Tabla de contenidos para August 2024 en Adweek

WHEN MINNESOTA Gov. Tim Walz appointed Lauren Bennett McGinty to lead Explore Minnesota—the North Star state’s visitor bureau—in November 2021, she had her work cut out for her. Bringing Minnesota’s tourism industry, a $16 billion business in 2019, out of its pandemic slump would take all of her experience as a marketer and lobbyist. BROADEN YOUR MIND Like many aspiring marketers, McGinty got her bachelor’s degree in communications. But to move up at Scientific Societies, an association management nonprofit, she went back to get a master’s in project management rather than a traditional MBA. Those skills led McGinty to the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild, where she brought marketing and event planning in-house for its 160 member breweries. During Covid, McGinty pivoted to lobbying for the state’s hospitality industry. “My role…

WITH THE SECOND HALF of 2024 in full swing, ADWEEK is highlighting brands at the top of their game—and those in a slump. On the upside: Earlier this year, Abercrombie & Fitch enjoyed its best quarter in history after its fall from grace in the early aughts, and Dr Pepper surpassed Pepsi as the No. 2 soft drink. These brands have one thing in common: They’ve found their way into the hearts of Gen Z consumers. Meanwhile, Boeing’s door blowout in January didn’t do the company any favors. In fact, studies show that consumers would pay more just to avoid flying on the aircraft. Here’s a rundown of which brands are rising and falling so far in 2024. RISING: DR PEPPER Dr Pepper has been around since the 1880s, but…

FOR OVER 20 YEARS, ADWEEK has been honoring the most dynamic media plans and executions from around the world. This year, our Media Plan of the Year awards recognize honorees across 27 categories, ranging from Best Use of AI to Best Use of Streaming Media. Whether it was a campaign to counter an auto sales slump, build cross-generational love for a brand, or promote inclusiveness in the workplace, these media plans showed impressive results. ‘COSMETIC CRIMINALS’ Best Use of Streaming Media/OTT E.L.F. COSMETICS || MOVERS+SHAKERS E.l.f. Cosmetics continued its legacy of capitalizing on cultural moments this year by once again fusing beauty and entertainment. With the help of longtime creative partner Movers+Shakers, the beauty brand launched “Cosmetic Criminals,” a 15-minute “true crime” documentary-style commercial. Based on the real-life insights of…

AT A TIME when shoppers are feeling pinched by inflation, businesses are doing their best to distinguish their offerings from the competition. A new report shows collaboration—whether that involves putting a video game character on a birthday card or fast-food restaurant logo on sneakers—remains a viable way to achieve this goal, as licensing deals continue to proliferate worldwide. Last year, global retail sales of licensed merchandise and services increased to $356.5 billion, up 4.6% compared to 2022, according to research from trade association Licensing International. “The emotional connections we have with the brands we love inspire purchases, which is why licensing is so compelling,” said Maura Regan, president of Licensing International. Character and entertainment properties led the way, producing $147.6 billion in revenue. Licensing partnerships featuring company names and brand…

SHAREEN HILL Rising Star DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL STRATEGY, INNOCEAN USA While many agencies play into social media’s climate of instant gratification, Shareen Hill, the director of social strategy at Innocean USA, has elected to do the opposite. Hill uses the “quality over quantity” methodology—particularly for Hyundai’s online community and digital engagement. Hill authored Innocean USA’s 2024 organic social strategy, which became the year’s playbook for Hyundai’s social media calendar. Ditching the orthodox digital plans that prioritize volume, Hill focused on crafting less yet more compelling content, leaning into cultural moments like the Super Bowl, and creating “hype hits” as organic touch points to build brand equity. Since employing Hill’s strategy, Hyundai has seen an increase in its performance, with Instagram engagement being 5% over its goal, TikTok views per post…

BRANDS ARE FEELING some whiplash these days when it comes to consumer behavior. Where just a handful of years ago consumers were throwing around cash without a care, today they’re much more nuanced and less predictable in their post-Covid, inflation-cautious, anxiety-ridden spending. Of course, brand performance is also constantly evolving. But one thing has become startlingly clear: We need to resist the instinct to lean only on the tactics that are easiest to measure, such as conversion-based digital media spends (Google, social media ads, etc.) at the expense of a full-funnel strategy. Here’s the thing: A conversion-centric strategy alone is simply not effective in the current landscape. In recent weeks, I’ve had conversations with executives at four major U.S. brands, each facing alarmingly declining sales and reduced ROAS year over…