Mediaboss Marketing

As social media advertising becomes increasingly expensive and harder to track, personalized gift company Sugarwish is rethinking its social strategy reducing efforts there and adding channels like earned media and SEO.

The Colorado-based, direct-to-consumer company isnt alone, as media buyers actively look for ways to diversify their marketing mixes and move away from heavy reliance on Facebook and Instagram, especially, which has been a trend since at least 2020.

When we look at the results on social channels from a paid standpoint, we dont see the results, said Stephanie Preston, vp of marketing at Sugarwish. Were not gaining the traction with the audience that were really going after.

In other words, for the last six months, paid ads on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter werent driving the email and account signups needed for customer retention. Its unclear how customer retention was impacted, as Preston declined to share further details.

Last year, Sugarwish spent $1.4 million on Facebook and Instagram. So far this year, the DTC company has spent just $501,000 on the social media platforms, per Pathmatics. Also according to Pathmatics, Sugarwish added media spend on desktop video advertising, shelling out $142,000 this year.

The foundations of Sugarwishs media mix were built on social media, email marketing and other paid media efforts. But as the company has been diversifying its strategy for the last six months, the DTC company is refocusing on channels like earned media, content creation via its social media marketing agency and Google search, as those channels are yielding results, Preston said.

Theres no doubt that social media advertising costs have increased dramatically over the past few years, said Elijah Schneider, CEO and founder of social marketing agency Modifly.

We do find brands with concern around social advertising spend saying that its not as effective, however we disagree. It is extremely effectiveits just more expensive, he said via email. Meaning, as social media continues to be pay-to-play, brands will need to spend big to get in front of their target audience.

We strongly support and suggest diversifying media spend as its never smart to have all your eggs in 1-2 baskets, he said. And it isnt smart to spread yourself too thin (meaning spending a little on some platforms may just be a waste of money).

To Schneiders point, Avery Mencher, project manager and account associate at creative agency Something Different, said many brands see the juice isnt worth the squeeze when it comes to social media ads.

Despite this fatigue, social media is still the most powerful tool at our disposal to reach many consumers, Mencher said via email.

For Sugarwish, the plan is to continue social media efforts, just at a much lower level than we had historically, Preston said.

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Why DTC brand Sugarwish is dialing down its social media advertising strategy - Digiday

COLUMBUS, Ga., Aug. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --Aflac, a leading provider of supplemental health insurance in the U.S.1, is kicking off its marketing campaign for the 2022-2023 college football season to shine a light on the gap between health insurance and medical bills. This season, Aflac is introducing a new character, Gap Goat, who serves as a nemesis to America's favorite spokesduck in a series of humorous commercials airing throughout the season.

The Aflac Duck represents a solution to help American consumers who are concerned about their health care and finances.

Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders and Coach Nick Saban return as part of the Aflac Duck vs. Gap Goat campaign, which also features a new original and recurring character starring opposite the Aflac Duck. Throughout the campaign, the Gap Goat serves as an antagonist who shows up with unexpected medical bills for hardworking Americans at inopportune times, all the while bleating out the catch phrase, "GAAAAP!" The goat represents the gap that can be left when health insurance doesn't cover all of one's medical expenses.

"While the Aflac Duck remains a household name, the Gap Goat presents new marketing opportunities to build a story that leverages both humor and purpose to help educate fans on the gaps for those facing medical debt," said Aflac U.S. President Teresa White.

The Aflac Duck, who opposes the Gap Goat in these spots, represents a solution to help American consumers who are concerned about their health care and finances Aflac by showing them how to help close the gap between what health insurance covers and what is left behind. Coach Prime and Coach Saban serve as translators for the Aflac Duck and Gap Goat.

"Last year, I had an unexpected medical event, and while I am fortunate enough to have the means to pay the onslaught of medical bills, many are not afforded the same peace of mind and are often tackled by the cost of care," said Coach Prime. "That makes being a part of this year's campaign especially meaningful for me as I continue to work with Aflac to ensure that fans are better prepared to help close the gap between where insurance ends and medical debt starts."

"For the last three years, I've had the opportunity to work with Aflac and advocate for those facing medical debt," said Coach Saban. "In football, we run into unexpected situations in games each week, but only through preparation are we able to overcome the challenges. It's the same thing in life, which is why I work with Aflac to help fans better prepare for unexpected health expenses they may encounter."

The Aflac Duck vs. Gap Goat campaign will run across television, digital, social and audio platforms. The first spot, "The Arrival,"makes its debut Aug. 27 on ESPN during the opening weekend of the college football season. The second spot, "Stadium Worker," will land Oct. 15 and the third spot, "Treadmill Race," will air Oct. 29.

Aflac will be extending the campaign across different marketing efforts through social media, digital and on-site experiential activations at high-profile games, including HBCU mainstays like the Celebration Bowl. Fans can also get to know Aflac at Aflac.com.

ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATEDAflacIncorporated (NYSE: AFL) is a Fortune 500 company helping provide protection to more than 50 million people through its subsidiaries in Japan and the U.S., paying cash fast when policyholders get sick or injured. For more than six decades, insurance policies of AflacIncorporated's subsidiaries have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the U.S., Aflacis the number one provider ofsupplemental health insurance products.1 AflacLife Insurance Japan is the leading provider of medical and cancer insurance in Japan, where it insures 1 in 4 households. In 2021, AflacIncorporated was proud to be included as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethispherefor the 16th consecutive year. Also in 2021, the company was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index and became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). In 2022, AflacIncorporated was included on Fortune's list of World's Most Admired Companies for the 21st time and Bloomberg'sGender-Equality Index for the third consecutive year. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at aflac.comor aflac.com/espaol. Investors may learn more about AflacIncorporated and its commitment to ESGand social responsibility at investors.aflac.comunder "Sustainability."

1 LIMRA 2021 US Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report

Media contact:Amy Persons, [emailprotected]

Analyst and investor contact:David A. Young, 706-596-3264, 800-235-2667 or[emailprotected]

Aflac | Aflac New York | WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999.

SOURCE Aflac

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Gaaaap! Latest rivalry in college football pits Aflac Duck against new nemesis, Gap Goat, representing the gap between what health insurance covers...

The accomplishment underscores Tinuiti's expertise and legacy with Amazon Ads

NEW YORK, Aug. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --Tinuiti, one of the largest independent performance marketing firms across Streaming TV and digital advertising, today announced it has achieved Amazon Ads advanced partner status another hallmark of the longstanding and beneficial relationship between Tinuiti and Amazon Ads.

The newly launched global recognition program recognizes partners based on the growth they deliver for their advertising clients and their level of engagement and expertise with Amazon Ads products like Amazon DSP and sponsored ads. Specifically, Tinuiti has earned the advanced partner statusby demonstrating expertise in both brand building and customer engagement on Amazon.

Obele Brown-West, Chief Solution Officer at Tinuiti, said:"From becoming an initial member of Amazon Ads original partner directory in 2018, to beta testing the newest iteration of the Partner Network, Tinuiti has been a long-term and active participant in the thoughtful and collaborative process behind the program's development. We're incredibly thankful for our ongoing relationship with Amazon Ads and for the opportunity to leverage cutting-edge innovation and the type of forward-thinking that truly affects change and moves the needle for our client brands."

With a leadership team made up of former Amazonians with deep-rooted experience, Tinuiti provides the end-to-end Amazon strategy capabilities designed to meet all of a brand's needs on Amazon. Specialized in both solving day-to-day problems, steering long-term strategy, Tinuiti strives to achieve the most out of the relationship for its client partners.

Tinuiti is one of the first agencies to utilize proprietary advertising tech around Amazon Ads infrastructure leveraging MobiusX, the firm's proprietary technology. Designed to help drive online retail sales, MobiusX is one of the longest-standing and most sophisticated AI-powered AdTech developed for the Amazon seller and vendor Uis and ads consoleson the market today. Built in 2014, Tinuiti has continually grown and evolved this custom dashboard to help sell more product, sell it faster, and across all the retail industry's top networks. In 2021, Tinuiti further enhanced its Amazon capabilities and acquired an agency specialized in Amazon,Ortega Group, to create one of the industry's most robust full-service programs for Amazon and marketplaces.

Today's Amazon Ads advanced partner status follows a momentous Q1 and Q2 for Tinuiti, including a series of strategic partnership deals that includes being named Microsoft's Global Agency of the Year and Partner of the Year a first for any independent agency. In April, Tinuiti announced an agreement with Snap Inc. and in February announced a partnership agreement with Reddit to become the platform's first independent agency partner. Tinuiti's growing roster of partnerships includes the Amazon Ads Partner Network, as well as Google Premier Partner (top 3% of all agencies) and International Growth Partner; Meta Premium Marketing Partner, Kochava Authorized Agency Partner. Tinuiti is also the first independent agency in the US to receive official TikTok Marketing accreditation.

Since 2017 Tinuiti has experienced rapid expansion, grown seven-fold, and welcomed nearly 700 new employees in the last 12 months alone. With an employee headcount now surpassing 1,100, the agency has experienced an unprecedented 59% year-over-year increase and climbing, with an additional 10.2% in 2022. Tinuiti iscontinuing to hire for multiple roles across divisions to keep pace with growth. For a closer look at Tinuiti's culture, please visithttps://tinuiti.com/culture/.

About Tinuiti

Tinuiti is the largest independent performance marketing firm across Streaming TV and the Triopoly of Google, Meta, Amazon, with more than $3 billion in digital media under management and over 1,200 employees. With industry-leading expertise in search, social, Amazon and marketplaces, addressable TV and mobile apps, CRM and email marketing, and more, Tinuiti understands that success requires both strategy and channel expertise. Each solution is delivered through Tinuiti's performance planning framework, GAMMA, and is enabled by a proprietary suite of marketing intelligence and media activation technology Mobius. For more information visit http://www.tinuiti.com.

SOURCE Tinuiti

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Tinuiti Achieves Newly Created Amazon Ads Advanced Partner Status - PR Newswire

ANN ARBOR, MI With the citys new-and-improved recycling plant up and running, Ann Arbor officials are turning attention to better educating the community about waste reduction.

City Council voted 10-1 last week to OK an $853,211 contract with the local nonprofit Ecology Center for education, outreach and social-based marketing over the next five years.

That includes a marketing campaign to educate the community more about recycling, composting, trash and circular-economy programs and services.

Recycling education is, of course, imperative because we have new residents coming in all the time, Mayor Christopher Taylor said, referring to University of Michigan students and others. Further, the recycle marketplace changes all the time.

Ann Arbor opening new recycling plant. Heres what not to put in curbside bins.

A Recycle Ann Arbor truck collects curbside recyclables along Seventh Street on Aug. 22, 2022.Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News

Council Member Ali Ramlawi, D-5th Ward, said the contract jumped out at him as substantial.

As we move forward with implementing new ways of trying to get to carbon-neutrality or something close to that, I understand the need to spend and educate, he said, asking about the goals and metrics to measure success of the program.

The new contract supports three goals: increasing the recycling rate in the commercial sector, moving toward a more circular economy reducing waste generated, and raising community awareness about appropriate handling of recyclable, compostable and trash materials to influence behavior change, said Sarah Mason, the citys resource recovery manager.

That includes work in five areas: community-based social marketing, commercial sector education, education and outreach at community events, multi-family housing education and outreach, and youth education, Mason said.

Initiative helps residents identify, break bad recycling habits

Bales of aluminum materials at a Recycle Ann Arbors Materials Recovery Facility on Friday, March 25, in Ann Arbor. The facility opened Dec. 1, 2021, after a year of construction to complete a $7.25 million overhaul of the facility, which had been defunct since 2016. Its physical redesign and operating strategy are both driven by a zero-waste ethic with the aim of rebuilding a credible, transparent recycling system.Meg Potter | MLive.com

The Ecology Center is the parent organization of Recycle Ann Arbor, the nonprofit that runs the citys recycling plant and handles curbside recycling pickup. It has been a trusted education partner of the city since at least 2010 and has over 50 years experience in environmental work, including expertise in education, outreach and marketing, Mason said.

Previous city contracts with the Ecology Center focused on in-classroom programming and field trips for school children. The new contract includes youth education and also expands to meet the broader needs of the community identified in the citys solid waste plan and A2Zero carbon-neutrality plan, Mason told council, adding the plan is to reach people of all ages, abilities, incomes, races, cultures and ethnicities.

That includes some grassroots education, meeting members of the public where they are at events, she said.

I just want to say how excited I am to see this contract, said Council Member Lisa Disch, D-1st Ward. It brings into focus the crucial synergies between A2Zero and solid waste. This five-year contract is no longer than usual, but it is more far-reaching than previous contracts because it undertakes a much more ambitious public education campaign that is aligned with our A2Zero goals.

That includes urgently needed things that have been on her wish list, Disch said, mentioning increasing recycling by businesses and boosting everyones literacy when it comes to appropriate handling of recyclable and compostable items and trash.

But then taking us to a new level where were not only better at the disposal end of things, but we explore strategies that extend the useful life of a good, she said, noting a circular economy means refurbishing and repurposing goods.

The city website includes a map of locations in Ann Arbor that support circular-economy and zero-waste initiatives, including repair shops and used-good stores.

See inside Ann Arbors new recycling plant after $7.25M overhaul

A bale of plastic materials at a Recycle Ann Arbors Materials Recovery Facility on Friday, March 25, in Ann Arbor. The facility opened Dec. 1, 2021, after a year of construction to complete a $7.25 million overhaul of the facility, which had been defunct since 2016. Its physical redesign and operating strategy are both driven by a zero-waste ethic with the aim of rebuilding a credible, transparent recycling system.Meg Potter | MLive.com

Disch said shes also excited about a new partnership with the Community Action Network, which will be working with lower-income, multi-family housing properties to help residents identify solid waste priorities and work through some of the challenges with making recycling work at those complexes.

Council Member Jeff Hayner, D-1st Ward, cast the lone dissenting vote, saying hes never seen any reports summarizing the good that comes from the type of education and outreach done by the Ecology Center.

Disch asked staff how effectively Ann Arbor residents are recycling in terms of not putting non-recyclable materials into bins that can contaminate the recycling stream. Staff responded the city has had some of the lowest contamination rates in the state and the city completed its first audit of the recently upgraded recycling plant off Platt Road in April.

The goal is to have a contamination rate of less than 12% and the audit showed it was slightly higher than that, Mason said.

But we are working to bring that down, and this education and this outreach will help, she said.

Ann Arbor is still a leader in recycling nationally, even though its not quite meeting its own ambitious goal, she said.

Ann Arbor is asking city voters in November to approve a new 20-year tax to further fund A2Zero carbon-neutrality initiatives.

MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:

See where Ann Arbor plans to spend $474K planting 1,000 more trees

Who ya gonna call? Goose Busters help scare geese away from Ann Arbor parks

Ann Arbor OKs easements for DTE gas pipelines in 2 city parks

Street through Ann Arbors Kerrytown closing for months-long bikeway installation project

New Ann Arbor dealership offers new, pre-owned Hyundai vehicles

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Ann Arbor puts $853K behind new recycling education campaign - MLive.com

ColumnistsTuesday August 23 2022

Influencers are social media users with a sizable following who partner with companies to market products which may be of interest to their followers, whilst the companies benefit by directly accessing the target audience of their products.

The influencers market the products or service by providing testimonials about the products or service to their followers whilst the company expects an increase in sales from this approach. In 2019, it is estimated that companies around the world spent $6.5 billion on influencer marketing. In 2021, that market is estimated to have grown to $13.8 billion.

To show how this market is growing at a very fast pace, brands are expected to invest $15 billion in influencer marketing in the US alone. This figure is more than the size of the market in 2021.

In Kenya, there is a growing number of personalities who are in the influencer marketing space making a tidy income, mostly on Instagram. Most of them are personalities who have amassed a big following from mainstream media (radio and TV).

One of the reasons for this fast growth is that brands find influencer marketing cost-effective. The pandemic has also pushed brands towards more influencer marketing after growth of social media users during this period.

But the informal nature of influencer marketing comes with its own dangers such as misrepresentation, miseducation, or deceptive marketing. Deceptive influencer marketing involving product misrepresentation, misinformation and non-disclosure of sponsored product is a source of a growing concern largely because consumers place trust in influencers making them vulnerable to deception.

This creates a dicey situation for regulators who have the task to protect consumers because the informal nature of influence marketing makes it difficult to track and regulate these various vices.

Just a few weeks ago, there was concern that a local Instagram influencer was marketing a product through deceptive claims. Now, its more concerning when it gets to health products or advertising to children and there is deceptive marketing and misbranding.

There are two approaches to regulating influencer marketing; first is on the influencers side where the regulator shouldnt be bothered much because it would be tiresome to hold individuals accountable for deceptive marketing.

Private parties are best placed to hold them accountable by litigating influencers. So, this leaves regulators to deal with companies and brands on the legal obligation to advertise honestly to consumers and that extends to social media influencers too.

Therefore, this means that there is need to educate influencers on their legal obligations so that they dont find themselves taken advantage of by shady brands in deceptive marketing campaigns.

For example, what would it mean to an influencer to market a tobacco product which is outside the Tobacco Control Act (2007) and Tobacco Control Regulations?

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Is it time to regulate the fast-growing social media influencer marketing? - Business Daily