CMOS

The Marketer Building Back Girlboss

Girlboss’s new head of marketing, Taylor Loren, knows the media brand has work to do on the inclusivity front. But last week, she told me via Zoom that she’s up for the challenge. 

Record scratch: Wait, Taylor who? Girlboss what? In case you don’t know the Girlboss media brand from Sophia Amoruso’s Girlboss memoir, here’s a quick recap of what Loren is stepping into as its new top marketer.

• So about that memoir—published in 2014, the book chronicles Amoruso’s rise from grungy teen to CEO of fashion retailer Nasty Gal.
• Nasty Gal didn’t stick around, but the idea of the “Girlboss” did...hence Amoruso’s next venture, the Girlboss media brand. 

Enter: Summer 2020’s “fall of the Girlboss,” when the group Amoruso’s brand catered to (white, female founders) were widely criticized for non-inclusive workplace practices. In June and July, many—including Amoruso herself, citing financial concerns—stepped away from the millennial pink companies they built.  

The right Girlboss for the job

That situation doesn’t sound ideal for a marketing team to inherit, but Loren shared part of her game plan for winning over a more intersectional audience with Marketing Brew.

On a social-first rebrand: When it comes to literally disassociating your brand from a sociopolitical movement, where do you even start? According to Loren, it’s on social. 

• “I think first steps [include] looking at our social content, [making] sure our Instagram feed represent[s] a very wide array of all types of women and being super inclusive there,” Loren said. “That goes beyond just making sure you have diverse stock photos.” 

On creating new brand associations: “Redefining success for women and women in the workplace is a really good place to start for us,” Loren said. 

• “I think that's where that ‘Girlboss’ term sometimes has a negative connotation. And I think where the pendulum’s swinging is [that] now, success [means] balance and mental wellness and not just like your career—there's so much more to you as a successful woman.”

My takeaway: Loren's focus on concrete, achievable steps toward change—such as starting on social and reworking one specific message like “success” at a time—provides a good blueprint for marketers in a similar position. 

CAMPAIGNS

Ever Heard of Heinz Ketchup?

I once knew a guy who, when asked his middle name, would say, “It’s a type of ketchup.” Without fail, the guesser would respond “Heinz!” And Ketchup Name would sigh, and say “No, Hunt.”

Heinz Ketchup basically did that experiment itself last week...but more officially.

• For the condiment brand’s latest campaign, agency Rethink asked focus groups across five different continents to “draw ketchup.”
• The vast majority of them not only drew the Heinz brand logo, but also included the “57” number and signature tomatoes, per Ad Age.

Heinz, a history

So...how do you get your brand to product-synonymous-icon status?

Be really old: Ketchup became a part of horseradish company Heinz in 1876. 

Be consistent: If you look at the above left photo from 1901, you’ll realize that the brand’s logo has hardly changed since. 

A lingering question: Could any 2021 brand pull this off? The suite of brands that recently made their logos look almost identical says no. “2021 was the year that brands chose utility over originality. Yeah sans serif typefaces look cleaner and more legible across different mediums, but at what cost?” tweeted Morning Brew’s Toby Howell. 

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STRATEGIES

Barilla Says You’ll Never Burn Water Again

Barilla’s most recent marketing stunt is not only music to creative ears, but also really easy to replicate.

• ICYMI, the pasta brand made Spotify playlists for each of its pasta shapes...but each playlist lasts as long as you’re supposed to cook said noodle variety. 
• Examples include: Timeless Emotion Fusilli, Moody Day Linguine—you get the gist. 

A trend? Kind of. Branded playlists with fun twists have popped up here and there over the past few years—see KFC and Vans for recent examples. 

If you’re curious about the strategy, read on for a few pros of becoming the Covid-19 marketing DJ. 

• Between the start of the pandemic and May, Spotify’s monthly active users (MAUs) grew by 31%, making it an even better place to connect with your audience remotely. 
• As of May 2020, Spotify had also surpassed both Pinterest and Snapchat in MAUs.  
• Finally, creating a playlist is 100% organic, and adding another zero dollar strategy to your toolbox during an economic downturn can’t hurt.

Looking ahead: For timely info on why quarantine is an ideal time to test this strategy, check out this piece from Catalogue. 

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING

• Budweiser is skipping a Super Bowl ad for the first time in 37 years, opting to shift its ad spend to Covid-19 vaccine awareness efforts. 
• NBCUniversal today announced a new global advertising and content partnership with Twitter. 
• NBCU is also axing its sports network come 2021’s end and shifting some sports programming to USA Network and Peacock instead.
• Chipotle, among many other brands, will run its first Super Bowl ad this year. 

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FRENCH PRESS

Marketing tips to make you fancy 

CMOs: A new report from Gartner suggests CMOs will rely on more low-risk strategies in 2021—read the brief explaining why here. 

Case studies: Buffer recently broke down skincare and period brand Blume’s strategy for selling to Gen Z on social in this case study. 

Agencies: In the most controversially titled advertising opinion piece I’ve ever seen, Unbound media breaks down Six Lessons for a Post-Agency World. 

Trends: I am once again asking you to read Marketing Brew’s survey of The Most Overlooked and Overhyped Marketing Trends of 2020.

AD ANTIQUES

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Are you a Girlboss, 1968 Vanda Cosmetics maven?

ICYMI

Catch up on a few Marketing Brew stories you might have missed.

• Some brands are keen to show political bias, embracing President Biden with open arms
• PQ Media’s new forecast will make you do a double take
• Apple recently announced plans for a podcast subscription service