AGENCIES

Shaquille O’Agency

The Big Diesel (or really, the Big Pitchman) has found another gig in retirement, announcing this week that he’s cofounding a creative agency centered around pushing legacy agencies to diversify.

Dubbed Majority, Shaq’s agency aims to have a talent pool that’s 75% “black, brown, women, and LGBTQ.” That’s an obvious contrast from Madison Avenue:

• Black employees make up less than 6% of agency workforces, and mostly perform administrative and entry level roles, according to the American Association of Advertising Agencies.

In the paint: “It’s as much about social equity as a shrewd business decision,” said Omid Farhang, cofounder and chief executive of Majority. “Diversity is a competitive advantage. Diversity leads to different kinds of ideas that create different types of cultural discussions.”

Shaq won’t play a role in the day-to-day operations of the agency, but will open doors and act as more of a figurehead. Makes sense: Few have lent their name to more products than Shaqzilla, who branded himself an entrepreneur after hanging up his jersey. 

So far his investments look more promising than his free throw percentage. An owner of several Papa John’s and Auntie Anne’s franchises, Shaq basically became the face of the pizza brand as the chain tried to revamp its reputation.

Earned—more glamorous—media

But Shaq’s involvement got us thinking…maybe celebrity agencies are an emerging trend.

• In 2019, Horizon Media signed Pitbull to create the spinoff agency 305 Worldwide. Mr. Bull holds a minority stake in the venture. 
• And of course, there’s Mr. Mint Mobile. Would the ads be in the zeitgeist if not for the company’s celebrity owner? 

For what it’s worth, Ryan Reynolds and his Maximum Effort creative agency/production company have backed it up, scoring hit after viral hit—including Peloton Wife’s snapback and the first look at Taylor Swift’s remixed catalog.

Our take: Whether to earn headlines or earn an audience, celebs are making the transition from pitchman to creative director.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Instagram Plays Hide and Go Seek

After Instagram tested hiding likes again earlier this week, some marketers were spooked. Are likes being hidden once and for all?

Record scratch: You’re probably wondering how we got here.

• In 2019, Instagram said it would test hiding like counts on posts.
• Since then, the platform has experimented with removing likes to different degrees in various parts of the world—Australian likes, for instance, are currently in hiding.  

What we’re in for

Instagram said this week’s test was more widespread than intended. “We've been testing a new experience to hide likes on Feed posts. We unintentionally added more people to the test today, which was a bug,” Instagram said.

But that doesn’t mean the “hiding likes” chapter is closed. 

• “We are testing this because we want Instagram to be a place where people feel comfortable expressing themselves. This includes helping people to focus on the photos and videos they share, not how many likes they get,” a Facebook spokesperson told Marketing Brew. 

My takeaway: The complete death of likes is still on the table, even if it’s not an immediate possibility. Luckily, 2019 spawned a plethora of articles on how marketers can prepare, in the event IG’s plans accelerate. 

SPONSORED BY ASANA

“Get Back to Work”

We’ve all heard that one before (and never, ever rolled our eyes at it). 

But when getting back to work means jumping between a dozen apps, doing work about work, and chipping away at massive to-do lists, they should really say: “Get back to productivity.”

Asana surveyed more than 13,000 global workers in order to better understand what is getting in the way of productivity in a distributed world—and how to fix it.

The result? The Anatomy of Work Index report.

Asana’s report found that workers could get back more than 6 hours every week by improving processes. That’s precious time that could be spent doing the skilled and strategic work you were hired to do.

Read the full report and get back to work productivity today.

MOBILE

“Who’s texting you?” “Just Clubhouse…again.”

If you’re on Clubhouse, you know the app’s near constant push notifications are more than a little annoying. But they’re also a great case study in the dos and don’ts of push notification marketing. 

• The average user doesn’t expect that many push notifications post-download, mobile notification expert and Airship Technology SVP Mike Herrick told Marketing Brew. 
• Herrick thinks the high frequency could reduce the growing platform’s MAU retention. 

On frequency: Herrick believes in testing the impact of frequency and messaging...frequently . 

• “It's not true for every brand that people want less messaging…so throw away any assumptions and do A/B testing to see what the impact is on engagement and user retention,” Herrick said. 

On messaging: The Airship exec also suggested adding more timely in-app messaging to influence your push notification strategy. 

• For instance, Airship’s Customer Engagement Platform worked with the BBC on its strategy for the Royal Wedding, during which the news outlet’s app asked users if they were interested in the event. 
• A “yes” opened the push notification floodgates…to impressive results, including a 13% direct open rate that was four times higher than any other news outlet’s.

Bottom line: Push notifications aren’t one size fits all.

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING

• Netflix rolled out a “TikTok-esque” new video feature centered around comedy shorts.
• Instacart is beefing up its media network. So is everyone else.
• Facebook is working on making its News Feed safer for brands, promising to keep ads away from touchy subjects like crime or politics.
• Disney World and its home city of Orlando are both running tourism campaigns—and they couldn’t be more different.

SPONSORED BY POSTCLICK

Don’t let all that digital ad spend go down the drain. According to Postclick, digital marketers waste 96% of their ad budgets. That’s a big number—and a bit of a mystery for most. High performers do some key things differently. Download Postclick’s e-book to discover a proven method for winning more conversions today.

FRENCH PRESS

Marketing tips to make you fancy

Platforms: Here are the 30 best Clubhouse rooms for marketing, sales, and business growth.

SEO: How to find the best clients (and avoid toxic ones) for your SEO agency.

Customer Service: What you’re missing if you’re not using customer surveys.

Facebook: Build your brand or direct response? Here’s what Facebook says works best.

A globally recognized marketing icon: Bozoma Saint John, CMO of Netflix, will be the keynote speaker at Activate Live on April 7. In an exclusive fireside chat, she’ll share insights on how to create a quality, authentic customer experience. Reserve your seat here.*

*This is sponsored advertising content

METRICS AND MEDIA

Stat: Despite a pandemic, a presidential election, and a year of social unrest, more than half of American consumers stayed “loyal” to their favorite brands, according to a Merkle survey. 

Quote: “This is a sign that the NFL wants to take as much as they can for as long as they can. A decade from now, the world will surely look different and a new set of bidders will need to emerge,” said media analyst Michael Nathanson about negotiations between the NFL and its broadcasting partners.

Listen: Creative Hotline is a podcast that tackles the thorny questions around creativity, marketing, and advertising, hosted by Shane Snow and Allen Gannett (you might remember him from the time Phoebe went on his previous show). Listen here.

ICYMI

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

• Mountain Dew’s deepfake
• How agencies are celebrating Women’s History Month
• Why retailers are building out their media networks