tier, more brands can take advantage of AR ads on Snapchat.

Facebook Releases Lasso App To Compete With TikTok

Facebook quietly launched a new app this week called Lasso.

Why it matters: Apparently determined to have a finger in every social media pie on the planet, Facebook isn’t about to ignore a popular app like TikTok. The lip-syncing video creation app may also help Facebook win back favor with teenagers.

Details: On Lasso, users can record themselves dancing and lip-syncing to music and create short clips similar to Vine. The app’s launch makes sense, considering Facebook’s ongoing commitment to engagement through video.

Snapchat Lures Smaller Businesses With $50 AR Tier

Once $500,000, Snapchat Lenses proved too expensive for most brands. As Digiday reports, lowering the price has opened the platform to a much wider range of marketers and their agencies.

Why it matters: Snapchat introduced a new $50 tier that includes a 10-second AR ad sandwiched between Discover content. Ever since the more affordable tier was introduced, more brands have been able to afford the lucrative product.

Details: While not all AR campaigns have proved successful, a number of creative agencies told Digiday that the lowered price point creates new opportunities.

“500K stills gets you a national slot on the carousel, but not everyone has that money,” Frank Shi, co-founder of agency Paper Triangles. “The difference is huge. It allows us to sell marketing plans and ideas to our clients who before might have ignored Snap because of price.”

Facebook Patent Would Serve Ads By Analyzing Family Photos

A new patent filing by Facebook would allow the site to gather more in-depth information about a user’s entire family by analyzing photos and targeting subjects as a group.

Why it matters: The patent description is fairly vague, but the idea is that Facebook could better deduce the size of your household, marital/parental status, etc. to better serve ads. Facebook can already deduce a lot based on what a user uploads, such as relationships people list on their profiles, shared life events, etc. The company frequently files patents, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the technology would be put to use.

Details: As reported by The Verge, Facebook filed a patent last May that describes an algorithm for discerning families based on photos. In one example, a man posts multiple pictures or appears in multiple posts with the same two females. Based on one of his own captions, “My angel,” the algorithm deduces that the younger female is his daughter and the older one is his wife.

Instagram Adds New Ways To Shop And Save Wishlists

Just in time for the holidays, Instagram has introduced three new ways for users to browse and purchase items from brands on the platform.

Why it matters: According to the National Retail Foundation, US consumers are poised spend record highs this holiday season, to the merry tune of up to $721 billion. Instagram has done a steady rollout of ecommerce features, but these new ones are timed just right for impulsive spending.

Details: Three new features have rolled out to Instagram: Shopping collections, shopping on business profiles and shopping in feed videos. Shopping collections work much like a wish list, in that users can save a product tag to their collection for later. Instagram is also testing a redesign of the Shop tab on business profiles that displays all items for sale in one location. Brand videos are another way to spend this holiday. Users can tap the shopping icon on a video to reveal featured products and learn more about them.

Facebook To Shut Down Connected TV Ad Network

Facebook will stop selling ads inside OTT apps by January of 2019, Digiday reports.

Why it matters: Smart/connected TVs will account for 70 percent of the television segment in 2018, according to IHS Markit. As there are no shortage of connected TVs, Facebook shutting down the program after just two years indicates a lack of interest from marketers or other, underlying problems.

Details: Publishers using Audience Network began to notice that Facebook had stopped filling their OTT apps’ inventory in the last month. A Facebook spokesperson confirmed that connected TV ads will be discontinued.

“We worked with a small set of publishers to test monetizing their connected-TV apps with ads from Audience Network and ultimately decided not to move forward with the concept,” a Facebook spokesperson told Digiday.

Facebook Takes On LinkedIn With Education Portal, Mentorships

Facebook introduced “Learn with Facebook,” a portal for career-based education courses similar to (although much smaller) than LinkedIn.

Why it matters: Facebook says that a million jobs have been secured through its platform and that not to be fooled by the humble beginnings of its learning modules. It previously committed to training 1 million people and small businesses in the U. in digital skills by 2020. The site has “more ambitious” plans for Learn with Facebook, but for the entire platform as well. As evidenced by its VR, dating and video efforts, Facebook is diversifying with the hope of longevity.

Details: Learn with Facebook debuted with 13 modules designed to teach career-based skills such as social media marketing. In addition, the company has expanded Mentorship and Jobs features. Would-be mentors can now make their own matches and employers can now post jobs on Groups where they are members.

Twitter Hints At Edit Button

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey admitted that they are considering an edit button for tweets, but it would have to be done right.

Why it matters: Twitter users have long asked for a way to edit tweets, if not only to correct grammatical errors. While Dorsey conceded this function would be nice, he has been “rethinking” the entire way Twitter works and so it’s probably a low priority.

Details: During a talk at the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi, Dorsey told the audience: “We have been considering [an edit button] for a while,” but added that it needed to be done “in the right way.”

Snapchat Announces Bitmoji Stories, Merchandise

Bitmoji, the custom characters users display on Snapchat and connected apps can now be used to create Stories in the style of an animated webcomic. In addition, these characters can be printed on merchandise such as t-shirts, bags and even shower curtains.

Why it matters: According to Apple, Bitmoji was the top-downloaded app of 2017. Snapchat may not be profitable yet, but it certainly has one thing going for it—users love those Bitmoji. Offering them on merchandise and in custom Stories will leverage the characters’ popularity, encouraging users to share their custom avatars in even more places, including IRL.

Details: Snapchat is rolling out a new feature this week called Bitmoji Stories. Available on the Discover Page, these animated pictures insert a user’s cartoon likeness and customizes the scene based their activity in Snapchat. Bitmoji is already available to use in a number of apps outside of Snapchat, but now users can have their characters printed onto merchandise in the Snapchat store. The selection is similar to what you’d find on a site like Zazzle or Cafepress, ranging from apparel to phone cases and home decor.

Snapchat Rolls Out ‘Friendship Profiles’

Friendship Profiles will allow users to access a collection of saved messages, images, etc. in one place.

Why it matters: Snapchat was born out of the idea that messages disappear, but users can save elements of those chat sessions like links, images and video. Being able to access them as they relate to a certain Snapchat friend allows the platform to associate itself with lasting relationships instead of fleeting conversations.

Details: Snapchat users will be able to tap on a user’s Bitmoji to see a Friendship Profile. Here they’ll find all the elements they’ve saved over time. The feature will “slowly” roll out to global users in the coming weeks.

Instagram Hosts London Pop-Up Shops

Last month, Instagram invited six small businesses to participate in a pop-up shop in London.

Why it matters: Facebook and Instagram are experimenting with the idea of taking small businesses into the physical world. Even direct-to-consumer brands are opening stores to be where the consumers are, so it makes sense to test the waters for its more popular online partners.

Details: Instagram invited Rixo London, Never Fully Dressed, Haekels, Scamp and Dude, Carrie Elizabeth Jewelry and Oh Squirrel to London, where the small businesses were treated to a pop-up shop experience and a panel to discuss finding success on the platform.

Pinterest Friend Feed Updated To Mimic Instagram

The latest update to Pinterest’s mobile app includes a redesigned friend feed that trades a grid of images for a single column of posts.

Why it matters: When it comes to following friend activity on social media, copying Instagram isn’t the worst idea. The main app functions the same, but the redesign allows users to get a bigger, closer look at what their friends are doing on Pinterest.

Details: Pinterest’s friend activity feed has been streamlined down to one scrolling column. The update mimics Instagram’s format but otherwise works the same. Users can still tap on a red “Save” button below an image to save it to a board or tap on the image directly to be linked out to a piece of content.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly social media news post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, November 16. Have a news tip? We’re looking for changes to and news surrounding social media platforms as they relate to marketing. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

 

This Week’s Exec Shifts: Formula E Names CMO; Postmates Hires Pinterest Brand Leader

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This week’s executive moves include a new SVP for Postmates, a CMO for Formula E and Poshmark appointed the company’s first chief marketing officer. Also, a former NFL wide receiver heading Jordan’s global sports marketing efforts and StarHub’s VP of digital transformation finds himself taking on the brand’s marketing duties.

Check out our careers section for executive job openings and to post your own staffing needs.

Formula E Appoints Chief Marketing Officer

The ABB FIA Formula E Championship has appointed Jerome Hiquet as chief marketing officer. Hiquet most recently served as a board member of the New York Hub of the Marketing Society and the CMO of Tough Mudder, an endurance event series. He brings nearly two decades of experience in marketing and event planning to the position. In his new role, Hiquet will lead Formula E’s mission to introduce more consumer-facing activities.

Alejandro Agag, founder and CEO of Formula E, said: “It’s with great pleasure that I welcome Jerome as chief marketing officer and the newest member of the senior management team at Formula E. The ABB FIA Formula E Championship continues to attract top talent across each aspect of the business—both on and off the track. Jerome has an abundance and array of experience—matched with equal levels of ambition to help drive the sport forward.”

Pinterest Veteran Becomes Postmates SVP

Eric Edge, formerly of Pinterest, joined Postmates as senior vice president of brand and communications. Edge’s appointment came back in September according to his Linkedin. At Pinterest, Edge served as head of global marketing communications for just over two years.

We interviewed the marketer back in June at Cannes Lions, you can see his interview here. Edge brings over two decades of marketing experience to the delivery brand, having worked previously at Facebook and Instagram.

Unilever Veteran Joins Renault As VP Of Marketing

Renault has appointed François Renard as global marketing director. Most recently, Renard served as vice president of marketing for personal care at Unilever, where he had previously worked 20 years in both directing and management roles. In between, he became the CEO of Kate Somerville Skincare.

In this new role, Renard will be responsible for strengthening brand awareness of the automaker’s brands, products and services while accelerating digital transformation.

Blue Apron Chief Marketing Officer Exits

Direct-to-consumer meal kit brand Blue Apron announced that around 100 employees would be laid off amid profitability struggles. Chief marketing officer Jared Cluff has also exited. In a filing, Blue Apron said that it was terminating its chief marketing officer but in an interview, the company’s CEO Brad Dickerson said Cluff left to pursue other opportunities.

Poshmark Appoints First CMO

Poshmark, an ecommerce company that provides a social platform for consumers to buy and resell clothing, has appointed Steven Tristan Young as the company’s first chief marketing officer. Young comes to the company from GrubHub where he was the VP of growth, having worked his way up from director and senior director of customer acquisition and brand marketing. Prior to that, Young worked for a number of years at DIRECTV and American Express.

Manish Chandra, founder & CEO of Poshmark, said of the appointment, “We’re thrilled to welcome Steven, who stood out as a seasoned and passionate marketer with a proven track record of scaling high-growth companies, and we look forward to his leadership and expertise over the coming years.”

Pure Global Cannabis Names VP, Sales And Marketing

Ross J. Hendry has joined Pure Global Cannabis as vice president of sales and marketing. Hendry brings over a decade of alcohol beverage industry experience and most recently served as commercial director of International Canadian spirits at Corby Spirit and Wine.

“I am delighted to welcome Ross on board at such an important stage of market development,” said Malay Panchal, CEO of Pure Global. “Ross brings with him years of experience and leadership in market strategy, innovation, and brand advocacy, and he will invigorate Pure Global’s ability to deploy our growing range cannabis consumer products for the nutraceutical, and health and wellness segments to meet the needs of the emerging Canadian and expanding international markets. Ross is the final foundational pillar for our team, on which Pure Global can continue to build a scalable customer-centric business.”

Jordan Appoints Global Head, Sports Marketing

Nike’s Jordan Brand has named Anthony Dicosmo its global head of sports marketing. Dicosmo has worked for the last 11 years at Nickelodeon, where he most recently served as senior vice president of sports marketing and development. Prior to that, he served as manager of special projects for Spike TV—spearheading strategic partnerships with local government and community organizations, as well as minor league baseball to generate local market promotional events and screenings.

As a former NFL wide receiver, Dicosmo brings a wealth of insider knowledge to his new role at Jordan.

Crankbrothers Appoints Global Marketing Director

Crankbrothers has hired Megan Tompkins as its new global marketing director. Tompkins was most recently the publisher of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, where she led the magazine’s expansion into digital publishing. She also served in sales and marketing roles at Shimano and Specialized. She currently sits on the board of the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association.

In her new role, Tompkins will be responsible for developing the global marketing strategy, managing brand communications, and overseeing PR, sponsorships and events.

William Hill Appoints Global Brand And Marketing Director

Bookmaker William Hill has hired Charlotte Emery as its new global brand and marketing director.  Emery fills the role left by Kristian Welch who exited the company this past summer. Prior to joining William Hill, Emery served as British American Tobacco (BAT) brand director for just over six years. Her career spans over a decade with marketing leadership roles at Bacardi, Twinings and Premier Foods.

Fox Searchlight Exec Becomes Bron Studios’ New CMO

Cassandra Butcher has been appointed chief marketing officer for Bron Studios. Butcher joins the studio from Fox Searchlight, where she served for over 10 years as vice president of national publicity. She was a producer on Sony’s Front Runner, starring Hugh Jackman. Prior to that, she was a unit publicist and publicity consultant for multiple studios including Fox, Lionsgate, Screen Gems, MTV Films and Paramount Pictures.

Speaking on the new hire, Bron Studios co-founder Brenda Gilbert said: “[Co-founder] Aaron [Gibert] and I and the entire Bron team are thrilled to welcome Cassandra to the company. She will further cement our position as a strong partner to filmmakers and with distributors. She brings so much experience and vision to Bron, as well as a work ethic and passion that’s exceptional.”

Tourism Toronto Names EVP, CMO

Jon Mamela has been appointed the new executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Tourism Toronto, effective January 1, 2019. Mamela joins Tourism Toronto after five years with Destination Canada as SVP and CMO. Prior to that, he held a number of marketing and sales positions in the travel sector including Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts and Travel Alberta, as well as in the consumer packaged goods industry with Procter and Gamble.

“Jon is a true leader in destination marketing in Canada. His experience and success building national marketing programs—and expanding those programs into international markets and through new strategies and technologies—will help us inspire more travelers and drive more business to Toronto in the years ahead,” said Ms. Bélanger.

StarHub Shifts Marketing Duties To VP, Digital Transformation

Amid shifts and layoffs at Singapore-based telco brand StarHub, VP of digital transformation Rod Strother has taken on new duties to handle and head up the brand and marketing communications teams. He will be working with StarHub’s current ad agencies and has a team of approximately 25 reporting to him, Marketing reported. Prior to his time at StarHub, Strother served as director, digital and social centre of excellence at Lenovo.

Former ESPN Exec Joins Kolkata Knight Riders

Kaustubh Jha has joined Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as head of marketing. He comes with over a decade of experience in partnerships, content marketing and campaign management. Most recently, he headed marketing operations for ESPN in India, including the launch of ESPN.in and ESPN Films. Prior to ESPN, Jha was part of the marketing, business and consumer insights team at MTV India.

Speaking on the new hire, Venky Mysore, CEO and managing director of KKR, said, “We are delighted to have Kaustubh on board to lead the marketing and fan-building initiatives of Knight Riders, which is not only the leading brand in IPL but through our presence in CPL and other initiatives around the world has genuinely become a global brand.”

Former KFC CMO Joins UK National Lottery Parent

Camelot UK, the operator of the UK National Lottery, has appointed Jennelle Tilling as a non-executive director. Tilling served as the global chief marketing officer for KFC from 2013-2017. Following her time at Yum! Brands, Tilling founded a marketing consultancy firm and will continue to serve on the advisory board for Butchie’s.

Concord Music Promotes, Hires For Co-Heads Of International

Concord Music has promoted Rebecca Berman to senior vice president and co-head of international. Berman has led Concord Music’s international marketing efforts for more than a decade and is credited with having a hand in the global success of artists such as Paul Simon.

Michael Nance, former executive vice president of global for Warner Bros. Records, will serve as co-head of international alongside Berman.

Nance, who comes to Concord Music after 25 years at Warner Bros. Records, where he most recently served as EVP Global.

In their new roles, Nance and Berman will focus on expanding Concord Music’s global infrastructure as well as crafting global sales and marketing strategies for artists across its labels: Concord Records, Fantasy Recordings, Fearless Records, Loma Vista Recordings and Rounder Records.

Speaking on the promotion, Concord Music chief label officer Tom Whalley said: “Both Michael and Rebecca’s proven track records of global artist development will uniquely strengthen Concord Music labels’ ability to grow their respective artists’ careers. Having them join together to run our international marketing teams will position our artists for greater worldwide success. I look forward to working with both of them as we continue to build upon our global opportunities.”

Editor’s Note: Our weekly careers post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, November 16. Have a new hire tip? We’re looking for senior executive role changes in marketing and media. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

Job Vacancies 

Global Head of Brand Marketing Uber Eats San Francisco, CA
VP, Marketing & Communications Boingo El Segundo, CA
VP, Originals Marketing Starz Los Angeles, CA
VP, Marketing, Brand & Customer Strategy Banana Republic San Francisco, CA
Head of Marketing, Stephen Curry Under Armour Baltimore, MD
VP, Marketing Strategy Operations Paramount Pictures Hollywood, CA

Make sure to check back for updates on our Careers page.

Subaru Launches ‘Share The Love’ With Podcasts, Video Series

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Subaru of America launched its 11th annual “Share the Love” event on Thursday with a marketing campaign that focuses on its accomplishments so far. In addition to a round of TV spots, Subaru will use a branded video series and podcasts to share inspiring stories.

Each holiday season, Subaru America hosts a “Share the Love” event. For every new car lease or purchase, the manufacturer will donate $250 to one of several charities of the customer’s choosing. This year’s event will run from November 15 to January 2.

But, what’s most interesting about this year’s campaign is that Subaru is producing a branded video series and collaborating with a well-known podcast. For the video series Subaru partnered with media company ATTN: to cover topics centered around the event’s four core partners (National Park Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Meals On Wheels and ASPCA) and the “ripple effect” of positivity through helping others.

Five “Share the Love” commercials have been produced for TV and social media that thank customers for participating and highlight the program’s accomplishments thus far. Each spot highlights a different charitable organization that benefited from “Share the Love” and the impact it has on the community.

A spot called “Silent Awe” tells consumers that over 100 national parks have been supported through donations to the National Park Foundation, driven home by visuals of a little girl exploring the woods with her grandmother.

In “Becoming A Hero,” a child’s desire to become a fireman is granted through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which has fulfilled 1,800 requests through the “Share the Love” event thus far.

In addition, Subaru will participate in a series of episodes on the Science Vs podcast, where local retailers will explain how participating in “Share the Love” has impacted their individual communities. Podcasts have grown into a powerful form of media for brands. US ad spending for podcasts is expected to reach $659 million by 2020, according to eMarketer.

According to Subaru’s Q3 investor call, earnings dropped 22 million YoY—even so, some of this downturn can be attributed to rising consumer interest in used cars and the increasing price of new vehicles.