In this episode, Ana and I talk about how her experience as a successful female business leader informs the way NI is increasing diversity in its engineering talent. We also discuss what she is doing to help modernize the company’s purpose and impact strategy and how the company is being intentional in shaping the future of the industry. At the time of this recording, Ana was with NI and has recently become the new CMO at Affinipay.

In this episode, you’ll learn: 

• How Ana is helping to modernize and rebrand an established company
• The three pillars NI has established to drive its corporate impact strategy
• Ways to directly impact the pipeline of talent and improve diversity in technology

Key Highlights 

• [04:20] Ana’s path from being an engineering student in Peru to CMO at NI 
• [09:35] How is the CMO role defined at NI
• [10:55] Why does NI classify ESG under the marketing umbrella
• [12:30] The way corporate impact manifests in the marketplace
• [14:30] The unique position NI is in to shape the future of engineering 
• [18:15] What NI is doing to “change the faces of engineering”
• [23:15] The important role women play in business leadership
• [24:50] Practical ways Ana is focusing on diversifying the workforce
• [26:30] The importance of being mindful of leadership succession plans  
• [30:00] The impact Ana’s grandmother had on who she is today
• [33:15] Shifts in marketing towards being more multidimensional 
• [35:00] Which companies are leading efforts to get more women into STEM
• [37:45] The benefits of being agile in the way we engage customers

Resources Mentioned: 

• Ana Villegas 
• NI 
• Corporate Impact at NI 
• Interview with prior CMO on Marketing Today – Carla Piñeyro Sublett 
• Latinitas, a non-profit organization that empowers girls to innovate through media and technology, where Ana is on the board 
• Raven and Lily, where Ana is on the board, is a certified B-corporation dedicated to upholding a positive environmental and social impact, working with organizations that champion women and ensure they are involved in every aspect of our business, whether at the executive level, in design and development, or sourcing and production. 
• Ana is a member of the University of Texas McCombs School Marketing Advisory Council: a collegiate organization comprised of industry leaders to advise the McCombs School Marketing staff on the development of the program. 
• Ana is also part of the Fast Company Executive Board: an invitation-only professional network of company founders, executives, and leaders who are defining the future of business. 

Follow the podcast: 

• Listen in iTunes (link: http://apple.co/2dbdAhV) 
• Listen in Google Podcasts (link: http://bit.ly/2Rc2kVa) 
• Listen in Spotify (link: http://spoti.fi/2mCUGnC) 

Connect with the Guest: 

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/villegasana/ 
• https://twitter.com/anavillegas 
• https://twitter.com/NIglobal 

Connect with Marketing Today and Alan Hart: 

• Twitter: Alan B Hart - http://twitter.com/abhart 
• LinkedIn: Alan B Hart  - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanhart 
• Twitter: Marketing Today - http://twitter.com/themktgtoday 
• Facebook: Marketing Today - https://www.facebook.com/themktgtoday/
• LinkedIn: Marketing Today - https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketing-today-with-alan-hart/ 

*Note: at the time of this recording, Ana was with NI and is now the CMO at Affinipay*

Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies but is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.

The post Shaping The Future Of Engineering And Technology With NI CMO Ana Villegas appeared first on AList.

What is earned media value – and why should it guide marketing decisions?

Earned media value is a metric that adds context and quantifiable value to social media content. It’s key to making decisions about what platform to use or abandon. Earned media value looks at more than clicks—it also examines results—the performance of content within the context of marketing and revenue goals. Earned media value’s data is exceptionally relevant because it looks at opt-in engagement, users voluntarily interacting with content in multiple ways beyond a simple click or a passive scroll-through. When looking at engagement rates on one social media platform or another, it can be helpful to have data-driven insights—or a tool like an earned media benchmarking index that can deliver real-time contextual data—around the clicks and comments that delivered the best results.

Each user interaction is assigned a value based on external, real-world insights through an earned media benchmarking index. This information can be used to guide short-term ad spend strategy pivots as well as long-term social media marketing plans.

Why earned media value matters more now

Despite Elon Musk’s recent efforts to calm skittish advertisers during a town hall, marketers have been vocal about their concerns about brand safety and Twitter’s future. That makes access to deep audience insights about social engagement performance critical to decisions about campaigns on new platforms and choices about pausing or ending Twitter media spending.

We spoke with the VP of Insights and Analytics at Ayzenberg’s marketing science division, Jocelyn Harjes, about the Twitter debacle.

“At Ayzenberg, we’ve believed in the power of social since the beginning,” stated Harjes. “As a practitioner, key moments in time have stuck out to me – Shoes (Kelly Song), Planking in 2012, and the Harlem Shake in 2013, Mark Zuckerberg testifying to congress explaining what Facebook was, and most recently Corn Kid + The Gregory Brothers bringing us the 2022 song of the year. Social media is a force that can be used to drive good or malice.”

The change in Twitter has been stunning, according to Harjes, and something that begs scrutiny.

 “As Elon took over Twitter, we’ve seen the platform quickly succumb to trolls, as anyone could buy Twitter Blue and impersonate brands. Sure it was funny as the meme-makers utilized the Captain Phillips meme where the hijacker tells the captain that he’s Tom Hanks now. Still, it quickly became something to watch as an impersonator handle of Eli Lilly announced that insulin was going to be free.”

Twitter’s rollercoaster is now no laughing matter for brands and their marketers, according to Harjes. “Through this one tweet, we now have a quantifiable impact that social can have on the value of a company. Additionally, Eli Lilly lost billions of dollars in market cap due to one Tweet, only further supporting the need to understand your Earned Media Value and optimize your marketing efforts through its application.”

For marketers seeking to alter or pause a Twitter campaign, we’re sharing four tips to keep in mind below.

Focus on people, not platforms

Brands on Twitter or any other social media platform are looking for ways to connect with consumers when they are talking about or searching for information that might lead to a conversion. Since consumers search and discuss products and services on multiple platforms, marketers looking to reallocate budgets can look to platforms that deliver content or immersive experiences that spark these social conversations or searches. Platforms like Twitch, for example, can provide new opportunities to engage consumers through influencer content and high-impact video ads and present valuable social listening data that can inform future strategies. While social media platforms may evolve or disappear, social content will still be the most powerful way to create brand ambassadors and build brand awareness.

Deliver utility, not just content

Twitter’s core utility for consumers and brands is connected to its announcement functions—it can broadcast to millions, opens up conversations to a global audience, and provides real-time engagement data in a way that’s hard to duplicate. When it goes wrong—such as the recent faux free insulin announcement by a blue-check account that was not connected to the Eli Lilly company, results can be catastrophic for brands and marketers. Regardless of the future of Twitter—consumers will go where their digital experiences deliver a specific utility that they can’t get elsewhere. For marketers, that means a shift from “Here is what we want to tell you” to “Here is something you can use.” That engagement offer may take the form of a live stream with live comments or a metaverse event that delivers access to reusable downloadable content.

Rethink old ideas about audience segments

As Twitter’s ongoing challenges are causing marketers to rethink social media as a marketing channel, the audience may also merit a rethink. Consumers interact with Twitter for conversation and news, and creative brand marketers can deliver the same type of utility wherever there is an opportunity to engage with them; that means finding audiences wherever they are and learning how to connect with them in more efficient and enduring ways—beyond limited audience segments tied to a single platform. This may entail gleaning insights from new platforms and looking beyond traditional audience segments to broader cultural shifts, such as gaming.

Successful brand messages are really about values

Consumers are not leaving social media, even if its old format has evolved well beyond what it looks like today. Audiences congregate, interact and shop based on values—in every sense of the word. Marketers know how to craft messages to match what consumers care about on a heart level and a wallet level. Decoupling that skill from a single social media channel means translating that expertise into a new model of what social media is and may become. A consumer may be on Twitch while scrolling TikTok on their phone—they may voice search a product from Alexa and they won’t care where the content that delights and surprises them comes from. Marketers who understand the need for balance in messaging, frequency, and context will be able to find them and engage with them based on their old-school skills: wrangling data, creativity, and a deep understanding of their brand to connect—with or without that pesky blue check on their brand profile.

The post Twitter’s Day Of Reckoning: Why Earned Media Value Matters More Than Ever appeared first on AList.

Tripadvisor Appoints John Boris As Chief Marketing Officer

Veteran marketer John Boris has been appointed by Tripadvisor as CMO. Boris, who previously served as CMO for Shutterfly, has more than 26 years of professional work experience and will lead customer acquisition and engagement, marketing efficiency, brand reach and resonance, as well as partnerships.  

“I’m excited to have John join Tripadvisor as our Chief Marketing Officer, knowing he will put the needs of travelers and our partners at the heart of everything we do. John has a demonstrated track record building global brands, and this company will benefit from his deep experience in e-commerce, travel, and hospitality,” said Matt Goldberg, CEO of Tripadvisor, Inc, in a press statement.

WM Technology Names New CMO

WM Technology, Inc—more commonly known as Weedmaps—has named Randa McMinn as its new CMO. McMinn, who has more than 28 years of professional work experience, was previously CMO at Reali.

“Randa brings an immense wealth of experience to Weedmaps, and her leadership will be critical as we work to further enhance our marketplace experience for consumers while also building innovative and critical technology solutions for our retail and brand partners,” stated Doug Francis, co-founder and Executive Chair of WM Technology in a press release. 

Sage Appoints Former CMO As Non-Executive Director

Sage has appointed Maggie Chan, founder of Tenshey and veteran tech marketer, as the company’s non-executive director. Chan, who has more than 17 years of professional work experience, was previously the CMO of SAP. 

Andrew Duff, chair, stated: “I am delighted to welcome Maggie to the Sage board. She brings with her deep international marketing and brand experience gained from her time spent at some of the world’s largest technology companies and will highly complement the skills we already have on the board. Maggie also brings a passion for creating diverse and inclusive cultures, and I look forward to the valuable contribution she will make in board discussions as we build an inclusive, high-performing and accountable culture at Sage.”

BlueBet Adds CMO

BlueBet has named Tony Thomas as its new CMO. Thomas, who has more than 20 years of professional work experience, will manage strategic marketing processes and strategies.

“Tony is a world-class marketer that thinks differently, and we’re delighted to be bringing his expertise, drive, and track record of supporting growth to BlueBet.“

Stated Bill Richmond, CEO at BlueBet, in a press statement.

Bed, Bath And Beyond Names New EVP

Bed, Bath and Beyond has named Bart Sichel as EVP, Chief Marketing & Customer Officer. Sichel, previously of Mckinsey and Company, will lead will fully integrated marketing and customer strategies for Bed Bath & Beyond, buybuy BABY and Harmon. Sichel has more than 35 years of professional work experience.

“I’m joining Bed Bath & Beyond at an important moment for the company and look forward to partnering with the entire leadership team to build on the power of each concept and strengthen relationships with our partners,” stated Bart Sichel in press release.

The post CMO Moves: John Boris Joins Tripadvisor appeared first on AList.

Helixa, an audience intelligence platform, has partnered with Ayzenberg to deliver a webinar on Nov. 16 on how to understand what motivates audiences on and off Twitch, as well as how to build a powerful marketing strategy—or game—that engages consumers and meets their expectations.

Ahead of the meeting, we sat down with Laia Pescetto, VP of global marketing at Helixa, and Alex Lawson, senior research analyst, to hear some of their thoughts on why Twitch is central to audience engagement for brands and game publishers.

Gaming is not just a pastime anymore—it is as essential to our lives as texting or social media. So how did gaming shift from a pastime to a cultural force and lifestyle?

Laia Pescetto: Film, TV and music all had a way of reaching large audiences almost from conception, and with the rise of streaming platforms, we’ve seen an insane increase in content consumption and creation, providing pockets of niche interest to the most passionate audience segments.

Gaming has had the direct inverse journey, starting with a smaller niche and siloed audiences, with no way to easily connect with other gamers at scale. Not to mention the various gaming categories drew extremely loyal fanbases, people identified via the types of games they play, whether first-person shooter or fantasy, etc. The expansion of the gaming universe into online gaming and streaming platforms provided the scale that made it possible to connect with other gamers from anywhere in the world.

Platforms like YouTube and Twitch also allowed gamers to make themselves part of the cultural zeitgeist by playing games for an audience. Combining that with the ability to host esports and game tournaments in a public space like a stadium has made gaming a true cultural force by making it easier for like-minded individuals to connect and share their passion. Now brands have caught up and are creating relevant experiences via partnerships or their own products to connect with this audience that is growing in influence by the day.

What can brands and marketers learn from looking at gaming insights, and what might those insights tell us about how people will relate to media and/or advertising in the future?

Alex Lawson: Product placement has been popular in film, television and advertising for a long time now. For example, many of us remember the iPod commercials and how the songs featured in them would often reach the top of the charts. So if you look at another massive cultural phenomenon in the FIFA games, you can use insights to know what genres of music that audience loves, and if you’re managing talent that would resonate with this audience, it would be a great platform to be included in next year’s game.

The same approach is true for the gamers that stream on Twitch and YouTube as well as the esports teams that play in front of crowds of thousands. Esports teams like FaZe Clan are rebranding themselves as creators and doing brand partnerships that live outside the constraints of digital gaming. We can now do this with everything ranging from what clothing brands our characters could be wearing to what beer should be on the tap heads in a game’s bar to furniture brands in home-building games. The options are nearly limitless for partnerships between game developers and brands/marketers.

We can use those insights to inform campaigns relevant to the passion of every segment under the gaming umbrella. Deeper audience intelligence can also inform game design and marketing to develop new gaming experiences.

The Nov. 16 webinar will cover:

• Who are Twitch users?
• Twitch users’ interests, lifestyles and favorite videos games
• How Helixa can assist with game design and development

Click here to learn more and register for the webinar.

The post Reaching Today’s Consumers Means Understanding Twitch appeared first on AList.

Gaming

Gaming—it’s for everyone. In new research from Activision Blizzard Media, 66 percent of those surveyed said they had played video games with others either online or in person. In addition, 62 percent of participants said they opted to play video games with others because it’s fun to share the experience with someone else. Lastly, 84 percent of gamers play mobile titles at least once a week, primarily because of accessibility. The key is to carve out space for brands to harness this power to fuel interaction and engagement. As gaming culture continues to boom, it helps connect people, drive communities and create positive conversations globally. 

Beats By Dre x Melody Ehsani

In a new collaboration, Beats by Dre and fashion designer Melody Ehsani transport viewers into a new world with powerful animation. The film’s mix of music and flair encapsulates what it means to be yourself while taking steps to elevate the game. The result highlights how bringing a new spin on a classic can take brands to a new level. 

YouTube Shorts

YouTube is taking Shorts to the big screen. What does that mean? Users will be able to watch the short-form videos on their smart TV, gaming console or other streaming devices. This pivot is similar to that of its counterpart, TikTok, which helped the platform reach wider audiences. The at-home viewing experience adds another dimension to the easily surfable platforms. This move showcases a mixing of mediums and, if tailored just right, can bring new life into booming ideas. 

The post Trend Set: Gaming, Melody Ehsani And YouTube Shorts appeared first on AList.

Musk knows that his personal brand is co-mingled with Twitter’s—and that it can be an issue.

“Twitter cannot simply be some extension of me because then anyone who doesn’t agree with me will be put off. So, Twitter must be as a platform as neutral as possible. That doesn’t mean I am. But it is important to have broad acceptance, and the platform be neutral and as inclusive as possible to the widest demographic possible. That is the only path to success”.

Brands want scale, relevance, brand safety, suitability and the ability to measure ROI: Twitter has got some serious work to do in these areas.

“I think we’re probably not doing great on any of them. We’re doing okay on some (of these); we’re terrible at relevance. And one of the ways we’re going to address that is by integrating ads into recommended tweets. So the relevance of recommended tweets is much better than the relevance of the ads. Because they’re two different engines, we need to have them be the same software stack. So I’ve reorganized Twitter software from having three different software groups to having one, that’s occurred just in the past week. So we really need to improve the relevance of the ads. If an ad is highly relevant and timely, then it’s really information. Like, it’s something you might actually want to buy when you want to buy it, that’s great. But if it’s something you’d never want to buy, then it’s annoying. And it’s spam. And that doesn’t serve the advertiser or the user. So that’s incredibly important to improve that. So that’s a major priority. And I think you’ll see that get way better in the coming months.”

Musk sees brand safety as a key driving factor in advertisers’ willingness to work with Twitter.

“When I hear brand safety, what I think I’m hearing is that we need to make sure that the brand overall is protected reputationally in the long term. So that, you know, there may be something that drives short-term sales, but it’s next to hateful content. And that may drive short-term sales, but it’s ultimately detrimental in the long term. So if I would put myself in the CEO / CMO position of any advertiser, I’d say, ‘Well, I want to make sure we do drive sales in the short term, but we’re also not doing anything that damages our reputation in the long term.’ So we obviously need to address both shorter and long-term factors.“

Video is a key area that Musk plans to develop on Twitter and eventually connect to verified profiles

“Video is definitely an area where Twitter has been historically weak, and it is an area that we’re going to invest in tremendously. I did ask people what (they thought) about Vine, not that we would want to resurrect Vine in its original state, but just would they want a ‘Vine-like’ thing, but reimagined for the future. And people were excited about that,” Musk said.

He continued on the topic of increasing video length for verified Twitter users: “There are a bunch of fundamental tech technology architecture changes needed at Twitter to support significant video. So, we’ve got to make those core software upgrades and server upgrades to support a large amount of video, but we are going to do that. It’s kind of a no-brainer.”

Musk envisions Twitter as a future ecosystem for content creators to monetize their content and manage earnings easily

“We also need to enable the monetization of content for creators. And if we provide creators with the ability to post what they create on our platform, and to monetize it, at a rate that is at least competitive with the alternatives, then, of course, creators will natively post their content on Twitter; why not? So those are, those are kind of no-brainer moves. Then – tied to paid verified accounts from someone who has been authenticated by the sort of conventional payment system. Now we can say like, okay, you’ve got a balance on your account. Do you want to send money to someone or money to someone else [on] Twitter? And maybe we pre-populate the account and say, ‘Okay, we’re gonna give you 10 bucks, and you can send it anywhere within Twitter. Then if you want to execute, get it out of the system, then, okay, well, now you send it to bank accounts, attach an authenticated bank account to your Twitter account, then the next step would be this offer an extremely compelling money market account to get an extremely high yield on your balance, then why not move cash into Twitter? And then add debit cards, checks and whatnot. And I think it will just basically make the system as useful as possible. And the more useful and entertaining it is, the more people will use it.“

Musk sees Twitter as a future hub of one-click social shopping

“We’ve got a lot to do on the software side, I can’t emphasize that enough. So we’ve got to write a lot of code here. And we’ve got to change a bunch of the existing code base. We want advertising to be highly relevant and timely. How do we get the ad to be as close to content as possible? I mean, if you are shown an opportunity to buy something that you actually want when you want it, that’s great. That’s content. Then from a commerce standpoint, if you’re able to buy things quickly, you know, effortlessly on Twitter, with one click, that’s like—that’s great. Like, the more we don’t want to make buying things inconvenient or require, you know, going through many steps, the easier it is to get to obtain the product or service that you want, the better it is for the user.“

The post Takeaways From Elon Musk’s Live Twitter Q&A appeared first on AList.

Nelly Kennedy Named Next Volkswagen CMO

Nelly Kennedy, Google’s senior global brand marketing director, will become Volkswagen’s new CMO in February 2023. Kennedy, who has more than 22 years of professional experience, worked as executive director of digital at Conde Nast before moving to Google, where she worked for over seven years. “As the new Chief Marketing Officer, Nelly Kennedy, together with her team, will help turn Volkswagen back into a true people’s brand,” Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer told the outlet.

Kate Jhaveri Appointed Global Marketing Officer At TikTok

Kate Jhaveri, former CMO for the NBA, has been appointed global marketing officer at TikTok. Jhaveri, who has more than 33 years of professional experience, worked previously as CMO and SVP at Twitch before joining the NBA in 2019. Jhaveri will direct brand and consumer marketing as well as platform marketing for the company.

Leslie Sims Named Impossible Foods’ First CMO

Leslie Sims will serve as chief marketing and creative officer for Impossible Foods starting in January 2023. Sims, who has more than 30 years of professional experience, was previously chief creative officer at Deloitte Digital. Sims will direct the company’s efforts to amplify brand awareness and marketing strategy.

Deezer Hires Maria Garrido As CMO 

French audio streamer Deezer has named Maria Garrido as its new CMO. Garrido has more than 35 years of professional experience and previously served as SVP for Vivendi. Garrido will execute marketing and brand strategy for the company globally. “I am honored to join Deezer,” Garrido said in a press statement. “It’s an exciting time to become a part of this tech and entertainment gem, as it steers a course towards transformational growth.”

Big Lots Hires New Marketing Leads

Big Lots has named Margarita Giannantonio as executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. Giannantonio, who has more than 35 years of professional experience, will direct the brand’s merchandising strategy for all product categories. John Alpaugh, who has more than 35 years of professional experience, has also been appointed senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Alpaugh will manage Big Lot’s brand and marketing strategies as well as strategy executions.

Other recent CMO updates you may have missed:

• Pizza Express hires Stephen Taylor as CMO
• Mud\WTR, a coffee alternative brand, has appointed Mike Fox as its first CMO
• Ruben Desai departs as Dole Sunshine CMO

The post Volkswagen Names Google’s Nelly Kennedy As New CMO; New Hires At TikTok, Impossible Foods, Big Lots appeared first on AList.

In this episode, John and I discuss the importance of building trust and affinity around your brand, why marketers need to see how their message lands directly, and ways to leverage industry partnerships.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The importance of communicating directly to your most discerning consumers
• What role a CMO plays in the company culture
• Why AMD decided to create their own Brand Platform

Key Highlights

• [03:30] John’s path to becoming a CMO
• [07:00] What is driving the” hyper-growth” at AMD?
• [09:00] How acquisitions affect marketing strategies
• [11:20] Evolving marketing efforts as the business grows
• [12:40] Understanding a complex go-to-market matrix
• [14:00] Investing in technology to increase and measure the impact
• [14:50] What makes a good CMO?
• [16:45] How AMD is approaching marketing today
• [20:30] Why marketing teams need to lean into PR
• [23:00] John’s approach to leadership and culture
• [26:40] What is “Together We Advance”?
• [31:30] The mentors that shaped John
• [34:15] Why young people should take on big challenges
• [35:30] The benefit of delivering the story you’re trying to tell in person
• [37:20] The brand John thinks we should watch
• [38:00] The importance of sustainable computing
• [38:55] Balancing the need for data and the ever-changing data landscape

Resources Mentioned:

• John Taylor
• AMD
• AMD Acquires Xilinx
• AMD continues its growth trajectory
• Pam Edstrom
• Lisa Su, Chair & CEO
• Ruth Cotter
• AMD Environmental Sustainability
• Microsoft Inclusive Design

Follow the podcast:

• Listen in iTunes (link: http://apple.co/2dbdAhV)
• Listen in Google Podcasts (link: http://bit.ly/2Rc2kVa)
• Listen in Spotify (Link: http://spoti.fi/2mCUGnC)

Connect with the Guest:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-m-taylor-cmo/
• https://twitter.com/jtrex
• https://twitter.com/AMD

Connect with Marketing Today and Alan Hart:

• Twitter: Alan B Hart - http://twitter.com/abhart
• LinkedIn: Alan B Hart  - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanhart
• Twitter: Marketing Today - http://twitter.com/themktgtoday
• Facebook: Marketing Today - https://www.facebook.com/themktgtoday/
• LinkedIn: Marketing Today - https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketing-today-with-alan-hart/

Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies but is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.

The post Navigating Hyper-Growth With John Taylor, CMO At AMD appeared first on AList.

• Assaf Sagy, Head of Global Gaming, Global Business Solutions, TikTok
• Julia Victor, Head of Brand – The Sims, Electronic Arts
• Naor Itzhak, Senior Director of Creative Marketing, Playtika
• Sami Thessman, VP of Global Marketing, 2K
• Ioana Hreninciuc, Chief Product Officer, Homa Games
• Vincent Tan, Senior Marketing Manager, VNG

Below, we’re sharing four key takeaways from the event.

Cultural Shifts Have Transformed The Way Game Marketers Launch And Promote Games

According to Chandlee, TikTok is benefiting from game publishers’ desire to create more impactful marketing campaigns by taking a different view on how to approach gamers.

“Leading publishers are completely changing the way people discover and play their games,” Chandlee told attendees. “They’re building mainstream culture through entertainment. They’re innovating and finding new players for their games through organic and paid [search] and running live event campaigns.”

“Gaming is now mainstream entertainment. They’re not only about playing anymore; they’re about engaging with culture,” Sagy said. “This shift in consumer behavior also drove evolution in our industry. Leading publishers have elevated their strategies. They’re now focused on launching games [to a] mass market. They’re targeting very broad audiences. They’re building cultures around their games as entertainment brands. With TikTok, you can build the hype required for a successful launch and can engage with mass audiences rapidly. You can design a culture around your game driven by the power of the community and generate performance results in the next few minutes.”

TikTok Is A Must For Game Publishers Seeking New Audiences

According to the company, TikTok has produced some exceptional metrics in game discovery and game brand engagement:

• 75 percent of TikTok gamers discovered new gaming content on TikTok.
• 41 percent of TikTok gamers co-created on TikTok.
• TikTok mobile gamers are 70 percent more likely to talk about games on social media.

TikTok Users Are Active Gamers Who Convert Frequently

TikTok users game frequently and respond to messaging around gaming well. According to data gathered by the social media giant’s research partner, marketers who employed TikTok as a component of their marketing strategy saw high conversion rates:

• 41 percent of users downloaded the game.
• 26 percent purchased to play.

There Is A Shift From Long-Form To Short-Form Content, And Game Publishers Are Owning It

TikTok boasts one billion users and those users have helped the platform amass billions of hours of gaming content views. Game publishers and gamers are dominating on TikTok. It’s not just because gaming lends itself to quick and addictive Let’s Plays, but because TikTok users see the platform as a place to discover new brands and engage with them. According to the company:

• On average, TikTok’s gaming audience follows 12 Business Accounts.
• 61 percent of TikTok users see brands more favorably if they create or participate in a trend on TikTok.
• TikTok followers are 191 percent more likely to like or comment than non-followers.

View the entire webinar here.

The post TikTok Made Me Play It: Four Takeaways From TikTok’s First Gaming Webinar appeared first on AList.

Snapchat x Amazon

Snapchat and Amazon have partnered up to introduce a new type of lens that combines fun with functionality. The “Amazon Fashion” profile in the app will allow Snapchat users to try on thousands of different kinds of glasses digitally. The process is facilitated using Amazon’s try-on display options. There has been no slowing the uptick of spending habits, and augmented reality makes it possible to try on anything from anywhere. The partnership further shows how virtual reality and AR will continue to be implemented in everyday life.

Nike

Soccer player Alphonso Davies, who plays for the Canadian national team and Germany’s Bayern Munich, is a rising star on and off the pitch. Davies is set to perform on the big screen at this year’s World Cup, and, although a bright and shining future lies ahead of him, there’s more to his story than meets the eye—and it deserves to be in the spotlight, too.

In a new docuseries from Nike titled “Home,” audiences can follow the stories of those displaced and how they challenge and follow their dreams. Like Davies says in episode two, “Anyone can become a refugee—it’s not something you choose.”

ESPN

It’s no secret that ESPN is trying to reach younger crowds. Their latest idea? Target the online debaters and Bronny enthusiasts out there by utilizing young content creators. The newly launched ESPN Creator Network aims to provide young and rising content creators an opportunity to be given access and resources to develop their sports programming ideas. And while creators will not be compensated, the program will provide them with travel, tickets, access, equipment and a series of courses. The move showcases that TikTok remains the frontrunner in recruiting and retaining fans.

The post Trend Set: ESPN Sees Future Sports Programmers In TikTok Creators And More appeared first on AList.