AGENCIES

Trump Signs Anti-Diversity Training Order

President Trump’s latest shot fired at Madison Avenue came in the form of an executive order telling ad agencies to stop diversity training programs. The order, which was issued on September 22, is equal parts confusing and troubling.

• It essentially prohibits government contractors, including ad agencies that work with the federal government, from implementing diversity training programs. 
• Every major holding company and many agencies made further investments in such programs this summer after the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.

The 4A’s say “no way”

The American Association of Advertising Agencies (the 4A’s) is pushing back on this order for two main reasons: 

One: The order would destroy many of the diversity and inclusion programs that agencies have “heavily invested in,” Marla Kaplowitz, 4A's president and CEO, told Ad Age. 

Two: No one really understands its logistics. Kaplowitz also told Ad Age that the order “prohibits employee training on topics such as 'stereotyping' and 'scapegoating' based on race or sex,” which are “ambiguous terms that even courts of law have trouble parsing and applying.” 

Getting practical 

Ad agencies are going to need to know what all that language means in practice in order to prevent their federal government projects from being “canceled, terminated, or suspended.”

Kaplowitz also spoke with The Drum and stated that the order presents “new conflicts in current obligations agencies have under state laws to adhere to diversity training programs.” Anonymous holding company execs told Ad Age that they hope the order is deemed unconstitutional before it becomes law. 

They could be waiting a while. 

My takeaway: A lot of legal issues need to be ironed out before agencies know what major changes (if any) they’ll need to make, from forgoing lucrative government contracts to potentially altering diversity training—depending on the agency’s own brand values. 

CMOS

Alex Schultz, Facebook CMO

This week, Facebook plucked an exec from its own herd to succeed Antonio Lucio. Alex Schultz, who previously served as Facebook’s VP of product growth, analytics, and internationalization, will follow in Lucio’s footsteps as CMO.

Lucio stepped down last month to focus more on diversity and inclusion on Madison Avenue. 

A long to-do list: The new CMO will retain his VP duties in addition to his new role.

• Schultz began his career at the social media powerhouse 13 years ago as an analyst, then worked his way through the ranks American Dream-style. He became VP in 2014.
• Pre-FB, the new CMO began his career at eBay as a marketing manager. 

Why it matters: Facebook not only seems to be rewarding loyalty with this appointment, but also vastly diverging from the type of marketer formerly in its CMO role—Lucio was more of a brand marketer than a growth marketer.

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CAMPAIGNS

Throwback Marketing, Ferris Bueller Style

Feel old yet? Alan Ruck—aka Cameron from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off—plays the dad in LiftMaster’s latest nostalgia-driven TV spot. The ad promotes LiftMaster’s Secure View Opener, which is basically a garage door with a surveillance camera that streams footage right to your smartphone.

You can watch it here, but the spot (which runs across U.S. TV, digital video, and social media) essentially reimagines what the Ferris Bueller garage scene would have looked like if Cameron’s dad could see Ferris and Cameron through LiftMaster’s smart home tech.

• Agency Schafer Condon Carter (SCC) worked with the Chicago-based (!) brand on the creative. 

+1: SCC also upped the throwback factor by getting the rights to “Oh Yeah” by Yello (the original song from the 1986 Ferris Bueller soundtrack), studying the lighting and camera angles from the garage scene, and making a replica of the film set so exact that it even gave Ruck himself flashbacks, per MediaPost.  

Why Alan Ruck is back on our screens in 2020: Nostalgia marketing actually becomes more appealing in times of crisis. Plus, nostalgia can make us feel less bored, less anxious, and less alone.

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING

• Samsung unveiled a self-serve ad platform on Wednesday.
• Ford’s new CEO Jim Farley made an executive overhaul on his first day, opting to shift his CMO’s focus to a narrower role. 
• ID Comms bought media auditing firm PJL Media in its very first acquisition.
• SAP is set to acquire Emarsys, a leader in omnichannel customer engagement.

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FRENCH PRESS

Marketing tips to make you fancy

Socials: Here’s the latest and greatest guide to IGTV dimensions, best practices, and creation apps. 

Newsletters: Noah Kagan was employee #30 at Facebook and #4 at Mint, and has started 24 companies. Join his weekly newsletter for proven tips on marketing, starting businesses, and growth. He also features weekly freebies for subscribers, private office hours, and business grants (aka cash).

B2B: Google shared important data about B2B consumers’ emotional state and spending habits during the pandemic. 

CMOs: Watch Morning Brew CEO Alex Lieberman’s CMO Series conversations with Mike Mikho, CMO of Laundry Service, and Ross Simmonds, CEO at Foundation.

METRICS & MEDIA

Stat: Despite Covid-19, 73% of marketers have upped influencer marketing spend this year. 

Quote: “Life moves pretty fast. You don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” —Ferris Bueller

Read: This story on how men’s cosmetic brand Faculty used streetwear marketing techniques to rebrand masculine beauty. 

ICYMI

Catch up on the top Marketing Brew stories from the last few editions.

• Here’s how marketers can leverage the presidential debates for success
• Disney is selling its ad tech company, TrueX, to Gimbal
• Publishers are pivoting to OTT—here’s why