Virtually every company in the marcomms industry has had to do at least some shifting over the last few years. From the rise in digital and social media to the pandemic’s lasting effects, the old way of doing things simply won’t cut it anymore. For some organizations, though, making changes just to catch up to today’s consumer isn’t innovative enough. We rounded up a few industry disruptors changing the marcomms space for the better – check them out below.
Press Hook
Press Hook
Press Hook is revolutionizing the way brands and media connect. Founder and CEO Michelle Songy developed a platform that offers a space for media to proactively discover sources, gives businesses the resources they need to gain autonomy over their media relations, and helps PR pros maximize client exposure, all at the same time. “What sets Press Hook apart is our mission for transparency and community in media relations,” says Songy. “Aside from innovation, Press Hook offers an affordable and modern media relations option. With a record setting 5m+ new small businesses in the US in 2021 paired with the current economic climate, it is more important than ever for small businesses to stretch resources while continuing to make the most of press opportunities.”
Studio Beauty
Eva NYC x Tinashe, Studio Beauty
Founded by beauty marketer Bex Meredith and Krupp Group’s Cindy Krupp, Studio Beauty is a partnership-based model with the core team spread out across New York, Los Angeles and London. Though newer on the beauty scene, big-name clients including Eva NYC, LoveSeen by Jenna Lyons, Paula’s Choice, Trinny London, Soho Skin by Soho House and Space NK have already received nominations and accolades from the likes of Allure, Beauty Independent, Glamour, Glossy, SELF and more. “We are most proud of our creative communications collective model with a small, core team with trusted consultant partners for support,” says Meredith. “Our network of studio mates is global. We handpick high level expert consultants on a project by project basis so a client’s budget goes into specialist, experienced talent – not costly overheads – this way we can create bespoke client solutions, tailored to client needs.”
Misfit Toys
Curamia Tequila, Misfit Toys
Ex-big agency division heads Diane Briskin and Marissa Mastellone are behind Misfit Toys, a lifestyle communications and marketing agency. The principal-led agency is on a mission to “expertly deliver the kind of individualized partnership you get with a small shop, powered by decades of award-winning big agency experience.” Free of that pesky corporate red tape, the team employs new-gen strategies to support clients from airlines and luxury automobile companies to startup consumer brands and Michelin-starred chefs. Team members’ expertise include content creation, media planning and buying, design, graphics and advertising, so every client gets the exact mix of talent they need.
With a disposable income around $360 billion, Gen Z’s spending power is a key reason marketers must create dedicated strategies to reach, engage with and retain this discerning consumer segment. In this week’s webinar, we heard about strategies for reaching this target market from Larry Milstein, co-founder of Gen Z consultancy PRZM; Xander Tran, creative strategy director at influencer and experiential marketing agency New Moon; and Leslie Bishop, Executive Vice President of Global Strategy at 5WPR.
The takeaways:
- Include them! Create marketing strategies with Gen Zers on your team (or through surveys, collecting data, etc.) to avoid missteps
- Where millennials’ social media is very curated, Gen Z is more chaotic and emotional. They love humor and brands that are playful
- Offer audiences a connection and something to rally around, as microfans (very niche) accounts are growing
- When storytelling, give Gen Z ‘bread crumbs’ to create their own TikTok trends or meme content with
- 86% of surveyed Gen Z says product quality is most important when purchasing something
- Brands should know it is okay to grow slowly, nurture most loyal fans and customers, loyal customers can become most vocal critics, let the fans help build your brand
- Brands should have confidence to stop leading their social channels with product, and instead engage by providing something of value (entertainment, education, etc.)
- Reddit is a treasure trove of insights (can see what people are saying about your brand)
- Gen Z trusts word of mouth and the advice of peers
- Gen Z creators on YouTube feel very intimate and trustworthy, feels like someone is your friend but have never met them, and ads don’t seem cringy when you trust the creator
- TikTok is certainly king for Gen Z, but it needs to be done right. Brands shouldn’t be salesy or buy into content trends just because they’re going viral. Timing is everything (don’t be late to a trend or you’ll come off cringe)
- Other platforms of note: Twitch, Discord, YouTube, Reddit, Instagram (more like a landing page than a storytelling channel for Gen Z, and IGs are growing because of TikTok popularity)
- Ideas for creating video: Evoke the feeling of FaceTiming with a friend. Doesn’t need to be very polished or curated (intentionally imperfect), better to feel organic and transparent
- Gen Z consumers like the idea of watching videos and absorbing education (like on Twitch) and how to do something. This seems more real and allows people to learn and build a community
- Foster the Gen Z creator community by paying creators on time and equitably. People share best practices now on the internet to educate others and make sure brands are being fair
- Brands need to understand the power of the partner, and should focus on building longer-term and more meaningful and sustainable relationships
- Tips for creators trying to align with Gen Z: the more niche the content, the wider the audience. Focus on your niche, something you really love, and post often
- TikTok is about community management, not just posting content. The comments section is a critical component to building a brand and where a lot of ideas / trends are born
- The future of the influencer market puts more value on genuine engagement than follower count (IG bots no longer cut it)
- Find people who are already talking about the brand who you aren’t paying, reward and see people who have been there since the beginning, do something bigger and better with these creators
- Don’t virtue signal. Gen Z has a good sense of when they are being lied to, and brands shouldn’t pretend to be something they’re not
- To show allyship/support for a cause, do things that are bold and brave (don’t just throw buzz words around). If you’re not going that far, it can benefit a brand to just stay quiet instead of being performative
- When brands make a mistake, Gen Z feels that they aren’t in the boardrooms, which is why problems can happen - because brands aren’t thinking about different perspectives. It’s important to have diversity at the very top
- Counsel culture is becoming more and more popular as brands are humanizing themselves. When mistakes happen brands should make it known what they are doing to fix the problem
- The community built online is very important, but Gen Z does want to interact IRL, too
- Create in-person spaces for the community. Facilitate an experience where people can just “be,” show up as themselves and not feel a social pressure. They want to connect through real experiences, not just Instagram-worthy events
