Edition 54: Holiday Shopping Starts Now, 2024 Summer Olympics, Sprite and Amazon Campaigns & so much more!
Navigate is a weekly newsletter dedicated to providing the latest updates and trends in the world of social media marketing. Written by industry experts at Captiv8, each edition features key stories, insights, and trends that are essential for staying informed and ahead in the rapidly evolving landscape of social media marketing.
🗺️ Roadmap
🛒 Most US/UK Shoppers Plan to Start Holiday Shopping Early
🏅 Surge in Social Media Viewership for 2024 Summer Olympics
🥤 Sprite's Campaign Connects Gen Z through Music and AI-Powered Creativity
🎒 Amazon Launches 2024 Back-to-School Campaign with Michelle Buteau
📱 Meta Expands Reels Overlay Ads to More Brands
💬 Instagram Expands Notes to Reels and Feed Posts
🏁 Top Stories
According to recent data, 53% of shoppers plan to begin their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving this year. This shift in consumer behavior reflects a growing trend towards earlier shopping seasons, driven by several key factors. Retailers, recognizing the opportunity, have increasingly launched early sales events to capture eager shoppers. For instance, Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days in October has encouraged consumers to kickstart their holiday purchases well before the traditional shopping rush. This trend highlights a significant shift in holiday shopping patterns, with both consumers and retailers adapting to a new, extended holiday shopping season.
For the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, influencers like YouTuber Kai Cenat and "Call Her Daddy" host Alex Cooper will play a key role in coverage, reflecting a shift towards social media dominance. A study by United Talent Agency (UTA) revealed that 78% of US consumers planning to watch the Olympics will do so via social media, with 75% preferring coverage from celebrities and influencers over traditional anchors. Broadcaster NBC is leveraging this trend by collaborating with platforms like Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and Snap, sending creators to produce engaging, culturally relevant content. This approach caters to Gen Z and millennials, who favor platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok for Olympic content, seeking fun, behind-the-scenes, and lifestyle coverage from trusted creators.
⛽ Revved-up Campaigns
Sprite is reviving its Limelight music platform for the third year, using the AI-powered Soundlabs music remix tool available on the Coca-Cola app. The platform aims to connect with Gen Z through a diverse roster of artists who create tracks about overcoming heat and stress, using a common hook that consumers can remix. The campaign, part of Sprite’s global “Heat Happens” initiative, will be promoted via paid and earned media, influencer partnerships, scannable packaging, and event activations. It includes a Spotify tie-in and high-concept music videos released on YouTube. Sprite Limelight features tracks from artists like Doechii and Fireboy DML and supports Young Miko’s upcoming tours
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Amazon has launched its 2024 back-to-school marketing campaign, featuring a 30-second ad with actress Michelle Buteau promoting Amazon's Back to School shopping guide. Running from July 18 to August 18 in the U.S. and from July 29 to September 2 in Canada, the ad focuses on affordability, a key theme amid expected lower spending this season. Alongside, Amazon announced the return of its "Dorm Roomz" video series, providing tips for affordable dorm room setups, featuring influencers and Philadelphia 76ers draft pick Jared McCain. The series will be available across premium online video, digital, and social media platforms until August 18.
🚗 Platform Directions
Meta is introducing Reels overlay ads, a new advertising format within its fastest-growing content area, Reels, available to select advertisers. These ads, which can be single images or carousel promotions, feature large call-to-action prompts and can appear as banners on Reels videos or as video ads between Reels. Previewed at NewFronts in May, this format aims to leverage Reels' popularity, which drives 200 billion daily views across Facebook and Instagram. The growing engagement through Reels is transforming Facebook into more of an entertainment platform, suggesting a potential shift in marketing strategies to align with this trend. The rollout of Reels overlay ads will gradually extend to more advertisers.
Instagram has expanded its Notes messaging feature, allowing users to leave Notes on both Reels and feed posts. Notes, which can be added from the messaging menu, function like temporary Post-It messages lasting three days and can only be left by mutual followers. This feature, originally limited to the inbox, has been popular among teens, who create Notes at ten times the rate of non-teens. Instagram aims to boost engagement and private interactions, particularly among younger users who are shifting to platforms like TikTok and Snap. The expansion includes notifications about users' first Notes, acting as a promotional tool, and encourages real-time reactions, sharing opinions, and hyping up friends' posts.
💡 Quick Tips
🎵 Instagram Will Enable You To Add 20 Audio Tracks to Reels
📳 Instagram Is Restricting the Promotion of Variable Image Size Carousels
📲 TikTok Announces New Eventbrite Integration
⚾ Snap Launches Sports Network To Cover Niche Events
👍 YouTube’s Developing Thumb Frame Customization for Shorts Clips
🚦Influencer Spotlight
Graduate students are not only building large followings on social media but also making money and challenging traditional science stereotypes. Through their engaging content, they are transforming how science is perceived and making it more accessible to a wider audience.