OOO: A Break from Marketing BS | April 2024

Out of Office—a break from marketing BS is your five-minute monthly newsletter from global creative agency WongDoody, filled with marketing advice, insights, and sharable facts.

1 | EARTH MONTH AND THE RISING TIDE OF CONSCIOUS CONSUMERISM?

In the last half-decade, there's been an impressive 71% jump in folks searching online for sustainable goods. Looks like people are really getting serious about shopping with a conscience! The trend's only expected to keep climbing over the next five years, making sustainability a top priority for brands in their game plans.

During Earth Month, retailers are going all out to flaunt their green creds. Sephora and REI Co-op are showing off their recycling game, while platforms like Poshmark and Joor are teaming up with eco-friendly brands to spread the sustainability love through various platforms. It's like a sustainability showdown, and these brands are bringing their A-game.?See how these brands are prioritizing sustainability this month.?

Do Say:?Let's clean up our act?and make sustainability a priority.

Don't Say:?I don't mean to trash talk, but sustainability efforts are a waste of time.

2 | DO A LITTLE TWO STEP WITH SPOTIFY

Spotify knows how crucial it is to nail the search experience, especially since the "Search" button is one of the platform's most used features. But hey, let's face it, those old-school static search algorithms just aren't cutting it anymore. That's why brands are flipping the script and rolling out personalized discovery features, giving us all more power to find exactly what we want. This week, Spotify's Search Experience team released their slick 2-step search feature and Beta AI playlist maker (available now in Australia and the U.K), making it a breeze for us to stumble upon fresh tunes.?

Do say: Let me see you one, two step ... for better search results.?

Don’t say: I'm still listening to my?"wrapped" from 2023.

3 | HOW BRANDS ARE CREATING?SPATIAL SHOPPING EXPERIENCES

Since its debut on February 2, forward-thinking brands have been trailblazing in the realm of fashion experiences designed for the Apple Vision Pro. Now, as we near the two-month milestone since its release, we're seeing these experiences blossom with innovation and sophistication. Companies like StockX, J.Crew, and Alo Yoga are not just using this tech for immersive shopping but also for styling tips, marketing strategies, and tracking customer behavior. With more luxury brands expecting to join the fray, the Apple Vision Pro is opening up exciting opportunities for early adopters to shape the future of retail experiences and data analytics in a new way.

Do Say: Get in user, we're going shopping.

Don't Say:?Are these to watch the eclipse? That was on Monday.

WHEN TO SAY NO TO VOOH

In the world of advertising, virtual out-of-home (VOOH) experiences are taking the stage, blending reality and CGI to create attention-grabbing campaigns. Brands like Maybelline, Adidas, and Apple have hopped on the trend, using VOOH to cut costs and experiment with new ideas.

Yet, success hinges on authenticity and relevance; while some campaigns resonate by addressing real-world issues like climate change, others fall flat with gimmicky, product-centric content. As AI deepfake technology advances, the need for genuine connections with audiences becomes paramount, urging brands to embrace real-world relevance and data-driven strategies rather than relying solely on digital illusions.

With the space quickly becoming saturated, WongDoody London’s Creative Brand Marketing Lead,?Gina Deen, spoke to?Creative Moment about?what the secret sauce to success in the space is. Read the article in Creative Moment.

On May 8 and 9, WongDoody is heading to Reuters Strategic Marketing West 2024. Join us in LA?to uncover how emerging tech optimizes and humanizes engagement strategies, delivering hyper-personalization and improved business outcomes. We'll share how we're seeing brands unleash hyper-personalization with emerging tech to transform customer engagement and evolve business performance. Register for the event and join us for a roundtable discussion!?

Have a minute? WongDoody is a finalist in the 2024 Webby Awards for our work in creating the Iran Prison Project, an immersive experience created to document and share the stories of political prisoners held in Iranian prisons with the use of artificial intelligence and original art. Finalists are eligible to win a People’s Webby Award, decided on by the online public. Hey - that's you! Help us bring more awareness to this important cause and vote for us before April 18!