Digital Debrief 3.20.2024

Welcome back to the Digital Debrief, and happy Women’s History Month! Along with our usual updates this week, I wanted to spotlight innovative women in the communications field who have inspired me throughout my career thus far. From former classmates to professors, coworkers, and friends, I asked these women to share their favorite quotes and posts along with career advice.?

Favorite Quotes:?

From Erika Schneider : “Enjoy the ride.”

From Dasia Kostinden : “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”?

From Savanah Cruz : “Just keep showing up until they have no choice but to acknowledge you — and even if they NEVER acknowledge you in your own lifetime, plant the seeds so your positive impact transcends this lifetime and makes this world brighter for the generations to come.” — Kayla A. Joseph, LAID Hair Care Founder?

From Janice Gamarra :?

• “Our head of social media is the customer.” — McDonald’s
• “To love what you do and feel like it matters — how could anything be more fun?” — Katharine Graham, first American female Fortune 500 CEO?

From Carolyn Lasky :?

• “No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind.” — Taylor Swift?
• “It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
• “Teamwork makes the dream work.” — Carolyn Lasky

Favorite Posts & Memes:

From Erika Schneider : a female voice I enjoy hearing online - Molly McPherson on TikTok and @PRgirlmanifesto on Instagram.

From Savanah Cruz :

From Sophie Herbut :

Career Tips:?

“Collaboration is key to success in both work and life. Make it a habit to express gratitude frequently, keep a supply of thank-you cards handy, and generously acknowledge the contributions of those you work with. I promise, a little note goes a long way and has immense impact.” — Gina Luttrell, Ph.D.

“Learning is a matter of taking risks and stepping up to challenges that shape your personal and professional growth. Stay excited about what you do and make the most out of every opportunity!” — Erika Schneider

“Prioritizing continuous learning and skill development is essential in the field of marketing and communications. It’s a dynamic industry, constantly evolving with new technologies, trends, and strategies emerging regularly. Seek out opportunities to learn from peers and mentors to enhance your expertise and remain competitive in the field. Don't underestimate the value of networking and building relationships within the industry, as this can open doors to new opportunities and collaborations. Always strive to expand your knowledge base and adapt to changes in the landscape to advance your career. Finally, ‘find your Huddle’ and celebrate each other's successes.” — Mary Fiance

"After graduating and experiencing the excitement/fearfulness of beginning my career, I have observed that learning is something of such high value. Learning what you like, what you don't like, and where you want to invest your energy will eventually lead you to a great place in the long run. I learned to value this at school, and now applying it in my day to day life at work." — Olivia Horan

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Search?

• Google has lost its top spot for local search among Gen Z to Instagram (67%) and TikTok (62%), with Google now third at 61% for this demographic. Despite being popular with older generations, the rise of social media platforms as search tools highlights a shift in consumer behavior, with SOCi's report also noting the potential challenge from ChatGPT. Amidst these changes, Google is updating its services, including integrating AI to enhance search quality, aiming to adapt to the evolving landscape of online search and discovery.
• The European Union has announced new regulations on AI development, aiming to address ethical concerns and ensure consumer protection by banning certain AI applications that threaten citizens' rights, such as untargeted scraping for facial recognition and emotion recognition in unsuitable contexts. However, the regulations may retrospectively stifle innovation and development, highlighting the challenge of regulating AI in a way that preempts unintended consequences without limiting technological progress and raising concerns about EU developers being at a disadvantage on the global stage due to these restrictions.

Marketing, Influencer & Advertising?

• PNC Bank embraces the label "boring" in its latest advertising campaign as a testament to reliability and trustworthiness amidst industry turbulence. Highlighting a focus on fundamental financial needs and long-term client relationships, the campaign, created with Arnold Worldwide, features actor Chris Diamantopoulos and positions "boring" as a foundation for exciting life achievements like vacations and early retirement. With the banking industry facing challenges from innovative fintechs, PNC's messaging aims to redefine "boring" as synonymous with stability and dependability, aligning with customer desires for security and ease in their banking experience.

• Tropicana Pure Premium's new campaign, "The Juice That Starts It All," celebrates the brand's contributions to iconic moments like brunch and mimosas, asserting a playful claim to having "basically invented" these traditions. Spanning various media channels, including TV, online video platforms like Hulu and Disney, social media platforms such as TikTok and Meta, and DOOH in major cities, the campaign aims to reinforce Tropicana's status as a leading orange juice brand while engaging younger generations, particularly Gen Z. This multifaceted approach seeks to boost the brand's relevance amidst declining orange juice consumption, leveraging Tropicana's over 70-year history and connection to moments of joy.

• PepsiCo is expanding its Bubly brand with the introduction of Bubly Burst, targeting consumers seeking a sweeter yet healthy sparkling water option without added sugars. The new product line, featuring flavors like peach mango and tropical punch, aims to rejuvenate the sparkling water category and establish Bubly as a potential billion-dollar brand. The launch is accompanied by a vibrant advertising campaign across various channels, reinforcing Bubly's playful and bubbly brand personality and marking PepsiCo's ongoing efforts to innovate and cater to changing consumer preferences, especially among those looking for healthier beverage choices with a hint of sweetness.

• Garnier launched its largest marketing campaign in over a decade, featuring TikTok star Charli D’Amelio, to promote its new hair filler product lineup, utilizing TikTok and the Las Vegas Sphere for advertising. The campaign, highlighting the scientific benefits of the products, aims to attract young consumers through influencer endorsements and innovative out-of-home advertising while responding to current haircare trends with products inspired by skin fillers. This move comes as L’Oréal USA, Garnier's parent company, faces a slowdown in key markets and inflation impacts but remains optimistic about 2024 prospects.

• Pacsun integrated its commerce experiences across physical stores, e-commerce, and social media through a groundbreaking partnership with SoundCommerce and Cordial, leveraging data and personalization to enhance customer engagement. This collaboration combines SoundCommerce's retail data models and business insights with Cordial's personalized communication tools, aiming to boost customer loyalty and revenue by delivering targeted messages and product recommendations across multiple channels. This move reflects Pacsun's commitment to a unified retail strategy and innovative customer outreach, aligning with current trends of using first-party data to meet the evolving needs of consumers.
• Hyundai launched "The Drop" campaign, inspired by sneaker culture, to enhance its connection with Black audiences and promote the 2024 Santa Fe, featuring collaborations with Black-owned brands and creators, including sneaker company Brandblack. This initiative, part of Hyundai's broader effort to increase cultural relevance and diversity in its marketing, showcases a sneakerhead's journey from missing out on a sneaker release to impressing friends with the new Santa Fe, highlighting the vehicle's appeal among Black consumers. The campaign is developed with Hyundai’s African American agency Culture Brands and includes digital activations and influencer engagements to bolster affinity for Santa Fe within the African American community.

• Lean Cuisine launches its first ad campaign in four years, with a positive and motivational angle, featuring actress Regina Hall in the freezer aisle to distinguish itself in the better-for-you frozen meal category. The campaign, developed with VML New York, aims to refresh the brand's image, focusing on encouragement rather than guilt, and targets a broad audience, including Gen Z, by leveraging humor and body positivity. This shift in messaging represents a significant increase in marketing investment. It aligns with Lean Cuisine's effort to appeal to younger consumers and promote a healthier, judgment-free approach to eating.
• Honda introduced the Dream Generator, an AI-driven experience to promote its all-electric Prologue SUV, in collaboration with Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab. This innovative campaign engages consumers by creating personalized films based on their responses to a set of questions, highlighting the Prologue's features through custom storylines, imagery, and sounds. Available on Amazon and soon on other devices like the Echo Show, the Dream Generator marks a significant step in Honda's marketing, blending AI technology with traditional animation to offer a unique brand experience as part of the Prologue's comprehensive launch campaign.

Social Media

LinkedIn:

• LinkedIn is testing an in-app gaming feature that allows users to engage in puzzle games, with scores contributing to competitive corporate rankings. This initiative aims to introduce a fun element into the professional networking platform, potentially fostering more profound relationships and sparking user conversations. Currently developing three puzzle games named "Queens," "Crossclimb," and "Inference," LinkedIn's gaming platform will enable users to see their connections' participation and compare their company's rankings, possibly using these scores as a testament to their collective intellectual capabilities. While the concept may seem unusual for a professional network, it aligns with LinkedIn's goal of increasing user engagement despite questions about its fit with the platform's mission to connect professionals with economic opportunities.
• LinkedIn's AI-driven "Collaborative Articles" feature, which invites members to contribute insights to AI-generated prompts, has seen significant engagement, with a 4x increase in weekly contributions and over 10 million contributions in the past year. To further enhance this option, LinkedIn is refining the prompts for more specific responses, introducing an "unhelpful" button for feedback on contributions, and improving algorithms to ensure relevant expert participation. Additionally, LinkedIn is expanding the feature to include German, Brazilian, Portuguese, Spanish, and French contributions and introducing a search filter to help users discover relevant articles, underscoring the platform's commitment to fostering professional collaboration and content generation.

Meta:

• Threads has expanded its Trending Topics feature to all U.S. users, showcasing the most discussed topics in both the Search section and a "Trending Now" module within the "For You" feed. This move marks a shift from Meta's previous hesitance towards a trending list, reflecting a direct response to user engagement while implementing design tweaks for a more straightforward representation. Despite Meta's cautious approach due to past controversies over content bias and suppression, the inclusion of Trending Topics, coupled with recent updates to limit political content, aims to foster a more positive and engaging user experience by focusing on real-time trends without amplifying divisive discussions.
• Instagram has rolled out its "Ads with Promo Codes" feature globally, allowing advertisers to include promotional codes directly in their ad captions to attract potential buyers and facilitate tracking of Instagram-driven sales. Announced at ShopTalk 2024, this feature aims to reduce costs per purchase and boost conversions, following successful results similar to those observed with Facebook's implementation of promo codes. By offering immediate purchasing incentives, Instagram seeks to enhance sales from promotions and provide brands with an effective tool to measure direct sales impact through promo codes.
• Instagram is testing the extension of Reels video uploads to three minutes, increasing from the current 90-second limit, in a bid to enhance user engagement and align with the trend of longer video content seen on platforms like TikTok. Still, in the experimental phase focusing on pre-recorded videos, this expansion aims to provide more content variety, increase watch time, and open up additional monetization avenues through in-stream ads. With Reels consumption reportedly up by 20% year-over-year, Instagram's move to longer Reels reflects its strategy to adapt to changing user behaviors and preferences.
• Instagram is testing an expansion of its carousel post feature, allowing some users to include up to 15 images per post, an increase from the previous limit of 10. This update allows users and brands to provide more comprehensive narratives or context within a single post, enhancing storytelling and product showcasing capabilities on the platform. Instagram has acknowledged the test with a small user group, aiming to gather feedback for potential broader implementation.
• Meta confirmed the shutdown of CrowdTangle, a platform monitoring tool, effective August 14, to shift focus to new research tools like Meta Content Library & Content Library API. CrowdTangle faced scrutiny for possibly misleading data on the spread of divisive content on Meta's platforms, and its closure marks a pivot towards enhanced data-sharing and transparency tools. At the same time, researchers are directed to apply for access to these new resources. Marketers and journalists who also utilized CrowdTangle are advised to use Meta Business Suite Insights or third-party tools for similar analytics, indicating a shift in how Meta intends to share insights and data going forward.

TikTok:

• TikTok has updated its monetization initiative to the "Creator Rewards Program," designed to compensate creators for high-quality, longer videos, with eligibility now starting for content over a minute long. The program features a new in-app dashboard for tracking performance and payouts, focusing on metrics like originality, play duration, audience engagement, and search value to encourage content aligned with user trends. Eligibility requires creators to have at least 10,000 followers and 100,000 views in the past 30 days, promising higher payouts than the previous Creator Fund. This revamp aims to retain creators by offering viable monetization pathways amidst competition and potential platform challenges.
• Amid a potential U.S. sale mandate, TikTok underscores its economic contributions, reporting a $24.2 billion impact on the U.S. economy in 2023, largely benefiting small- and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). With nearly 40% of SMBs on TikTok considering the platform vital for their survival and 224,000 jobs supported, the report aims to influence Senate opinion against the proposal requiring TikTok's U.S. ownership transfer. The debate extends beyond data privacy to concerns about foreign influence, with significant discourse on how TikTok could potentially be used for geopolitical narrative shaping, reflecting broader concerns about social media's role in global politics.

• TikTok enhanced its "Sounds for Business" audio library by introducing free audio clips from popular influencers to enrich advertisers' campaigns with recognizable voices. This update offers 18 custom voiceover audio templates recorded by notable TikTok creators, facilitating a form of creator partnerships and potentially adding a unique appeal to promotional content on the platform. This move underscores the importance of sound in engaging TikTok users, with a significant majority highlighting sound's role in enhancing ad visibility and enjoyment of the app.

Pinterest:?

• Pinterest is gearing up for Coachella 2024 with new data on festival trends and outfit inspirations, highlighting user searches related to the event. Trends include nostalgic festival looks, fairycore outfits, and dark feminine core styles, with a significant interest shown by Gen Z. Pinterest, is collaborating with celebrity stylists Chloe and Chenelle to demonstrate top Coachella looks and is introducing a "Manifest Station" activation at the festival for customized trend exploration. This effort underlines Pinterest's role as a go-to source for fashion and beauty inspiration, aligning with its goal to influence emerging fashion trends.

YouTube:

• YouTube is expanding its new disclosure requirements for AI-generated content, mandating creators in Creator Studio to indicate when uploads contain realistic-looking, altered, or synthetic material to prevent deepfakes and misinformation. A distinct marker will inform viewers that the video includes manipulated footage to enhance transparency and trust between creators and their audience. While not all AI applications require disclosure, content that could potentially mislead viewers will need to be labeled, with YouTube reserving the right to add disclosures to videos if necessary. This move is part of YouTube's ongoing efforts to ensure AI transparency and maintain content authenticity on the platform.

Reddit:?

• On March 14, Reddit introduced "free form ads," a new advertising format designed to blend seamlessly with organic content by mimicking the appearance of regular posts but with a disclaimer indicating its ad status. These ads allow for a mix of media types and aim to engage the platform's users by mirroring Reddit's native content style. Initial testing shows a 28% higher average click-through rate compared to other ad formats, suggesting potential for higher engagement and effectiveness in reaching Reddit's community.

Stay tuned for the next Digital Debrief, and don’t forget to subscribe!