Critical Mass’ Post

The eternal question I get asked whenever I work with brands across their media strategy was, "Should we just put the money on TV instead of digital and see what happens"? Of course for someone who worked on the digital side, this was a scary proposition !. However when the dust settles, media decisions need to be made on the basis of where your customer is rather than trial and error. I also talk about the impact of targeted advertising for luxury brands like Porsche and Lamborghini, emphasizing the importance of building meaningful interactions with customers for brands with longer gestation periods. Hope you all like it and keep the pings and feedback coming!. #ev #sustainability #branding #marketing #auto #leadership

A staggering 94% of tech executives view innovative partnerships as necessary to their strategy (and 68% of consumers make buying decisions after seeing a partnership campaign). In my newest article for the Forbes Communications Council, I break down how we at Lenovo shape, measure, and empower our partnerships with celebrities, sports entities, and public-private companies both in our own industry and others. There are a few key ingredients:

“You’re connected to brands in a way you don’t really understand. It’s not rational. People want to be part of something, you pick your brands like you pick your teams.” Just one of the hot-takes from today’s D&AD panel discussion with JKR’s Tosh Hall, Jordan Giesler from Kansas City Chiefs, Oana Vlad from The Coca-Cola Company and Roger Dudler from Frontify, where they delved into the world of sports fandoms and how brands can leverage them to build long-term brand success. Got an opinion on unlocking the brand power of fandoms? Let us know in the comments!

📣🚀COMCO gives the green light: Blick Group and the media of RASCH merge to form Ringier Media Switzerland Ringier AG completes the acquisition of all shares in Ringier Axel Springer Schweiz AG (RASCH) from Axel Springer, the Competition Commission has now accepted the merger. The fusion of former RASCH-Medien titles with Blick Group sets the stage for Ringier Media Switzerland's formation. The goal is to become Switzerland's leading and most innovative media company with the broadest coverage, strong content, established brands and reach. Ladina Heimgartner, current CEO of the Blick Group, steps in as the CEO, steering a team of around 1,000 employees. Ringier Media Switzerland consolidates: 📌 Blick Group 📌 20 most widely circulated magazine and newspaper titles in Switzerland, including Beobachter, HANDELSZEITUNG, BILANZ Wirtschaftsmagazin, cash.ch, Schweizer Illustrierte, L'illustré and others. 📌 Ringier Advertising 📌 Ringier Mediatech & Services Already engaging 4.6 million users, Ringier Media Switzerland's reach encompasses over half of Switzerland's population. This amplifies Ringier Advertising's ability to provide advertisers with cutting-edge solutions and enhanced services through collaborative efforts among media brands. The newly formed management team will lead Ringier Media Switzerland: 📌 Ladina Heimgartner as CEO 📌 Patrick Rademacher as Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer 📌 Max Buder as Chief Commercial Officer 📌 Roman Sigrist as Chief Operating Officer 📌 Sascha Hilpert as Chief Financial Officer 📌 Steffi Buchli as Chief Content Officer 📌 Sandro Inguscio as Chief Digital & Distribution Officer 📌 Marco Rüegger as Chief Product Officer 📌 Thomas Passen remains Managing Director of Ringier Advertising Ladina Heimgartner: “We want strong editorial teams behind our flagship brands. And we want to support these editorial teams with all kinds of skills, from marketing to technology. I am convinced that we are well prepared for the many and complex challenges of the coming years with this organisation and, above all, with the people behind it.” #Media #Switzerland #Content #Company #Future #Team #Journalism #Technology #Advertising

SNIPPETS Good sports: Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney’s ESPN, and Fox are launching a sports streaming platform which will be owned by a newly formed, still unnamed company. Each network will own one-third of the new service and share board representation. Aww, friendship: The US purchased more goods from Mexico than China in 2023, the first time that’s happened in 20 years. Reclaiming its role as America’s BFF in trade matters, but money matters more: Mexico’s US exports were worth $475.6B. Was that… taunting? Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, while hyping up his company’s AI offerings at a company event in India, dropped a stone-cold line: “We are waiting for the competition to arrive.” Coca-Cola is making a rare new addition to its permanent product lineup with a “spiced” drink flavor in the US and Canada. Speaking of new products… Pizza Hut launched a “Goodbye Pies” campaign that lets you send a free delivery to your ex between now and Valentine’s Day. What could go wrong? Litquidity, an Instagram meme account parodying and breaking news on Wall Street, was anonymous until Business Insider revealed 32-year-old ex-investment banker Henry Medina as its creator. Ooh: The Void — a startup that offered immersive Star Wars and Avengers VR experiences before shutting down amid the pandemic — has been posting new videos, indicating a possible return under Hyper Reality Partners, which acquired it in 2021. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is laying off 530 employees and ~40 contractors after Congress failed to pass a 2024 budget. Netflix loves the Boston Red Sox, announcing the MLB’s first in-season docuseries, which will follow the BoSox over the 2024 season. The streamer is also producing a second doc on Boston’s storied franchise, about the 2004 World Series-winning team. Source: The Hustle

Mercedes vs. BMW Marketing 👇 ➡️ Advertising Impact: The ambiguity of the ad's origin generates buzz and keeps both Mercedes and BMW in the public conversation, leveraging viral marketing to increase brand visibility. 🌟 ➡️ Brand Engagement: The ad's creative presentation encourages viewers to engage deeply with the brand messages, analyzing and debating the content, which enhances customer interaction and brand recall. 🎨 ➡️ Brand Positioning: By interpreting the text, consumers engage in discussions that reinforce brand positioning. For Mercedes, emphasizing "authenticity" can strengthen its image as a premium, reliable brand. 📊 ➡️ Audience Intrigue: The speculation about the ad's authenticity creates intrigue and curiosity, driving more traffic and interest toward both brands. This can lead to increased online searches and social media discussions. 🤔 ➡️ Competitive Advertising: If either Mercedes or BMW responds with an official ad, it can capitalize on the momentum and further engage audiences. Competitive advertising can sharpen brand identities and encourage customer loyalty. 🚀 For more insights, you can read the full article Visit 👨💻 - https://lnkd.in/d6Gdgjkd Tags- #digitalmarketing #marketing #brand #branding #advertising #viral #viralmaeketing #business #success #bmw #mercedes #engagement #socialmedia

Learn how Hollywood Branded bridges the gap between entertainment properties and premium brands through comprehensive marketing campaigns. Read on for more insights! #BrandMarketing #Licensing #HollywoodBranded https://lnkd.in/gPJJgajn

AGMC's recent mall campaign was a masterclass in intrigue and engagement, stripping away the branding of a car to spark wild guesses and ignite the need to explore. Here's a breakdown of their brilliant strategy: The Hook: Mystery in the Mall: Placing a brandless car in a public space like a mall is unexpected and attention-grabbing. It disrupts the usual shopping flow and throws down a challenge: "What is this vehicle?". Outdoor Amplification: Using outdoor ads around the mall with clues or suggestive messages like "Unmask the Mystery" or "Can you guess who's hiding?" further piques curiosity and extends the campaign beyond the car itself. Social Media Buzz: Hashtags and Challenges: Create a campaign hashtags and encourage social media users to share their guesses and theories. This generates organic content and discussion, amplifying the reach and excitement. Influencer Collaborations: Partner with car enthusiasts and local influencers to add a voice of authority and excitement to the guessing game. Their posts and stories can draw in new audiences and keep the conversation going. The Reveal: Building Anticipation: Let the guessing game run for a few days, allowing anticipation to build and speculation to reach a fever pitch. The Grand Unveiling: Finally, reveal the car's brand and model in a grand social media post or event. This moment of payoff should be exciting, rewarding those who participated and informing those who were curious. Benefits: Brand Recognition: This unique campaign generates significant buzz, putting AGMC and the car at the forefront of people's minds. Positive Brand Image: The playful and interactive approach creates a positive association with the brand, showcasing their innovative spirit and connection with their audience. Targeted Reach: Outdoor and social media marketing allows AGMC to reach their ideal customer base and generate qualified leads. So, why was this campaign brilliant? It taps into basic human curiosity, the thrill of a puzzle, and the power of social media. By stripping away the familiar, AGMC forced people to engage with the car in a new way, creating a memorable and impactful brand experience. This is marketing that goes beyond selling cars; it's about creating a community and a conversation around the AGMC brand. BRAVO AGMC and team behind.

Breaking the mold with innovation! Sony's 2014 headphones campaign showcased unparalleled creativity by packaging their waterproof headphones in a bottle of water. This bold move not only highlighted the product's unique feature but also captured consumer attention and drove sales. A masterclass in experiential marketing, proving that thinking outside the box yields exceptional results. #Marketing #ExperientialMarketing #ThinkBig

My thoughts on the Super Bowl and the game hidden within the game: 🤔 In the Super Bowl, a spectacle where athleticism meets greatness, there's a game within the game. This isn't just a sports event; it's a masterclass in the business of attention, a reminder that every second is an opportunity to redefine greatness, not just on the field, but in the arena of culture and commerce. Consider the halftime show, a performance that transcends the conventional metrics of success to redefine what's possible when art meets opportunity. This year, Usher steps into a lineage of legends, performing not for a paycheck from the NFL, but for the unmatched exposure only the Super Bowl can provide. With an audience of 115 million, the halftime stage is less a platform and more a launchpad, a chance to catapult an artist's work into the stratosphere of global consciousness. And yet, artists do not charge a fee to the NFL. This is because the NFL offers them something far more valuable: a moment in the spotlight so bright it can ignite careers, revitalize discographies, and elevate brands to new heights of relevance. It's a strategic move that pays dividends in digital streams, social media followers, and the invaluable currency of cultural relevance. Usher, leveraging this moment, will drop his new album just before taking the stage, aligning his music with the pulse of the moment, ensuring that his performance is not just a show, but a strategic pivot point for his brand. The potential result? An exponential increase in streams, followers, concert ticket sales, and, engagement across all platforms. This is the essence of the sports business at its peak, a mixture of timing, talent, and the tactical use of a platform to amplify impact. It's a reminder to all of us in the business of brand building and marketing that the rules of engagement are evolving. The Super Bowl, with its spectacle and scale, teaches us that in a world saturated with content, those who can harness the power of moments, turning them into movements, will capture immense market share and reach. The lesson is clear, the future belongs to those who can think beyond the conventional, who see opportunities not just for what they are, but for what they could be. It's about understanding the game within the game, where strategic brand placement, storytelling, and the combination of timing converge to create not just moments, but milestones. #sportsmarketing #branddevelopment #brandbuilding #marketingconsulting