Mediaboss Marketing

What happens when you unite the biggest pop star in the world and a two-time Super Bowl champion? A whole lot of excitement, as the romance of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce has shown.

But amid all the cheering, canoodling andInstagram flirting, the situation lends some useful insights into marketing and as an expert in sports marketing, I know that this is a topic worth focusing on.

Here are five lessons the NFL and other experiential marketers can consider to enhance their brands and reputation.

Cause you know I love the players And you love the game! Blank Space, 2014

Great entertainment marketers know how to fill a blank space. And Swift has given the NFL a unique opportunity to expand its appeal to a demographic young women that may not have been interested in football before. Swifties, as Swifts fans are known, are eager to see the pop icon embrace being in love. So whenever she visits a stadium to cheer on her new lover, Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Kelce which she has done four times in the past two months and may well do again soon a media frenzy follows.

While serious football fans want the focus to stay on football, the NFL is smart to capitalize on this opportunity. After all, Swift is a mega-popular star: She has more charted songs (212), top-10 hits (42) and No. 1 song debuts (five) on theBillboard Top 100than any other female musician in history.

The Chiefs remain known for their winning ways and star power, and theyre still drawing and satisfying their traditional fans. Yet Swifts presence has brought a more playful tone to the games. The ordinarily serious Chiefs coach Andy Reid has taken to jokingabout the pair (I set them up), while memes about Swift having to leave the stadiumin a popcorn machineare a next-level combination of participatory pop culture, celebrity and sports.

Audience expansion is an effective tactic for businesses, as long as marketers dont alienate old fans by opening up to new ones. And so far, this is paying off for the NFL:Ratings soarwhen Swift attends a game, and Kelcejersey saleshave also skyrocketed. This new interest in the sport is welcome, especially since NFL television ratings among18- to 35-year-olds had previously shown some declines.

Say youll see me again/Even if its just in your wildest dreams. Wildest Dreams, 2014

An entertainment or sports marketers wildest dream is to be able to bring in all sorts of fans and deliver on their personal reasons for being there. Thats why marketers are wise to think about psychographics in addition to demographic appeals. This means that instead of just segmenting audiences by demographic such as younger women or college students marketers tailor their appeals to lifestyles, interests, activities and the way consumers think.

My co-authored research shows thatengaged sports fans are motivated by psychological desires such as escape and building self-esteem everyone wants to be associated with a winner as well as social motives such as wanting to strengthen in-group bonds and participate in traditions and rituals.

Football is known for intense strategies, masculine bravado and violent hits. So the Swift crossover gives NFL sport marketers an opportunity to attract new fans with different motivations. A good example is when the NFL changed its X (formerly Twitter) bio toNFL (Taylors version) a nod to Swiftie in-group identity and humor. New fans who are drawn in by such appeals may become more serious about the sport later.

If you could see that Im the one who understands you, been here all along so, why cant you see? You belong with me. You Belong With Me, 2008

When it comes to sports, and especially football, some people think that the game isnt for them. The NFL and the Chiefs now have a unique opportunity to leverage sudden interest from a group of people not known for being football superfans. But to convert them into regular viewers, theyll need to make sure the newcomers feel a sense of belonging.

A subtle example of this sort of outreach happened when the Chiefs used social media towelcome Swift and by extension, her loyal fans to Chiefs Kingdom. Similarly, the league has made it abundantly clear that Swifties are welcome in the stands, even if a small yet loud cohort of NFL fans wouldrather they stay away. This open-mindedness is good for business.

Youll be the prince, and Ill be the princess/Its a love story, baby, just say yes. Love Story, 2008

I studyhuman brands the people, well known or emerging, who are the subject of marketing, interpersonal or interorganizational communications. In this age of social media, human branding has never been more important. Having a strong personal brand is associated with more endorsements, Google searches, merchandise sales and ticket sales. So Swift and Kelce are reaping the benefits of human co-branding.

What makes these particular human brands so compelling? Many Swifties are invested in Taylors romantic life and are cheering for her to find love and one day pick out a white dress. This interest and fantasy takes the form of a parasocial or one-sided relationship, where one party invests emotional energy and time, while the other person is unaware of the first persons existence. While these can potentially become harmful, in most cases parasocial interactionsare a source of escape, fun and fantasy.

In an era of negative news and doomscrolling, a story thats fun and entertaining can be powerful. And research in our advertising and branding book shows that sport marketers are eager tocapitalize on positive appeals.

Youre not my homeland anymore/So what am I defending now? Exile, 2020

A final insight for brands and marketers is to not be constrained by geography. With digital commerce and social media, researchers have become increasingly interested in faraway fans who travel long distances to events. In a recent study about professional cycling fanship in sporting-event sponsorship, my colleagues and I found that sport event attendees that traveled from farther awaywere more investedin the event and more willing to buy merchandise. This has big implications for new fans who may travel to Kansas City to catch a glimpse of Taylor Swift.

The Swift/Kelce relationship and the NFLs highlighting of it is one example of why it is important not to be hemmed in by geography. As one cardboard sign at a recent Chiefs game in Kansas City proclaimed, I traveled here to see Taylor Swift!

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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5 marketing lessons from the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce romance - Kansas Reflector

Advertisers have been skittish about X since Mr. Musk bought the social media service last fall and said he wanted more free speech and would loosen content moderation rules. That meant the platform could theoretically place brands ads next to posts with offensive or hateful speech.

Many companies, including General Motors and Volkswagen, have balked at various points over the past year at having their promotions appear alongside a heavily documented surge in hate speech, misinformation and foreign propaganda on X. In April, Mr. Musk said nearly all advertisers had returned, without indicating whether they were spending at the same levels; he later noted that ad revenue had fallen 50 percent.

Mr. Musk also swung from threatening any advertisers that dared to pause their spending with a thermonuclear name & shame to wooing them by choosing Ms. Yaccarino, a former top ad executive at NBCUniversal, to replace him as chief executive. He picked public fights with major spenders like Apple and churned through sales executives given the task of maintaining relationships in the advertising industry. Top advertising companies, such as IPG, urged their clients to step back from X.

Advertising had long been about 90 percent of Twitters revenue before Mr. Musk bought the company. Last month, X told employees that the company was valued at $19 billion. That was down from the $44 billion that Mr. Musk paid.

The heightened sensitivity around antisemitism, Mr. Musks penchant for public squabbling and general fatigue after months of fuss over X left many advertising professionals hesitant to weigh in on Friday.

Clients have always had to make decisions about content they will or will not be associated with, Renee Miller, the founder of the Miller Group advertising agency in Los Angeles, said in an email. We generally counsel our clients to not take an openly public political stand.

IBM, which cut off about $1 million in advertising spending that it had committed to X for the rest of the year, said on Thursday that it had zero tolerance for hate speech and discrimination. The tech company acted after a report this week from Media Matters for America, a left-wing advocacy group, which said ads from companies including Apple and IBM were appearing on X next to posts supporting white nationalism and Nazism.

Mr. Musk posted late Thursday that Media Matters is an evil organization.

Angelo Carusone, president and chief executive of Media Matters, said Mr. Musks calling us evil for pointing out what was on X was not dissimilar from any right-wing account who we highlight.

He added that X was not just going to just lose money with Apple, but also the cornerstone of their strategy to woo back advertisers.

Kate Conger contributed reporting.

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Apple and Disney Halt Ads on X After Musk Endorses Antisemitic Post - The New York Times

City of Rochester News Release

(Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023) Deck the halls and celebrate the season with help from the Rochester Public Market as dozens of local vendors offer unique and special gifts along with holiday treats, fresh-cut trees and home dcor starting this Sunday, Nov. 26.

The Holidays at the Market serieswill take place 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sundays, Nov. 26, Dec. 3, and Dec. 10; and from 6 to 9 p.m., Thursday. Dec. 14 at the City of Rochester Public Market, 280 N. Union St.

A Rochester holiday tradition for more than 26 years, Holidays at the Market features dozens of holiday-focused products and gifts including Christmas trees and wreaths, decorations, specialty food and beverage products, hand-crafted goods, seasonal treats and much more.

To add to the family fun, on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Market will feature holiday lights and festive music along with the opportunity to visit with Santa or take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage. The evening event on Dec. 14 from 6 to 9 p.m., held in collaboration with Market District Business Association, will feature shopping specials, visits with Santa, and carriage rides as well.

Consider giving the gift of the Market during this holiday season by purchasing Public Market gift tokens or Market swag for your family and friends at the Token Center behind the Market Office, available during regular Market hours.

Vending spots are still available for special events and regular Market days during the holiday season. Interested vendors can call the Market office at 428-6907, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, or visitwww.cityofrochester.gov/marketvendors/for more information.

For more news and updates, follow the City of Rochester Public Market on social media:facebook.com/cityofrochesterpublicmarket; orinstagram.com/cityofrochesterpublicmarket.

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The Administration ofMayor Malik D. Evansstrives to create a safe, equitable and prosperous Rochester by inspiring hope and delivering opportunity for everyone. Guided by the AdministrationsMission, Vision and Valuesand the principles of theRochester 2034 comprehensive plan, City employees are committed to providing exceptional customer service, transparent stewardship, and collaborative leadership to foster a vibrant community that empowers personal, professional and generational growth for all who live, work or play in the city of Rochester.

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News Release Holidays at the Market Returns Sunday with ... - City of Rochester (.gov)

On the Chancellors tax measures, Sam Robinson, SMF Senior Researcher said: Todays cuts to National Insurance rates barely touch the sides of the tax increase from frozen thresholds, meaning they arent really a cut at all for many households. But these changes do represent a welcome rebalancing of personal taxes, shifting away from national insurance towards income tax, which covers a broader range of earnings including pensions and rental income.

Out of all the Autumn Statements measures, full expensing has by far the biggest potential to stimulate economic growth. But given the big price tag associated with the tax cut, and OBR projections that business investment will decrease as a share of GDP, it is vital that full expensing is rigorously monitored to ensure it is as effective in the real world as it looks on paper.

From a fiscal point of view, the tax cuts announced today are built on sand. Most of the headroom the Chancellor used to deliver them was based on departmental spending projections that seem implausibly low and that few people think can be met. To deliver good news today, Hunt may be kicking the bad news down the road.

On the neglect of skills and education, Dani Payne, SMF Senior Researcher, said:

Given the Chancellors ambition to build a world-class education and skills system, it is disappointing to see core school spending per pupil being held flat in real terms, and little else announced to support our young people.

The announcement of modest additional funding for apprenticeships is welcome, however it is unlikely that what the sector really needs is a new pilot scheme, as opposed to a whole-sale reform to bring together our post-secondary education systems, encourage growth in technical education and tackle the unproductive competition between HE and FE that leaves both sectors fighting for pupils and funding.

If the government is to truly grow the supply side of the economy, human capital and skills must be at the forefront of our plan for growth and schools, addressing funding and staffing crises to deliver the next generation of skilled young workers and help those already in work to upskill and retrain.

On measures for long-term unemployment, Jamie Gollings, SMF Deputy Research Director said:

The Chancellors 2.5bn for the long term unemployed, equivalent to roughly 1,500 a head per year, comes with the threat of mandatory work placements and benefits being removed if claimants dont engage. That will send a shiver down the spine of those off work with mental health issues and disabilities, causing them anxiety that could set people back in their recoveries and push them even further from the job market.

Most of those off work with mental health issues and disabilities want to get back into work, and the investment in such programmes is welcome. Working with employers to build forms of employment that can work around peoples conditions, from remote working to stress-freelancing, would help to create those routes. Better to do so with a supportive atmosphere that fosters rather than stifles recovery.

On support for business growth, John Asthana Gibson, SMF researcher said:

The Chancellor taking forward the Mansion House reforms is a positive outcome from todays Autumn Statement. Measures that put more cash from pensions funds deep pockets into growth hungry scale-ups should be encouraged, and the Governments intention to channel greater institutional investment through the British Business Bank, something the SMF has called for, should receive particular praise.

However, high growth business not only need to be well-financed, but well-staffed with talented and capable workers to succeed. A lack of human capital, not the financial sort, is the greatest barrier holding back companies in Britain today, and the Chancellors lack of ambition to develop the UKs skills base with significant investments in education and training will weaken the effectiveness of these measures.

On planning reforms, Gideon Salutin (SMF researcher) and Jamie Gollings (SMF deputy research director) said:

A permitted development right to convert single family homes into duplexes is a good idea on paper. Yet such measures have been tried in a number of cities, including Brisbane, Chicago, New York, and Toronto, without increasing actual housing supply because they were not combined with appropriate targets and strict regulations.

If the government really wants to increase housing supply, it will need to undertake more ambitious planning reform to fast-track large housing projects that maximise the number of units permitted on a lot, and twin this with tight affordability rules to ensure that new capacity genuinely drives down costs.

Other housing measures in the statement are similarly welcome, but not enough to address the crisis. 450m to the local authority housing fund to deliver 2,400 new homes is a drop in the ocean compared to the scale of social housing waiting lists, while faster processing times may speed approvals but fail to greatly increase stock.

On green investments, Gideon Salutin, SMF researcher said:

The Chancellors announcement of 4.5 billion through 2030 is a welcome move in the right direction, but is too small. By comparison, the US is pouring over 300 billion into green manufacturing, Japan is offering 120 billion in long term bonds.

Our research benchmarking global green investment shows that the UK would need to immediately budget at least 54 billion over the next ten years over 12 times the current offer to match peer countries. The Chancellor has taken a first step by acknowledging the problem, but until he makes larger commitments, the UK will remain a step behind.

On investment zones, Gideon Salutin said, SMF researcher said:

Todays announcement increased the number of investment zones and the length of time they receive subsidies, but failed to increase the money annually being transferred to local authorities. At present, investment zones receive just 16 million annually, increasing average local budgets by just 7.4% according to our research.

Local authorities outside London want to attract more investment, but to do so they need more startup cash. The 16 million cap is too small, and should be boosted by creating a larger funding stream for local authorities or by giving them new financial powers. Extending the program may help reassure private investors, but the major transformations the chancellor is promising cannot be achieved without deeper reform.

On public sector productivity, Niamh O Regan, SMF researcher said:

The UKs public sector productivity has been poor for over two decades, growing just 4% between 1997 and 2018, and so planning to grow this by 0.5% a year, while welcome, is very ambitious. There also appears to be a stark contrast between the Governments plan for boosting productivity in private and public sector.

The Chancellor said that productivity in other countries is higher due to investment, but this diagnosis seems to be limited to the private sector. The Government plans to improve public sector productivity, largely through adopting new technology, to cut bureaucracy and resolve administrative tasks faster for both the police and the NHS. Technology can help, but doing it well will require up-front investment in time and resources. Trying to do it on the cheap is bound to fail.

On support for small businesses, Richard Hyde, SMF Senior Researcher said:

A big impediment to smaller firms investing for growth is cashflow. Without adequate resources at hand investment in capital and workers by entrepreneurs in their small business has to be put off, again and again.

One of the most common and significant constraints on SME cashflow is late payment by customers. It has been estimated that half of invoices issued by SMEs are paid late. The problem has been worsening, with more than 23 billion outstanding and owed to small firms according to the Government in 2022. Research has suggested that as many as 50,000 firms could be going out of business each year because of the culture of poor payment practices in the UK.

The government wants an investment boom in the UK. To achieve that, it is imperative that small firms do not suffer from unnecessary cashflow problems. That is why the announcement in the Autumn statement to use public sector procurement to put obligations on contractors to pay their suppliers on time is welcome. However, it should only be seen as a start. Many businesses in the private sector are late payers too, and these will be unaffected by these measures. A more ambitious agenda is needed.

On the pensions pot-for-life, Aveek Bhattacharya, SMF Interim Director said:

Moving from an employer-led pension system to one where each individual has their own pot for life could help avoid the clutter and inconvenience that many of us have experienced from accumulating multiple often small pots from different jobs. More fundamentally, it could shift the onus for pension savings from bosses to workers, which has the potential to boost engagement, personalisation and value for money.

A forthcoming paper from the Social Market Foundation will explore these issues, and we look forward to informing the consultation announced today.

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SMF responds to Autumn Statement 2023 - The Social Market Foundation

Personal care cosmetics brand Dove has partnered with animated social media influencer Lennnie to spread love and positivity on social media feeds.

Lennnie is a popular ghost-shaped blob that posts reassuring and adorable messages on Instagram and TikTok.

To kick off the partnership, which is part of the Dove Self-Esteem Project and in time for Thanksgiving, a song was posted with Lennnie telling viewers that it loves them and that they glow.

Dont miss: Dove takes bold stand against popular TikTok filter distorting real beauty

The video focuses on the unhealthy effects when people let their self-esteem be driven by comparison on social media.

Dove and I wanted to pop in and remind you that social media can be a carefully curated unrealistic representation of the human experience, said Lennnie in the video.

Do not compare entire your entire journey to the very very very cherry-picked highlights of someone elses, it continued.

In the caption, Lennnie said that it was there to fill people's feeds with love and to remind them that they are doing amazing.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out for more information.

As Dove ramps up its efforts to promote positivity, it recently partnered with sportwear company Nike to help build the body confidence of girls aged 11 to 17 while empowering coaches and athletes around the world to celebrate the things active bodies can do.

According to research by Dove, low body confidence is the number one reason many girls quit sports. It found that 48% of girls dropping out from sports were told they don't have the right body for sports, with 56% being objectified or judged on their physical appearance.

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Related articles: Dove and LinkedIn team up to support ending race-based hair discrimination in workplace Dove strips down photo-editing on selfies to show real untouched beauty Dove wants to pay other brands to diversify talent in ads

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Dove partners popular virtual ghost influencer in latest positivity push - Marketing Interactive