Welcome to the TAKUMI insights subscription 📊.
If you’re looking for the inside scoop on influencer marketing 📱, creator culture🤳, and Gen Z insights 📈, then look no further. TAKUMI’s insights team is curating the most impactful industry news and developments right here 👇.
"Incentivizing engagement - or incentivizing the right kinds of engagement - has become a more significant concern for social platforms of late, with the original focus metrics like ‘Likes and followers’ now being seen by some as potentially harmful, and not conducive to a system that should be framed around enhancing social connection, not gamifying perceived popularity.”
TAKEAWAY 🔥: Even prior to the pandemic, an attitudinal shift was simmering away which has ultimately led to a change in people's values. Where Likes, Reposts and Followers were once the sole measures of success- that gratifying feeling we all know so well- today a more meaningful approach is often preferred. This move by Instagram and Facebook reframes the picture back onto the content itself, allowing users to consume content more purely rather than getting swept up in the quantifiable buzz that it generates. Of course, for brands these kinds of tools provide vital analytics (and removing them is optional!), but there is something to be said for the demand to have such an option in the first place. We are definitely eager to see the kind of impact- good or bad- that this option will create 👀.
Gap says Marketing Investments are 'Supercharging' Sales | Marketing Dive 📈
"Purpose-led marketing and creative partnerships have improved the health and relevance of its Gap, Old Navy and Athleta brands, CEO Sonia Syngal said.”
TAKEAWAY 🔥: The eCommerce revolution (we keep saying it, but it’s true) fuelled by the pandemic, has forced retailers to prioritise their online presence and navigate effective ways of reaching consumers digitally. Gap is one such brand whose sales recuperation- back to pre-pandemic levels- is a testament to the potential of digital; a paradigm example of making the best out of a bad situation. Gap have shown that investing and increasing marketing spend into avenues like influencer marketing, can yield huge success which, based on the current climate, is going to fare well for the long-run 🤳.
Google Announces a Slew of New Shopping Updates to Improve Discovery for Small Brands | Digiday 🔎
"We’re really trying to level the playing field for online retail and the merchants we work with in two ways. We want retailers to foster relationships with brands and make it easier for both to get discovered on Google Shopping.’”
TAKEAWAY 🔥: It seems Google is finally taking a more egalitarian approach to its eCommerce features. Introducing options like personalised listings, greater visibility of shopper perks and filters to search Black-owned businesses, will hopefully aid in the discovery of smaller brands- not to mention the edge it might yield over Amazon. It will also be interesting to see the new ‘augmented reality virtual try-on' tools for fashion and beauty, considering the current climate and the question marks surrounding when, if at all, we might see the return of in-store tester products, for example. The ‘virtual try-on’ realm is something that more brands and platforms may eventually have to break into 💭.
LinkedIn Shares Tips on Effective Brand Marketing Approaches in New Guide | Social Media Today 📑
"This week, LinkedIn has published a simple, 7-page pocket guide to effective branding on the platform, which outlines its various ad features and targeting tools to help you get your message in front of the right audience.”
TAKEAWAY 🔥: LinkedIn's usership is more diverse than ever before, transcending the dreary, business-only focus the platform was once known for. Now, it is so much more than a networking avenue. People of all ages and backgrounds can be found on LinkedIn, aware that feeding some personality into your professional presence isn't a bad thing. For brands, this marketing guide will open the door to reaching all such users, in an effective and streamlined manner 🔮.
Pinterest Accepting Applications for Second Creator Fund Group | Adweek 📲
"U.S. creators who are part of the BIPOC, disabled or LGBTQ+ communities are eligible, and the company will choose 10 to participate in the second cycle.”
TAKEAWAY 🔥: Pinterest has made waves with the success of its Creator Fund, since the first cycle launched back in April. The highly coveted programme, which sees creators receive hands-on training and financial grants, is a unique opportunity for creators to become ultra-experts of creativity, honing in on their skills to succeed on the platform, monetise and gain a greater following. It’s not a stretch to say that these skills will be transferable to other platforms too, making for an even higher standard of talent for brands to potentially collaborate with 🤞.
TAKUMI #Unfiltered: The Transcript 📑
💫 We know that everyone consumes media in different ways and we want to make sure that our podcast can be enjoyed by as many people as possible. So, for every episode of TAKUMI #Unfiltered, we will publish a transcribed version of the conversation on our blog!
If audio is your thing, then tune into the podcast! 🎧 Our host and Group CEO, Mary Keane-Dawson, is joined by Norman Guadagno, CMO of Acoustic. They chat about the importance of taking a human-centric approach to business, embracing the best of AI, and the reality of marketing in 2021.