TWIS: If cannibals go hungry, they can always make themselves a snack
Hi Strat Pack,
Happy Friday! Good news is that it's supposed to stop being freezing tomorrow and will get up to *gasp* the 30s!
So, I've been messing around with this new app called Moodrise which is really beautiful and allegedly helps build emotional resilience? I'm not sure I buy that part but it's definitely beautiful. Check it out! Or don't!
I've been a bit busy at work this week so unfortunately no other fun links to kick this off. Stop messing around expecting more of me and let's jump right in.
The one thing to read this week
1) Dave Trott: Context is all [Campaign UK]
I really like Dave Trott. I think his writing is sharp and his insights are spot on. And so should you. This is a 3 minute read max. And highly worth it.
We take a 30-second ad that was done for a TV break and run it as a pre-roll on YouTube. We don’t check where someone’s head is before we start talking at them.
Which is why just 4% of advertising is remembered positively, 7% is remembered negatively, but a whopping 89% isn’t noticed or remembered.
Because we’re only interested in what’s going on in our world.
BONUS ARTICLE: Advertising is in crisis, but it's not because it doesn't work [also Campaign UK] Rory Sutherland, vice-chairman of Ogilvy, makes a pretty compelling case for why we should stop focusing exclusively on delivery – treating advertising as though it were a branch of logistics – and get back to creative excellence rooted in persuasion, psychology and human insight.
And don't forget - even mysterious former Mossad agents who have set up a data analytics company, generally support the findings of Les Binet and Peter Field. Good creative work, like good user experience, can make communications 10 to 11 times more effective.
2) Snowflakes, Me Too and Brexit: Should Brands Tackle Culturally Sensitive Topics? [Little Black Book]
Here's an interesting nugget: 63% of global adults say that ‘it should be illegal to write offensive comments about people on social media’.
Political, cultural and social sensitivity might be a little risky, but the evidence shows that brands CAN use it to their advantage to make well thought out social commentary with the right messages, aligned to the attitudes of their target audiences. The unnecessary tone-deaf, inauthentic communications are easily avoided by truly understanding your target audience and all their individual traits, and not making broad assumptions.
Department of Great(?) Work
3) Big News! This Sunday's big game is being billed as the Super Bowl of Advertising!
The USA Today Ad Meter officially opened for business yesterday. I don't know how, of all publications, USA Today cornered the market on consumer perceptions of Super Bowl ads, but here you have it.
Most of the ads seem to be promoting Unity. Which is very safe, but also pretty boring. Of the ads that were released so far, I was supremely disappointed.
They aren't even bad, in the traditional sense. They were just blah. Unmemorable. Boring. Which I think is much worse. (See, e.g. that Dave Trott article) Honestly so far, the only ad that stood out to me was the Stella ad with Jeff Lebowski and Sarah Jessica Parker. Definitely a unity ad. But struck a good chord with me. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
BONUS GREAT CREATIVE: Shutterstock Recreated the Notorious Fyre Festival Promo, This Time Using Only Stock Video [YouTube] Using its own stock footage, Shutterstock recreated the ad using its own stock footage as part of its new global campaign “It’s Not Stock”. The project was completed in under a day and the assets were licensed for less than $2,900. And it's really clever. Very timely. Great work.
4) It's been a bad PR week for Facebook
But does it even matter? FB's stock price rose more than 10% yesterday after they announced bonkos Q4 earnings.
Facebook pays teens to install VPN that spies on them [TechCrunch] Desperate for data on its competitors, Facebook has been secretly paying people to install a “Facebook Research” VPN that lets the company suck in all of a user’s phone and web activity
Apple revokes Facebook’s developer certificate over data-snooping app [ArsTechnica] This certificate had been used internally by Facebook for distributing beta builds of Facebook's apps and for other needs, so the revocation poses a serious challenge for the company.
Kara Swisher does a line-by-line takedown of Mark Zukerberg's WSJ Op-ed [New York Times] Grab your popcorn and burn a paywall article for this one. It's a great read
5) In other platform news...
Because the world doesn't revolve around Facebook.
Microsoft kinda admits Cortana failed as a digital assistant [The Verge] One down, three to go. Guys, I've got to be honest with you, I really don't understand what Cortana is and how it can 'partner' with Alexa. If you get it, can you let me know? Seriously.
Snapchat weighs what was once unthinkable - permanent snaps [Reuters] In a desperate(?) attempt to stay relevant, Snapchat is considering changes that could make users’ public posts longer lasting or even permanent. They're also weighing an option to reveal the identities of Snapchat users who make public posts.
‘It’s only getting better’: Buyers are shifting budgets to LinkedIn [Digiday] LinkedIn is coming into more favor among ad buyers, who say they are shifting budget there away from other digital platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Facebook Plans to Integrate WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger [Financial Times] [New York Times] Pick your paywall! The services will continue to operate as stand-alone apps, but their underlying technical infrastructure will be unified, potentially redefining how billions of people use the apps to connect with one another while strengthening Facebook’s grip on users
Hulu Is Going to Display Static Ads When Viewers Hit Pause [AdWeek] At least they lowered their price? The mocks make it look a lot like Pandora ads. They're launching with Coca Cola and Charmin in Q2. I'm sure these new units will be a paragon of effectiveness
Social Media Backlash Leaves Pinterest Vulnerable [The Information] The slide in stocks such as Facebook and Snap means that public investors will view Pinterest more skeptically, especially in the short run
End on a high note!
6) Walmart Is Selling Huge Reese’s Bouquets for Valentine’s Day [Thrillist]
Walmart describes the bouquet as “the perfect gift for special occasions or just because.”
“This beautifully wrapped extravaganza bouquet will show your loved one how much you care,” the product description continues. True, because nothing says “I get you” quite like feeding into your significant other’s chocolate and peanut butter addiction. Love is a strange thing, isn’t it?
Guys, you know what I want for Valentines Day. Thank you in advance for making me a happy camper.
Have a great weekend!