In Tazo’s latest TikTok campaign—produced by creative agency of record, Edelman—the term “regenerative” is thrown around quite a few times, referring to the tea company’s farming practices, as well as the video production.

But in the context of marketing, what does “regenerative” actually mean?

• According to the video, the goal was to produce it with the smallest environmental impact.
• But experts say regenerative marketing must do more than just reduce impact, which is often the focus in corporate sustainability. Instead, it requires leaving a net-positive impact on the environment and local community.

Regenerative, meet marketing

The term is more popular in the context of regenerative agriculture: While there are no definitive standards, the NRDC says the farming practices involved are “meant to restore soil and ecosystem health, address inequity, and leave our land, waters, and climate in better shape for future generations.” Tazo’s campaign was for the company’s new line of teas grown and farmed using regenerative practices.

• “It’s our job as creatives to get [Tazo] credit for all of that work, and, in this context, to do it ideally in a way that lives up to those same regenerative principles,” Eden Feducia, VP and creative director at Edelman, told us.
• Feducia said this was the agency’s “first foray” into regenerative practices. Edelman has previously faced criticism for its work with fossil-fuel companies.

How they did it: For this ad, the team decided to shoot outside without AC or studio lighting, plant flowers instead of using props, skip craft services to cut down on food waste, and hire local workers to cut down on flight emissions. To help those involved, they also provided childcare on set.

We talked to others who are interested in regenerative marketing to learn more about what could be the industry’s next sustainability trend. Keep reading here.—KH

Now that Biden’s “will they/won’t they?” student loans-themed rom-com is over, there’s no better time to catch up on the other major political decisions being made right now. In a land far away from the White House, called a “Zoom meeting room,” social media platforms are making some political calls, too.

“To allow political ads ahead of the midterms, or not to…do that? That is the question.” —Shakespeare, probably.

Here’s the latest on their policies:

Meta: The Facebook and Instagram overlord recently said that—from one minute after midnight on November 1 to November 8 (US midterm election day) at 11:59pm PT—no new ads about “social issues, elections, or politics” can be published, and that “most edits” aren’t allowed either. Political ads that have been approved and gotten at least one impression before November 1 can continue running, though.

Twitter: Twitter banned political ads in 2019. As for the midterms, it outlined some steps it’s taking to combat misinformation here, but didn’t mention any ad-specific protocols.

TikTok: In a recent blog post, TikTok said it does not allow “paid political ads” or “content influencers are paid to create,” however if the influencers are compensated for political posts with gifts, or not compensated at all, their content is fair game.

Snap: The yellow ghost allows political and election-related advertising, as long as the ad says who paid for it. Snap spokesperson Pete Boogaard told Marketing Brew that it will have an announcement related to the midterms in the coming weeks, but it won’t be related to political advertising.

Pinterest: Political campaign ads haven’t been allowed on the platform since 2018, Pinterest spokesperson Johanna Santana told Marketing Brew.

BeReal: May or may not be eaten alive by Instagram well before the midterms.

Big picture: As Protocol recently pointed out, “questions remain about how apolitical these policies really are” and what kind of impact they actually have. And political ads posted by influencers make development and enforcement of ad policies even trickier.—PB

Amazon Prime Video is ready for some football.

When the Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers face off this evening, the first-ever Thursday Night Football game exclusive to Prime Video kicks off a considerable experiment: Amazon’s $1 billion per year bet on the future of sports viewing.

Leading up to the preseason matchup, Prime Video has pulled out all the stops, including:

• Recruiting former Sunday Night Football producer Fred Gaudelli to lead the broadcast, and hiring big announcer talent
• Creating a new logo and new theme music
• Marketing the upcoming broadcast across Amazon’s footprint, including on Alexa devices, on Prime Video, and via Amazon boxes themselves

Those involved in the broadcast, including sportscasting legend Al Michaels, said during a press call this week that it’ll look a lot like what football fans are accustomed to.

“We are not going to reinvent the wheel,” Michaels said.

Be prepared for some changes: The broadcast will include interactive on-screen features, including alternative feeds, statistics, and on-demand replays, Gaudelli said, and the streamer plans to air an introductory video highlighting how to use those interactive features. Interactive shopping will also be a part of the experience, said Marie Donoghue, Amazon’s VP, global sports video.

But the biggest hurdle is getting fans to tune in, and execs are tempering expectations. Last year, Thursday Night Football games, then airing on Fox Sports, averaged 16.4 million viewers across all platforms; Amazon has reportedly told advertisers to expect around 12.5 million this season.

“It may not happen overnight, but we really think fans will come to this broadcast,” Donoghue said. In streaming, “the consumption trends are in our favor,” she added—and Prime Video wants to “lead that transition.”—KS

There are a lot of bad marketing tips out there. These aren’t those.

Traffic jam: Five possible reasons why your paid search or social campaign isn’t getting any traffic.

Dream job: Want to work in social media? Here are six tips from experts for landing a job in the field.

ShopTok: TikTok shared some research looking into how users shop on its app.

By the numbers: See how your website stacks up in this super-competitive digital landscape with the 2022 Digital Experience Benchmark Report. Over 100 KPIs + expert analysis = get it here.*

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Morning Consult published an analysis of the latest food and beverage trends based on a series of monthly surveys it’s been conducting since October 2021, with insights on everything from grocery habits to changes in attitudes about restaurants.

Of interest (at least to us on this sunny summer Thursday): drinking behaviors.

Drinking szn: Self-reported alcohol spending among US adults over 21 took a dip from the end of 2021 into the first quarter, but by the beginning of the summer, it had recovered to about what it was the same time last year.

• This June, adults of legal drinking age reported spending an average of $34 on alcohol, compared to $33 during that month last year.
• That average was $38 in May, the highest of any month that Morning Consult reported.

Pour one out: As far as consumption—not spending—goes, there’s been a decline from October to June.

• 63% of US adults said they drank alcohol as of October, but as of June, only 58% said the same.
• A return to pre-pandemic routines, desires to save, and health and wellness concerns could be contributing to the trend, according to Morning Consult.