ROUND UP — TikTok Playbook, Meta Hates News & More

Introducing The Round Up's new section, the ad Campaign Monitor!

Today's edition of The Marketer's Playbook is brought to you by Insense — Like me, you’ve probably tried a number of UGC and influencer marketing platforms with mixed results, but Insense stands out because:

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SIDE NOTE: GDPR turned five years old this past week 🙃

SIDE NOTE 2: I am testing out a new section under the news updates called Campaign Monitor, where I showcase some recent marketing campaigns to provide you with either a bit of inspiration or a smile. Maybe both.

META PREPARES TO REMOVE ALL NEWS FROM CANADA

In preparation for the potential passing of a new Act aimed at addressing the fact that Meta and Google are dominating the ad market, which brings the concern that local publishers are losing out. While I'm not sure that I entirely buy into the idea that this is the 'fix' for that problem, Meta has begun preparations to remove all Canadian news media from its platforms should the Act pass.

TIKTOK'S 2023 HOLIDAY PLAYBOOK — IS IT THAT TIME ALREADY?!

With Q3 quickly approaching, TikTok has dropped its 2023 Marketing Playbook. With insights into the latest trends and best practices for creating successful campaigns on TikTok, this playbook breaks down how to create engaging content, leverage influencers, and correctly measure your campaign performance. Check it out here for the full rundown.

UNCOVERING SOME SHOCKING DATA

In a recent study conducted by Accenture, which sought to uncover the latest trends and approaches in data tracking, some shocking data was discovered. While 77% of CMOs surveyed felt ROI was a top priority, only 17% of day-to-day advertising decision-makers felt the same way. Relatably, while 80% of advertisers are aware of major privacy changes, only 8% truly understand their intricacies. Luckily, as part of this report, Accenture offers deeper insights into why these trends exist and offer some solutions. Check out the study here for more info.

PINTEREST IS A POSITIVE PLATFORM

Compared to other platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest is a very positive platform. With 78% of 'Pinners' feeling positive after interacting with Pinterest, they conducted a further study to understand how this affects consumer behaviour. When in a positive space, 6 in 10 American adults agree that they’re more likely to remember brands they encounter online (56%), feel positive about brands they encounter online (59%), trust brands they see in a positive space (56%) and ultimately make a purchase from a brand (54%). While this seems obvious, it helps further align Pinterest as a genuinely unique and opportunity-rich platform for brands to explore. More data about this study can be found here.

META'S NEW TWITTER CLONE IS NEARING LAUNCH

Is this the new logo for Meta's Twitter clone? As some of you may know, Meta is developing a new text-based social app called Barcelona that will function as an offshoot of Instagram. Users will be able to log in using their Instagram credentials and post text updates of up to 500 characters. You'll also be able to add links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length in-stream.

HEINZ — IT HAS TO BE HEINZ

HEINZ announces “It Has to be HEINZ,” a new global platform marking the first time in its 150-year history that the brand is unified under one creative strategy. The campaign celebrates people's irrational love for HEINZ – from real fans’ personal love affairs with the brand to the love and care its products are made with. I actually quite like this series. Obviously, it feels more hammed up than the implied 'real stories' that it's based on might have been, but it still feels genuine. A tasteful homage to a 150-year-old brand. More details here.

AMERICAN EAGLE — THE SUMMER OF US

American Eagle is channelling sunshine and coastal vibes for its latest campaign and clothing collection, teaming up with the cast of coming-of-age drama “The Summer I Turned Pretty” to get Gen Z warm-weather ready ahead of the Amazon Prime Video series’ second season. Overall, it feels like they're moreso trying to cultivate a 'vibe' than send any clear, meaningful message, but sometimes in fashion, that's what's most important. Nothing too fancy here, just a classic star-led ad. More details here.

LINKEDIN — FIND YOUR IN

The ‘Find Your In’ campaign showcases how LinkedIn can unlock new possibilities, so you can be whatever you imagine with the help of LinkedIn’s connectivity. The production value of this ad is incredible — the set, the colour grading and the cinematography — it's all fantastic. The young actress is also, of course, a high point for this ad. However, I feel it drags on a bit too long and takes more time than I'd have liked to get to 'the point.' I felt like it didn't have much to say until it said what it needed to. Overall, a solid ad that could have done with a bit more direction, in my opinion. More details here.

AMERICA'S MILK COMPANIES — WOOD MILK

As a preface, this campaign recently came under fire for allegedly violating federal laws by effectively slandering and misrepresenting plant-based milk products.

The campaign (yes, with its own website) depicts a fictional company started by actress Aubrey Plaza in which trees are turned into milk. At the end of a video of Plaza talking about Wood Milk while in a forest, she says, “Is Wood Milk real? Absolutely not. Only real milk is real.” Do I personally like this ad? Meh. I like the direction it was going in, using humour to guide the narrative, but I wouldn't say I like the celebrity choice, nor do I care for the politics behind it. Despite the production value, it feels like an expensive 'miss.' More details here.

Lastly, this:

Have a great week!