Month: February 2022

How Brands Need to Adjust to Changing Cultural Trends

New behavioral patterns – driven by physical distancing and lockdowns- reshaped our collective psyche. For the first time since the Industrial Revolution, we have the facility to reimagine our world.

Here are seven cultural trends that will shape the next decade:

• Return to traditions – Uncertainty has created a strong nostalgia for the good old days and a newfound desire to be rooted in tradition.
• Metaverse jurisdiction – The pandemic has changed our relationship with the physical world and it is now competing with the virtual world for resources.
• Creator inequality – The creator economy is mirroring the structural inequalities built into our existing economic system and brands, agencies and platforms need to find a way to support and remunerate emerging and overlooked creators.
• Divisions in diversity – Gen-Z is now the largest generation globally and the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in American history. Young consumers want to see products and services that are inclusively designed and they want to know what’s happening behind the camera and if the leadership team of global brands is reflective of society.
• Ethical investment – During the last decade, young people have been consuming based on values. Now they are investing based on values.
• Employee activism – Employee activism will become one of the defining features of the workplace in the next ten years. It can be defined as when employees speak up against their company on issues that impact workers, customers, the environment or society at large.
• Consumerism in crisis – The climate crisis is the defining challenge of our time. Despite all promises at COP26 and a host of brands declaring their sustainability pledges.

Facebook Rolls out Reels Globally

Facebook Reels has officially become available in more than 150 countries. The feature, which is a key component of Meta’s response to the TikTok threat, allows creators to share short-form video content on Facebook or cross-post Reels from Instagram in order to reach a broader audience. Alongside this global rollout, Facebook is also introducing more creative tools and new ways for creators to make money from their Reels through advertising, and soon, Stars.

Want to integrate Reels into your social media strategy? DM us!

#TeamTips: B2B Media Planning

Part 2: Audience Targeting

B2B marketers must know everything about their audience including:

• Are they the decision makers? If not, how influential are they to the decision-making process?
• How do they get information related to your product/service?
• What is their psychographic profile?

Building a Path

Advertisers must understand what consumers want and guide them to a purchase or lead them to provide contact information. This is achieved by building a seamless and secure online path and can include campaign-specific landing pages and resources or integrate seamless data collection technologies.

Matan Ahlfeld is a Media Planning Strategist at Zenergy Communications/

Next week Matan will provide insights into audience targeting.

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What We’re Reading

#BeOurGuest
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What We’re Reading

• Why does Google still have that “I’m Feeling Lucky” button?
• Nike moves away from Foot Locker in shift to DTC
• U.S. Consumer Spending Rose 2.1% in January and Inflation Accelerated Amid Omicron Wave
• The top 10 US food and drink apps in 2021
• Crypto payments and the metaverse: Getting past the hype to position payment incumbents for success
• Infographic: 5 trends for influencer marketing

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

#FGFStory: The First Artwork Curated for the Moon

British artist Sacha Jafri has prepared the first ever painting to be placed on the Lunar service when it blasts off with NASA later this year. The painting, called We Rise Together With the Light of the Moon, is engraved into a specially-designed aluminum-gold plate to survive the massive temperature swings on the Moon.

The small black and white work depicts stick figures inside a heart, surrounded by other hearts and small messages. A second, colored work will be sold at a charity auction around the same time, and 5 NFTs (non-fungible tokens) will go up for auction online at each critical moment in the mission, from liftoff to separation to landing.

LinkedIn Previews New Post Analytics

LinkedIn’s looking to provide more insight into content performance via new post analytics tools, which showcases details about the members that are reading your LinkedIn updates, how many Reactions each has received, and more.

The new analytics will provide more specific insight into who exactly is reading your posts, filterable by job title, industry, location, and more. This can be a great way to ensure that your content is resonating with the people you want to reach.

Need help with your LinkedIn social media strategy? DM us.

Collaborating for Content

How do you get all departments (marketing, sales, customer support, etc.) to work together to give audience members, prospects, buyers, and customers the content they want?

Here are some suggestions:

• Reflect and collaborate with all departments.
• Work transparently.
• Understand multiple roles, but don’t take on everything yourself.
• Create a shared vision.
• Unite on the goals.
• Develop familiarity and knowledge with all stakeholders.
• Invite other departments into your content creation.
• Keep an eye on customer satisfaction.

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.

Licancabur is a stratovolcano on the border between Bolivia and Chile that stands nearly 20,000 feet tall.

Leverage QR Codes to Connect with Customers

The pandemic made QR codes more essential and ever-present. They have become an attractive tool for marketers, thanks to their ease of use and higher adoption rates.

• It’s projected that 83.4 million US adult smartphone users (37.5%) will scan a QR code this year and 42.6% by 2025.

#ProTip: Marketing and advertising strategists should focus on creating QR codes that enable more innovative, enjoyable, and useful customer interactions. This can be achieved through gamification (including games to obtain discounts), access to promotions and deals, and information about product origin history and traceability, capabilities, or reviews.

Here are some easy ways to integrate QR codes:

• Adding a QR code to business cards, product packaging, brochures, print advertising, and direct mail can create additional marketing touchpoints.
• QR codes on packages or labels can give consumers more product information.
• In-store QR codes on purchase receipts, price tags, shelves, buildings, and even staff can wear them to enhance the shopping experience.

Need help developing a strategy that includes the use of a QR code? DM us!

TikTok Made Me Buy it

The #tiktokmademebuyit hashtag has 8.8 billion views on TikTok to date.

Here’s a quick break down of the viral hashtag:

• According to research firm Luth, 83% of TikTok users report going to the platform for product reviews, and 67% said they were inspired by the community to shop even when they weren’t looking to do so.
• 52% of TikTok users worldwide said they search for products or shop on the platform. Even more interesting, 60%, said they follow brands on TikTok, and 68% said they find advertising content specifically to be unique or different from any competitive platform.
• This year, 45.7% of US marketers from companies with 100 or more employees will use TikTok for influencer marketing.
• Beauty products that went viral on TikTok saw an average of 85.3% sales growth month-over-month on Amazon, per Similarweb.
• Last holiday season, TikTok released the ‘TikTok made me buy it’ gift guide, featuring an assortment of products that went viral on the platform during the year. Products spanned beauty, home, tech, food, and apparel categories.

Want to integrate TikTok into your social media strategy? DM us!

#TeamTips: B2B Media Planning

Part 1: The Brief

There is a lot more to B2B media planning than finding the most appropriate trade publication/site and targeting on LinkedIn. The first fallacy of this process typically happens when, perhaps subconsciously, we assume the only way to reach a B2B target audience is when they are at work or doing work.

The world has changed significantly over the last few years. Many magazines have ceased publication or significantly reduced frequency, in favor of online. With the COVID pandemic, more and more professionals are working remotely from home. This is unlikely to go back to where it was pre-pandemic. Leading industry events and conferences have also gone through a major overhaul and are now being watered-down by online events/conferences and webcasts.

So, what does this mean for B2B marketers? Well, there is both good and bad news that comes out of this. The bad news is that we can’t rely on old fashioned means of face-to-face networking, necessitating a much more strategic and disciplined approach to reaching your B2B target. The good news is that there is a lot more data available through measurement and tracking of new marketing efforts. With this comes more informed analysis and strategies.

The Brief

A detailed and accurate campaign brief can make the difference between a successful, disciplined B2B strategy, and one that is just a combination of unrelated tactics. The brief should contain all the information about what the advertiser wants to get out of the marketing campaign. This includes company vision, marketing objectives, media objectives, KPIs/sales goals, target audiences, customer insights, among other things. This should be a collaborative effort between all stakeholders, to ensure everyone is on the same track, and working towards the same goals.

Matan Ahlfeld is a Media Planning Strategist at Zenergy Communications/

Next week Matan will provide insights into audience targeting.

Have an Interesting Perspective on Your Industry that You’d Like to Share?

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Showcase your ideas and discuss what’s on your mind by being a guest columnist in our #FGF newsletter! With a reach of 20,000 weekly readers and an average open rate of 20%, you’ll get the attention of industry leaders directly.

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What We’re Reading

• 3 technologies that will shape the future of the metaverse – and the human experience
• How to Create Instagram Reels Like a Pro: A Guide for Marketers
• Hasbro and Mattel have very different visions for the future of the toy industry
• 4 investment opportunities for a net-zero future
• Spotlight on total global retail: Brick-and-mortar returns with a vengeance

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

#FGFStory: India’s Mass Tree Planting Success: Forest Grows by Half-Million Acres

A report from the Forest Survey of India (FSI) found that recent tree planting activities have taken root in terms of the overall forest coverage in the nation. The country’s forests have grown by 870 square miles of forest, more than half a million acres, over the last three years.

Over the past few years, there have been some monumental tree planting efforts undertaken, by Indians. In 2016, Indians planted 50 million trees in a single day in the state of Uttar Pradesh. And one year later, volunteers in Madhya Pradesh planted 66 million trees, a world record.

#FunFacts: Content Marketing

Content marketing continues to be the heart of digital marketing. Here are some relevant stats to boost your knowledge!

• There are over 500 million blogs on the Internet and 50,000 people search how to start a blog every month on Google.
• According to 65% of marketers, SEO is the most effective tactic to drive more traffic.
• Blogs are among the top three forms of media used in content strategies, and 69.6% businesses actively invest in content marketing.
• The top three content mediums for most B2B marketers are email newsletter, blogs, and social media content.
• 75% of people, who incorporate visuals in content, drive better ROI.
• The majority of B2B content marketers have increased their use of audio/visual content as compared to one year ago.
• Videos are becoming a more popular form of media within content strategy compared to blogs and infographics. The most common videos being created are promotional and brand storytelling.
• Most marketers are creating content for multiple audience segments, three on average.
• Marketers report that the most challenging part of content marketing is generating quality leads.
• Successful blogs are a blend of four content types: guides, How-Tos, Q&As, and lists.

Need help with your content marketing strategy? DM us.

Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork: Meet Shehla Shahid

The Zenergy team is a dedicated force of talent, with a passionate desire to serve. We’d like you to meet our team members. Today we introduce you to Shehla Shahid, our Art Director.

Shehla is a design specialist with 16-year experience in providing imaginative and creative communication and design solutions for businesses, companies, brands, and individuals. She has worked internationally in the advertising world for McCann Erickson and Dentsu, before moving to Canada and joining Zenergy Communications. She has helped shape the communication of quite a few multinational brands like Mondelez, Nokia, Suzuki and Shell with her creative and innovative design skills.

As Art Director at Zenergy Communications, Shehla is responsible for the execution of concept plans for all our clients, visualizing hard-hitting ideas, and designing creative and innovative layouts for all communication materials in print and digital.

Some #FunFacts about Shehla

• She has two beautiful Labrador babies – Betsie and Sheroo
• Her favorite pastime is cooking – the best way to release stress
• She dreams of traveling a lot one day, exploring new cultures, traditions, and food
• She was a voice-over artist (IVR) for a big telecom company

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

Liezen, Austria hosts the ‘Internationaler Wettbewerb für Violincello’ a music competition attracting top performing artists from all over the world.

How to Create Content for Retention

When developing content for retention, it is imperative to customize content accordingly. Here are three ways:

• Use storytelling: Customer-focused stories and case studies get the highest engagement.
• Publish quality content consistently: Creating a blog is crucial as it helps you rank higher on search engines, enables you to build trust with your ideal customers, and provides a platform for a unique voice for your brand.
• Continue to educate your audience: Have a separate section for research studies and articles. Try different platforms like podcasts, vlogs, whitepapers, and guides.

Need help developing content? DM us!

The Top Social Networks for B2B

Although LinkedIn is the most used social network by B2B firms, according to recent research from Sagefrog, Twitter delivers the most engagement. The report was based on data from a survey of marketers who work for B2B firms across a range of industries including technology, healthcare, industrial, and business services.

Here are some of the reports top B2B marketer insights:

• Twitter delivers the highest B2B engagement, on average, for posts/content, followed by LinkedIn and Facebook.
• Social media is now their second-biggest source of leads, after referrals.
• 41% say they plan to invest more in social media marketing in 2022.

Need help with your B2B social media strategy? DM us!

#BeOurGuest: Livestream Marketing

Livestream selling has taken China by storm, generating $60 billion in annual revenues last year. The US market is poised to follow suit with livestream selling now available on major social platforms like Facebook and Instagram but the technology can go beyond direct selling to include livestream events, learning and more, especially with the introduction of new disrupters in the space, most notably, MARKET.

MARKET is a new livestream destination that offers the perfect combination of technology, entertainment, and selling. Created by VERB (Nasdaq: VERB), a leader in the livestream space, MARKET has elevated the livestream genre in a feature-rich site, including:

• Easy-to-use TV quality platform
• Live, in-show shoppable links
• Multiple camera and host capabilities from anywhere in the world
• Record and replay videos across all your platforms
• One cart purchase from multiple vendors
• Robust data and analytics
• Sales performance tracking

Livestream bridges the gap between physical and digital sales, training and events. It allows vendors to create real relationships with real people, in real time, using the power of demonstration and interaction. Designed for mega brands and small businesses alike, MARKET paves the way for new branding and selling opportunities that are destined to become the next big opportunity!

This edition’s #BeOurGuest is

Angel Cicerone
President
Tenant Mentorship

Learn more about livestreaming. DM us!

Have an Interesting Perspective on Your Industry That You’d Like to Share?

#BeOurGuest

Showcase your ideas and discuss what’s on your mind by being a guest columnist in our #FGF newsletter! With a reach of 20,000 weekly readers and an average open rate of 20%, you’ll get the attention of industry leaders directly.

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What We’re Reading

• ‘Health and wellness culture has evolved’: How cereal brand Kashi modernized its marketing to stay relevant
• News outlets ride TikTok engagement wave
• Twitter Shares New Insights into What Users Want to See from Brands via Tweet [Infographic]
• Inside Folgers’ plan to swap its fusty reputation for punk-rock rebelliousness
• Truly cracks open love with contest to encourage Valentine’s Day first dates

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

#FGFStory: SIGNify: Virtual Sign Language Translation

Project SIGNify is a web plugin that uses motion recognition technology to accurately identify and translate sign language in video calls. Once identified, the signs are translated into the recipient’s chosen language and displayed as subtitles.

SIGNify highlights the potential of technology in the corporate world for a diverse workforce. Conversations about inclusive workspaces, in the last few years, have been centralized around physical places and this project highlights how there’s still much work to be done (and opportunities to be had) in the world of remote work.

Instagram: No Longer Just a Photo-Sharing App

Near the end of last year Instagram announced that its 2022 plans were to focus primarily on growing Reels, ultimately consolidating video content around short-form formats.

Here are some tips to take advantage of Instagram’s shift:

• Focus on short-form video
• Find the ideal video length (now available up to 60 seconds but predictions are that this will increase to 3 minutes to challenge TikTok)
• Identify and address limitations in your strategy
• Make time to jump on brand-appropriate trends
• Perfect your text overlays
• Embrace remixes
• Increase reach by sharing to Instagram Stories
• Expand audiences with collaborators
• Use Reels visual replies
• Drive revenue with shoppable Reels
• Make memorable Reels content
• Know when to publish
• Create exclusive content
• Optimize ads for Reels

#ProTip: Optimizing short-form video content, maximizing collaborations, and being prepared to experiment with new Reels features will better position you to increase visibility and grow your brand on Instagram.

Need help with your short-form video content? DM us!

Personalization Strategy: Five Content Types

Marketing personalization means more than just addressing a customer by name in an email or signaling that they’ve browsed a particular item on a website by showing it to them again in a digital ad somewhere else on the internet.

Here are five types of helpful content to include in your marketing personalization content strategy:

• Recommend
• Teach
• Support
• Confidence-Build
• Reward

Let our content development team help you with your copywriting needs. DM 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 first ski jumping competition took place in 1872 in Norway. The world record for farthest ski jump is currently held by Austria’s Stefan Kraft, whose 831 ft. jump at the 2017 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup currently sits as the longest in history.

Media Training + Refresh

Traditional media outlets, 24-hour news sites, Twitter, and a plethora of other social networks all competing for viewer attention. It’s therefore more crucial than ever to know what to communicate and how to do so in order to garner media attention and yield the best results.

That’s where media preparedness and training comes in to help you:

• Understand journalists’ expectations
• Learn how to stay on message, even under pressure
• Know the differences in preparation and delivery between various media formats including print, radio, TV, and online.
• Learn the difference between proactive vs. reactive responses
• Gain insights into what to expect in expert interviews
• Managing and leading Q&A sessions

Need a media how-to refresh or full training for your company’s spokes people? DM us!

Acts of Kindness: Random Acts of Kindness Day is February 17!

Here are five stories of kindness that you may have missed:

• Cinémas Guzzo has pledged discounted pricing everyday for healthcare workers as theaters re-open across Quebec on February 8.
• Valley Smokehouse restaurant in Petawawa, ON started collecting donations and pledged a portion of sales from February to help send a local family to Boston for cancer treatment for their nine-year old son.
• Ogilvie Pizza in Ottawa, ON was called by a loyal customer suffering from COVID-19 asking if someone could deliver a can of ginger ale while she was in isolation. The owner delivered not only the drink but a bag full of medicine and called in daily to check up on her.
• A surprise birthday party was hosted for a Second World War veteran Ernest Allen, now 100 years old, whereby he received over 100 birthday cards from Stittsville, ON local residents and veterans from across Canada.
• Strangers are buying each other groceries across the US, most recently a woman in Texas bought $300 worth of groceries at Dollar Tree as a surprise for a neighbor.

Share your stories with us for our next feature. DM us!

#TeamTips: Connected TV

As screen time has continued to increase one of the most prominent opportunities that has emerged is the ability to maximize the benefits of advertising efforts and reach larger audiences. While there are many tactics to increase viewership there is one leading the pack: Connected TV advertising or CTV.

CTV delivers opportunities for brands and businesses regarding alternative yet effective advertising. Television ads have always been a successful form of advertising, yet CTV takes this to an elevated level as it takes a shorter yet more immersive approach with proven effectiveness. Available in a variety of forms, these advertisements suit the needs of any advertising pursuit.

• There are in-stream video ads that are unskippable and run for 15 to 30 seconds before (pre-roll) or during (mid-roll) the program.
• There are also interactive pre-roll ads which run at the beginning of an online video for those looking to have their ads lead viewers to a landing page.
• For those seeking to have their ad displayed in a more central location, there are home screen placement ads that are typically a short video or image that feature a call-to-action.

“Instead of advertising during an event with the hope of reaching a projected demographic, CTV lets marketers target specific households as precise as by postal/zip code and IP level, so budgets are effectively directed.”

Ed Weiss
Senior Consultant, Media Buy
Zenergy Communications

Learn more about CTV advertising opportunities. DM us!

Have an Interesting Perspective on Your Industry That You’d Like to Share?

#BeOurGuest

Showcase your ideas and discuss what’s on your mind by being a guest columnist in our #FGF newsletter! With a reach of 20,000 weekly readers and an average open rate of 20%, you’ll get the attention of industry leaders directly.

DM us!

What We’re Reading

• 18 Major Retailers Celebrating Black History Month
• Spotlight on total global retail: Brick-and-mortar returns with a vengeance
• Here’s How To Encourage High Team Morale During A Slow Business Season
• [Podcast] eMarketer’s Behind the Numbers daily podcast
• Collabs and creative pairings open up new doors
• What Is The Future Of Air Travel?

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

#FGFStory: Dog ‘Wins’ Internet ‘Drop Challenge’ With Viral Dancing Video

Videos have been flooding the internet of people completing the “Drop Challenge” on TikTok, but one dog has seemingly blown the competition away with its version.

The “Drop Challenge” sees people going about their normal daily activities to the tune of “Yoncé” by Beyoncé— at work, in the home, out shopping and more—only to suddenly squat down while staring at the camera. Often, those around them are left shocked at the move.

Watch Huston’s video

Five B2B Social Media Trends to Watch in 2022

While social media has been around for some time, the changes since March 2020 have been phenomenal. Social media isn’t just pictures for cat videos. While that type of content is uploaded by the thousands every minute, the opportunities to leverage them for B2B engagement will continue to grow.

Here are a few trends to set your sights on this year:

• Brief, bite-sized video content has proven effective for message and delivery by providing engaging, digestible pieces of content that could be cross-posted across social channels. Remember that you can repackaged in short-form pieces into short video content.
• Storytelling has the greatest impact on engagement, and there’s no better platform for stories than on social media. Even B2B users follow concepts, causes and content that connect them to their desires and goals. Make relatable videos and content that perpetuates the identity and story of the individual in the industry you’re trying to reach.
• If you get good organic reach or engagement on any video, reel or post – boost it! This will extend your reach to even more people, especially new ones.
• Embrace the “smaller” platforms such as Pinterest, LinkedIn and TikTok.
• Create and maintain your B2B social community, which can help strengthen your connection and your impact.

Need help with your B2B social media strategy? DM us!

B2B Explainer Videos

B2B companies are flocking towards explainer videos to get other businesses to buy and use their product or services. B2B businesses will always need video marketing to break down what they do and how they differ from anything else on the market. What’s more, explainer videos aren’t just for lead generation; B2B companies can use them throughout the customer lifecycle.

Here are five ways to use explainer videos:

• Sales Pitches
• Customer Onboarding
• Email Marketing
• Virtual Events and Tradeshows
• Advertising

#FunFact: Videos encourage buyers to make a decision: a full 85% are more likely to purchase something after seeing an explainer video about it. (Source: Yans)

Let our creative team help you with your video needs. DM 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 Pale di San Martino mountain group belongs to the Paneveggio – Pale di San Martino Nature Park and is the most southern mountain range of the Dolomites.