The Lighthouse IT Podcast - August 7th, 2020
Matt and Griffin discuss the possible TikTok ban, what we currently know about it, and what it could mean for marketers. They touch on the huge rise in mobile game downloads that came from COVID, and they also go over some of the interesting experimental marketing efforts many companies, like Unilever, are pushing to get ahead.
Listen here!
Security and Marketing News
What a TikTok Ban Would Mean for Marketers
TikTok has gained a reputation for being the least secure social media platform. That being said, it's also one of the most popular as of right now. TikTok is used to share short video clips that are usually related to a music dance challenge or even just eating a spoonful of cinnamon. This app is owned and originated from overseas, China, in 2017. Now that it has become widely used in the US, the security risks are becoming a concern. Since it is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, they can request the data collected by TikTok at any time and even the US branch of TikTok must comply. The concern comes in when comparing the security regulations of both nations.
President Trump is taking action to ban the platform. With that in mind, Microsoft's interest in the platform could change the outcome of his decision. Trump had agreed that if the company's ownership is transferred to America, it could potentially be safe to stay.
An Epic Gamer Moment for Marketers
With mobile game downloads increased by over 60% month over month during, brands like fashion titan Burberry, that are not traditionally used to marketing through games, have successfully done so.
General Mills has long since been in the realm of video game advertising. Our favorite nostalgic cereal box game is Chex Quest. Chex cereal used to place a CD of the game in the box that could be retrieved after purchasing the cereal. Matt has many fond memories of battling the cereal creatures. This does kind of prove that this method of gaming advertisements can create traction for brands.
Unilever Experiments With Reinstating Ad Spend
We have marketing related video games. So how else can we get people involved with a product?
After all the ups and downs that come with freezing ad spend, Unilever, the consumer goods company is ready to "invest heavily" in marketing and brand innovation as the world learns to live with COVID-19. Reinstating ad spend after cuts has paid off for other brands.
One of the most interesting ways Unilever plans to spend those revived ad dollars is on voice search.
- Specifically, Unilever's Dove soap is testing interactive voice ads on SiriusXM's Pandora.
- These ads let listeners say "yes" if they want to learn more about a product in an ad.
Pandora's not alone: On Amazon's Alexa, brands from Domino's to ViacomCBS are likewise testing new interactive features. As brands start spending again, all eyes will be on the health of major ad channels. But perhaps after an economic crash, experimental channels could be a worthwhile and economical target for their dollars.