Month: October 2021

Halloween #FunFact

Old English folklore about Halloween is full of superstition and fortune-telling that still lingers today, like bobbing for apples or avoiding black cats. One piece of folklore says that if a young unmarried person walks down the stairs backwards at midnight while holding a mirror, the face that appears in the mirror will be their next lover.

The Key to Personalized Marketing Messages: Robust Customer Data

Data insights are one of the most effective ways to connect with consumers and deliver personalized marketing messages, but many marketers are unaware of how to leverage this data to create more successful campaigns. Here are three ways you can use consumer data to improve the customer experience:

Match customers with the right products

• The more detail you have about each customer’s life choices and spending habits, the better you’ll be able to target them with relevant offers.

Cater to different customer types

• Not all consumers are alike. A busy family of four will probably have completely different goals and buying habits than a Millennial with only one pet. Busy parents will be grateful for time-saving apps and simpler ways to shop whereas Millennials in this example may be looking for pet insurance or discounts on relevant products.

Provide a targeted experience built around the wishes of your target consumers

• Data insights enables you to add value to your messaging by offering targeted content, rewards or discounts when they purchase your products.

#Results: Holiday Travel

The results are in and our #FGF readers have evenly split responses regarding plans to travel this holiday season. Only time will tell!

#FunFact: Cars are the transportation of choice this holiday season, with 78% of US adults saying they will likely drive or rent one over the holidays.

Android vs. iOS

Android is more popular than iOS for web browsing in all but the continent of Oceania. The operating system accounts for a greater share of smartphone web traffic than iOS.

#ProTip: Ensure that all digital marketing is tested on both mobile operating systems.

#FunFact: As of July 2021, 2 billion users were accessing the WhatsApp messenger on a monthly basis. Its penetration is particularly strong in markets outside of the US and it is one of the most popular mobile social apps worldwide.

What We’re Reading

Replacing charcoal, vending machines in Kenya dispense clean fuel for cooking

4 Smart Ways to Boost Engagement With Social Media Followers

Retail sales are normalizing and ecomm has reached its peak

TIP: A Simple Strategy to Inspire High Performance and Lasting Success

Burger King channels classic horror to make the Franken Whopper come alive

Study Reveals Reach, Performance Of Instagram Reels Vs. TikTok Video Ads

Friday, we share some of our favorite reads and podcasts. Please share what you’re reading by tweeting #FGFreads

#FGFStory: A Camo Wedding Dress? David’s Bridal Creates One for Busch Beer

In recent years, Busch Light has hitched itself to weddings, with promotions ranging from sponsoring ceremonies in the great outdoors to ordaining a “Busch Guy” to officiate. The brand has already been selling wedding T-shirts as part of this love fest, so perhaps its latest fashion extension – outdoorsy wedding dresses available through a tie-in with David’s Bridal – should come as no surprise.

#FunFact

A 30-second connected TV (CTV) ad can drive a 24% better conversion rate than its 15-second counterpart. MNTN and QuickFrame discovered this in a recent AI-driven analysis of over 1,800 commercials. Source: eMarketer

#ClientNews: Luciano D’Iorio Joins CDNGLOBAL to Lead Québec Operations

CDNGLOBAL, commercial real estate specialists, recently announced its expansion into the Québec market with Mr. Luciano D’Iorio as its Regional President. Read more about the expansion here. Zenergy’s PR team worked with Luciano to promote the new market initiative throughout Quebec and he will be appearing in the Globe & Mail, Le Soleil, Les Affaires, CoStar, and Global News to name a few.

B2B Content-Targeting Strategy

A recent study from Dow Jones’ WSJ Intelligence and B2B International found that thought leadership, videos and case studies are cited as the most useful content. They also expressed that marketing and advertising messaging is important at each buying stage. Furthermore, 68% of survey participants believed that content is more trustworthy if it’s published in business news and trade media rather than on a brand’s website, and 73% said it’s reassuring to keep seeing and learning about a brand while going through the buying journey.

Need help connecting with your B2B audience? Contact us!

It’s as much fun to scare as it is to be scared.
– Vincent Price

#Report: The State of B2B Content Marketing

Some 43% of business-to-business marketers saw an increase in their 2021 content marketing budget and 66% expect to see more of the same in 2022, according to a report by ON24, Content Marketing Institute and Marketing Profs.

Here are some of the key findings:

• The top three categories for increased content spending next year are video, events and owned media.
• Content assets that delivered the best results this year are digital events, research reports and short articles.
• The top three goals advanced by content are brand awareness, creating trust and educating audiences.

Adjusting B2B Marketing Strategies

With events being executed in hybrid formats to include virtual and in-person, the adoption of innovative ways to engage across the customer journey has followed. To effectively connect with in a B2B environment, marketers must:

• Be attuned to evolving preferences.
• Know what resources to offer and when.
• Understand how best to engage.

#ProTip: Keep your marketing and sales teams are aligned! An easy, quick solution to do so is by conducting five-minute daily or weekly meetings so that each group can share updates on all relevant metrics.

#Report: Social Media Trends: Powered by Consumers

Learning how to drive success on social media in the accelerated age of the ‘now consumer’ will be imperative in 2022. Have a look at these top trends from a recent Hubspot Report:

• TikTok will take over social media, leaving other platforms to adapt
• Social ads will develop, as cookies die out
• Social selling will simplify the customer journey
• Post-pandemic content will shape up to consumer needs
• Omnichannel engagement will change the way consumers engage with social media
• Maturing influencer marketing will finally come of age
• Brands will lead in social media decentralization
• Metaverses, shared virtual world environments which people can access via the internet, will be the next consumer connection
• Brand inclusivity will be brand critical
• Communities will develop, and take control

Need help with your 2022 social media strategy? Contact us!

#FunFact: Gen Z has the Travel Bug this Holiday Season

Gen Z (ages 18 to 24) is the most likely age group among US adults to travel this holiday season, with 59% saying they will, as compared to 41% of baby boomers (ages 57 to 75) and just 35% of seniors (age 76+).

Five Steps to Creating a Whitepaper Plan

A whitepaper is often the most challenging marketing piece to create. Even when you do manage to, it sometimes fails to yield even a marginal return on investment and effort. Here are some the most important considerations when planning:

• Get all project reviewers on board
• Agree on the ‘Big 5’ – What is the goal of the whitepaper? Who will be reading the whitepaper (the target audience)? What is the whitepaper’s topic? Where in the sales cycle will it be used? How long will the whitepaper be?
• Compile the ‘Big 5’ into a plan
• Add important details to the plan – Keywords for SEO, milestone dates, budget, sources, call to action, etc.
• Get all reviewers to look over the plan and sign off

Use your plan to guide you while writing the full whitepaper. Once you get the hang of planning, it will eventually become second nature and you’ll be creating content faster and more efficiently, with minimal revisions or rewrites.

What We’re Reading, Listening to + Watching

YouTube Launches New Live Shopping Events, New Updates for CTV Campaigns

The little-known web browser that beats Chrome for productivity

Apple picking is a bizarre imitation of hard work

Clubhouse vies to expand reach with new tools

How Apple’s Epic legal battle will reverberate with marketers for years

Etsy debuts shoppable virtual house

#FGFStory: Kraft Flvrs Club

KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Dinner announces the newest club fit only for its biggest super fans. Introducing KRAFT FLVRS CLUB, a club from the iconic mac & cheese brand celebrating new KRAFT Flavor Boosts seasoning mixes that bring the classic flavor of mac & cheese to a new level. Club members will get a chance to be the first to try the new Flavor Boosts: pizza, ranch, and buffalo before they hit shelves, as well as the chance to receive limited-edition Flavor Boost themed merchandise.

#FunFact: Consumers Value Social Connection with Brands

58% of consumer said they prefer using social media to communicate with a brand vs. email, phone calls, or text. They cited attributes such as convenience (72%), speed (61%), and personalization (50%) as being the reason behind their preference. Source: Mitto

#ClientNews: Mr. Sunshine is Ready to Shine!

Vincenzo Guzzo, aka Mr. Sunshine, is back for another season of Dragons’ Den on CBC airing Thursday nights at 8 PM! In a run up to the premiere, Zenergy arranged for Vincenzo to be seen and heard on media outlets throughout Canada where he gave interviews in English, French and Italian. Zenergy was selected by Guzzo to be his Public Relations Agency of Record in 2018 just as he joined Dragons’ Den.

#FunStats: From January 1 to September 30, 2021 Vincenzo has appeared on TV, radio, in podcasts and articles reaching over 135M people with than 405M impressions.

In solitude the mind gains strength and learns to lean upon itself.
– Laurence Sterne

#Report: The State of B2B Content Marketing

Some 43% of business-to-business marketers saw an increase in their 2021 content marketing budget and 66% expect to see more of the same in 2022, according to a report by ON24, Content Marketing Institute and Marketing Profs.

Here are some of the key findings:

• The top three categories for increased content spending next year are video, events and owned media.
• Content assets that delivered the best results this year are digital events, research reports and short articles.
• The top three goals advanced by content are brand awareness, creating trust and educating audiences.

Adjusting B2B Marketing Strategies

With events being executed in hybrid formats to include virtual and in-person, the adoption of innovative ways to engage across the customer journey has followed. To effectively connect with in a B2B environment, marketers must:

• Be attuned to evolving preferences.
• Know what resources to offer and when.
• Understand how best to engage.

#ProTip: Keep your marketing and sales teams are aligned! An easy, quick solution to do so is by conducting five-minute daily or weekly meetings so that each group can share updates on all relevant metrics.

#Report: Social Media Trends: Powered by Consumers

Learning how to drive success on social media in the accelerated age of the ‘now consumer’ will be imperative in 2022. Have a look at these top trends from a recent Hubspot Report:

• TikTok will take over social media, leaving other platforms to adapt
• Social ads will develop, as cookies die out
• Social selling will simplify the customer journey
• Post-pandemic content will shape up to consumer needs
• Omnichannel engagement will change the way consumers engage with social media
• Maturing influencer marketing will finally come of age
• Brands will lead in social media decentralization
• Metaverses, shared virtual world environments which people can access via the internet, will be the next consumer connection
• Brand inclusivity will be brand critical
• Communities will develop, and take control

Need help with your 2022 social media strategy? Contact us!

#FunFact: Gen Z has the Travel Bug this Holiday Season

Gen Z (ages 18 to 24) is the most likely age group among US adults to travel this holiday season, with 59% saying they will, as compared to 41% of baby boomers (ages 57 to 75) and just 35% of seniors (age 76+).

Five Steps to Creating a Whitepaper Plan

A whitepaper is often the most challenging marketing piece to create. Even when you do manage to, it sometimes fails to yield even a marginal return on investment and effort. Here are some the most important considerations when planning:

• Get all project reviewers on board
• Agree on the ‘Big 5’ – What is the goal of the whitepaper? Who will be reading the whitepaper (the target audience)? What is the whitepaper’s topic? Where in the sales cycle will it be used? How long will the whitepaper be?
• Compile the ‘Big 5’ into a plan
• Add important details to the plan – Keywords for SEO, milestone dates, budget, sources, call to action, etc.
• Get all reviewers to look over the plan and sign off

Use your plan to guide you while writing the full whitepaper. Once you get the hang of planning, it will eventually become second nature and you’ll be creating content faster and more efficiently, with minimal revisions or rewrites.

#Report: The State of B2B Content Marketing

Some 43% of business-to-business marketers saw an increase in their 2021 content marketing budget and 66% expect to see more of the same in 2022, according to a report by ON24, Content Marketing Institute and Marketing Profs.

Here are some of the key findings:

• The top three categories for increased content spending next year are video, events and owned media.
• Content assets that delivered the best results this year are digital events, research reports and short articles.
• The top three goals advanced by content are brand awareness, creating trust and educating audiences.

Instagram Adds Scheduling + ‘Practice Mode’ for Live Creators

Instagram is helping Live creators around the globe drum up interest by being able to schedule events and share the news with followers who then can set event reminders. A Practice Mode also is set to launch shortly to perfect presentations before going live.

Reviews Used to be a Nice-to-Have. Now, They’re a Must-Have

Review importance, influence, and consumption are rapidly increasing in consumer mindshare. In our digital marketplace reviews can be the first link to connecting your business with consumers.

#FunFacts from a recent survey by Podium:

• 88% of customers say reviews influence them in discovering a local business
• 23% of customers have read an online review in the last day, and 65% have read one in the last week
• 83% of customers say that reviews must be recent and relevant in order to care about them

#FunFact: Gen Z a Major Force on Twitter

Twitter research has revealed that 16 to 24 years olds, Gen Z, accounted for nearly 50% of US-based tweets over the past 12 months. With 70% of Gen Z respondents saying that they use the social network to learn about new products.

What We’re Reading, Listening to + Watching

• Canadian SMBs highly confident in economy and future growth: KPMG
• The 49 coolest neighborhoods in the world
• How TikTok helped this denim kickstarter reach its goal in 9 hours
• How mental health became a social media minefield
• Home Depot hires Walmart delivery drivers to drop off paint and more to customers’ doors
• Growing signs of a demand-fuelled retail recovery on the horizon, even as Canadians prepare for a second pandemic-clouded holiday season
• The fractionalization of everything

#FGFStory: Paper Made from Grass

Processing wood into paper requires a lot of water, energy, and chemicals. Creapaper mixes in grass, reducing the need for trees—and all the resources necessary to process them. According to Creapaper, their material can cut water use during paper production by 99%, save 97% of the energy use, and reduce CO2 emissions by at least 70% because of the energy savings.

Social Concerns Driving Content of Global Brands

Shutterstock reports thar social movements such as Stop Asian Hate and Black Lives Matter significantly drove content for 63% of global marketers over the past year, and 65% concur that diversity plays an important role in audience targeting. Visual diversity is a difficult goal for 44% of respondents and 76% think there’s still room for growth in terms of representation.

TikTok Shares New Insights into Halloween Engagement Trends

TikTok released data and an infographic that shares insights about Halloween engagement on their platform. The top content categories for last year’s Halloween included lip-sync singing, acting/dialogue, and comedy/dance. Top hashtags included #trickortreat with 336 billion views, #halloween with 20 billion views, #halloweenlook with 4.5 billion views and #halloweenmakeup with 1.2 billion views.

Check out the inforgraphic and more Halloween insights.

#ClientNews: Image Totale©

Zenergy’s New York PR team has been working hand-in-hand with the French artistic directors of Image Totale, Annabelle Mauger and Julien Baron, to draw awareness to the art and technology behind their ground-breaking immersive experiences. Annabelle and Julien were the first to create immersive art exhibits allowing spectators “to experience the emotional depth of the artwork in a much more personal and ethereal way, to feel more deeply connected to the artist.”

Read the latest article about the duo in California Business Journal.

“It’s Friday! Time to go make stories for Monday.” – Anonymous

Media Buy Diversification

Facebook lost an estimated $79 million in ad revenue this past Monday when technical issues caused global outages for nearly 3 billion users across its platform, as well as Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp. Some brands quickly shifted to text messaging and platforms such as Twitter. This outage is a reminder of the importance of diversifying media budgets.

Here are a few reasons to diversify your media buys:

• Your audience moves between platforms.
• To deliver a variety of messages and content.
• To make educated decisions by caomparing performance across platforms.
• The effectiveness is compounded with diverse platforms.

Improve your Media Buy ROI

Here are some media planning tips to improve ROI:

• Know your target demographic and apply that knowledge to your media strategies.
• Ensure that your audience sees your ads at the right time.
• Always Be Transparent – you want your audience to know and trust your brand.
• Include keywords in your SEM ad copy, as well as across your website, blog and social media pages.
• Focus on your customer needs and desires when creating your marketing content.
• Optimize your website, social pages, and overall web presence for a mobile world.
• Keep track of how effectively each campaign is working for your brand.

Need help with media buy planning? Contact us

#FunFact

According to Influencer Marketing Hub and Upfluence, micro-influencers (those with fewer than 15,000 followers) have the highest engagement rate on Instagram at 3.86% whereas mega-influencers (those with more than 1 million followers) had the lowest at 1.21%.

#Results

How do you Feel about a Cashless Society?

Our #FGF readers have spoken and although 26% of you were completely ‘Against a cashless society’, 49% of you were either ‘All for it’ or ‘Ok with it.’

What We’re Reading, Listening to + Watching

• How Memes Stormed the Marketing World
• YouTube Makes Its Ads on Connected Television Platforms Shoppable
• Twitter Opens Up Applications for Professional Profiles, a New Option for Brands and Creators
• Business leaders bullish on economic recovery
• Why Hot Startups Like Pura Vida and Cure Hydration Are Getting Big Results From Micro-Influencers
• Report: Consumers Say They’ve Increased Social Media Messaging With Brands Since Pandemic, Find It More Positive
• 6 Ways QR Codes can be Even More Useful to Brands

#FGFStory: TV Series ‘Earthshot’ Documents the Repairing of Our Planet

A new five-part television series led by Prince William is being launched globally. ‘EarthShot’ — featuring Sir David Attenborough, Shakira, and other big names in conservation — profiles inspiring people around the world who are already finding ground-breaking solutions to our greatest environmental challenges and highlights some of the most extraordinary practical projects that can be rolled out across the world.

Watch the trailer.

#BytheNumbers: 60 Seconds

Instagram Reels videos can now be 60 seconds and this is the third time the platform has increased video lengths since its introduction in August 2020. TikTok, in comparison, currently allows videos of up to 3 minutes.

Three Ways to Take Your Business Branding to the Next Level

People don’t just buy products and services, they also buy the value that comes with them. Being in good standing with your brand is an excellent way for customers to enjoy an experience beyond the widget.

Here are three ways to take your business branding to the next level:

Visual + Present
Brand visibility is essential for brands of all sizes. It’s a given that customers will grow fond of you when they constantly see your brand in the right places.

Prioritize Customer Service
Today’s customers expect more from companies and, as a result, customer service has become a top priority for modern brands. Providing an excellent experience for customers before, during, and after patronage is a great way to build beneficial relationships for both parties.

Focus on Value
Your company can mean more to customers than your product or service. Consider using your social media profiles to share content that is in line with what your target market cares about.

Halloween Happiness

This Halloween’s shaping up to be much more normal than last year, with trick-or-treating outdoors mostly back. In a new online survey, Influence Central found that % of parents are planning for traditional door trick or treating. These parents feel comfortable spending times outside, despite the Delta variant, and kid’s costumes can easily include masks. This means anticipated high sales of both candy and costumes.

pop-up go will be launching a separate newsletter starting next week. Stay tuned!

“Gratitude opens the door, the power, the wisdom, the creativity of the universe. You open the door through gratitude.”
— Deepak Chopra

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Are your Press Releases Media Worthy?

According to Cision’s 2021 State of the Media Report, 47% of journalists are covering at least 5 beats and 45% are writing seven or more articles a week. So, even if you have an interesting story, journalists might not notice it because they’re too busy filing 1-2 stories a day.

Here are a few must-haves that will grab a journalist’s attention and help make their lives easier, thereby increasing your odds of getting media coverage:

• Keep headlines and subheadlines brief and shareable.
• 280 characters should be your upper limit, but remember that your headline will be cut off after 55-70 characters in Google search results
• Have a clear news angle.
• Include relevant multimedia.
• Logo, headshots, images, videos, infographics, etc.
• Use stats/numbers/data that you have.
• Bonus points if you have this in your headline/subheadline!

Need help with a media relations? Contact us

#ClientNews

MUVE Selects Zenergy to Get its Awareness Moving

Zenergy’s PR team is thrilled to be working with Montreal-based tech company MUVE to drive awareness about the company, its app, and its founders.

MUVE is the first fully integrated mobility technology built for people with accessibility needs. This week, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) announced a collaborative project with MUVE to test the app for its shared taxibus service in the Senneville and Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue areas of Montreal.

#Poll

How do you Feel about a Cashless Society?

eMarketer released an Intelligent Report that stated that the majority of US adults are against living in a cashless society, with 60% indicating they’d prefer physical money to stick around. Answer our poll here!

What We’re Reading, Listening to + Watching

• Coca-Cola hopes ‘Real Magic’ campaign casts right spell for a global turnaround
• The Fastest Growing And Declining Jobs Projected Over The Next Decade, Visualized
• This Mozart Sonata Calms the Brain to Help Reduce Seizures in People With Epilepsy
• How To Build A Social Media Community: Lessons From 11 Successful Brands
• Superette’s latest expansion is into a shipping container
• How Augmented Retail Workers Can Unlock Value In Your Business Post-Pandemic

#FGFStory: It’s a Myth that Adults Can’t Learn Languages as Easily as Kids

Many studies have shown that children’s propensity for learning a second language far exceeds that of adults, but recent research from the University of Kansas’ department of linguistics has demonstrated that’s not necessarily true.

#ProTip: Try writing text messages in the new language also.

Make Your Mall Pop! Program

Supporting local brands is a widespread initiative in communities throughout North America. Take advantage of this consumer sentiment by hosting #LoveLocal pop-ups! Zenergy will drive interest to your vacancies with a proactive outreach program providing a curated pipeline of potential local tenants.

#FunFact: More than 82% of consumers say they will spend more to support local businesses. Whether that be at their favorite local restaurant or at a weekend farmers’ market, there are loyal locals out there, ready to buy!

#SpacesWanted

TORONTO – Seeking 500 sq. ft. in downtown high traffic areas for a frozen pizza brand activation. Kitchen not required.

MONTREAL – Seeking 300-1,000 sq. ft. in Old Port or near Concordia University for an ice cream shop pop-up. Standalone or shared space in cafés and boutiques of interest.

Interested in hosting a pop-up? CONTACT US

Omnichannel Retail Index Report Key Findings

The Omnichannel Retail Index digital report outlines key findings from the latest study including insights into the adoption of best practices and key digital and omnichannel capabilities compared to previous years.

Here are a few:

• 89% of omnichannel companies have the ability to access your personal information (e.g., past online orders, store purchases) – up from 68% in the last study.
• Following a slow start, the majority of retailers in the Omnichannel Retail Index now embrace Live Chat somewhere on the site at an 88% adoption rate.
• 86% offer BOPIS and 92% out of those allow you to also return in store.
• Curbside pickup skyrocketed from 4% in 2019 to 73% in 2021.
• Although significantly up from pre-pandemic, only 57% allow you to combine store pick up and ship-to-home items in checkout.
• 52% offer extended payment (Buy Now Pay Later) options.

projeX by pop-up go

The latest offering from pop-up go, projeX by pop-up go is a virtual pop-up marketplace and online shopping destination that connects consumers to a diverse variety of small businesses, boutiques, and local retailers, allowing them to discover high-quality, exclusive, and interesting finds. Brands can sell directly to consumers, create virtual pop-up stores, or host digital experiences – all in one place. It’s a great way to launch a new product, test a new concept, or build an online presence.

Pop-Ups and Pop-Ins in Action

• Read about recent and upcoming pop-ups and pop-ins that we love.
• Lego-inspired pop-up bar coming to St. Louis
• Lush Cosmetics to open pop up store in Tallahassee mall
• DJ Khaled offers luxury grooming experience at pop-up barbershop for Groomed X Blesswell skincare
• IKEA set to open new pop-up shop in Naas, Co.
• Skims launches pop-up in Paris
• Pop-up retail shops in Seaport will partner with Boston tech unicorn Klaviyo
• Wicked Dog Apparel opens first brick and mortar pop-up shop at Arsenal Yards in Watertown
• Motown Museum opens pop-up retail shop in Detroit’s Greektown district
• Lancôme trials its first virtual pop-up store in the UK
• Ferne Boutique and Mature Lifestyle Clothier Team Up to Open Pop-Up
• Electric City Football Club Opens Pop-Up Retail Merchandise Store

“Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”
Excerpt from the poem To Autumn by John Keats (1795-1821)