The Clock Keeps Ticking

TikTok may be getting headlines for all the wrong reasons, but it seems to be proving the adage “no press is bad press.” The youths love their TikToks.

And yeah, it’s also a search engine now:

The splintering continues.

Now THAT’S What I Call Content Marketing

Acura released a (super) short anime series that racked up 275 million views. Now season 2 has dropped.

How short? 4 episodes clocking in at 60 seconds each.

Why it works: anime is popular but is (likely) largely ignored by most major brands. Cars and anime both have specific fandoms that can be reached via niche platforms, which means higher success metrics than general ones.

This is about building brand equity over the long haul. Creating an experience consumers want to engage with in a language that makes them feel part of an in-crowd is a solid formula for brand affinity down the road.

Opportunity Opens A Pinterest-Shaped Door?

Pinterest budgets are being sacrificed at the altar of performance metrics. As brands shift their focus to the bottom of the funnel, the inspiration app is paying the price. Which of course means you could benefit as auction competition lessens.

But…

Investing in brand is one of the best things you can do during a recession. As long as you can keep the lights on, brand marketing can help grow audience and mindshare for less as competitors focus solely on converting existing eyeballs.

Speaking of zigging while others zag:

While many major retailers are tightening their belts, IKEA is going all in. Everyone’s favorite (or least favorite) purveyor of meatballs and flat pack is investing $2.2B in US expansion over the next 3 years. This is apparently how much it costs to open 8 big stores, 9 smaller concepts, and employ 2,000 more people.