TV

Nielsen Launches Diversity and Equity Tracker

On Wednesday, Nielsen 1) launched a new diversity-focused analytics product and 2) proved it didn't know "unprecedented" was the most overused word of the last year. 

• Per the LA Times, Nielsen’s new Gracenote Inclusion Analytics tool will “deliver ‘unprecedented visibility into the gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation of talent appearing in TV programming and the audiences watching it.’”

The deets: Gracenote will not only use Nielsen’s top notch data measurement capabilities to measure how well diverse ads perform, but also how diverse certain television programs and viewing audiences are.

Stats on stats

If you’ve been reading this newsletter for awhile, you should know what Gracenote is likely to prove—that diversity in advertisements makes them perform better. Heck, even Nielsen isn’t beating around the bush:  

• “Gracenote Inclusion Analytics holds the power to push the industry toward better balance and a more equitable future,” said Nielsen senior vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion Sandra Sims-Williams.

Anyway, the stats: In 2019, one study found that the brands with the most diversity in their ads scored 83% higher on consumer preference, per Deloitte-owned agency Heat.

• And it’s not just about racial diversity—68% of non-LGBTQ+ people feel better about buying products from brands that include queer representation in campaigns.

Digging deeper

So if we expect Nielsen’s new tool to prove what we already know—that diverse ads perform better—we can safely assume marketers will cast more diverse faces in ads. That invites a new question: Shouldn’t diverse talent off-camera get paid for that too?

Yes, I’m talking about the Super Bowl: Regarding the comparatively large number of Black characters in 2021’s Super Bowl ads, 600 & Rising founder Nathan Young told Marketing Brew a few things: 

• “This attention has been mostly focused on casting decisions and less on the people and companies who make the ads,” Young said. 
• “Only 7% of the directors for Super Bowl spots this year were people of color. Only 5% of the directors were women. It’s clear we have a ways to go in ensuring diverse representation across agencies and production companies,” he continued.

My takeaway: It’s up to the organizations benefiting from diverse talent in front of the camera to make sure it’s reflected behind the scenes too. 

AGENCIES

What a Few Agencies—And Gary V—Were Up to During Black History Month

Sooo you might have heard about Gary Vaynerchuk’s recent brush with a frightening foe: his own deadline. ICYMI… 

• In 2020, the VaynerMedia CEO (very publicly) said he would hire two Black leaders to the agency’s C-suite by January 1, 2021. He didn’t. 
• Then this week, a VaynerMedia spokesperson told Adweek that Vaynerchuk “‘intends to fill the three new C-Suite positions with BIPOC candidates’ by June 1 of this year,” rather than specifically Black candidates. 

This news feels like as good an occasion as any to check in on what other agencies are up to during Black History Month, according to MediaPost.

GroupM: Melanin (an internal resource group for Latinx and Black employees at Wavemaker) and Mediacom’s FUBU are partnering for an e-commerce event centering Black entrepreneurs from the Official Black Wall Street organization.

Chemistry: The ad agency invited its team members to a (Covid-safe) “Traveling While Black” exercise at the office. Viewers encounter a 360-degree VR experience, then fill out a survey that will be used as a discussion guide.

Outfront Media: The out-of-home (OOH) media company and Artsy, an online marketplace, created a series in which up-and-coming Black artists depict joyful moments in Black culture...then Outfront displays them across US metro systems.

+1: How is your agency centering Black talent this month? Hit reply to let us know. 

SPONSORED BY #PAID

A Fair Rate Shouldn’t Be A Debate

How much do influencers cost—really? What’s a fair rate? Getting that data is important to plan your influencer marketing campaigns. 

Which is why you should take a peek at the data #paid put together. 

They’re spilling the tea on what the best content creators charged brands last year by industry, follower count, and content format. 

Read the article to see:

• What you be should be paying your influencers
• The major swings impacting cost

Bookmark the page, so when you’re ready to run influencer marketing for your brand, you can plan with confidence because you have real costs. 

And if you’re ready to make smoking-hot content alongside big brands like Toyota, Volvo, and Verizon, #paid is throwing in $500 of free creative assets on your first campaign.

Have a look at influencer costs today. 

BRANDING

A Golden Arch by Any Other Name Still Smells as Fried

Something was missing in McDonalds’ recent OOH campaign—namely, its brand name. 

• Agency Leo Burnett London’s latest OOH posters for Mickey D’s depict only half a golden “M” arch, rather than a full McDonald’s logo or name. 
• And in September, TBWA\Paris also produced name-free McDonald’s OOH installations—this time opting for digital billboards with huge bites taken out of them. 

Zoom out: I had a lot of questions about the French fry behemoth’s latest efforts (who took those bites?) but from a branding perspective, I couldn’t help but wonder…what other companies would a “nameless" campaign work for, and why?

Beyond the “household name” requirement, perhaps it comes down to colors and shapes. 

• The McDonald’s ads are recognizable because of the brand's signature yellow and logo shape.
• So theoretically, other brands with distinct shapes and colors—like Spotify’s bright green volume logo or Twitter’s signature blue bird—could achieve the same effect.

Looking ahead: But if today’s DTC branding trends, which leave every brand logo looking nearly identical, continue to grow in popularity, the future’s brands might not look distinct enough to pull off similar name-free campaigns.

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING

• Facebook is blocking news content in Australia in response to media bargaining laws.  
• iHeartMedia acquired Triton Digital for its growing podcast ad tech stack.
• Maryland, the inferior state bordering superior Virginia (so says this VA native), passed a tax on digital advertising.
• Facebook also came under fire for inflating ad metrics, which one employee called “deeply wrong.”

SPONSORED BY SAILTHRU

Email? More like e-nailing those revenue goals. Sailthru has penned a new guide, “Increasing Revenue from Email,” which lays out how your marketing team can take advantage of the recent increase in consumers’ online engagement. From retail to media, best-in-class brands are seeing their bottom lines rise. Learn how to capitalize on the trend with your email marketing here.

FRENCH PRESS

Marketing tips to make you fancy

Cookies: Check out these five tips for evaluating third-party cookie alternatives—and no, brownies didn’t make the list.

SEO: Marketing Brew readers can have a little search marketing tactics to drive sales list, as a treat.

Influencers: According to Jeff Bullas, these are the nine most inspiring influencer marketing campaigns of all time. 

CMOs: If you’re a marketing leader, here’s why you should embrace risk this year. 

METRICS & MEDIA

Stat: While 23% of US consumers said Aunt Jemima’s pivot to Pearl Milling Company would make them more likely to buy from the brand, 28% said the update made them less likely, per a new Ad Age-Harris Poll.

Quote: “Instead of being at the table where major business decisions are made, DEI was often layered under HR. When you’re asking someone to promote equity in an organization but don’t give them equitable visibility and authority, you’re sending a double message to your employees and consumers.”—Adcolor’s Tiffany R. Warren 

Read: LinkedIn’s Callie Schweitzer chatted with 20 top marketers on how to foster a workplace culture of diversity here.  

ICYMI

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

• Four social media managers gave Marketing Brew a backstage pass to their WFH lives 
• Sweetgreen hired its first executive creative director to launch its in-house agency
• Publicis’s Helen Lin got promoted and shook up the agency diversity hierarchy