The #1 factor your campaign needs to go viral

In this week's newsletter:

• two brand campaigns going viral for brilliant targeting
• the 2025 Trailblazers Awards that you need to learn about
• learning resources
• the week's business highlights

IKEA Canada's "U up?" campaign: when creativity incorporates targeting and cultural relevance

IKEA Canada's "U up?" campaign is a creative initiative designed to engage late-night social media users who may be experiencing sleeplessness.

The campaign involved sending direct messages (DMs) on platforms like Instagram between 10 PM and 5 AM, posing the familiar question, "u up?" Recipients who responded to these messages were offered discounts on IKEA mattresses.

3 reasons why this campaign is brilliant:

1. Timely engagement: By targeting individuals during late-night hours when they are likely struggling with sleep, IKEA addresses a real-time need. This strategy not only captures attention but also offers immediate solutions, making the outreach both relevant and timely.
2. Personalized interaction: The use of direct messaging creates a sense of personal connection between the brand and the consumer. This one-on-one interaction fosters a feeling of exclusivity and care, enhancing customer loyalty and engagement.
3. Cultural relevance: The campaign cleverly plays on the colloquial "u up?" message, often associated with casual late-night texts. By repurposing this phrase, IKEA makes the campaign memorable and shareable.

Here's another example of a campaign going viral for perfect targeting: Sheba 4 AM stories.

In 2021, cat food brand Sheba launched "Sheba 4 AM Stories, the most sleep-inducing journey ever" campaign on YouTube.

Sheba knew that cat owners, the brand's customers, are awake at 4 in the morning because their cats, being nocturnal hunting animals, become active. How do you go back to sleep after you played with your cat and fed them?

Well, you listen to Sheba's five-hour film designed specifically to help you get back to sleep. Based on scientific insights, Sheba's 4 am stories film is truly a masterclass complete with a French-accent narrator!

Are you getting ready for the Oscars?

So are we, but until then, here is a different competition inspired by the movie industry: the 2025 Trailblazers Awards!

Our team has read every talent report and watched every HR interview and after careful consideration, we finally have the winners of the most in-demand job roles of 2025.

Drum rolls!

?? LEARNING RESOURCES ??

• Recharge your marketing strategy with LinkedIn's B2B benchmark report: https://tinyurl.com/2mrs3rvv
• 6 questions to help you decide what you want in your next job: https://tinyurl.com/5xtjv6sd
• The 4 types of thinking leaders need to practice—and teach: https://tinyurl.com/ycubwpbj

?? BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK ??

• Amazon to upgrade Alexa with AI, making the voice feature more conversational: https://tinyurl.com/4y6wwpyk
• Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming bundle is doing a better job than Netflix at keeping subscribers: https://tinyurl.com/yvrf9jvk
• BMW delays electric Mini over 'uncertainty' in the UK: https://tinyurl.com/3ewhdyyy

? QUOTE OF THE WEEK?

Did you know the average person makes 35,000 decisions a day?

When it comes to buying your product, decision fatigue can have major consequences on your customers:

• Analysis paralysis - Too many choices? Your customers might not choose at all.
• Impulse buys - Overloaded brains opt for quick, emotional decisions.
• Abandonment - A complicated journey? They’ll walk away.

Make it easy, clear, and compelling for your customers because simplicity wins in a world of decision overload!