OOO: A BREAK FROM MARKETING BS | JAN 2023 ISSUE

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.

WHAT'S TASTY WHEN YOU HAVE TASTE

If the start of the New Year has dropped an existential crisis at your door, look no further than the great-grand-daddy of gastronomy who first said, ‘tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are’. Food culture is on the rise across branding, marketing, and tourism—2023 is going to be the year of good eating.

As Food Gods like New York’s Helen Rosner start predicting what is going to be?in and out?of our mouths, minds and menus this year, our friends at?The Infatuation?have a job listing so tempting it comes with a $30,000 restaurant budget and a?news article?covering the opportunity. If you’re feeling blue that you’re not in the running for that role, there’s always the Californian town looking to?pay you to eat in their city.

Our anthropologists at the Sounding Board are seeing a rise in creativity of restaurant brands, with an appetite to match strong flavors with bold visual designs, including DoorDash launching?Secret Menu Magazine.

Our London Studio launched a rebrand and?comms campaign for the restaurant chain?Little Bao Boy?as they go national across the UK. Founder, James Ooi said, ‘Perception is everything. You’ve got to have a bold brand to match brilliant flavors to stand out in the UK restaurant scene. Doesn’t matter how good your food is if people don’t like how the brand looks, they won’t eat with you’.

Finally, if you’re still looking for a way to get through January, Eater Magazine recommends?eating more cheese.

FAST NEWS FOR CMOS

The marketing world is having a lot of complicated feels around Spotify’s enhance button. If you can’t tell from the name, the feature *sparkle eyes*?enhances?your playlists by adding similar tracks. While it has been around for a long time, enhance is now front of the interface and some people report it being automatically on. Those of us who?carefully curate our playlists?and still use the word ‘mix tape’ want to feel more appreciated for our unique talents. The rest of us don’t know the office Spotify account details anyway…

Do say:?I think he makes his playlists from trending TikTok audio

Don’t say:?Can you turn the volume down, we’ve got an important client in…

Pantone?have announced that 2023 will be in Viva Magenta, in celebration of our balance of warm and cool, digital and physical, weird and weirder. In color theory, magenta is universal harmony and emotional, but for us, Magenta will always mean?T-Mobile.

Do say:?Our first sign from brands that 2023 is going to be optimistic?

Don’t say:?Do you think we could make this work for the downstairs bathroom?

A specific corner of TikTok is falling in love with PR crisis management expert,?Molly McPherson.?For all the time marketers who are working hard to send out the right message, Molly is our contemporary giving hot takes on how to deal with PR fallout from brands to megastars.?

Do say:?Communication. Communication. Communication.?

Don’t say:?Pretty sure I could do this.

GRACE FRANCIS AT INNOVATION LIONS

One thing keeping us smiling in January is looking forward to Cannes Lion Festival of Creativity this summer, where our Global Chief Creative and Design Officer, Grace Francis is Jury President for Innovation Lions.

Check out the jury here.

#CannesLions2023

LA STUDIO WINS BEST B2B BRAND CAMPAIGN?FOR JUNIPER

Our LA Studio is celebrating winning Best B2B Brand Campaign at the Drum Awards for Juniper Networks.

INTENTIONAL LEADERSHIP: INSPIRATION FOR 2023

Leading in the moment – and resisting being led?by?the moment – is easier said than done. In the next episode of View from the C-Suite: Women Leaders in Conversation, taking place Thursday, January 19th at 9 am PT / 5 pm GMT, WONGDOODY President Skyler Mattson explores the skillful balance that enables intentional leadership, with guests Sherry Graziano, Head of Digital Banking and Contact Centers at Truist, and Suzanne Long, Chief Sustainability and Transformation Officer for Albertsons. Register here.

ENJOYED THIS?

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Why not say hi to the Out Of Office author and our AVP, Head of New Business at WONGDOODY, Mariel Cunningham.