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 week, subscribe here.
ART
Did Gen Z break the marketing funnel?
Word on the street (LinkedIn and Twitter) is that "Meta is broken" in marketing land. If the majority of marketers were to describe their feelings with Meta over the past month in an emoji it would be: 🙃
With the launch of Google's Meridian, Meta publishing studies indicating that short term results aren't the core focus, and our ongoing work here at Charlie Oscar with COmpass, I think it's finally crunch time for brand builders to accept that they need to focus on brand and creative content to see better results all round.
The short-term acquisition funnel was built for the old world, and news flash: the majority of people don't live there anymore. With radically different platforms, technology, and lightning-speed trend cycles, our path to purchase has become an infinite loop of inspiration, exploration, community and loyalty.
Think of the brands we most admire or those who have been creating the most noise over the last few years: Rhode, Refy, Skims, Abercrombie - they're activating at each of these touch points.
This new Coca-Cola campaign is *chefs kiss*
Brands are built on standards, guidelines and consistency. But you know you've reached icon status when “unofficial" versions of your logo are hand-painted on storefronts across the globe. And the latest campaign from Coca-Cola celebrates just that. ‘Every Coca-Cola Is Welcome’ puts the spotlight on small ‘mom and pop’ shops and street food vendors around the world who sell Coca-Cola products and advertise the fact with their own hand-painted street art and signs. If one thing sticks with you from this campaign, let it be this:
“The message is that we see the imperfection and what was created and we saw beyond the imperfection. We saw beyond that imperfect visualisation of who we are; we saw, actually, what we really mean to people.”
SCIENCE
A premature post-mortem on TikTok in the US
Whether or not TikTok will be banned in the US, its legacy on marketing cannot be disputed. In these interviews with leading marketers, The Drum have taken a look back at how TikTok has changed the landscape of marketing significantly over these past few years. Insights include:
- How TikTok is truly the first post-millenial platform
- That TikTok has led the charge in terms of brands pivoting to UGC
- How TikTok's promoted user engagement over follower count
- TikTok's ability to empower creators through analytics
We really recommend giving this a read, as it not only gives insight into how TikTok has shaped marketing so far, but also what we can learn from the platform.
CO Announcement: We're a Meta Partner
Big news…thanks to hard work from our Paid Social team, we're thrilled to announce that Charlie Oscar is now officially a Meta Badged Partner! You might be wondering, 'what does this mean?' Well, let us break it down for you:
- As a Meta Business Partner, we've now joined a network of top-tier marketers recognised by Meta for our expertise in helping clients achieve their growth goals.
- Becoming a Meta Partner means we've met Meta's standards for excellence, earning us a badge that signals to others that we're among the best in the business.
- As a Meta Business Partner, we gain access to a range of exclusive benefits, including specialized training, dedicated support, detailed analytics reports, and opportunities for client matchmaking.
- In practical terms, this means we now have access to agency dedicated account managers, early access to cutting-edge tools and training materials, as well as benefits like Blueprint exam vouchers and eligibility for various qualifications. For more details, you can check out this link: https://www.facebook.com/fbp/benefits
It's time to join the Google Trends fanclub
As a marketeer there are a million and one data sources to draw insight from, most of which have costs attached. One of the simplest and most valuable data sources is Google Trends…plus…it's completely free!
Building competitor and category indexes from google trends allows you to identify key category and competitor trends. There are many instances when this useful but 2 of the most common use cases are:
1. Sales forecasting
2. Identifying key moments to capitalising on for your industry
When it comes to delivering actionable insights, sometimes the most simple tools are best.
