Marketing Digest - Volume-XIX

Marketing Digest: Latest Happenings in the Last 15 Days

Welcome to Marketing Digest, your concise source for the latest updates in the marketing world. Welcome to Marketing Digest, your source for the latest marketing insights.

Google exec says YouTube growth shows “stabilization” of ad market.

• 6 billion in revenue, up 7% year-over-year in the second quarter, beating investors` expectations in an ad market that could rebound from a year-to-date launch.
• Last quarter, the company unveiled a series of AI updates for its search and advertising businesses, including a general AI conversational search engine and AI image and copy tools for advertisers.
• Beating a three-quarter slump, YouTube's ad revenue grew 4% year-over-year to about $7.
• Philipp Schindler, Google's senior vice president and chief commercial officer, said this reflects ‘‘further stability in advertiser spend‘‘.
• The company also says more than 2 billion ‘‘logged in users‘‘ watch YouTube Shorts every month, up from 1.
• She will oversee the company's ‘‘Other Bets‘‘ portfolio, which includes everything from self-driving cars to internet access, according to The Verge.
• Elsewhere: Shares of Snap fell after the company's revenue fell 4% and the company lowered expectations for the third quarter, further complicating the stability of the ad market.

TikTok takes aim at Amazon with planned online store: report.

• According to a report by Semafor, TikTok may launch an online store on the app version in the United States next month, marking an expansion into the e-commerce sector, making TikTok a competitor.
• directly with e-commerce giants like Amazon and shopping apps like Temu.
• According to Semafor, the store will build on the app`s existing TikTok Shop functionality, where third-party brands pay to sell their products.
• The new store will live under the e-commerce tab on the TikTok app and will show users TikTok store products and shopping in one place.
• What doesn't kill you: According to Sorilbran Stone, content marketing coordinator at influencer marketing agency The Shelf, the app's growth, even in the face of recent political backlash in the United States.
• “Three years have passed TikTok has been struggling alone in the United States, just trying to survive,” Stone said.
• ‘‘ Promoting in-person shopping, which is already common in many Asian markets, could convince big brands to try their luck, she added.
• “The more brands see other big brands doing [with] TikTok stores… the easier it will be to win over those with a longer history in traditional marketing,” says Stone.
• An online store can be lucrative for the app; Last year, TikTok Shop alone brought in $4.
• But TikTok has also proven to be an important marketing tool for its e-commerce rivals.

Kiara Advani: The many endorsements of the blue-eyed girl of brands

• In a cinematic world where talent and perseverance reign, the career of actress Kiara Advani is breathtaking.
• According to experts, Advani`s excellent performance in a series of films has also made her a star in the advertising industry.
• Kiara is a national jewelry brand ambassador.
• As the face of the brand, Advani has appeared in many advertising campaigns in recent years.
• Galaxy Chocolate In June of this year, Advani was named the GALAXY? Chocolate Brand Ambassador for the global confectionery brand Mars Wrigley.
• The announcement was followed by a TVC in which the actor was seen in an eerie setting, immersed in the sweetness of GALAXY chocolates, enjoying every bite.
• Slice About two to three months ago, Slice invited Advani to be their brand ambassador.
• The brand has also launched an energetic and playful new summer campaign, 'AAM KA EHSAAS.
• The enchanting new film transports audiences to a tropical paradise, where the stunning beauty of Kiara Advani in a flowing yellow ensemble and her best friend, Slice, sit next to a struggling young man.
• Mohe Mohey, the bridal brand has appointed Advani as their new brand ambassador with the ongoing #DulhanWaliFeeling campaign.
• Kiara was pictured celebrating the new era of a contemporary Indian bride wearing a stunning lehenga from Mohey's latest bridal collection.
• CERA TVC Sanitary ware brand Cera launched a campaign with ambassadors Vijay Devarakonda and Kiara Advani almost a year ago.
• Colgate For the campaign, Advani was featured in the Visible White Toothpaste campaign.
• The integrated brand campaign with Kiara shows how Visible White toothpaste whitens teeth in a week in the first digital campaign across touchpoints.
• Kiara has over 30 million followers on Instagram.

Angel One launches AI-powered #SuperIsHere campaign.

• Angel One Limited (formerly known as Angel Broking Limited), India`s most trusted Fintech Company, has launched the #SuperIsHere campaign.
• This is an AI-powered campaign that encourages and empowers billions of people across the country to leverage the power of data and technology on their wealth creation journey with Angel One.
• The #SuperIsHere campaign led by renowned Swedish director Anders Forsman has shed light on investors, traders and intentions that the Super Apps platform is now available for a diversified investment journey.
• Through Influencer Partnerships, Social Posts, Business Channels, News Channels, Google, Meta Ads, OTT, and more, this technology-driven campaign explains how GenZ and Millennials are can take advantage of the Super App for a simplified and personalized investing experience.
• He said: “Our mission is to empower every Indian investor through the Angel One Super App, providing a seamless trading and investment experience.
• We used a lot of data to understand the needs of our customers, which allowed us to tailor the journeys managed within the app.
• Through the #SuperIsHere campaign, we showcase the benefits of the Angel One super app, to attract more customers and expand into less-penetrated markets, driving organic growth.
• The #SuperIsHere campaign will create awareness and traction all over India for our SuperApp.
• ? A one-stop shop offering online trading and investing, live mutual funds, gold sovereign bonds, NTMs and more, Angel One Super App serves clients including intents, traders and Investors.
• Upon opening an account, customers get a personalized homepage that provides one-click access to everything, faster mapping and ordering, and a high level of transparency.
• They can access offline data for the last synchronized P&L, funds, and order status databases.

Elon Musk offers hefty discount on X (Twitter) ad prices, but there's a condition.

• If an advertiser doesn`t meet the minimum spend threshold, it could cause them to lose their verified status.
• The microblogging platform has seen an exodus of advertisers since Musk took over and ad revenue dropped.
• The minimum ad spend for advertisers to take advantage of discounts and maintain their verified status is $1,000 for ads from the previous 30 days.

Brands want in on the Women’s World Cup any way they can.

• With just seven days to go until the start of the 2023 Women`s World Cup, several brands have been eager to get in on the action for months.
• No wonder: Last year's FIFA Men's World Cup in Qatar caught the attention of the American public, and less than a year later, the United States Women's National Team is heading for its third consecutive World Cup title.
• If Fox Sports' near-depletion of its World Cup ad inventory by mid-June is any indication, it's a lot.
• As a result, sports media companies have seen high advertiser demand in recent months, and individual athletes have been fielding plenty of requests for brand partnerships leading up to the World Cup, riding a wave of increasing advertiser interest in women's sports.
• Don't hate the player Scott McGowan, senior media creative at Mediahub, the media agency of record for Fox Sports, said his team discussed World Cup ad inventory with “almost our entire roster of clients.
• Some major brands, like Frito-Lay and Unilever, announced official deals with FIFA.
• Even female soccer players not participating in the World Cup are of interest to marketers.
• Ally, who will run ads on Fox during the tournament, has also sought to partner with former USWNT players to create content about this year's tournament ‘‘because they have such social currency,‘‘ Brimmer said.
• Visa, the official sponsor of FIFA, had agreements with individual athletes even before the USWNT list was announced.
• For some competitive athletes, interest in brand deals is so high that they cannot accept them all.
• At least that is the case for Ali Riley, captain of the NWSL Angel City FC and the New Zealand women's national team, according to Matt Hochberg, who represents her in contracts with the brand.
• Riley partnered with manuka honey brand Wedderspoon and Tourism New Zealand for content around the World Cup.

Social media ads: How much is too much?

• In 2023, Facebook is still available for free while being run by the new conglomerate known as Meta, and ads are still being shown.
• But as anyone who has used Meta's popular Facebook platform has seen, pop-ups, banners, flash notifications, and other ad formats have significantly increased in number and visibility over time, taking over screens that were once occupied by song lyrics in various fonts, kitten videos, and the vaguely racist ramblings of distant relatives.
• And virtually every social media platform available today is the same.
• Anmol Dang, AVP Media, FCB/SIX India, warns that consumers might become desensitized, which would lead to lower engagement.
• Ad completion rates have decreased recently, especially on websites like Facebook, Instagram, and other websites with short videos, admits Sadhvi Dhawan, Group Media Director at Blink Digital.
• ‘‘Ads that seamlessly integrate with the platform's environment when speaking to customers in the desired language or start with something that would immediately catch their attention, like starting with RTB rather than the brand first, maintain their performance and do not compromise the overall user experience,‘‘ she says.
• According to Dhawan, ads with higher engagement rates and effectiveness are those that correspond to the audience's preferences for content consumption.
• He also emphasizes that timing is a key factor in the success of ads.
• Ads that are displayed at the ideal time, particularly when users are in need, increase the likelihood of a favorable response.
• To put it mildly, according to Rammohan Sundaram, President - Integrated Media, DDB Mudra Group, there is a problem with user experience.
• However, he adds, ‘‘We must take into account both content and advertising, with influencer marketing serving as a prime example.
• When executed properly by real content producers, influencer marketing is extremely effective.
• The creator has a great talent for crafting the script, which is then spun in a way that resonates with her followers, resulting in a massive reach that social media has to offer.
• Dang continues, ‘‘Consumer engagement and ad effectiveness depend on factors like relevance, targeting, and customer experience.
• The art of native advertising has been perfected, according to Dhawan, by social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, which seamlessly incorporate advertisements into their users' news feeds.
• This tactic enables the consumption of ads as content without degrading the user experience.
• ‘‘However, news portals may not benefit as much from this strategy because users may find it annoying when interstitial ads suddenly appear while they are reading.
• Because of this, she says, ‘‘personalized and targeted advertising is essential in these situations, enabling users to make informed decisions while maintaining a positive overall experience.
• Nevertheless, I haven't noticed a decrease in the amount of time they spend using these platforms, claims Dang.
• Similar to many other agencies, FCB/SIX relies on Comscore to verify data regarding Monthly Active Users on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms.
• As an illustration, in June 2022, Instagram had about 275 million MAUs and YouTube had about 444 million.
• The figures increased to 464 million for YouTube and 327 million for Instagram as of July 2023.
• The GWI Hootsuite India Digital Report supports the findings of FCB/SIX's research, which also show that the average amount of time spent on these platforms has grown over time.
• In India, the average daily time spent on social media in 2022 was 2 hours and 36 minutes, an increase of 11 minutes from the previous year.
• With a 14-minute increase from 2022 to 2023, the average amount of time spent on social media is now 2 hours and 50 minutes.
• According to Dang, ‘‘This growth is in line with the rising number of internet users, indicating that these platforms are not only gaining users but also welcoming new ones.
• In addition, tech giants frequently launch new content formats, such as YouTube's Shorts and Instagram's Reels.
• As an illustration, Instagram's recent launch of Threads guarantees users always have something new to interact with.

McDonald’s eschews ‘silver bullet’ price promotions as sales increase.

• McDonald`s said its decision not to carry out high-priced promotions because of its short-term growth momentum helped it generate a 14% increase in revenue.
• Speaking on a call with investors today (July 27), the company's chief financial officer, Ian Borden, acknowledged that the macroeconomic environment has been and continues to be challenging, with confidence of consumers in many markets is weakening.
• Borden praises the company's franchisees' willingness not to seek short-term price increases, ‘‘because they understand that we're doing this together, we're both invested in ensuring guarantee that the success of our business is long-term—timed.
• ” The company has enjoyed success with this strategy, with globally comparable sales growing 11.
• Instead, the company focuses on ‘‘long-term‘‘ success; such as implementing marketing to maintain and develop its brand.
• Kempczinski said the most recent quarter was ‘‘evidence of where we continue to develop our game from a marketing perspective‘‘.
• The company embarked on a transformation, ‘‘Accelerating Arches‘‘, part of which involved making marketing the primary lever to drive long-term growth.
• Chris Kempczinski, McDonald's Speaking to Marketing Week last month, Joan Coletta, senior director of marketing transformation and member of the global brand leadership team, said McDonald's has placed marketing at ‘‘the heart of its business strategy.
• Indeed, speaking to investors today, CFO Borden said ‘‘brands are the focus of the quarter.
• ‘One example of the ‘‘marketing power‘‘ at McDonald's given during the call was the success of the Grimace brand character back in the United States.
• The company celebrated the character's 52nd birthday with a special meal and milkshake available at restaurants in the United States.
• Earlier this month, the BBC reported that more than 100 workers, some as young as 17, said they had been groped and harassed while working at the company.

Coca-Cola credits ‘world class marketing’ as it ups growth forecast

• The Coca-Cola Company said initiatives to ‘‘raise the standard of marketing‘‘ are paying off after raising projected revenue for the year.
• When it released its results for the three months to June 30, 2023, the company said its net revenue rose 6% to $12 billion.
• The company said it expects to see ‘‘sustainable‘‘ positive growth going forward.
• It announced that it is raising its guidance for the year and now expects organic revenue growth of between 8% and 9% in 2023.
• Revenue growth is expected to come from positive growth in volume as well as price, he said.
• Coca-Cola`s revenue growth initiatives include a focus on reducing consumer access to its brand through its pricing structure.
• “There has been a real focus on raising the bar when it comes to marketing,” says Quincey.
• The company experienced what CMO Manolo Arroyo called last year ‘‘the biggest transformation‘‘ in its marketing.
• For the Coca-Cola brand, the company sought to tie the drink more closely to drinking occasions.
• The company attributed the growing connection between Coca-Cola and consumer occasions to the brand's growth in volume over the past quarter.
• Another area where the marketing transformation is bearing fruit is Coca-Cola's ready-to-drink strategy.
• Quincey said the Coca-Cola brand partnership with Jack Daniel's only launched in multiple markets earlier this year, but has shown ‘‘promising results‘‘.
• ‘‘Success in this area is a sign that the 'marketing transformation is coming to life',‘‘ he said.
• The company increased its marketing spend year-over-year this quarter.
• Chief Financial Officer John Murphy said he believes the company has ‘‘a lot of leverage‘‘ to drive revenue growth, but remains focused on improving its business.
• The company expects it to have made the necessary price increase this year.
• “We believe that in developed markets, we have succeeded in setting prices that will be in place in 2023,” he said.

As Shein’s controversies grow, its Gen Z consumer base shrinks: report.

• Last month, influencer Destene Sudduth posted a video on Instagram and TikTok showing the inside of the Shein factory.
• The video features her filming while visiting a factory in Guangzhou, China, along with other influencers in the US.
• There is no shortage of criticism for Shein's positive portrayal by influencers; The company has been facing questions about its labor practices for some time.
• The trip marks the latest public relations challenge for Shein, who is reportedly considering an IPO in the United States, according to Bloomberg.
• As reported by Morning Consult, the brand is losing favor among the very Gen Z consumers who helped it go viral through TikTok.
• In June, Gen Z consumers' net brand preference dropped by nearly 20 points compared to the same period last year.
• Net buying consideration for Shein among Gen Z also dropped 10 points, with interest in buying from the brand dropping from 49% to 42% year over year.
• Brands that can bounce back from one-time viral incidents, But persistent negative publicity presents longer-term challenges.
• Shein could find growth by attracting another group of consumers - millennials - who the report shows buy clothes with the same frequency as Gen Z and have seen a level of preference.
• Overall, ‘‘brands should view the latest Shein incident as a cautionary tale,‘‘ the report said.
• Since then, an influencer deleted her post about the trip and apologized, saying she had severed ties with the company.
• Meanwhile, a parody of the influencers' videos has garnered hundreds of thousands of views and more than 100,000 likes on TikTok.
• They can happen at any time in every corner of the internet, thanks in large part to savvy Gen Z consumers with strong editing skills and a keen sense of humour,” the report said.

Join us next time for more insights and updates in the ever-changing world of marketing.

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