The first thing advertisers need to understand about representation is that it is not just about doing good. Devising diverse and inclusive media strategies is table stakes for maximally effective advertising, especially during a time when more than half the U.S. population falls into at least one of many minority groups: Black, Latinx, Asian, LGBTQ+,...
On this week's episode of Brave Commerce, Clive Sirkin, executive chairman of Screendragon, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter to discuss business strategy. During the conversation, Sirkin shares the major blindspots he sees that most brands endure and the importance of learning from past mistakes and evolving strategies accordingly. Sirkin explains how to inspire...
Fans went wild this summer when two superstars dropped their highly anticipated albums. Lizzo released Special while Beyonc? released her seventh studio album Renaissance. We were all excited to binge each and every song. So it came as a shock when both artists used the word "spaz" in their songs. Lizzo used the word in...
Meta introduced new targeting segments for business-to-business advertisers on its platform, The company said in a blog post Tuesday that more than 200 million businesses and over 2.9 billion people use its applications daily. The new b-to-b targeting options when creating campaigns are: IT decision-makers: People who are information technology decision makers, based on their...
While there are an enormous number of blogs, advice columns and books devoted to answering relationship questions, they often don't meet the needs of members of the LGBTQ+ community. Dating app Hinge is looking to help the 80% of its queer users who said they struggle to find resources to help them date with a...
Snap Inc. introduced an in-application tool for parents, Family Center, with the goal of helping them learn who their teens are friends with on Snapchat and who they communicate with, without seeing the actual conversations. Parents must install the Snapchat app and establish an account to use Family Center, and Snap explained in a blog...
Earlier this year, Havas' New York and Germany offices co-released an app that helps people with hand tremors use smartphones and tablets. They released the app, named Stabyl, on the app store--for free. Havas took on the pro bono project after a teammate's family member received a Parkinson's diagnosis and found interacting with the digital...
Live from Los Angeles, it's Kenan Thompson. On Tuesday, NBC and the Television Academy announced Saturday Night Live's Kenan Thompson would host the 74th Emmy Awards. The broadcast airs live from the Microsoft Theater in LA on Monday, Sept. 12, at 8 p.m., with an accompanying livestream on Peacock for the first time. "Being a...
Instagram allows users to automatically share their Instagram Stories posts to their Facebook Stories. After an Instagram user turns this feature on, when they share a post to their Instagram Stories, it will automatically be shared to their Facebook Stories, as well. Our guide will show you how to automatically share your Instagram Stories to...
Confectionary and pet food maker Mars Wrigley drew much debate earlier this year when it sought to develop a generational connection for its biggest brand M&M's. This saw the redevelopment of the M&M's brand mascots as a way to improve their representation. The company's North American president Anton Vincent reveals that within four days of...
If you're one of the 433 million people who have opened Spotify recently, you may have noticed the app has become more interactive. There are Q&As on podcasts where audiences can offer suggestions for future guests. Some audio ads have clickable links. You can even create your dream band - and corresponding playlist - via...
Speaking with a friend of mine who writes best-selling thriller novels, it occurred to me that there is a key similarity between writing mysteries and writing great marketing content. In both cases, creating a compelling narrative requires starting with the end in mind and working backwards from there. Spoiler alert: You never want to read...
When the pandemic upended the travel industry, finding the right people to target with advertising became more important than ever for Explore Georgia, the tourism wing of the state's Department of Economic Development. The stakes were particularly high--given that it used 2020 to expand its media plan beyond its single annual campaign in traditional media...
Motorcycling has a dusty image, seen by some people as an older man's hobby. Manufacturers such as Harley-Davidson have in recent years reported falling sales amid an aging demographic. Motorcycle brand Royal Enfield wants to change that. Its new global campaign, created by U.K.-based agency New Commercial Arts (NCA), aims to attract a younger, more...
While Fiverr has maintained a consistent marketing presence in front of freelancers and small businesses, the online marketplace for talent has had its eye on something bigger. In a report to investors last year, Fiverr noted that 64% of larger companies claimed their investments in independent talent have increased. Looking to reach these businesses, the...
Grey has appointed Laura Visco to the role of chief creative officer (CCO) for its global accounts. Arriving from 72andSunny Amsterdam, where she was executive creative director, Visco will also join the creative leadership team of OpenX--the bespoke agency WPP is building for The Coca-Cola company. Based out of London, Visco will report into Grey's...
On Monday, the business publisher Axios announced that it had been acquired by the media conglomerate Cox Enterprises for $525 million, marking the beginning of a new era for the publisher whose signature style of bullet-point reporting helped it rise to nationwide prominence just five years after launching. The acquisition comes at an inflection point...
Stories about trans people often focus on the ways that they transition medically and socially, but a new campaign from Oberland for the ACLU aims to move beyond that limited narrative. "Trans Scripts" uses a series of three 30-second videos shared on social media and trans-focused websites to demonstrate that "there's more to trans than...
With the aim of promoting the brand as one that celebrates the individuality of each person present during social occasions, Diageo rum brand Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold has rolled out a new global campaign. The first installment of its "Spice On" campaign, released on Aug. 8, features a 20-second spot that sees two different...
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the wraps off three new privacy features for messaging application WhatsApp Tuesday. Users can now leave a group chat privately, without notifying everyone in that chat--just the administrators. This feature will roll out to all users globally this month. WhatsApp users can now choose who can and cannot see when...
Before he became chief marketing officer of radio and podcast network Audacy, Paul Suchman was torn between two worlds: a major in integrated marketing at the University of Southern California and a minor in ocean sciences driven by a fascination with sharks. Deep down, his plan was to graduate, attend the Scripps Institution of Oceanography...
While diversity, equity and inclusion has become a major topic of discussion among advertisers in the last two years, communities with disabilities, especially those with hearing impediments, are often left out of the conversation. Making audio content consumable for those who are deaf or hard of hearing is still "not very good," according to TEDx...
When customers call one of the many hotels and restaurants that now use voice tech startup PolyAI's services, there's a chance a digital host will answer. Far from the robotic monotone one might expect from an automated line, the voice will sound chatty and conversational. It will hesitate and inflect in all the right places...
In the first week of February 2019, R&B singer-songwriter H.E.R. was rushing to get ready for her set at the 61st annual Grammy Awards. Her purple rhinestone jumpsuit was all picked out, but Gabriella Wilson (H.E.R.'s given name) wanted to kick things up a notch. "Me and my stylist decided that the guitar had to...
In Moneyball, Brad Pitt's baseball general manager Billy Beane uses a new way of assembling a winning team, telling his staff, "Adapt or die." As marketers, we subscribe to that ethos, but evolving is now more challenging than ever. A Gen Z tsunami is coming, and most brands aren't ready. Currently ages 10 to 25,...