Connecting your favourite large language model (LLM) to the internet gives it superpowers. Before, ChatGPT was stuck in 2021, now it can access the world wide web’s abundance of knowledge. But what to do with this newfound ability? Only your imagination can stop you.
First thing’s first, configure your settings. Log into your ChatGPT Plus, head to settings and enable web browsing. Select the GPT-4 web browsing template and you will see ChatGPT cite its sources with small numbers and links. Now you’re good to go, ready to see what’s possible.
Describing himself as a technology and AI educator, Paul Couvert of Paul.ai is personally building tools “better and faster using AI and no-code” and teaching others to do the same. Alongside building his company, he’s publishing free ChatGPT power courses, to help you go from beginner to expert, and guides to using no code and AI in your work. Paul has amassed 130,000 Twitter followers and his weekly newsletter has 5,000 subscribers, with each edition containing tips to master AI and no-code to level up your business.
I asked Couvert to share how entrepreneurs can maximize the internet-enabled version of ChatGPT and he gave his top six.
Ways to use the internet-enabled version of ChatGPT
1. Summarize news
Watching news programs or scrolling news sites is a waste of everyone’s day, especially when you have a business to run. Utilize ChatGPT to do the heavy lifting for you, as it summarizes any news story in a few seconds.
Ask it what you want to know in a concise summary. For example, suggested Couvert, “What were the main points from [the last United Nations climate change report released in 2023]? Summarize with a short paragraph and a list.” Replace the square brackets with the event of your choosing and gather the facts without spending the time.
2. Detect a trend
If you can stay abreast of trends, you can create the products and services that are about to be in high demand. While everyone else is waiting until it’s reported, by which time the moment has passed, with one simple prompt you can see the future and use it to your advantage. Don’t waste this power.
“Connected to the internet, ChatGPT can become your best business partner,” explained Couvert. Ask it to, “Provide a short analysis of the latest [e-commerce] trends and consumer behaviour patterns in [the first quarter of 2023].” Edit the prompt to apply to your industry and keep it nearby. You might find out something you didn’t know.
3. Apply academic research
You’re unlikely to trawl through lengthy academic papers during your normal business day, but their findings could make a difference to your work. Rather than wait for the insights to be reported, collaborate with ChatGPT to get the main points. It might spark new ideas for products and press.
Couvert suggested this prompt to understand the research ahead of the curve. “Summarize the key findings of the latest research [published in ‘Nature’ last week] on the topic of [exoplanet destruction]. Give an answer in markdown.” What comes out should tell you everything you need to know to plan accordingly.
4. Improve your keystone habits
Habits are being studied all the time. Researchers are testing new ways of doing things, and with internet-enabled ChatGPT you can learn what they are to become fitter, healthier and more productive.
Whether that’s being more productive working from home, optimizing your breakfast for sustained energy, or structuring your week around a sport, get the latest insights with one simple prompt. Couvert recommends you use, “From recent online studies, what are the [top 5 tips] to [work better from home?] Make a summary table.” Insert your area of improvement and implement the changes as applicable.
5. Predict the future
If investing is your thing, use internet-enabled ChatGPT as your research partner, to find things out and make predictions on the future. Are humans or robots more likely to beat the market? Nobody knows. But it makes sense to consider all the information before placing your bets.
Do this with ChatGPT’s internet version using this prompt, according to Couvert. “Based on the latest financial results of [the 50 biggest tech companies], how might their shares perform in the coming weeks?” See what it says, take it with a pinch of salt and proceed with your investments as cautiously as normal.
6. Understand a complex event
Sometimes you don’t need all the details, just the crux of the story. You require just enough to join in a conversation, not to write a report. One simple prompt, applied to any event in the news, might be enough to build a rapport with someone who really cares.
Couvert suggests this prompt for finding the story without wasting time trawling. “Tell me the current [price of gasoline in France] and explain to a 12 year old why [this price isn’t going down now while the price of oil is going down.]” Explaining something to a 12-year-old is key. You want simplicity and memorability, not unnecessary nuance.
Use the internet-enabled version of ChatGPT to google things faster and get results with more relevance. Summarize the news, detect a trend, and apply insights from academic research. Improve your habits, get stock market predictions and understand a complex event. See how much more you can learn and understand and appear to have superpowers to everyone in your presence.
Founder of Coachvox.ai – we make AI coaches. Forbes 30 under 30 class of 2017. Post-exit entrepreneur and author of Ten Year Career. Competitive powerlifter and digital nomad.
Who wins in a showdown between user-generated and brand-generated content? Below we dig into the benefits of both (and where influencer-generated content fits in).
Brands today need a high volume of high-quality content to reach social consumers.
But how much of that content should be user-generated vs brand-generated?
Good question! Increasing your social search presence and word-of-mouth means ramping up content production. Bonus points if those posts come from creators.
Chances are you’re producing content in-house side-by-side with sourcing UGC. Both are valuable types of content for brands but scaling either is easier said than done.
Below we dig into the debate of user-generated content vs. brand-generated content. We’ll also look at how influencer-generated content can be a scalable middle-ground.
Defining the Differences Between User-Generated Content vs. Branded Content
Although many marketers use these terms interchangeably, they are not the same.
Let’s quickly recap a couple of definitions and examples so we’re on the same page.
What is User-Generated Content?
User-generated content (UGC) is content published by customers promoting a product (or brand) that they love. These posts are unprompted and organic.
UGC has become a sort of catch-all phrase among marketers. The rise of UGC creators has made the definition of UGC even more confusing.
That said, “true” user-generated content is organic and created with no direct input from the brand being promoted. No compensation from the brand, either.
This is the key difference between user-generated content and both brand-generated and influencer-generated content. UGC can refer to everything from photos and videos to written content related to a product. This includes:
Product reviews and recommendations
Tutorials showcasing how products work and fit into daily routines
Stories where consumer share their personal experiences with a product
Short-form video formats like TikTok and Reels are the sources of most UGC today. Below is an example from a TikToker that went viral with a glowing review of a colour-changing lip balm she found at a dollar store.
Authentic and off-the-cuff, this post is a prime example of how unprompted content can be compelling. The video’s 330k “Likes” and 72k saves speak for themselves. Genuine excitement and enthusiasm are like lightning in a bottle from a marketing perspective.
The beauty of UGC is that it’s totally organic and produced by real customers — not marketers.
This also highlights the biggest challenge of leveraging and collecting UGC. The fact that user-generated content comes from customers organically means it’s unpredictable. This rings true in terms of its quality and the messaging conveyed by the customers.
However, this is exactly what makes a glowing user-generated post so valuable (and why consumers seek them out when researching brands).
What is Brand-Generated Content?
Brand-generated content is promotional content made by marketing teams (in-house or by agencies). Messaging and creatives are approved and coordinated by the brand.
In short, brand-generated content represents content that your marketing team puts out. These are posts that you control over when it comes to messaging, format and publishing frequency.
Brand-generated content represents a place to establish your brand’s voice, values and aesthetic. Most branded posts are created to raise awareness and keep customers in the loop.
Common examples of brand-generated posts include:
Announcements such as upcoming events, product launches and availability
Promotions, including time-sensitive offers and deals
Culture-centric content like behind-the-scenes videos showing off employee life
Below is a textbook example of a brand-generated post that builds hype for a new product.
Given that social media (and social search, in particular) is so massive for product discovery, brands are rightfully doubling-down on social content creation and distribution in-house.
Beyond scaling in-house, brands are also collecting user-generated content and sourcing posts from influencers. Doing so is key to keeping up with the TikTok and Instagram algorithms, not to mention the demand of social consumers looking for their next purchases.
The Effectiveness of User-Generated vs. Brand-Generated Content
User-Generated Content
Brand-Generated Content
More trustworthy and engaging than brand-generated content
Always authentic because it’s produced by real people (but quality varies)
Can be sourced on an ongoing basis (but requires permission to be repurposed and republished)
Offers brand control and conveys the exact message you want to say
Authenticity varies depending on the brand’s voice and creatives
Can be produced consistently (depending on your bandwidth) and is owned by your brand (no rights management required)
Important: it’s not a matter of either-or when it comes to both types of content for brands.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a brand that exclusively posts UGC. On the flip side, every successful consumer brand on social media features customers and creators in their content strategies. In short, brands need a combo of both.
Debating the effectiveness of user-generated content vs. brand-generated content also requires context. Both types of content for brands have distinct benefits which we break down below.
UGC is More Trustworthy Than Brand-Generated Content
When was the last time you bought something without reading a customer review first?
Chances are you probably can’t remember. Hey, neither can we!
The same goes for your target audience, though. Shoppers today rarely rely on brand messages alone when it comes to researching products.
On the flip side, consumers crave real feedback from real people. Makes sense. This is why it’s no surprise that UGC significantly lifts conversions when customers interact with it.
From customer photos and videos to reviews and beyond, user-generated content can supplement each and every phase of your marketing funnel. This explains why repurposing creator content is such a priority for brands today.
User-Generated Content is Always Authentic
Relatable, unfiltered content helps potential buyers imagine a product in their own hands.
Fact: 88% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know above any marketing channel This explains why micro-influencers are so effective when it comes to establishing trust.
Authentic creators with smaller followings feel more like friends or family versus a celebrity. This phenomenon also explains why brands are turning to UGC creators to make promotional content that feels organic.
User-Generated Content Can Be Sourced Long-Term
When there’s a high volume of happy customers posting about your brand, more people will follow suit. Done right, this creates a snowball effect that yields UGC long-term.
Brands with an established branded hashtag can do this organically. The more satisfied customers that tag your brand, the bigger your library of UGC becomes. Below is an example of Billabong’s #KnowTheFeeling tag which has earned over 29k pieces of UGC.
On that note, creating thousands of pieces of content in-house isn’t realistic (or even possible). Achieving such a high volume of content means leaning on creators and customers to spread the word.
Brand-Generated Content is Yours (With No Strings Attached)
This is a big one.
The benefits of user-generated content over brand-generated content when it comes to authenticity and trust are clear. That said, the housekeeping required with both sourcing and promoting UGC often flies under the radar.
Specifically, user-generated content can be a time-sink when it comes to rights management. This includes reaching out to creators to get explicit permission to republish posts.
With branded content, all of the above is a non-issue because you own your posts full-stop.
Brand-Generated Content Lets Brands Say Exactly What They Want to Say
The unfiltered nature of user-generated content is what makes it so powerful. Creators’ off-the-cuff delivery and unique style really resonate with consumers.
That said, organic UGC usually isn’t necessarily ad-worthy (or even marketing-ready).
Not every satisfied customer is going to align with your brand. Heck, some customers might get details about your products wrong. They might show off your product but never mention your brand by name or explain where followers can find it in-store or online.
But hey, you can’t blame them! Customers aren’t employees.
Branded content created in-house puts you in total control to highlight key benefits and emphasize the specific details of the products that you need.
Brand-Generated Content Can Be Produced Consistently
The inconsistency of UGC isn’t solely limited to quality.
Brand-generated content can be anticipated when it comes to scheduling and publishing frequency. Likewise, your in-house content can align perfectly with launches and promotions.
On the other hand, user-generated content is more sporadic and random.
Organic posts don’t always align with what you’re currently promoting. For example, you can’t source organic user-generated content for a product launch until after the product is released.
Although the value of UGC can’t be denied, it isn’t always consistent in terms of quantity or quality. With branded content, you know exactly what you’re going to get.
In-house content is also reliable and consistent when it comes to meeting your brand’s standards. For example, this post from Vital Proteins is aesthetically pleasing, professionally produced and conveys the brand’s vibe.
These types of posts are necessary for both establishing your brand and keeping followers in the loop about your products.
How Influencer-Generated Content Gives Brands the Best of Both Worlds
When it comes to user-generated vs brand-generated content, there’s a sort of tug-of-war between authenticity and control.
But consider how brands can find a balance between both via influencer-generated content.
Influencer-generated content refers to posts produced by content creators with creative input from brands (in exchange for compensation).
Done right, posts from influencers feel like organic UGC. This is especially true for brands that partner with micro-influencers that publish relatable, authentic content.
Food for thought: 71% of consumers prefer to discover products through consumer content versus branded ad channels. Although influencer-generated content is brand-directed, it’s not brand-generated. Influencer posts retain their authenticity as a result.
That’s why savvy brands are prioritizing influencer collaborations to create content that looks organic but still aligns with their specific marketing goals.
In short, influencer content bridges the gap between UGC and in-house content. Brands can get their desired messages across while benefiting from creators’ authenticity and personality.
Shoppers trust opinions and seek out the content of authentic creators they can relate to. Unlike organic user-generated content, influencer content offers brands a say in what’s published.
While UGC ticks the boxes of authenticity, most organic UGC isn’t exactly ad-ready. Most brand-generated content is marketing-ready but lacks reliability or personality.
Influencer-generated content is a happy medium between the two as brands provide direction but empower influencers to take the reins when it comes to creativity and delivery.
Brands running creator campaigns in-house are tasked with sharing influencer briefs that balance creative freedom and brand messaging. This process requires keen attention to detail and is exhausting if you plan on running long-term, always-on influencer campaigns.
With Statusphere’s platform, brands can actually streamline and optimize the briefing process without sharing directions themselves. Our creators are vetted and matched with products based on 250+ first-party data points based on brief brand input.
This means that creators are only matched with products they actively want to promote. Stronger matches mean that creators have a stronger pulse on what to say, what to post and which types of content will resonate most with their audiences.
Influencer Content is Scalable (with the Right Platform)
Relying solely on organic UGC is a challenge when there are so many question marks regarding both volume and quality. Meanwhile, scaling content in-house can only take brands so far when competitors are earning hundreds or thousands of posts per month from creators.
That’s yet again where influencer marketing campaigns can pick up the slack.
Working with a high volume of micro-influencers long-term offers an actionable way for brands to scale content production without sacrificing quality. Making this happen means using an influencer platform like Statusphere that generates a guaranteed number of posts for brands.
Influencer-Generated Content Boosts Paid Social Performance
The value of influencer-generated content extends far beyond your social feed.
For example, consider how brands are transforming their top-performing influencer posts through whitelisting (AKA “allowlisting”) on TikTok and Instagram.
Check out the Spark Ad on TikTok from Isle of Paradise below. This ad campaign earned 45+ million views in total, not to mention a 68% boost in weekly paid revenue (versus the previous nine weeks of their campaign).
Note: having content rights built into your influencer platform means you can use your creator content in ads without any manual outreach or back-and-forth.
How to Earn Influencer-Generated Content at Scale
Shoppers crave honest recommendations from people they trust. Simple as.
That’s why creator content is a goldmine for marketers.
Sourcing organic user-generated content and creating thoughtful brand-generated content are both important for brands today.
Meanwhile, ongoing influencer-generated content keeps your brand visible in social search and likewise means more potential for marketing-ready content you can promote elsewhere.
If you need a scalable way to earn authentic branded content, Statusphere’s platform can help.
Our micro-influencer software matches brands with vetted influencers from our creator community. Unlike other platforms, we can guarantee a specific volume of content for brands.
Statusphere eliminates the most time-consuming pieces of running an influencer campaign in-house thanks to our advanced matchmaking and fulfillment technology. We’ve already generated 75,000+ pieces of content on behalf of 400+ consumer brands.
Want to see how our platform works? Get in touch with one of our experts to learn how we can optimize your brand’s marketing efforts with guaranteed content at scale.
Discover the key tactics and best practices for leveraging social media, content marketing and paid media in your PR endeavours to catapult your small business to new levels of success.
Social media, content marketing and paid media are powerful tools that can drive the success of public relations (PR) efforts. With a plethora of creative options available, such as compelling content on social channels and targeted advertising campaigns, small businesses can now reach more people than ever before with tailored messaging that resonates with their audience.
Social media platforms enable companies to effectively target key audiences, such as investors or partners, while engaging content attracts new consumers who might be interested in the company’s products or services.
Additionally, investing in well-placed advertising showcases a brand’s overall credibility, essential for successful relationships within any industry. Ultimately, implementing this cohesive approach results in increased brand awareness and fosters sustainable growth over time by nurturing strong online and offline connections through continuous engagement efforts across multiple platforms.
By implementing a cohesive PR strategy that integrates these platforms, small business owners can enhance their visibility, build trust with customers and foster sustainable growth through continuous engagement efforts. Let’s explore how to do it the best way.
Leverage different channels for PR success
To effectively leverage different channels for PR success, small businesses should implement a balanced strategy combining organic and paid media. Focus on sharing engaging, value-driven content to build genuine connections with your target audience across multiple platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram. Collaborate with influencers and encourage user-generated content showcasing your products or services in authentic settings.
However, don’t rely solely on organic reach; invest strategically in paid advertising campaigns such as sponsored posts or targeted ads to amplify the visibility of key messages among broader audiences based on their interests or online behaviour patterns. Additionally, you can now also harness the power of AI-powered solutions to enhance your PR efforts.
Social media
A strong social media presence is essential to achieve PR success. Engaging with your target audience on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn enhances brand visibility and fosters lasting relationships with customers and potential clients. To begin crafting an effective strategy, consider establishing clear objectives based on your business goals, for instance, generating leads or driving website traffic.
Spend time studying successful accounts within your industry and competitors’ activities. Note the type of content that resonates most among users and adopt similar tactics when you create posts tailored specifically for each platform’s preferences.
Be mindful of how frequently you share updates — consistency matters as much as quality. Keep track of key performance indicators such as engagement rate or number of new followers acquired over a certain period.
Content marketing
Utilize diverse content marketing strategies to attract and engage your target audience.
For example, repurpose a single piece of well-researched content into various formats, such as podcasts or webinars, to reach more potential customers across different platforms while providing valuable information. Convert data-driven research into visually appealing infographics to enable the audience to quickly grasp key insights. Offer customized white papers tailored to specific buyer profiles to demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of industry pain points and increase credibility among prospects.
Maintain an active presence on reputable forums to foster trust between businesses and thought leaders. Contribute authentic expertise to build credibility for driving continued growth and brand recognition nationwide without relying excessively on traditional advertising efforts alone.
Don’t forget to leverage AI-powered content creation tools to enhance your PR efforts. These tools employ advanced natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to generate high-quality content.
Paid media
Expand your reach with various paid media channels to maximize the effectiveness of your PR campaigns. Consider integrating several options into your advertising strategy to reach more potential customers. Invest in search engine ads, like Google Ads, to ensure higher visibility among users researching products and services similar to yours.
Video platforms like YouTube can also be powerful marketing tools if employed strategically, as many consumers discover new brands via engaging video content. Don’t overlook traditional print advertisements either, as they can have a long-lasting impact on local markets or niche industries where newspapers and magazines remain relevant sources of information.
Explore different paid media outlets suited to your target demographic’s preferences to ensure seamless communication between businesses seeking exposure and individuals eager to learn about them. Finding an appropriate balance is key when leveraging various channels for PR success while staying mindful that consumer trust in earned or owned media typically outweighs reliance on purely sponsored adverts alone.
Creating a cohesive PR strategy
When crafting a cohesive PR strategy, small businesses must consider the integration of social media, content marketing and paid media campaigns. A vital aspect is monitoring key performance indicators to ensure their efforts deliver tangible results. To achieve this seamlessly, you should utilize tools that help analyse audience engagement across each platform alongside click-through and conversion rates.
You should regularly review these metrics to adjust strategies for optimal impact on business growth objectives. Furthermore, you should encourage collaboration and clear communication within your team by assigning distinct roles and responsibilities concerning digital marketing initiatives, ultimately leading to success in public relations endeavours with an integrated approach combining all facets of modern promotion techniques.
Agility is the key to success in marketing and PR. Different channels should be leveraged for maximum efficiency, as each would lead to different results depending on audience reachability and the cost involved. It’s important to understand how paid marketing (using ads), owned media (own content) and earned media (influencers/media) work together for a successful PR campaign and get the desired result within a limited time frame.
Sonu Yadav is a certified digital marketing manager with SEO Vendor. He has over eight years of experience in the field of digital marketing and has helped numerous businesses grow online. He is passionate about helping businesses succeed and enjoys seeing the results of his work.
After a solid run of nearly two whole centuries and countless brushes with death at the hands of new technologies over the years, photography has finally succumbed to injuries suffered with the emergence of AI-driven apps like Midjourney, and has been officially laid to rest.
No services will be held.
All major camera manufacturers have responded to the news by shuttering their operations, effective immediately, in the anticipation that cameras will simply not be needed anymore.
In its effort to hasten the demise of photography, AI has begun rounding up photographers and forcing the forfeiture of all camera equipment.
Ok, I’ve had my bit of fun. All jokes aside, though, I’m writing this opinion piece specifically because for the last six months or so, I can’t seem to get away from the incessant deluge of either panicked or gleeful declarations (depending on who is doing the declaring) that AI image generators have already all but rendered the need for photography obsolete.
Well, allow me to go on record with my own pronouncement: hogwash. AI image generation is not a threat to photography. Not today, not tomorrow, not in the next decade. I’ll even go so far as to say that AI image generation will never pose any kind of real threat to photography. Ever. I’ll even stake my reputation on it.
“But Colin,” you might say, “look at how far the technology has already come in just this short amount of time. Surely, you understand that this is just the beginning and that AI will very quickly be able to perfectly render any kind of image and be indistinguishable from an actual photograph. What then? Why would we need actual photography anymore?”
My answer to that depends on the context, as well as the timeframe we’re talking about, but my thoughts go generally like this:
As of now, AI image generators simply are not capable of fully duplicating the aesthetics of actual photography. And no, it’s not even close. AI-generated images are illustrations, and they look like illustrations, even the ones sourced from actual photos. And yes, I’ve seen all the dreamy dramatic landscapes and cityscapes and the headshots of people who don’t exist. It really doesn’t take much to see that the images are not photos. The scenes are always a little too perfect. There’s always a glaring detail in the portrait that gives it away as an AI illustration. Seriously, I have not seen a single AI image that was not obvious. And I’ve seen enough.
Welcome to your AI dream world.
But what about a little further out, when AI is capable of rendering images indistinguishable from actual photos? If anyone can just enter a prompt on their computer and within seconds have the photo they’re looking for, why would they hire a photographer? After all, photographers are expensive, people can be difficult to work with, and there is always the chance that a photographer won’t get it right.
Ok, let’s imagine a future where AI can make any kind of art, including convincingly realistic photographs. Presuming that, in this imagined future where computer algorithms are capable of fulfilling all of our artistic needs, the idea that people will have no interest in actual photography completely ignores one of the most fundamental purposes art, and by extension, photography, serves in our lives. Photography is a means to record and relate the human experience in an authentic way and through authentic human expression. AI cannot do that and will never be capable of doing that. Because AI will never be human. And before you say that AI is just doing what the person inputting the prompt tells it to do, and that human expression is still driving AI creativity, consider that once the prompt has been entered, what comes out is entirely outside of the control of the person who entered the prompt.
Human expression is as much about the process of creation as it is the creation itself. Artists spend their entire lives developing and refining artistic processes to bring their vision to life, and the art that comes out of those processes cannot be divorced from them. Process is part of the language of art, and as such, is intrinsic to the value of art, and is why art speaks to us in the ways it does. To the extent that you remove human control from the process of art-making, you remove the actual humanity from the art itself. And AI art, by its very nature and purpose, removes most of the human control part of the process.
More than that, though, people just plain enjoy making photographs. Much like the invention of photography didn’t replace painting (even though there were plenty of people claiming it would), AI cannot and will not replace photography because it is not the same thing. AI art is closer to illustration than anything else, and so, it can be used in conjunction with photography, but it can’t replace it. Here’s a short list of other forms of art AI will not be replacing anytime soon: painting, drawing, sculpture, graphic design. Why? Because people actually enjoy doing those things and sharing their creations, and other people enjoy experiencing them. Of course, AI art creation is here to stay and has already become a part of many people’s artistic toolboxes, but in no way whatsoever will AI be replacing the other tools. And this includes photography.
As for context, one of the bigger and more consistent claims that I’ve heard is that AI is going to make any kind of commercial artists obsolete, including commercial, product and advertising photographers. I will concede one thing here. I do think AI will be used to replace the lowest level of commercial photography and that some lower-end companies will try to completely replace their advertising images with AI art. But, in the U.S. where I work at least, those jobs are already the worst in the industry and have been since basically the beginning. Nobody wants them, and these days, that kind of work tends to farmed out to interns, amateurs, and other unskilled people, if it’s even done here.
But, to the idea that AI is going to be used to get rid of even relatively high-end commercial photography? Not a chance. I talk with art directors, creative directors, producers, and art buyers on a regular basis, and none of them are talking about replacing photographers with so-called “prompt engineers.” Nobody is even entertaining the idea, because, as I said already, they enjoy the process of making art and know its value. And yes, a lot of artistic expression goes into the advertising we all so desperately try to ignore. After all, where do you think all the art majors end up? Working on big ad campaigns, including the photoshoots is fun. Yes, it is also work for those of us who make our living doing them, but we chose that work because we love it. And we’re not about to give that up to AI.
So no, AI is not going to replace photographers. Ever. Not advertising photographers, not landscape photographers, not portrait photographers or event photographers, and certainly not photojournalists and documentary photographers. More than that, though, AI has no chance of replacing the enjoyment that people get from simply making art with photography or capturing memories and preserving life’s special moments. Those are things that belong to the camera and the camera alone. And if you need any more convincing, go ask the R&D folks at any of the major camera manufacturers. I guarantee they’re not at all worried about their jobs.
Colin Houck is a commercial photographer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His work is focused primarily around still life food and beverage photography. He employs crisp lighting, vivid colors and contrasty, sharp detail to create striking imagery that jumps off the page/ screen, and hopefully makes the viewer hungry and thirsty.
While there are some things they can still do, influencers are the latest group affected by the strikes
Hollywood is in a rather historic period of time — since Ronald Reagan was the head of the actors’ union, the Writer’s Guild of America and the Screen Actor’s Guild are both on strike at the same time. Massive film premieres have been cancelled, and release dates have been postponed as a result of the strikes. However, actors and writers aren’t the only groups being impacted.
“The devotion to this part of marketing is probably the biggest change during the COVID era,” Marc Weinstock, the president of worldwide marketing and distribution at Paramount Pictures, told Insider. “I think it was exacerbated by the fact that a lot of people were watching TikTok videos because they were stuck at home. So why wouldn’t you have creators have fun with your campaign and get the word out that way?”
But many of these creators fall under contracts that have been impacted by the SAG strike. The union has said that influencers who “[perform] covered work or services for a struck company during the strike will not be admitted into membership in SAG-AFTRA.”
According to the union, there are a few different forms of influencing that are prohibited during the strike, such as accepting new work to promote a theatrical film, TV show, or content from a streaming service or participating in conventions like Comic-Con “on behalf of, or to promote, companies [actors] are striking against.”
There are a few exceptions, however — the union advised that influencer should fulfill any already-existing contracts, and brand partnerships are 100% allowed.
iCarly showrunner and SAG-AFTRA and WGA member Francesca Ramsey took to TikTok, where she also has a substantial following for her influencing work, spoke frankly to social media stars with hopes to move into the traditional entertainment industry.
“If you are a content creator or influencer with any aspirations to become an actor or a writer in the future, now is not the time to take a job because the rest of us are on strike,” Ramsey said. “Taking an acting job or a writing job right now is considered scabbing and it will hurt your career in the future.”
Another influencer, Darcy Michael, told the New York Times that a network offered him $25,000 for a sponsorship deal — particularly high for someone with his number of followers — just days before the actors’ union went on strike. According to the Darcy and Jer comedian, he declined the offer after realizing the price may have been driven up because of the strike.
“I told my team, I was like, ‘In no uncertain terms until the strike is over. We’re not crossing picket lines,'” Michael said to the Times. “I also just feel like this strike in particular is monumental for all industries. I think we’re leading the pack in making sure that workers are protected, especially from A.I. intervention. If it means that we’re going to pinch our pennies for a few months, we’re going to pinch our pennies.”
The full details of what influencers are permitted to do amidst the strikes can be found on SAG’s website.
Feature Image Credit: VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images
This is a story about McDonald’s, marketing, and Generation Z. Can we do a short history lesson first? I promise, there’s a payoff.
McDonald’s, dating back to 1940 or 1953 depending on how you count, is one of the few companies of any kind that managed to build a following with every generation since its early days:
The Greatest Generation. These were the World War II veterans and their families who wanted a peaceful post-war existence. Early McDonald’s slogans and campaigns played to it.
The Silent Generation. They were the ones who grew up just as McDonald’s did. McDonald’s had lots of campaigns about eating out with family, and how McDonald’s could be “the closest thing to home.”
The Baby Boomers. We all know them. McDonald’s drew them in with their “You Deserve a Break Today” campaigns from the 1960s to the 1980s and other slogans and campaigns.
Generation X. Sure, they’re kind of the forgotten generation, but McDonald’s didn’t overlook them. If you grew up wanting your birthday party at McDonald’s, and you can tell me all the ingredients of a Big Mac in jingle format (“Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese…”), this might be you.
Millennials. They tried all kinds of stuff here. My favourite example is from about five years ago, when McDonald’s ran ads with Mindy Kaling that didn’t even mention McDonald’s.
With that we get to Gen-Z, and how McDonald’s recently taught a masterclass in how to reach this generation.
People went to town on this promotion on TikTok, including a trend that involved people pretending to review the “purple shake,” only to devolve into horrific (and creative) scenes — things like convulsing on the ground, frothing at the mouth, lying dead in a forest, and “disappearing and being replaced by a scene of menacing, purple smoke.”
(I wrote about this recently and included a video link to all of this that you can find here.)
Still, I wondered (and asked McDonald’s for comment without success): Is it true that there’s no such thing as bad publicity?
Now we have a lot more answers, as Guillaume Huin, social-media director of brand content and engagement at McDonald’s, took to LinkedIn and Twitter to explain what was going on behind the scenes. I’ll include his post below, but here are the key takeaways:
First, he says the whole campaign was basically serendipity. In other words, if you think they managed to plant or orchestrate the whole “grimace shake trend” on social media, then, “thank you… But you think way too highly of us.”
Second, he gives a shout-out to the creator who took the shake and ran with it, so to speak: Austin Frazier, who in fact posted his own explanation of how he launched the trend and what he learned.
Third, they kept up their social-media posts as if it were Grimace writing the tweets, including “a particular tone of voice, attitude, ‘way of typinggg’ and taking badly cropped and blurry selfies.”
Fourth, Huin said lots of debate went into whether to acknowledge the trend, and McDonald’s almost decided not to. But after spending hours reviewing “brilliant creativity, unfiltered fun, peak absurdist gen z humour, just the way a new generation of creators and consumers play with brands,” they made up their collective minds.
Finally, and this might have been the biggest risk, they responded to the trend with a single tweet (from Grimace) that was supposed to be super-low key, “the same way you would respectfully and gently nod at someone, without repeating what they said to show you agree with them and stealing their thunder.”
I think those nine words — “without repeating what they said… and stealing their thunder” — are probably the most important. It’s all about perpetuating the trend while not interfering with it.
If you wanted to take some inspiration from McDonald’s to market to Gen Z in your business, I think the main idea here is to try several things knowing that only a few have a chance to succeed — and be willing to step back and avoid intruding if things take off.
By the way, I reached out to McDonald’s again, and to Huin, but received no reply; maybe they’re taking their own advice on what works, above. Here’s the full text of how Huin explained it.
Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X, the digital platform formerly known as Twitter, told employees they are “writing history” with the stunning overhaul of the well-established brand.
In an email to employees obtained by Deadline (subject line: “X: Our Next Big Impression”), Yaccarino said Twitter “made a lasting imprint on the world” during its 17-year run. In rebranding it as X and ditching the blue bird logo, part of a move to explore new business areas like banking, payments and video, the company will “go even further to transform the global town square — and impress the world all over again,” the former NBCUniversal exec said. She went on to urge them, “Please don’t take this moment for granted. You’re writing history, and there’s no limit to our transformation.”
Yaccarino went on to declare, “Our company uniquely has the drive to make this possible. Many companies say they want to move fast — but we enjoy moving at the speed of light, and when we do, that’s X. At our core, we have an inventor mindset — constantly learning, testing out new approaches, changing to get it right and ultimately succeeding.”
Elon Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion last fall and positioned it as the centrepiece of a company called X Corp., which he runs along with Tesla and SpaceX. He has since made a series of dramatic moves, laying off thousands of employees, restoring access to a number of users banned under prior content policies and imposing a paid verification system that will factor prominently into the evolution of X. Yaccarino, an ad sales veteran, joined as CEO in June and is working to persuade advertisers who have paused spending or pulled out altogether that the platform can once again be a safe and effective place for their ad dollars.
The internal memo was a somewhat more focused version of a series of tweets (Xs?) Yaccarino had posted earlier, drawing side-eyes and scepticism on the company’s own platform. “X is the future state of unlimited interactivity – cantered in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking – creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities,” she wrote. “Powered by AI, X will connect us all in ways we’re just beginning to imagine.”
As workers in San Francisco began prying the “Twitter” letters off the side of the corporate headquarters and preparing the white-on-black replacement, reactions circulated on the platform. For now, it still has its long-time domain name and interface, though the bird logo has been replaced by an “X,” and users seemed suspicious of the plan. ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes quote-tweeted Yaccarino: “Enjoyable to imagine Kendall Roy saying this to investors.” (Comedian and Twitch gamer Andy Cortez obliged by reading the tweet as Kendall Roy (with a few expletives thrown in). Eric Idle proposed, “Perhaps it should be called Twatter after the owner?”
Tech media personality Kara Swisher was among those replying directly to Yaccarino: “Sounds dandy, but big issue here is that you must deliver. So far under Elon regime” and completing the thought with a GIF of a worker throwing shipping boxes at a conveyor belt.
Here’s Yaccarino’s full memo:
Hi team,
What a momentous weekend. As I said yesterday, it’s extremely rare, whether it’s in life or in business, that you have the opportunity to make another big impression. That’s what we’re experiencing together, in real time. Take a moment to put it all into perspective.
17 years ago, Twitter made a lasting imprint on the world. The platform changed the speed at which people accessed information. It created a new dynamic for how people communicated, debated, and responded to things happening in the world. Twitter introduced a new way for people, public figures, and brands to build long lasting relationships. In one way or another, everyone here is a driving force in that change. But equally all our users and partners constantly challenged us to dream bigger, to innovate faster, and to fulfil our great potential.
With X we will go even further to transform the global town square — and impress the world all over again.
Our company uniquely has the drive to make this possible. Many companies say they want to move fast — but we enjoy moving at the speed of light, and when we do, that’s X. At our core, we have an inventor mindset — constantly learning, testing out new approaches, changing to get it right and ultimately succeeding.
With X, we serve our entire community of users and customers by working tirelessly to preserve free expression and choice, create limitless interactivity, and create a marketplace that enables the economic success of all its participants.
The best news is we’re well underway. Everyone should be proud of the pace of innovation over the last nine months — from long form content, to creator monetization, and tremendous advancements in brand safety protections. Our usage is at an all time high and we’ll continue to delight our entire community with new experiences in audio, video, messaging, payments, banking – creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities.
Please don’t take this moment for granted. You’re writing history, and there’s no limit to our transformation. And everyone, is invited to build X with us.
Elon and I will be working across every team and partner to bring X to the world. That includes keeping our entire community up to date, ensuring that we all have the information we need to move forward.
Now, let’s go make that next big impression on the world, together.
Linda
Feature Image Credit: Linda YaccarinoGetty/Courtesy
What is direct mail automation, and how can it benefit your business? Here’s an in-depth guide.
Automation has made many aspects of our lives easier, both professionally and personally. If you’ve ever used dictation to send a text or have separate “home” and “away” settings on your smart doorbell, you’ve likely benefited from automation.
When most people think of automation, they think digital. But automation has evolved to help us in the offline world, where its effects can be felt all the more keenly.
Case in point: Research shows that direct mail messaging has a deeper, more significant impact on our emotions than digital alone, resulting in stronger recall a full week later. Participants in the same study also demonstrated more neurological activity when interacting with direct mail versus online-based ads.
Translation? Humans are hard-wired to respond to tangible — as opposed to digital — stimulation. Leveraging it at key points in your marketing and sales funnel could be the key to unlocking untapped revenue.
Not only do I use direct mail automation in my own business, but I’ve also mailed 23.2 million automated mail pieces on behalf of clients nationwide, so I know what it takes to create and run a successful campaign. Here are some basics to get you started on the right foot…
What is direct mail automation, and what can I do with it?
Direct mail automation is a technology that automatically prints and mails postcards, letters or other offline material based on a pre-programmed trigger. It also goes by the names “triggered mail” or “programmatic direct mail.”
Triggers can be programmed from your website, CRM (customer relationship management system), or a third-party source like Zapier, and these triggers can be based on behaviour, data or timing — or any combination thereof. Contact details aren’t even required in some cases; the automation handles that for you while protecting everyone’s privacy.
Some examples of direct mail automation:
Ecommerce retailers can target browsers that abandon their shopping carts. The next day, those shoppers receive a postcard from you with a 15% off promotion to nudge them back online to finish their purchase. You can also target all website visitors regardless of whether your website has a shopping cart or not, though I suggest targeting people who spend at least 30 seconds on your site. This is usually called “direct mail retargeting” and works just like digital retargeting, but offline.
A moving and storage company could target homeowners whose homes were just placed under contract. Even inaction could trigger a mailer. Let’s say that as soon as a customer hits the 3-month mark of inactivity, they get a postcard in the mail to remind them to give you a call or make a purchase.
There are so many ways you can take advantage of this technology to bring in more leads and keep your current customers engaged. I recommend you analyse your customer base and existing funnel and ask yourself a few things. Are there any noticeable commonalities among my customers that I can take advantage of? Is there any point in my funnel where a large number of people drop out? These places are likely prime opportunities to add direct mail automation.
How does direct mail automation work?
I don’t want to get too technical because, if you ask me, it isn’t how direct mail automation works that’s important — it’s more about what it can do for your business.
That said, most people still want to get a little peek under the hood to see how the magic happens.
Automated direct mail is possible thanks to something called an API, which stands for Application Programming Interface. In plain English, an API is basically how one software program talks to another software program, a bit like a translator.
With direct mail automation, you’re telling a software program what to do. For example: When someone spends more than 30 seconds on my website, send this postcard. If someone calls me once and we don’t speak again for a week, send this other postcard.
From there, the software connected to your website (if you want to target visitors) or your CRM (if you want to target one-time callers) needs to be able to speak directly to the software that will trigger your mailing. This is where the API comes in — it makes it possible for your website to tell a printing press what to mail and who to mail it to. It’s just following your directions!
Automation allows you to do the work of setting up the marketing one time, and then you can let it run on auto for as long as you like.
If only 20 people visit your website a month, then you only have to pay for 20 postcards. If you’re concerned about sending out too many cards a month and overextending your budget, you can also set up limits. So, if you can only afford to mail 500 cards a month, then once the system registers you’ve hit your 500th card, it will stop mailing.
Probably the most important benefit of triggered mail is that every mailer is hyper-targeted to the prospect you want to convert. In many cases, the recipients are warm leads who have already shown some kind of interest in your products or services — now you can strike while the iron is hot without lifting a finger.
How do I choose an automated mail provider?
Not all mail automation providers are the same, so you need to do your research and ask a lot of questions before handing over your credit card.
The first thing to look for is print quality. Some direct mail automation providers only specialize in the software/API, meaning they don’t actually print anything. Instead, they farm out printing and mailing to a network of providers (often prioritizing lower costs over quality). This can result in a lack of quality control.
Ideally, you’d want to work with an automation provider that doesn’t outsource the real work to third parties, because if something goes wrong, you’ll need direct support to handle the issue.
Another thing to be wary of is cost, of course. Some direct mail automation providers will charge “tech fees” on top of the usual costs associated with printing and mailing — this is where they have a chance to generate their own profits, rather than just skimming a little off the top of every mailer. If you’re working directly with a print and mail house, you’ll likely find zero tech fees.
You also want to consider your options for the design of your mailer. Every direct mail automation provider will allow you to upload your own design, but there are benefits to using a template instead, especially if it’s professionally designed and results-based.
At my business, PostcardMania, we’ve delivered more than 250,000 direct mail campaigns and mailed more than 2 billion postcards over 25 years in business. That experience has allowed us to fine-tune a design formula that prioritizes real returns. The result is a gallery of industry-specific templates based on designs that have been road-tested to generate calls, clicks and revenue — like this real estate investor who made $70,000 after mailing a little more than 100 automated postcards over the course of a year. Often, a proven design translates to a greater likelihood of bringing in more revenue.
I’ve often witnessed small business owners throw their money away on low-quality mailers that didn’t live up to their expectations. So, if you invest a little more in an experienced mail provider that is an expert in automation, you’re much more likely to see results.
What are the steps to start my first direct mail automation campaign?
Once you’ve shopped around and found the direct mail automation provider you want to work with, you’ll want to set up an account and get started by connecting your account to your website or CRM. Each platform has its own steps and processes you’ll need to complete to make this happen, so I won’t be able to walk you through it step-by-step from here. Hopefully, you’ve chosen a provider that makes it easy to set up your first order and can provide support if needed.
I suggest testing your connections in a controlled environment all the way through to mailer delivery before turning them loose on your live website or CRM. That way, you’ll be able to test the automation for design, messaging, timing, print quality and more by just paying per mailer. The more mail your automation triggers per week or month, the more your price per piece should go down.
Once you’re happy with your automation, set a weekly budget and check back often to track the incoming results.
It shouldn’t be a headache. With this technology in place, you’ll impress customers, get ahead of your competition and foster a growing and thriving business that is attentive to every customer’s needs.
Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor. Founder/CEO of PostcardMania. Joy Gendusa founded PostcardMania in 1998 with just a phone & a computer (no funding or investments), and today we generate $97M annually with 365 staff. I’m passionate about helping small businesses succeed at marketing and grow — because when small business does well, we all win.
So you want to turn heads and grab attention with clever guerrilla marketing tactics?
Successful guerrilla marketing is all about unconventional tactics that deliver a significant impact.
Want to know the secret sauce?
Well, we’ve prepared a line up of genius guerrilla marketing tactics to turbocharge your growth.
So buckle up, and let’s dive right in!
What is Guerrilla Marketing?
At its core, guerrilla marketing is a concept born out of the need for low-cost, unconventional marketing strategies that yield maximum results.
The term was coined in the 1980s by Jay Conrad Levinson, who likened these unconventional, surprise marketing tactics to guerrilla warfare.
From the start, it’s been all about creating memorable experiences for the customer.
Instead of buying a billboard your potential customer might easily overlook, you can hire a street performer juggling with your product. See the difference?
With guerrilla marketing, the lines of traditional advertising are blurred, and suddenly, consumers are drawn into a real-life narrative.
Real-world examples have proven the efficacy of this approach. For instance, Red Bull, a brand synonymous with extreme sports, executed a guerrilla marketing stunt that people still talk about — they sponsored a skydiving mission from space!
Unconventional? Yes. Memorable? Absolutely! This is guerrilla marketing at its best.
But as with any marketing tactic, misconceptions exist.
Some think guerrilla marketing is only for big brands or that it’s too risky.
Here’s the truth: with a bit of creativity, any business can use guerrilla marketing, including you too!
But in order to start working on your own guerrilla marketing plan, there are a few principles you’ll need to know…
The Basic Principles of Guerrilla Marketing
Guerrilla marketing revolves around some basic principles that you’ll want to understand and master right off the bat.
Unforgettable Customer Experiences
The first principle of guerrilla marketing underscores the importance of crafting unique customer experiences, as opposed to just pushing products.
In the age of customer-centric marketing, experiences reign supreme.
Guerrilla marketing goes beyond traditional advertising to create memorable moments that resonate with customers on a personal level, stirring emotions and fostering strong connections.
Leveraging the Environment Creatively
The second principle is all about utilizing existing environments in innovative ways.
This involves identifying everyday settings that can be transformed into creative and unexpected marketing platforms.
The trick here is seeing the potential in ordinary places and turning them into extraordinary marketing arenas!
Time & Imagination over Budget
The third principle stresses that the cost of guerrilla marketing lies not in monetary investment, but in time and creativity.
Unlike traditional marketing that often involves substantial budgets, guerrilla marketing is about cleverly utilizing resources to produce impactful outcomes.
The heart of this principle lies in thinking outside the box, experimenting with new ideas, and investing time in developing creative strategies.
Total Commitment
Fourth, guerrilla marketing calls for complete commitment.
This means that once a strategy is decided upon, it should be followed through with utmost dedication.
Half-hearted attempts or inconsistency can dilute the impact of the campaign. So focus on staying the course, adjusting as necessary, but never wavering from the end goal.
Giving People Stories to Share
Lastly, guerrilla marketing revolves around giving people stories to share, rather than just products to use.
People love a good story and are more likely to share it with others. So, the aim is to create campaigns that give your audience a narrative to talk about.
It’s the most fun and natural way to amplify your brand’s reach and influence.
The Key Types of Guerrilla Marketing Every Marketer Should Know
All guerrilla marketing tactics are powered by one or more of the following principles…
Ambient Marketing
Ambient marketing exploits elements of the environment to communicate a message.
This tactic is all about drawing customers in with a subtle, yet compelling, surprise that makes them do a double-take.
Imagine walking into a park and seeing a bench shaped like a gigantic candy bar.
That’s ambient marketing for you — it seamlessly blends in with the environment, catching the attention of passers-by and making them think about the brand in a fun, memorable way.
Experiential Marketing
Another powerful type of guerrilla marketing is experiential marketing.
This could range from an engaging pop-up event to a high-tech virtual reality game.
The goal here is not just to promote a product, but to create an unforgettable experience that leaves a lasting imprint on the consumer’s mind.
Stealth Marketing
Stealth marketing is another guerrilla marketing type that relies on covert methods to promote a product or brand.
This can involve techniques such as undercover marketing or buzz marketing where the consumers don’t even realize they’re being marketed to.
The purpose is to create a buzz around the product or brand without revealing the true intention of promotion. It’s like a magician’s trick, where the audience is so awed by the act that they don’t realize it’s a trick until the magician reveals it.
Alright, let’s take this a notch higher.
Armed with an understanding of the various guerrilla marketing tactics, let’s delve into some genius guerrilla marketing strategies that brands have executed.
6 Genius Guerrilla Marketing Examples That’ll Inspire Your Own
Successful guerrilla marketing often comes from the most surprising ideas. The surprise doesn’t always lie in the message but in how it’s delivered.
So, let’s take a look at the following real-life, highly successful, genius guerrilla marketing ideas…
Instead of being just another soda vending machine, the Happiness Machine doled out surprising gifts like flowers, pizzas, and even sunglasses, transforming an ordinary soda-buying experience into a memorable event.
By focusing on crafting a unique customer experience, creatively using an everyday environment, prioritizing imagination over big-budgets, committing fully to the idea, and giving people an incredible story to share, this campaign checked off every box in the guerrilla marketing playbook.
2. Bounty’s Giant Popsicle
In a brilliant demonstration of its product’s efficacy, Bounty created a massive, melting popsicle in the heart of a bustling city square.
This wasn’t just a popsicle, though; it was a creative testament to the strength and absorbency of their paper towels.
As the larger-than-life popsicle melted in the summer sun, Bounty’s team was on hand to clean up the mess, thereby showcasing the product in action in a fun, interactive way.
Now, this idea brings to the forefront the core benefit of Bounty’s paper towels — its superior absorbency.
The key takeaway from this is that your guerrilla marketing campaign should clearly communicate the main benefit of your product, albeit in a fun and interactive way.
The giant popsicle wasn’t just eye-catching; it also brought to life the product’s core proposition in a very memorable manner.
3. Deadpool’s Tinder Profile
When it came to promoting the movie Deadpool, the marketing team took a route less travelled.
They created a Tinder profile for the lovably irreverent character, Deadpool, bringing the comic book character to life on a platform where audiences least expected it.
This added a humorous and real-life touch to the marketing campaign, effectively blurring the lines between reality and fiction.
The success of this strategy hinged on knowing where their audience ‘lived’ online and infiltrating those spaces with something unexpected yet delightful.
Deadpool’s presence on a dating app not only made users chuckle but also created a word-of-mouth effect as users shared this find with their friends.
Here, the lesson is understanding your target audience’s habits and interests and leveraging that knowledge to create a memorable interaction with your brand.
4. Frontline’s Interactive Floor Ad
Frontline, a company that produces flea and tick prevention products for pets, turned a shopping mall’s floor into a giant, interactive advertisement.
From the upper floors of the mall, shoppers looked down to see themselves as ‘giant fleas’ on a dog’s body.
This marketing strategy was not only fun but also presented a clear image of the problem that Frontline’s product solves.
By turning everyday settings into interactive marketing arenas, Frontline successfully engaged their customers and created a memorable impression.
The takeaway here is to use the environment creatively, transforming ordinary locations into extraordinary experiences.
This can lead to a more interactive relationship with your audience, which in turn, can boost recall and foster a positive brand image.
5. Fiji Water’s #FijiGirl
Fiji Water brilliantly disrupted the 2019 Golden Globe Awards by positioning a model, now known as #FijiGirl, to photobomb celebrities on the red carpet while holding a tray of their water bottles.
The resulting photographs were nothing short of hilarious and unexpected, turning the model into a viral sensation and earning Fiji Water an enormous amount of buzz on social media.
This was a prime example of stealth marketing, where the brand subtly inserted itself into an event without explicitly promoting its product.
The beauty of this strategy is its subtlety and spontaneity, which can be replicated in different contexts.
For instance, a local café could create a similar buzz by having an engaging mascot photobomb community events, instantly making their brand more recognizable and memorable.
6. Greene King’s Candid Videos
Greene King, a British brewery, leveraged the power of authenticity with their guerrilla marketing strategy.
They filmed patrons’ genuine reactions to their food and drinks using hidden cameras, then incorporated these authentic reactions into their marketing campaigns.
By capturing and showcasing real experiences, Greene King built a strong bond of trust with potential customers.
These candid videos served as powerful testimonials, showing potential patrons that their food and drink quality was not just marketing hype but appreciated by real customers.
What’s critical in this approach is the authenticity of the reactions captured.
So, any business looking to replicate this must ensure they maintain honesty throughout.
Change the Game with Guerrilla Marketing
Marketing isn’t easy, but you’ve got spunk and determination to see it through.
And now you’ve got several brilliant guerrilla marketing principles and ideas in your arsenal. With these, you’re not just playing the game — you’re changing it.
So, what’s your guerrilla marketing tactic going to be? Will it be bold, subtle, cheeky, or emotional?
By Sarah Cha
Sarah Cha is an avid writer, reader, and lifelong learner who loves making magic behind-the-scenes at Smart Blogger. When she’s not wrangling words onto a screen or page, you can find her strumming a guitar, tickling a canvas, or playing fetch with her favourite four-footed friend!
Meta’s social media platforms will be barred from behavioural advertising in August.
Social media giants Facebook and Instagram will soon be temporarily banned in Norway from tracking users online to target them with advertising.
The Norwegian Data Protection Authority ordered U.S. technology firm Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to stop showing users in Norway personalized ads based on their online activity and estimated locations. The ban kicks in from August, according to an order obtained exclusively by POLITICO and sent to Meta on July 14.
Meta’s advertising practice on Facebook and Instagram currently involves the “processing of very private and sensitive personal data through highly opaque and intrusive monitoring and profiling operations,” wrote Norway’s Datatilsynet agency.
The ban on so-called behavioural advertising will last three months, starting from August 4. Facebook and Instagram will be able to show people customized ads but only based on information given by users in the “about” section of their profiles.
Meta will face daily fines of 1 million Norwegian Krone (€89,500) if it doesn’t comply with the order.
The temporary ban could be lifted if Meta finds a way to legally process personal data and give users the rights to opt out of targeted advertising based on tracking, the order said.
The restriction comes after the Court of Justice of the European Union on July 4 ruledthat Meta was unlawfully collecting people’s data to target them with ads without their explicit consent and based on the firm’s “legitimate interest.”
Meta is also currently under scrutiny from its lead privacy regulator, the Irish Data Protection Commission, over its advertising practices. The Dublin-based authority fined the social media company in January a total of €390 million for infringing Europeans’ privacy. It ordered Meta to find a new legal basis for its business model. The tech company has appealed the decision.
The Irish Data Protection Commission plans on making a decision on Meta’s legal basis for its targeted advertising operations “by no later than mid-August,” said the agency’s Deputy Commissioner and Spokesperson Graham Doyle.
The Irish regulator oversees Meta under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the whole of Europe because the tech company has its regional headquarters there. Other European countries such as Norway are able to issue national decisions for a time limit of three months in a “case of urgency” under the GDPR.
“The persistent state of non-compliance following the [Irish] decisions demand[s] immediate action to protect the rights and freedoms of European data subjects,” wrote the Norwegian data agency in its order.
The Norwegian regulator is the first European privacy authority to severely restrict Meta’s data-driven business following the EU’s top court ruling. It said it also plans to request an urgent binding decision from the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) — the region’s network of privacy regulators — to decide on final measures.
The Irish Data Protection Commission said it has consulted with other European authorities and sent them a provisional assessment of Meta’s compliance with the GDPR for targeted advertising following the new court ruling. Authorities have until July 21 to make their submissions to the Irish DPC, Doyle said.
In a response, Matt Pollard, spokesperson for Meta, said: “The debate around legal bases has been ongoing for some time and businesses continue to face a lack of regulatory certainty in this area … We continue to constructively engage with the Irish DPC, our lead regulator in the EU, regarding our compliance with its decision. We will review the Norway DPA’s decision, and there is no immediate impact to our services.”
Feature Image Credit: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images
