Poolside Reading

By Andrew Eitelbach

Juj Winn/Getty Images

It’s hot out. Times are stressful. My neighbors installed a pool and I’m a little jealous. Who’s got time for long introductory paragraphs?

Whether you’re relaxing poolside or burning the midnight oil, clear your August haze with these cool insights and hot tips from ANA magazine:

• Plant-Based Brands Turn a New Marketing Leaf. Consumer interest in plant-based alternatives to dairy and meat products is on the rise and smart brands are beginning to milk it for all it’s worth. (I know. I’m not sorry.) Fueling some of that interest? The pandemic. Plant-based dairy items can be found in 40 percent of American refrigerators, our story notes, and as the term “vegan” sheds negative connotations among many consumers, “plant-based” is growing in appeal. Worth noting: This story also begins with a fantastic pun.
• A New Norm for Ad Shoots? “Even after public health restrictions are lifted, "lean" productions may become the new norm in marketing, as budgets are pared down and social distancing remains in place,” this ANA magazine story reports. Right now, brands link Orangetheory, Land Rover, Adobe, and Domino’s Pizza are finding innovative ways to produce advertising spots during the pandemic that save costs and reduce their environmental impact. “It’s times like these,” says John Travis, VP of brand marketing at Adobe, “you realize how much you can accomplish with a team of dedicated, brilliant co-workers — and a strong Wi-Fi connection.” Don’t miss the best practices sidebar, with tips from Michael Kaliski, founder and CEO of Good Planet Innovation, on how brands can practice sustainability on set.
• Harnessing the Power of the Loyalty Economy. The internet has come a long way from dancing computer-generated babies and viral cat videos. With streaming platforms and social media networks like Twitch and YouTube, users and influencers are building what our writer deems “essential content,” podcasts, streams, and series so precious to an audience that they would feel a loss in its absence. Brands like adidas and Policygenius are taking note and making moves to collaborate or support makers as the emergence of the loyalty economy takes shape.
• Preparing for the Next Normal. "We've been talking about digital marketing for years and the need for organizations to pivot their marketing strategies to be digital-first," Gretchen Eischen, VP of global marketing at SAP Procurement Solutions, tells ANA magazine. "I think the pandemic has truly taught us that that can't be lip service.” As business marketing teams find solutions for working remotely, they’re finding work strategies that could have longterm benefits. From software to sales tactics, the approaches marketers are adapting now aren’t just helping them deal with the new normal but preparing them for whatever might come next.
• What Brands Mean by Brand Purpose. It’s a simple question, but it can send marketers reeling: What’s your brand stand for? Drawn into the dual crises of the pandemic and the fight for racial equality, some brands may be conflating what it means to be a good corporate citizen with having a brand purpose. "If you post something on social on behalf of your brand, consumers are going to ask, 'That's great, why haven't you been doing it before and what are you doing going forward?'" Jay Russell, chief creative officer at GSD&M, tells ANA magazine. Marketing with purpose requires more than the right message, experts say. It requires action.
• The Pandemic Is Redefining the Customer Experience. "Attribution reporting has always been important, but now it's even more essential," Brian Glover, director of product marketing at Adobe's Marketo Engage, tells ANA magazine. "Marketers need to know exactly what activities are driving revenue. And they are focusing their marketing spend on personalization …, in a competitive, uncertain environment, making customers feel valued goes a long way." As the pandemic persists, marketers are investing heavily in digital solutions that drive that personalized message, our story reports.
• Brands Doing Good Series: Seventh Generation. Launched in the 1980s as a way to distribute effective, earth-friendly products, Seventh Generation takes its name from an Iroquois philosophy to consider the longterm effects of an action or decision. “We believe business can be used as a force for good,” Ashley Laporte, director of integrated marketing at Seventh Generation, tells ANA magazine. "As a founding B Corp company, we measure our impact through a triple bottom line, looking at people, profit, and planet." In this article, Laporte walks through the brand’s purpose, marketing approach, challenges, and notable results.
• Facebook Looks to Be a Better Friend to Brands. Facebook is sending brands a friend request, but will they accept? Plagued by controversy in recent months, and boycotted by major brands who disapprove of its handling of hate speech and misinformation on its platform, Facebook has made efforts to woo back advertisers in the form of new tools and services. Is it enough?

Also, be sure to catch up on the latest industry trends contributed by ANA partners in ANA magazine. July’s contributions include:

• Balancing linear TV and OTT advertising in a topsy-turvy market, from Simulmedia
• Advertising in the time of COVID-19, from Kantar

See highlights from June or find even more coverage of the industry in ANA magazine.

Let us know your thoughts. Leave comments on articles or write me directly at aeitelbach@ana.net.