Welcome to the latest issue of Cuppa, a quick-fire newsletter for internet-first brand builders. Filled with analysis on the art, science and culture of building breakout brands in a digital age, it's quick enough to read over a cuppa. (Or something stronger if you need it...no judgement!). To get it direct to your inbox every other Wednesday, subscribe here.
ART
Being scrappy on socials isn't a lazy strategy
Duolingo has become the blueprint for brands on TikTok since 2021. Their lo-fi, unhinged videos featuring their mascot earn them millions of views and 5.8M followers. To some it might look like they don't have a strategy since their content is so “scrappy," but Zaria Parvez, Duolingo's Global Social Media Manager, has started a LinkedIn series to set the record straight on their very legitimate strategy:
“…if we want to connect with humans, we ought to stop gaslighting ourselves into thinking they care about advertising. It’s not just about product offering or a flashy video anymore. We’re now required to speak and be human. Period."
Logan Paul and KSI's Prime signs multiyear UFC deal
In one year, Prime broke $250M in sales, became the fastest-growing drink in America, the official sports drink for Arsenal, and as of this week, the official sports drink for the UFC. A quality product or not, creator brands are proving they can take the top spot for sponsorships thanks to the additional value they can provide. When you think of KSI and Logan's combined social following of 400M compared to UFC's previous drink sponsor, Bodyarmor's following of 500k, it's a marketing no-brainer.
Comedians scale beer brand to $50M in 15 months
They’re tradies, comedians and models. But now the Aussie influencers, The Inspired Unemployed, can add ‘backbone of record-breaking beer brand’ to their resume. Better Beer only hit the market in October 2021 and has become one of the fastest-growing brands in the brewing industry for decades. What was the ammunition for their breakout success? A relatable and comedic approach to beer marketing. Just take a gander at their socials and you'll get the hype.
SCIENCE
Meta says it's time for brands to start their MMM measurement journey
A brilliant article by Rasheeqa Jacquesson from Meta, that digs into why Marketing Mix Modelling will thrive in 2023 as an attribution method for digital native marketers. Her insights very much resonate with us at Charlie Oscar, which is why we built COmpass. So that we can help brands prepare for the changes ahead.
We're big fans of UGC at Charlie Oscar. Our clients see a 30%-40% drop in CPA after feeding their paid ad accounts with UGC-style content. So when we came across Gander, our eyes lit up. They make it super easy to embed your amazing UGC videos onto your site to further sweat the asset and boost conversion.
TikTok takes on Google for search market share
TikTok's latest UK ad is a clear signal of how seriously they're eating into Google Search. Research shows "40% of young people, when looking for a place for lunch, go first to TikTok or Instagram over Google Maps or Search.” The takeaway? Get your TikTok descriptions and hashtags mastered.
Brands have been in the dark when it comes to understanding the *true* value of their entire marketing ecosystem...but COmpass has turned the lights on 💡
Here are 4 hidden truths our attribution solution has unveiled for our clients:
If you need help navigating your attribution, book a call with our Chief Data Officer, Dan, and he'll chat you through how COmpass works and how it can help improve your brand's marketing performance.
