We may only be a few weeks into the new year, but there has already been a flurry of innovation in the digital world. While the year just gone was nothing if not unique, bringing its own set of challenges, we can be sure that plenty of exciting digital marketing news will continue to come our way.
In January’s digital digest, find out more about the giants of social media and their plans for 2021, how the brands we know and love are adapting their methods, as well as the most eye-catching campaigns across the industries.
The Latest Social News
Pinterest update “Try on” makeup tool
Pinterest is taking its makeup Try on tool to the next level this year to further enhance users’ online shopping experience. Though the tool was initially specific to lipstick, users can now virtually try on lipstick and eyeshadow through pins simultaneously, further enhancing the platform’s eCommerce appeal.
Pinners can now expect to digitally test products from brands such as Lancome, YSL, Urban Decay, and more. The new virtual eyeshadow experience is already live across more than 4,000 shoppable shades, while the lipstick Try on experience is active with more than 10,000 colour options.
As explained by Pinterest, “With eyeshadow Try on, powered by Lens, Pinners can tap into visual search and AR technology to try on and shop beauty products right from the camera on their phone. Simply click the camera icon in ‘Search’ and start browsing different shades of eyeshadow, try on in-stock shades, and purchase products.”
These new AR additions to Pinterest are proving lucrative, with users trying an average of six lipstick shades and being five times more likely to show purchase intent on Try on-enabled pins than standard pins. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to AR technology for consumers, so we can surely expect much more from the pioneers at Pinterest.
TikTok launches Creator Portal for budding videographers
TikTok has pushed through a range of new features in recent months, but up until now their advice and guidance for users has been limited. Now, with the launch of the Creator Portal, TikTok is offering a resource to support and guide users through the content creation process as they start to use the app.
As explained by TikTok, “With the different tools, analytics, effects, and creative ideas to balance on a TikTok account, making a strategy for creating content can be daunting. That’s why we’re excited to launch the TikTok Creator Portal, an online hub on TikTok.com filled with educational resources for creators to learn the basics of getting started on TikTok, connecting with their audience, and cultivating best practices to bring their videos to the next level.”
From aspiring influencers to high street brands, there’s no doubt all TikTok users looking to increase their following will utilise everything this new service has to offer.
Linkedin offers users advice on marketing campaign analysis
LinkedIn has provided some seemingly much-needed pointers on reviewing the success of marketing campaigns, with figures suggesting that many analyse data too early on in proceedings.
The business networking site is advising marketers to slow down their approach when looking at ROI. They claim this leads to poor or inaccurate performance indicators and have created a useful infographic on the subject as a result.
As said by LinkedIn, “77% of marketers are measuring ROI within the first month of their campaign, knowingly trying to ‘prove ROI in a shorter amount of time than their typical sales cycle’, while only 4% of marketers even measure ROI over a six-month period or longer.”
These latest insights from LinkedIn could be a brainwave for advertisers. You can find further tips and analysis advice for campaigns on the LinkedIn blog.
The Latest Google News
Google makes changes to price drop search results
Google has quietly made amendments to their product structured data to prioritise price drop rich results for its users.
In a recent update, Google now calculates the price drop of your products or services based on your structured data over time. This new rich result snippet feature may help your business sell items that you are looking to offload. It may also catch more users’ attention because of the notable change in price.
In order to be eligible for the price drop appearance, Google has stated that you must add an offer to your product structured data, rather than a price range. Then, as explained by Google, “Based on the running historical average of your product’s pricing, Google automatically calculates the price drop.”
The new price drop appearance rich result makes sales prices pop in the search results, which could potentially boost sales. Be sure that your product structured data is properly configured in order to take advantage of this new update. Read more on the specific criteria here.
Google launches new and improved mobile interface
Google is rolling out a new design and interface for its mobile search results with the aim of making results easier to read via a more modern design style.
Having tested these subtle-yet-effective changes during the final months of last year, now the finished article is being rolled out in the hope that all aspects of user experience will improve. According to Google, the benefits of these changes will be:
- Easier to read search results: sections and labels are now larger and clearer to help you find what you’re looking for, faster.
- A cleaner, simpler design: improvements to sections and results card designs to create more white space so you can focus on the content that matters.
- A more modern experience: creating a fresh new look for search that’s simple, friendly, and approachable.
Visual design lead at Google, Aileen Cheng said,“We wanted to take a step back to simplify a bit so people could find what they’re looking for faster and more easily.”
While these changes may be small, they may have a noticeable impact on user behaviour, clicks, and traffic.
The Latest Brand News
The army’s new recruitment campaign aims to promote inclusivity
2021 sees a change in recruitment tactics for the British Army, promoting more positive branding around turning failure into success.
Backed by extensive research showing that 81 per cent of young people don’t achieve their goals due to fear, the institution’s new “Fail. Learn. Win.“ approach looks to take a new direction while remaining under the long-term “This Is Belonging” campaign. Promoting the poignant message that only through failure are people able to learn, adapt, and improve, it centres around army training becoming a safe space to facilitate this change.
Nick Terry, CMO of recruiting group Capita said, “It’s the next step in our long-term mission and vision. Our systematic approach is to increase consideration and to get more people to apply. Ultimately we need to make sure we have the right quantity and the right quality of soldiers”.
The target audience for this year has shifted to a much wider demographic. While previous messages have returned successful application figures, the more inclusive approach aims to challenge stereotypes and perceptions associated with the army and improve retention statistics.
Burger King’s nostalgic-yet-new branding
For the first time in 20 years, international fast food icon, Burger King, is kick starting the new year with a fresh rebrand by drawing on past inspiration and new practices.
The redesign of Burger King’s visual identity, spearheaded by the team at JKR Global, is said to pay homage to the improvements in the restaurant’s food as well as its illustrious past at the top of the fast food industry. The logo is a nostalgic return to the brand’s original branding.
1999 saw the logo’s last revamp, which featured the more stylised burger and surrounding blue crescent that has been embedded in cultural references of all types. However, with the company’s recent efforts to improve food quality, removing the blue swish was a perfect point of reference. Lisa Smith of JKR said, “Our choice to remove the color blue was somewhat symbolic of Burger King’s recent removal of colors, flavors, and preservatives from artificial sources”.
To accompany the new look logo, Burger King have also aligned their food packaging, uniforms, merchandising, restaurant signage, menu boards, and marketing assets in the hope of totally rejuvenating the perception of the brand.
The wheels are very much in motion for this brand overhaul and you can expect to see immediate changes, with all of its restaurants updated in the coming years.
Campaign of the Month
Lego and Universal collaborate on Lego Vidiyo
The Lego Group and Universal Music are calling on all future music makers with their new collaborative platform, Lego Vidiyo.
The new system, targeted towards children ages seven to 10, uses Lego’s in-play technology combined with music from Universal’s artists, that allows users to manage their own music video production. These creations can then be uploaded to a feed on the Lego Vidiyo app.
Lego CMO Julia Goldin says, “We want to feed the imagination of the next generation of creatives, providing a new canvas for kids to creatively express themselves. Research shows over three-quarters of parents globally wish their children had more creative confidence, so we’re launching Lego Vidyo to help make that happen.”
This is the first collaborative endeavour from Lego and Universal since they signed a partnership last year.
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