I loved this take, and I agree with the Poppi & Tarte comparison. I saw a lot of discourse around the Poppi vending machines, with people saying it would have been a positive PR move if they had let the influencers pick somewhere -- a school teacher's lounge, a hospital, a firehouse, etc. -- to place the machine instead of in their own home. Something like that could blur the line when it comes to experimental gifting vs. a paid partnership, but I think people are onto something with a gifting opportunity that can also give back. (Especially when many influencers complain about an influx of useless PR).
I agree. Kind of like what Taco Bell did with their commercial. They still cast LeBron James and Doja Cat—but they used their star power to highlight their fans.
EXCELLENT newsletter today, Rachel!! I love all of them, but this one pinpointed a couple things that have been on my mind recently that made me go, "YES! THAT. That's how I feel and that's exactly right!" Lol. :)
I'm feeling that the overall takeaway in PR world right now is that:
The best advice for brands right now, is to be their authentic selves.
Might sound redundant with the use of an overused buzzword, "authentic," but truly, I'm advising my clients not to chase trends and not to do something unless it's a natural fit (i.e. influencer marketing -- it's not necessary or RIGHT for every brand!).
I want to tattoo the "good marketing doesn’t exist in the context of bad sentiment." on the eyelids of every strategy person that leans on "well we're part of the conversation, and that's all that matters" after a huge f'ing flop.
I had an issue with it from a carbon footprint standpoint as well. Coming from mags - anytime a brand would send a giant package, it would enrage me. In this case it seems hugely wasteful from a shipping perspective, especially bc they are about to turn around and pick the machines back up. Maybe they explained this somewhere but it’s all I could think about!
This is spot on. That said, I feel for the brand teams that are tasked with inventing the next splashy, viral social moment. I haven't worked anywhere with Poppi-sized budgets, but I imagine it's challenging to constantly one-up yourself.
As an outsider, I'd suggest trying to step outside of the influencer gifting rat race and do something different — perhaps an activation that aligns with the brand's values? Could they use their budget to support the brand's mission? Poppi aims to create a culture of health and happiness. Could they identify a few communities in need of a dose of health and happiness and develop a really meaningful experience for them? This is such a rich territory with a ton of opportunity.
Great piece and headline. The role of Olipop is really interesting too. They stirred the pot and were commenting on the price of Super Bowl commercial spots on posts critical of Poppi. It's giving Blake v Baldoni smear campaign vibes!
These are such salient points. I just hit send on a similar post but attributed it mostly to consumers being over celebrities. I really love that consumers are becoming educated to how they are being marketed to and that they value brands who reflect their own values.
The spectacle marketing game is getting wilder, and I’m here for it. The $0.02 cost-per-view is crazy efficient too! Reminds me of the kind of creative thinking we love at joinrise.co. If you're looking for some marketing jobs feel free to check it out too!
I loved this take, and I agree with the Poppi & Tarte comparison. I saw a lot of discourse around the Poppi vending machines, with people saying it would have been a positive PR move if they had let the influencers pick somewhere -- a school teacher's lounge, a hospital, a firehouse, etc. -- to place the machine instead of in their own home. Something like that could blur the line when it comes to experimental gifting vs. a paid partnership, but I think people are onto something with a gifting opportunity that can also give back. (Especially when many influencers complain about an influx of useless PR).
I agree. Kind of like what Taco Bell did with their commercial. They still cast LeBron James and Doja Cat—but they used their star power to highlight their fans.
100%! This is a significant win for Taco Bell. I'm definitely here for the idea of the customer becoming the influencer.
second all of this! and thanks for such a great free newsletter, rachel!
EXCELLENT newsletter today, Rachel!! I love all of them, but this one pinpointed a couple things that have been on my mind recently that made me go, "YES! THAT. That's how I feel and that's exactly right!" Lol. :)
I'm feeling that the overall takeaway in PR world right now is that:
The best advice for brands right now, is to be their authentic selves.
Might sound redundant with the use of an overused buzzword, "authentic," but truly, I'm advising my clients not to chase trends and not to do something unless it's a natural fit (i.e. influencer marketing -- it's not necessary or RIGHT for every brand!).
I want to tattoo the "good marketing doesn’t exist in the context of bad sentiment." on the eyelids of every strategy person that leans on "well we're part of the conversation, and that's all that matters" after a huge f'ing flop.
same
I had an issue with it from a carbon footprint standpoint as well. Coming from mags - anytime a brand would send a giant package, it would enrage me. In this case it seems hugely wasteful from a shipping perspective, especially bc they are about to turn around and pick the machines back up. Maybe they explained this somewhere but it’s all I could think about!
This is spot on. That said, I feel for the brand teams that are tasked with inventing the next splashy, viral social moment. I haven't worked anywhere with Poppi-sized budgets, but I imagine it's challenging to constantly one-up yourself.
As an outsider, I'd suggest trying to step outside of the influencer gifting rat race and do something different — perhaps an activation that aligns with the brand's values? Could they use their budget to support the brand's mission? Poppi aims to create a culture of health and happiness. Could they identify a few communities in need of a dose of health and happiness and develop a really meaningful experience for them? This is such a rich territory with a ton of opportunity.
Agree! The solution to a crowded influencer space shouldn't be to just keep going more extravagant...
Great piece and headline. The role of Olipop is really interesting too. They stirred the pot and were commenting on the price of Super Bowl commercial spots on posts critical of Poppi. It's giving Blake v Baldoni smear campaign vibes!
These are such salient points. I just hit send on a similar post but attributed it mostly to consumers being over celebrities. I really love that consumers are becoming educated to how they are being marketed to and that they value brands who reflect their own values.
a very good subject line!
tysm!
The spectacle marketing game is getting wilder, and I’m here for it. The $0.02 cost-per-view is crazy efficient too! Reminds me of the kind of creative thinking we love at joinrise.co. If you're looking for some marketing jobs feel free to check it out too!
I can tell you with 99% confidence that they are also being paid on top of receiving the vending machine
Some of them definitely were! Just noticed that the majority of posts about it weren't disclosed as ads.
Unfortunately not all creators follow FTC guidelines