Take a look at your shampoo bottle or an item in your pantry. Is the packaging recyclable? Is it “naturally derived”? Does it come from a “sustainable” brand? Chances are, you are being misled by those labels. In order to meet increased consumer expectations for environmentally friendly products and services and reach net zero emission goals, companies have taken a less than ethical approach when advertising their products: greenwashing.
Service is more prominent than ever. With more than 80% of jobs in the United States related to the service industry, quality of service is impossible to ignore. However, most companies struggle to strike a balance between service quality and cost with some notable exceptions. Known for both impeccable service and cost-effective strategies, Singapore Airlines and Southwest Airlines have discovered the secret to keeping customers happy with a sustainable cost structure.
Celebrities can attract new customers, boost sales, and be iconic in advertising campaigns. With increased importance placed on social media marketing, endorsements can also come from smaller scale stars like Instagram influencers. Consumers will buy a product or service because their favorite influencer raves about it on Tik Tok or to support their favorite actress’s new product line, regardless of the celebrity’s actual involvement in product creation. [i] Despite the enormous benefits to celebrity and influencer endorsements, marketers face equally great risks to partnering their brand or product with an individual. Scandal and controversy are difficult to predict and can damage a company’s reputation and sales.
Virtual reality and augmented reality are poised to become the next phase of internet consumption. With companies like Nike and Roblox taking advantage of new forms of marketplaces, the possibilities for innovation in digital consumer experience are endless. Catering to the expectations and values of Millennials and Generation Z consumers will be key to the success of the virtual world, the metaverse. Nikeland on Roblox is a prime example of marketing personalized experiences to Gen Z consumers.
Celebrity endorsements have been around for as long as the concept of celebrity has existed. Consider PepsiCo’s newest brand of sparkling water, Bubly. In 2019, the company contracted with Michael Bublé for a series of advertisements where he plays with the Bubly/Bublé relationship, insisting that the water’s name is pronounced “boo-blay,” like his last name. The Bublé/Bubly partnership applies a number of essential items for a successful celebrity endorsement.
In the world of Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music and Apple Podcasts, it would seem that radio is in trouble. The industry, which is heavily reliant on advertising dollars, experienced a 4% decrease in revenue over the past five years. Despite this decline, insurance and real estate companies still spent approximately $257.7 million on radio advertising in 2019. In 2020, Progressive launched the “Sounds of the Old World” radio advertising campaign, which may help prove that radio is not as dead as one might think.
For many, going out for dinner is a treat at the end of a long week of hard work. It’s a way to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life, to spend time with the important people in their life and connect over a good meal. Since the Coronavirus pandemic has forced many restaurants to close their dining rooms, it seems the most common solution for many has become delivery. In a year where so much of business remains in flux, Uber Eats seems to have found a way to capitalize on the resultant discomfort.
Just six months after launch, Quibi is calling it quits. The streaming service, whose name is derived from the phrase “quick bites,” was originally designed to fill smaller gaps of time, like waiting in line for a coffee or during your morning commute on the subway.[i] Just as the service launched, however, the coronavirus changed the everyday landscape of media consumption. This, combined with a number of other factors, led to service’s quick demise.
After years marketing to those trusty Millennials, companies now have to change their entire approach to advertising for Zoomers. Some firms are turning to what has been deemed the “anti-advertisement.” Most recently, Frito-Lay brand Doritos launched a new campaign titled “Another Level.” The campaign launched with a 60 second anti-ad on YouTube – an ad that never once showed the Doritos logo or said the Doritos name.
For many months now, TikTok has become the darling of the American public, logging more than 315 million installs in the first quarter of 2020 – not to mention the millions of installs since the initiation of mandated lockdowns. Many companies have tried to reach large follower bases on TikTok by paying creators to use specific songs, wear branded clothing, and directly promote products in their videos, but President Trump has issued an executive order banning the app in the US unless it is bought out by an American company. So, what happens to the community now that the platform may be disappearing in just a short month?
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