Author: Zenergy

Part 2: Fashion, Food + Gaming and Technology

Using a combination of influencer lists and social media platform research, the US Chamber of Commerce has identified the top five individual social media influencers across nine major industries. Here is a selection along with links to their top two channels as of December 2021.

Fashion

• Chiara Ferragni: Fashion blogger and entrepreneur. Instagram Facebook
• Camila Coelho: Fashion designer and entrepreneur. Instagram YouTube
• Olivia Palermo: Fashion entrepreneur. Instagram Facebook
• Negin Mirsalehi: Fashion and lifestyle vlogger and entrepreneur. Instagram YouTube
• Mariano Di Vaio: Fashion blogger and designer. Instagram YouTube

Food

• Jamie Oliver: Chef, restaurateur and TV host. Facebook Instagram
• Rosanna Pansino: Baker and food vlogger. YouTube Instagram
• Andrew Rea (Binging with Babish): Food/cooking vlogger. YouTube Instagram
• Jun Yoshizuki (Juns Kitchen): Food/cooking vlogger. YouTube Instagram
• Laura Vitale (Laura in the Kitchen): Food/cooking vlogger. YouTube Facebook

Gaming and Technology

• Mark Fischbach (Markiplier): Gaming and entertainment vlogger. YouTube Instagram
• Lia Shelesh (SSSniperWolf): Gaming vlogger. YouTube Instagram
• Seán William McLoughlin (Jacksepticeye): Gaming and comedy vlogger. YouTube Instagram
• Evan Fong (VanossGaming): Gaming vlogger. YouTube Instagram
• Daniel Middleton (DanTDM): Professional gamer and gaming vlogger. YouTube Instagram

Stay tuned to next week’s FGF as we reveal the last 3 industries!

Managing Social Media Over the Holidays

It’s easy to get caught up in all the festivities and neglect your social media over the holidays. You don’t have to be always available, but it will pay off to focus on some key strategic aspects during the holiday period.

Here are some tips:

• Keep your audience up to date on current offers, events, and, most importantly, your holiday hours.
• Schedule posts to ensure that your brand keeps a social presence over the holidays.
• Start a holiday competition on social as they can generate a great deal of engagement. Caption contests are a very easy way to engage your followers.
• Include holiday hashtags. Read an article on their importance here.
• Update your social media cover photos to include a festive feel.
• Give your audience offers that can include discounts but keep in mind that you’ll get noticed by your target audience by sharing tips.
• Support charities and highlight the efforts that you and your employees are making to show the human side of your company.

Need help with your social media? Contact us!

Attending NRF in NYC January 16-18, 2022?

Book a meeting with us!
“We have a proven track record – over 18 years of creating powerful PR that resonates with consumers and the media. Our team of PR professionals will work for you curating effective PR executions to support your brand initiatives.”

Linda Farha, President, Zenergy Communications

Book a meeting – Contact us!

What We’re Reading

• Twitter Announces the Best Brand Tweets, Handles and Campaigns of 2021
• Facebook Advertising 2021
• The CEO: Architect of the new operations agenda
• Social Media Demographics for Marketers in 2022
• The digital divide is narrowing at big businesses
• 10 Content Marketing Trends To Watch In 2022

Please share what you’re reading by tweeting #FGFreads or DM us.

#FGFStory: Real-Life Puss in Boots

When it comes to the cutest cat ever, meet Pisco the cat, also known as the real-life Puss in Boots. With his ginger-tinged fur and large saucer eyes, this British Shorthair looks identical to the equally adorable, animated feline from the Shrek 2 movie. Pisco is a dead ringer for the famous character and is guaranteed to melt anyone’s heart.

Pisco has become a celebrity cat in his own right, with his own Instagram account garnering over 627K followers so far.

#FunFacts

84% of marketers are targeting Millennials in their social media strategy, followed by Gen X (52%), then Gen Z (22%). Only 14% of marketers target Baby boomers.

Source: HubSpot Blog Research

#IdeasInAction: Ideas we Love

Jet Flown by United Airlines Entirely Powered by 100% Plant-Based Fuel

A United Airlines flight from Chicago O’Hare to D.C. Reagan National is nothing to write home about, but the 100 people who were aboard the flight were part of aviation history. They were on the first passenger aircraft flight ever to be powered by 100% plant-based jet fuel, designed by Virent, and derived from agricultural waste like corn cobs and stalks.

Known as “synthetic aromatic kerosene,” Virent’s fuel turns plant sugars into an oil through a multistep, patented process that reduces greenhouse gas emissions when burned in flight by around 50%. United Airlines will be partnering with Virent as it hopes to reach carbon-neutrality by 2050, and with the airline’s support Virent hopes to announce commercialization of the fuel in the coming months.

Sustainable Media

New global research from Microsoft Advertising, “The Rise of Sustainable Media”, shows that over the next 12 months, 59% of consumers worldwide intend to start boycotting brands who don’t take action on climate change. There is also almost unanimous support for companies to not only do the right thing for the planet, but to also to ‘show by example’. 91% of people want brands to demonstrate they are making positive choices about the planet and environment more explicitly – in everything they do.

Here are some highlights from the report:

• Within a year, 3 out of 5 people will start to boycott brands who don’t act on climate change
• Almost half of consumers prepared to switch brands and services for greener alternatives
• 3 in 10 people are willing to pay more for greener alternatives of products and services

Read the full report.

Took a photo that you are proud of?

Send it along and our team will select amongst those submitted to be featured in our next FGF.

#FunFact: Snow is not white!

It typically appears white because visible light is white. Frozen water particles are translucent, but the sunlight’s reflection gives snow its white appearance.

Top Five Social Media Influencers in Nine Industries

Part 1: Automotive, Beauty + Business

Using a combination of influencer lists and social media platform research, the US Chamber of Commerce has identified the top five individual social media influencers across nine major industries. Here they are along with links to their top two channels as of December 2021.

Automotive

• Tim “Shmee” Burton (Shmee150): Automotive vlogger. YouTube Instagram
• Eric Cook (EricTheCarGuy): Auto repair and tips vlogger. YouTube Facebook
• Do It With Dan: Motorcycle vlogger. YouTube Instagram 
• David Patterson (ThatDudeInBlue): Car reviewer. YouTube Instagram 
• Matt Farah (TheSmokingTire): Automotive podcast host. YouTube Instagram

Beauty

• Huda Kattan (HudaBeauty): Makeup artist and blogger. Instagram YouTube 
• James Charles Dickinson (James Charles): Celebrity makeup artist and vlogger. YouTube Instagram 
• Jeffrey Lynn Steininger, Jr. (Jeffreestar): Makeup artist and cosmetics brand creator. YouTube Instagram
• Rachel Levin (rclbeauty101): Celebrity makeup artist and vlogger. YouTube Instagram 
• Bethany Mota: Lifestyle, makeup and hairstyle vlogger. YouTube Instagram

Business

• Richard Branson: Founder of the Virgin Group. Twitter Instagram 
• Gary Vaynerchuk (GaryVee): Investor and CEO of Vayner Media and Vayner Sports. Instagram Twitter 
• Grant Cardone: Business author and serial entrepreneur. Facebook Instagram 
• Martha Debayle: Radio/TV host and founder of MKK Group. Facebook Twitter 
• Daymond John (TheSharkDaymond): “Shark Tank” investor and founder of FUBU. Instagram Twitter

Stay tuned to next week’s FGF as we reveal 3 more industries!

Pantone’s Color of Year for 2022

Pantone revealed Very Peri as its Color of the Year for 2022, a periwinkle blue shade that was created specifically for the honor, the first time the Color of the Year is not a pre-existing hue.

Watch the video.

Attending NRF? Book a meeting with us!

“Running from one meeting to another can really take it out of you! But it’s all worth it when you can sit down and chat with someone and interact in a way that wouldn’t be possible virtually.” Linda Farha, President, Zenergy Communications

Contact us to book a meeting at NRF!

What We’re Reading

• HuffPost Bureau Chief Talks Exclusives, Do’s and Don’t’s of Pitching
• 7 takeaways from Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2021
• How Celebrities Are Already Wearing Pantone’s Color of 2022
• How Celebrities Are Already Wearing Pantone’s Color of 2022
• Campbell’s took a ‘surgical approach’ to marketing amid supply chain issues
• Consumers ‘will want to know environmental impact of ads’, research claims
• Please share what you’re reading by tweeting #FGFreads or DM us.

#FGFStory: Dog Running from Police Car Has Internet in Stitches

A TikTok video showing a Yorkshire terrier running in the middle of a road before a police car with flashing lights starts to follow it has attracted more than 938,000 likes and 6.6 million views. The clip is set to Inner Circle’s 1987 track, “Bad Boys.”

Watch the video.

#FunFacts

63% of 18- to 34-year-olds trust influencer opinions more than messages from brands themselves, making influencer marketing a highly effective strategy to target Gen Z consumers.

For other age groups, influencer marketing is still relevant and valuable. Influencer marketing has grown 42% over the past year — worth $13.8 billion in 2021 — with 63% of businesses planning to increase their influencer marketing budget in the next year.

Sources: Influener Marketing and Sprout Social

#IdeasInAction: Ideas we Love

Meet the Sustainable Alternative to Concrete that Caught the Eye of Dior and Louis Vuitton.

What do an American crayfish, a Japanese weed, a French fashion label, and a British designer have in common? They are coming together to create a more sustainable bio-concrete. A project, commissioned by the Maison/0 graduate program at Central Saint Martins, an arts and design college based in London, is working with Dior and Louis Vuitton to create sustainable versions of building materials for use in their luxury stores.

Your GIFt from Zenergy

Zenergy is extending a 40% discount towards the creation of a personalized holiday GIF exclusively for our #FGF readers. Contact us!

Took a photo that you are proud of?

Send it along and our team will select amongst those submitted to be featured in our next FGF.

#FunFact: Snow is not white!

“Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.”

#Predictions: Biggest Consumer Trends of 2022

Analysts at GWI have put together a new report predicting the biggest consumers trends hitting 2022 using a blend of behavioral, demographic and psychographic data.

Here is a highlight of the six trends they’ve identified:

• Pursuit of purpose – outlooks towards work and living going forward
• Inclusive beauty – the future of beauty and the expectations around it
• Attention economy – new media habits and preferences
• Curated online self – how people will present themselves online
• New wave of wellbeing – how people will improve physical and psychological wellness
• Future of cryptocurrency – the next step for this financial phenomenon

Read the full report.

#FunFact:

60% of marketers state that their main goal for influencer marketing is to drive sales. (Source: INMAR Intelligence)

#ProTip: When working with influencers, it is imperative to think through all the interactions the consumer will have with the influencer along the buying journey.

LinkedIn Offers Live, Newsletter Tools to Select Creators

LinkedIn is enhancing its Creator Mode with newsletter and amplification tools, and by giving select users the ability to tap LinkedIn Live solutions to reach more people within the app. According to LinkedIn, users are 20 times more apt to share a video across their platform than any other form of post. Additionally, live videos garner seven times more reactions than native ones and 24 times more comments.

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

What We’re Reading

• 11 New Social Networks for 2022
• The best-designed gifts of 2021
• THE INFLUENTIALS 2021 – Toronto
• 5 Social Media Challenges Brands are Facing in 2022, According to 500+ Marketers
• How to Use the Right Type of Product Video to Boost Your Sales
• Starbucks and Amazon team up on their first store, but I can’t see what’s in it for Starbucks
• Budgets Show Spending Across All Social Networks: Trends For 2022

Please share what you’re reading by tweeting #FGFreads or DM us.

#FGFStory: Spectacular Coral Event This Year Spawns Hope

And Billions of Babies for Great Barrier Reef

Oceanographers enjoyed a burst of color and life flowing forth in the annual spawning of coral from the Great Barrier Reef last week. Taking place after the November full moon, researchers witnessed a banner year that inspired hope for the revitalization of the world’s coral reefs.

At the iconic reef off the coast of Cairns, Queensland, different corals synchronized the release of their spawn, which look almost like the shaking of a giant snow globe.

Watch the video.

YouTube Reveals its Best of 2021 Lists

YouTube published details of the most popular content so far this year on its platform, spanning ads, videos, creators and music. The top three ads, in order, were “Alexa’s Body” for Amazon, “#TheGOATin5G” for T-Mobile, and HBO Max’s trailer for “Justice League,” while the top creator was MrBeast, who also created the top trending video, “I Spent 50 Hours Buried Alive.“

Ad Spending 2021: A Record Setting Year

Led by an unprecedented expansion in digital advertising, total worldwide ad spending will set a record for growth this year, with traditional and digital posting their highest rates of increase since eMarketer began tracking these categories internationally.

2021 is one for the record books and here is how eMarketer is predicting the year will close out:

• Total worldwide ad spending increasing 19.9% to $780.59B.
• Worldwide digital ad spending is expected to surge by 29.1% to $491.7B.
• Display and search ad spending are both rebounding with gusto with growth at rates 30.8% and 29.3%, respectively.

Plan your 2022 media buy now! Contact us!

#IdeasInAction: Ideas we Love

Toronto is replacing air conditioners with deep lake water to cool hundreds of buildings. 180 Toronto buildings have ditched energy intensive air-conditioning in favor of cooling by pumping frigid waters from the depths of Lake Ontario through pipes in the walls and floors. Altogether the 54 million ft2 of real estate saves 90,000 megawatt hours of electricity annually, enough to power 25,000 homes. Learn more about the Deep Lake Water Cooling system of Toronto. #IdeasInAction

Your GIFt from Zenergy

Zenergy is extending a 40% discount towards the creation of a personalized holiday GIF exclusively for our #FGF readers. Contact us!

Took a photo that you are proud of?

Send it along and our team will select amongst those submitted to be featured in our next FGF.

“The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists.”

– Fred Hornaday
Poet

Social Media Advertising for B2B

Social media advertising is an increasingly important marketing approach for B2B firms.
However, crafting a strategy can feel daunting with so many different platforms and ad formats to choose from.

Benefits of social media advertising for B2B:

• Increase brand awareness and recognition
• Easily reach target audiences
• Establish thought leadership
• Acquire and retain customers
• Generate leads and sales
• Boost website traffic

#ProTip: Don’t limit your ads to one type of format, social platforms offer numerous options including: text, photo and video ads, sponsored content, story ads, carousel promotions, direct message ads, etc.

Start out the new year with a complete social media strategy. Contact us!

#FunFact:

83% of marketers use social media advertising. Source: Sagefrog

Digital Empathy

A recent interview with Brian Solis a world-renowned author and speakers boasted as a digital anthropologist and futurist, shared his insights into the need for digital empathy. Here is an excerpt from that interview.

“In a world where we risk losing warmth during the massive, accelerated shift to digital, we must not over-invest in transactions over meaningful engagement and experience. One powerful opportunity is to embrace the sixth ‘love language’ in marketing and experience design, which I call digital empathy. It’s this idea of understanding that digital itself has with it a different way of communicating and understanding how others want to communicate and how they want to be engaged. We all know the golden rule, ‘treat others how you want to be treated’. But I think in this world where we’re accelerating digital experiences, even hybrid experiences, there is a possibility now or I should say, a need, for marketers to embrace the golden rule of digital empathy. Treat others how they want to be treated- this is the foundation for data-driven empathy and true hyper-personalization.”

What We’re Reading

• Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse, how will the world of advertisements look?
• ‘You can almost taste the hot chocolate’: Why catalogs are still winning holiday marketing
• Lush is quitting social media. The start of a trend?
• Report: Consumers warming to social commerce
• Black Friday outpaces Cyber Monday for digital purchases
• Why Kraft Heinz is paying for epipens

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

#FGFStory: Goal: 250,000 lbs of Food in 1 Day

Our year round #ZenergyCause initiative is pleased to donate our time to promote Toronto Miracle via media relations outreach. The one-day, city-wide food drive, run completely on volunteer power, is happening December 4 across Toronto. The goal for 2021 is to bring together all 140 Toronto neighbourhoods to collect 250,000 lbs of non-perishable food in one day.

Watchan interview on Toronto’s CP24.
Learn more, register to donate or volunteer here.

#FunFact

Approximately 30% of Americans and 40% of Canadians over the age of 15 have volunteered for charities, non-profits and community organizations. #GiveThanks (Sources: StatCan and InterExchange.org)

#Report: Don’t be Shy with Instagram Hashtags

Analysis of over 18 million feed posts on Instagram has revealed that those accompanied by 20 hashtags achieve the highest reach while those with 30 hashtags generate the most comments and likes. The research goes against Instagram’s own advice of using between three and five hashtags. It may be worth testing posts with higher numbers.

Plan your 2022 social strategy now. Contact us!

#IdeasInAction: Ideas we Love

Design students at London’s Royal College of Art were given a challenge: take plastic that will most likely end up in the landfill and turn it into a new raw material using as little energy as possible. The students excelled, turning plastic into train car-seat covers, sound insulation, art pieces, lamps, and more. Learn more about the Precious Waste competition here.

Took a photo that you are proud of?

Send italong and our team will select amongst those submitted to be featured in our next FGF.

“The sky and the strong wind have moved the spirit inside me till I am carried away trembling with joy.”

– Uvavnuk
19th century Inuk oral poet

Short Form Video Trends

(Up to 2.5 minutes in length)

A 2020 study by Wyzowl reported that people share videos at twice the rate than any other form of content. It also found that 84% of people bought a product or service based on the brand’s video. Given this data, video content in short form, the most popular video style consumed, is an important part of every brand’s content marketing strategy.

Here are some short form video trends for 2022:

• Brand Challenges
• Influencer Ads
• Product Teasers
• User-Generated Content (UGC)
• Behind-the-Brand
• Explainer or Educational

#ProTip: The desire to be on-trend is always tempting but brands should be selective about which trends they partake in. With this in mind, it’s all about finding the balance between what’s trending and what’s on-brand for your business.

Zenergy provides turnkey video production services! Contact us!

The Present and Future of Search Engine Marketing

With millions of web pages battling to answer consumers searches, what can businesses do to strategically position themselves at the top of the list? The answer is Search Engine Marketing or SEM. Once used as an umbrella term for both organic and paid organic traffic, SEM has now shifted to specifically reference ads, with search engine optimization (SEO) used for unpaid content. One of the most prominent advantages of SEM, for both B2B and B2C companies, is that it positions businesses directly in front of motivated customers at the exact moment they are seeking a product or service.

Read more about the future of SEM on our blog.

New LinkedIn Data Shows How Gen Z is Recalibrating the Platform

Generation Z (9 to 24 year-olds) will make up 27% of the workforce by 2025 and 78 million of them can be found on LinkedIn where they not only seek content related to work but to professional development, financial security and their values of sustainability and authenticity, according to a LinkedIn report. The older end of the cohort already represents 10% of the platform’s total user base and 80% say that LinkedIn is a brand they trust.

Here are some other insights from the report on how Gen Zers currently on LinkedIn are using the platform:

• 36% use it for work-related networking and research
• 46% for reading news stories
• 74% said they want to learn new skills
• The most popular LinkedIn courses taken by young people are on Microsoft Excel, project management, data structuring and data visualization softwares, coding language basics and search engine optimization.

Ensure that your LinkedIn content speaks to all demographics. Contact us!

What We’re Reading

• 6 Advertising Challenges Brands Could Face in 2022, According to Experts
• Can commercial radio and podcasting go hand-in-hand?
• COP26 made net zero a core principle for business. Here’s how leaders can act
• What Readability Level Makes Sense for Your Audience?
• LinkedIn Quietly Experiments With Product Pages To Boost Conversations

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

#FGFStory: 15 Million-Acre Protected Superhighway

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso announced an expansion of the marine protections around the iconic Galápagos Islands by 23,000 square miles – nearly 15 million acres – at the COP26 climate summit.

Lasso also announced the creation a protected swimway from Galápagos all the way to Costa Rica, an underwater superhighway refuge for a variety of endangered migratory animals such as scalloped hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, rays, sea turtles, and tuna.

#FunFact

Approximately 25% US adults use Twitter, according to Pew Research. Entertainment is the primary reason they do say 42% of those surveyed, while seeking news was the second most popular with 20% saying so.

#Report: Hootsuite Annual Global Social Trends 2022

A Hootsuite survey of customers, marketers and analysts found 48% of marketers planned to increase spending on Instagram this year, followed by Facebook (47%), YouTube (44%) and LinkedIn (43%). The report also showed the growing importance of social media outside of marketing activities, and marketers noted next year’s top social media priorities are brand awareness and customer acquisition.

Top goals on social in 2022 based on company size:

• SMB (1-99 employees): Increase acquisition of new customers followed by increasing brand awareness
• Mid-size (100-999 employees): Improving the employee experience followed by brand protection/risk mitigation
• Enterprise (1000+ employees): Brand protection/risk mitigation followed by improving the employee experience

Plan your 2022 social strategy now. Contact us!

#IdeasInAction

13-year-old Abraham Olagbegi was granted a “Make-A-Wish” and used it to feed the homeless in his area of Mississippi one day a month for an entire year. When life hands you a miracle, you can bask in its glow or you can pay it forward.

Took a photo that you are proud of?

Send it along and our team will select amongst those submitted to be featured in our next FGF.

“A gray day provides the best light.” – Leonardo da Vinci

#ProTips: Successful Influencer Contracts

Many elements related to an influencer contract are obvious but others really aren’t as clear cut. Here are 10 recommended points to include when entering into an agreement with an influencer:

• Assignment details
• Key messages
• Compensation
• Compliance (FTC, social outlet regulations, disclosure, etc.)
• Content rights
• Visual guidelines
• Behavior clauses
• Content removal dates
• Tracking and reporting
• Amplification rights (i.e. boosting posts)

Need help planning an influencer marketing campaign? Contact us!

#Results: Hot Tech

If money was no object as it pertains to consumer tech, many American adults indicated that they would upgrade their phones and improve their home security, as per a survey by eMarketer. However, our readers replied to our poll and said that they are more interested in wearable tech and connected exercise equipment – seems like they’re a health-conscience bunch.

Video Storytelling

According to 83% of marketers surveyed by Content Marketing Institute, video has become an even more important storytelling tool in the last two years. Here are a few other marketer insights from their report:

• 60% of those surveyed expect their video budget to increase in 2022 over 2021.
• 69% say their organization needs to invest more in the format, showing they believe in the power of video.
• 48% say their brand doesn’t use existing video to its potential.
• Almost half (49%) say interviews with influencers/subject matter experts produced the best video results.

Need help with your video content? Contact us!

What We’re Reading

• Why marketing’s age-old sexism problem is easy to fix
• Why Do Dogs Tilt Their Heads? Scientists Look at What’s Going On in Their Minds
• Facebook To Limit Ad Targeting For Health, Race, Ethnicity, Other Attributes
• Egg Farmers of Canada write a book to crack down on egg myths
• Top 17 Tips to Enhance Mobile App User Engagement
• Ford makes a smoothie from ingredients in its cars
• How Linda Alvarado Went From Manual Labor To Becoming One Of America’s Richest Self-Made Women

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

#FGFStory: Bouncy Castle Cleans the Air and Gobbles CO2 While You Jump

A bouncy castle on display at COP26 in Glasgow can clean air by removing carbon dioxide and other pollution. It works thanks to algae inside the playground’s inflatable walls.

To demonstrate, children from a local primary school played on the bouncy castle. As the children jump, air is sucked into the walls of the playground where the algae inside absorbs carbon, releasing oxygen in its place.

Check out the video.

#Movember: Over 160 km in 12 days!

Part of this year’s Movember campaign will go towards funding life-changing mental health programs and fundraisers are being asked to run or walk 60 km for the 60 men lost to suicide each hour, every hour across the world. Zenergy President, Linda Farha, has set a goal of 200 km for the month and she’s already surpassed 160 km only 12 days in!

Support Linda’s fundraising campaign by donating here.

#ProTips: Successful Content Marketing

To create a successful content marketing campaign, make sure you craft your message to appeal to your target audience. In a busy world that seems to speed up every day, potential customers are not going to waste their time with irrelevant or boring content. Here are six tips when creating content that will resonate with your target audience:

• Solve a problem
• Make sure it is long enough to rank high in search with keywords throughout (2000+ word content ranks best)
• Use data (research reports, surveys, etc.)
• Include visuals
• Repurpose the content for other uses (social, blogs, eblasts, infographics, etc.)
• Evaluate by paying attention to analytics

Need help connecting with your target audience? Contact us!

#IdeasInAction: Teacher Shares Brilliant Band-Aid Lesson to Teach Kids About Fairness

A third-grade teacher has gone viral for sharing a sweet and simple lesson on fairness using band-aids as a prop. Watch the minute-long mini-lesson on equity that has garnered more than 3M views.

Took a photo that you are proud of?

Send it along and our team will select amongst those submitted to be featured in our next FGF.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy

The holiday season is fast approaching, and with it comes a whole new set of deadlines. The world’s largest retail association, the NRF forecasts that 42% of consumers will start their holiday shopping earlier than usual, making it imperative to be prepared. Zenergy Communications has the perfect solution: a comprehensive holiday Gift Guide Package.

Here’s what’s included:

• A 12-page flip book linked directly to your website or social channel
• Two eblast designs
• Three social media posts
• Online advertising

Let our proven success in delivering integrated marketing and communications solutions through content and creative storytelling help you stand out this holiday season and turn target consumers into shoppers!

Why choose Zenergy’s Gift Guide Package this Holiday Season?

Find out how we can help you succeed this holiday season.

Social Media x PR

Pew Research Center recently released their latest data regarding news consumption on social media platforms and the differences in usage across varying demographics. This data provides industry professionals and organizations with the following important insights into the future of social media and PR:

• Nearly half of U.S. adults still get their news from social media sites.
• Facebook still rules – and has rules for content.
• Diverse, younger audiences require different engagement tactics.
• Election cycles will impact consumption habits.
• This is content creators’ time to shine.

Need help with your social media and public relations strategy? Contact us!

#Poll Hot Tech

eMarketer recently polled US adults and asked: “If money was no object when buying consumer tech what would you buy?” Tied for top place was upgrading their phones and improving their home with smart tech.
What tech would you purchase to spoil yourself?

Top Search Ranking Factors According to SEO Experts

According to recent research from Search Engine Journal, search engine optimization (SEO) professionals say on-page elements had the biggest impact on search rankings over the past 12 months. Some 33% of respondents said that on-page elements, such as metadata (32%), was one of the most important factors while 31% stated organic user behavior.

Need help with your SEO? Contact us!

What We’re Reading

• [Podcast] Masters of Scale – Rapid Response
• Meta’s Ad Returns Are its Redemption for Advertisers
• Research Report: News Consumption Across Social Media in 2021
• How to Choose the Right Facebook Ads Bidding Strategy
• The Metaverse Doesn’t Always Stay in the Metaverse
• Betty White and Betty Crocker Celebrate the Big 100 at Walmart

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

#FGFStory: Forget Gold and Fine Art: Investors are Putting their Money into Rewilding the Land

The UK’s fascination with re-wilding has taken a corporate turn, as green investment companies look to generate long-term capital appreciation for investors, through re-wilding programs and the jobs they create. By taking advantage of the growing carbon capture market, businesses looking to offset or reduce their emissions, and the new Environmental Land Management schemes from the British government, the fund hopes to pair the financial power of the corporate world with the inestimable value of the natural one.

Working in three areas of the UK, The Real Wild Estates Company (RWE) hopes to create 100,000 acres of re-wilded country by 2030, in traditional southern English estate country, the Scottish Highlands, and the North English Moors.

Watch the video.

#Movember: Zenergy is Moving for Movember

Zenergy’s President, Linda Farha, has committed to running or walking 60 km during the month of November in a fundraising effort supporting Movember. That’s 60 km for the 60 men lost to suicide each hour, every hour across the world. Of course, in typical Linda fashion she’s set her goal at 200 km for the month!

Support this year’s Movember initiatives by donating here.

#ProTips: Generate More Leads with your Marketing Content

Here are six tips for crafting marketing communications that get a response – so more people actually read, watch, or listen to your content.

• Give your content an interesting or benefit-oriented title
• Try using a problem-based headline instead of a solution-based one
• Narrow your readership to one target audience
• Consider putting the job function of your target audience in the title
• Put a call to action at the end
• Promote and repurpose your content aggressively

Need help connecting with your B2B audience? Contact us!

#FunFact

93% of online interactions start with search engines.

Source: Humans & Robots

“Entrepreneurs are doers who may fall seven times but stand up eight.”
Asahi Pompey, President, Goldman Sachs Foundation

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