Mediaboss Marketing

The main objectives of advertising raising brand awareness and maximising sales are well understood.

But there is a growing recognition of the positive role advertising can play in society. Increasingly it is being used to raise awareness of social, environmental and cultural issues, which is in turn driving behavioural changes in the population.

Advertising is also influencing the publics expectations of organisations and products, with ethical and sustainable policy becoming a valuable marketing tool.

But this approach needs to be handled with care. Companies which offer an authentic message that reflects genuine values and purpose succeed, while those that are disingenuous are often caught out.

This event will examine how brands can influence social and cultural change through their communications. Using examples from past and present campaigns to highlight both best practice and potential pitfalls, Sarah Turnbull, Professor of Marketing at the University of Portsmouth, will explore how advertising can be used for social good.

The discussion in this webinar will help you:

Professor Turnbull is a global marketing expert with over 30 years experience of working in industry and knowledge transfer. She has held senior management roles in global advertising agencies, both in Europe and the Middle East.

This webinar is open to marketing and commercial directors, senior and aspiring marketing professionals and those in management roles who are curious about marketing and keen to enhance or share their own practice.

Register via Eventbrite

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Modern Advertising: How Brand Communications are Transforming ... - Cranfield University

Colas, mangos, oranges, and lemons were the star of the show when it came to aerated aka soda drinks in India for a really long time. With domestic and international brands competing against each other, very few, close to none were exploring the Indian digestive ingredient Jeera.

In 2007, Xotik Frujus Chairman, Rajeev Sehgal introduced India to its first-ever commercially produced ready-to-drink jeera soda, Jeeru. An instant hit from the very beginning, which had a humble start in Mumbai and Surat, Jeeru is now a pan-India brand.

Now, to don an edgier, brighter and funkier look, Jeeru is shredding its old clothing. It also upgraded its image in 2020 but now, from brand logo and marketing to colour schemes, Jeeru is changing.

In conversation with Anjana Ghosh, CEO Xotik Frujus, Social Samosa looks back at Jeerus marketing journey through the years and unwraps the brands latest rebranding decision.

Since its inception in 2007, the brand largely focused on selling a product that well resonated with Indian taste standards. Now called J, Jeeru started off with exploring the markets and being available at local stores, kiranas and being at hand reach from the consumer. It first worked on its distribution strategy to strengthen its reach.

With little to no marketing in place, the brand was quick to spread its presence through Word-of-mouth (WOM).

Anjana says, Word of mouth is the most powerful and credible medium of marketing because if your brand is spoken well about by its loyal consumer base, I think nothing can beat that.

With its launch, Jeeru came as a familiar yet new taste for Indian consumers and quickly gained a loyal customer base. Today, the brand name is synonymous with Jeera Soda and has become a category descriptor across the country.

The soft drinks market in India amounts to $8.85 billion in 2023. Of that, 70% is dominated by Cola brands. The remaining 30%, as per Anjana, is shared by other categories and the ethnic beverage market, which calculates at about Rs 700-800 crore.

Anjana points out that with changing consumer habits and market dynamics, every brand needs to revamp and evolve with the growing market. This also comes at a time when iconic home-grown cola brand Campa Cola is making a comeback and other brands like Nokia have considered revamping their identity.

Previously, Jeeru (now J) dominated the Jeera Soda category in India. Anjana mentions that according to their market research, Jeeru was mostly associated with digestion and thus consumed only with food and not as a stand-alone drink.

The Jeera Soda category has close to 192 brands in India. J being one of them, needed to stand out and create a stand-alone name for itself.

According to Anjana, the brand wasnt aiming at just revamping the packaging, the brand aimed at re-evaluating and sculpting the companys values and their positioning as well.

In order to break the clutter down and explore a wider audience base, the brand stripped of this category (Jeera Soda) and has now stepped into a new segment the Masala Soda category. By owning this tag, the brand aims at competing with big names and connecting with the audience on a larger scale.

Commenting on this, Anjana said, While Jeeru has long been enjoyed by families at home during meal times, we are now promoting Jeeru as a drink for all occasions.

Apart from standing out to the mass, the main motive of this revamp was to connect better with the youth of India, hence the energetic packaging.

To bridge the gap between new and old identity, J will also add by Jeeru to its name. Anjana told Social Samosa that this was done to retain some elements of the past name to tap into the nostalgia factor so that consumers can connect better with the revamped brand.

Colours, shapes and visuals play an intense role in connecting with the TG of any brand. With Jeerus rebranding, Xotik aims at approaching the audience with a stylized and funkier look.

Unlike Jeeru, J a trendier version of its predecessor, adorns six colours on its packaging and the minimalist single letter J stands out amongst the maximalist colours in the background.

Speaking about the new design and its conceptualization, Anjana said, The new design and vibrant 6 colours are aimed at creating higher brand recall with a sharper identity amongst New India.She further stated that the objective behind this rebranding was to stand out of the clutter and shine amongst the hundreds of other brands whilst connecting with the younger generation who prefers desi over the West.

When J was still Jeeru, it mostly relied on traditional mediums of marketing and as a consumer favourite brand, users and retailers did most of the talking. With J having a more Gen-Z look and style to it, Xotik has formulated a year-long plan of curating various campaigns, trials and activities.

Along with that, digital and social media activations, OOH campaigns, print & other on-ground activations will play a key role in spreading the word. In a statement released to the press, Xotik mentioned that the company is expected to spend approx. 20 crore on various marketing activities for their newest re-launch.

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Jeeru to J: The journey from word-of-mouth marketing to the ... - Social Samosa

TikTokhas a new partner that can help the social media giant push product to consumers as part of itsrecently launched shopping pilot.

Cymbio, a solution designed to enable brands to start selling on multiple marketplaces at once and offer dropshipping capabilities, revealed it is helping power the controversial platforms TikTok Shop feature, which gives brands a potential reach of 150 million U.S. consumers.

TikTok Shop is available in the U.K., as well as Southeast Asian countries includingIndonesia, Vietnam and Singapore among others, and is expected to expand beyond trial mode in the U.S. market by the fourth quarter of 2023.

The shopping feature is designed to enable merchants, brands and creators to easily showcase and sell products directly within the TikTok app. Where Cymbios technology comes in is by embedding a brands product data and information to TikToks in-video, live shopping offering.

Apparel brands likePacSun,Revolveand Willow Boutique are among the first sellers that have joined the trial. Users who want to shop these brands products can tap on the shopping bag icon on the brands profile to view their catalogues and complete the checkout process without leaving TikToks app. TikTok says it will take a 5 percent commission on each in-app sale a business makes.

Cymbiosdigital commerce enablement platform is built for brands of any size to access a centralized platform where they can have a hands-off approach to their back-end operations in an effort to scale sales across various channels. The platform can automate the management of marketplaces, dropship and social media sales and operations, including data integration, set-up, mapping, taxonomy, onboarding and daily management of a brands operational needs.

With Cymbio, for example, brands leveragingTikTok Shopcan automate the processes of listing products, managing inventory, streamlining order processing, fulfillment and tracking orders and analytics.

Partnering with Cymbio is a great choice, allowing for seamless and quick connectivity and automation to our platform, said Sandie Hawkins, head of TikTok Shop, in a statement. Brands such as New Balance can easily monetize on TikTok, reducing shopping friction and engaging buyers at the exact moment of interest. We look forward to seeing this partnership flourish and helping brands grow.

The company has provided its services to major names in the fashion industry such asNew Balance,Authentic Brands Group,Steve Maddenand Camper in an effort to help them get in front of new customers and channels. Through Cymbios platform, these brands have been introduced to retailers and marketplaces including Farfetch, Kohls Corp.,Macys Inc., Dillards Inc., Saks Inc.,Urban Outfitters Inc., Walmart Inc., Zappos and others.

We are thrilled to partner with TikTok, enabling brands multichannel opportunities to reach a brand new, highly engaged audience via TikTok Shop, said Roy Avidor, chief executive officer and cofounder of Cymbio, in a statement. We are humbled and excited to expand and value TikTok Shop as a high-growth opportunity for brands of all sizes.

Social commerce in general has had plenty of attempts to get off the ground, but U.S. consumers havenever committedto buying off of the platforms. After pushing itsShop featureheavily during the COVID-19 pandemic, Instagram removed the Shop tab in January and shuttered its livestream shopping feature on March 16. Instagrams sister social network Facebook also shut down itslive shopping featurein October to shift its focus to its short-form video feature Reels.

But TikTok apparently has been able to at least convince people to buy a product elsewhere after seeing it on the app perhaps influencing the companys decision to go forward with TikTok Shop. The phrase TikTok made me buy it has garnered 7.4 billion views across videos on the platform, in fact, and the hashtag has generated a whopping 47.2 billion views.

TikTokcontinues its attempt to capitalize on social commerce as doubts seep in about the future of the platform in the U.S. amid concerns of its data collection methods.

In a five-hour hearing on Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was grilled by Congress over the firms use of consumer data, its parent companys potential ties to the Chinese government and the apps impact on mental health.

Lawmakers across the aisle have been critical of the platform, with some calling for either an outright ban on it and others calling for a sale by the China-based parent, ByteDance. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that TikTok should be ended one way or another, and there are different ways of doing that.

To date, U.S. lawmakers have offered no evidence of TikTok harming U.S. national security interests.

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TikTok Partners With Cymbio on Live Shopping Feature WWD - WWD

Over 90% of US marketers in firms with more than 100 employees leveraged social media marketing in 2022

MIAMI (PRWEB) March 24, 2023

According to Statista, 92.1% of US marketers in companies with 100+ employees leveraged social media for marketing purposes in 2022. It suggests that social media is a powerful tool to use for connecting businesses with potential clients.

DesignRush, a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies, identified the leading social media marketing agencies that help organizations leverage the potential of social media to grow brand awareness and drive user engagement.

The top social media marketing agencies in March are:

1. The Meaningful Social Club - meaningfulsocialclub.com Expertise: Social Media Management, Social Media Content Creation, Strategy & Consulting and more

2. Just Get Known - justgetknown.com Expertise: Content Creation, Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing and more

3. Nvent Marketing - nventmarketing.com Expertise: Social Media Management, PPC Management, Video Marketing and more

4. Newman Web Solutions - newmanwebsolutions.com Expertise: Advertising, Social Media Marketing, Google Analytics Consulting and more

5. Digital 5M - digital5m.com Expertise: Email Marketing, Social Media Marketing, PPC Management and more

6. Unstoppable Start Studios - unstoppablestart.com Expertise: Social Media Marketing, Video Marketing, Branding and more

7. Winning Web Works - winningwebworks.com Expertise: Web Design, Content Editing, Social Media Management and more

8. Chronos Agency - chronos.agency Expertise: Email Marketing, SMS Marketing, Social Media Management and more

9. Beach Chair Marketing - beachchairmarketing.ca Expertise: Social Media Management, LinkedIn Outreach, Web Design and more

10. Irving Torres - irvingtorres.com Expertise: Digital Advertising, Social Media Management, Content Marketing and more

11. MDZN Studio - mdznstudio.com Expertise: Social Media Management, Influencer Management, Digital Advertising and more

12. Scorch - scorchagency.com Expertise: Content Marketing, Media Planning and Purchasing, Social Media Marketing and more

13. 10Plus Brand - 10plusbrand.com Expertise: Social Media & Influencer Marketing, Content Writing, Video Production and more

14. Webvendere - webvendere.com Expertise: Social Media Marketing, PPC Management, SEO and more

15. Digital Media Ninja - digitalmedianinja.com Expertise: Influencer Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Reputation Management and more

16. Odondo - odondo.co Expertise: Social Media Management, Help Desk Support, Data Processing and more

17. Standard American Web - standardamericanweb-atlanta.com Expertise: Graphic Design, Social Media Marketing, Email Campaign Management and more

18. Haywire Marketing - haywiremarketing.net Expertise: Facebook Advertising, Social Advertising, Google Advertising and more

19. Joseph Studios - josephstudios.net Expertise: Social Media Management, Content Marketing, Public Relations and more

20. Digital Experts USA - digitalexpertsusa.com Expertise: eCommerce Marketing, Online Reputation Management, Social Media Marketing and more

21. Venus Digital Media - venusdigitalmedia.co.uk Expertise: Social Media Management, Web Design, Brand Design and more

22. DEGOM Marketing - degomglobalmarketing.com Expertise: Social Media Marketing, Cold Calling, Lead Generation and more

23. Kelooj - kelooj.com Expertise: Market & Brand Analysis, Branding, Social Media Management and more

24. Mike Hamm Communications - mikehammcommunications.com Expertise: Social Media Management, Advertising Design & Deployment, Branding and more

25. Industrie-Contact AG - publicrelations-germany.com Expertise: Online PR, Influencer Marketing, Social Media Marketing and more

26. Espresso B2B Marketing - espressob2b.com Expertise: Lead Generation, Social Media Marketing, Digital Advertising and more

27. Centaur Interactive - centaurinteractive.com Expertise: Digital Marketing, SEO, PPC Management and more

28. Apex Marketing Team - reachingapex.com Expertise: Social Media Strategy, Video Marketing, Event Marketing and more

29. The Digital Cauldron - thedigitalcauldron.com Expertise: Influencer Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing and more

Brands can explore the top social media marketing agencies by location, size, average hourly rate and portfolio on DesignRush.

About DesignRush:

DesignRush.com is a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects.

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The Top Social Media Marketing Agencies In March, According To ... - PR Web

Soul Food is known to many as not only belly-warming but warmth for the soul, too.

Blax Friday, a community organization that got its start in the summer of 2020, shines a light on Black-owned businesses throughout Arizona. Three years ago, they held their first Soul Food Wednesdays dining series at Hotel Congress.

In the past few months, the events moved to the MSA Annex, which is hosting its next Soul Food Wednesday from 7 - 10 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29. The event is free to attend and will feature more than 45 Black-owned businesses making it the largest Black business market in Arizona.

"Our goals are representation and economic empowerment of Black business owners. We spotlight businesses through our website, app, social marketing, promotions, and community events."

Some of the local and regional food options at this Wednesday's event include Off the Hook Seafood, Ducky's Pineapple Banana Bread, Black Vibez Catering, and Not Meat Vegans (just to name a few).

Check out the full list of vendors below and start planning your route.

The following Soul Food Wednesdays will not be at the MSA Annex but Blax Friday recently announced that they've secured April's big event at Playground.

The MSA Annex is located at 267 S. Avenida del Convento. For more information, follow Blax Friday on Instagram and check out eventbrite.com.

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45+ Vendors to be at this week's 'Soul Food Wednesdays' - Tucson Foodie