Updates within the marketing world.
The John Lewis Christmas advert is here!
Christmas in 2020 was not particularly festive. As the UK’s countries moved in and out of lockdown, it is safe to say that this year everybody was craving the festivities we sorely missed.
John Lewis, like many other retailers, decided to launch their iconic Christmas advert early this year due to consumer demand for an early festive period.
Claire Pointon from John Lewis & Partners says, “people are throwing everything at Christmas this year to make up for the one that we didn’t quite get last year.”
The John Lewis Christmas advert is a British Christmas staple, with many people looking forward to its release. This year’s advert follows a young boy and an alien from outer space developing an unlikely friendship as they bond over various Christmas traditions.
Focusing on space is a clever marketing choice from John Lewis. With all the news this year surrounding Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson’s aerospace companies, it is a way for John Lewis to bring the topical into the traditional.
You can watch the advert here.
Spotted: Loch Ness monster at COP26?
COP26 is the UN’s Climate Change Conference. Standing for Conference of the Parties, this year is the 26th anniversary of the summit. COP26 is currently taking place in Glasgow, Scotland, and will be held over 12 days, from October 31st to November 12th. Many believe this event is the final chance to get climate change under control, so the media buzz surrounding the event has been huge.
One particularly notable marketing moment of the event so far was unexpected to say the least, and this was the seizing of a giant inflatable Loch Ness Monster!
The inflatable Nessie was utilised by an anti-poverty group called Jubilee Debt Campaign ahead of the dedicated finance day at COP26. The inflatable creature was said to represent a ‘debt monster.’ The group are aiming to spread the message that low-income countries crippling debt crisis act as a barrier in the fight for climate justice. By cancelling these debts, the Jubilee Debt Campaign suggests climate finances can be given in grants instead of creating more debt.
The comical nature of the images caused a huge media buzz, with ‘Loch Ness Monster’ trending on Twitter. The pictures showed around 20 officers ‘arresting’ the inflatable creature.
Though the quick seizing of the Loch Ness Monster before it could be released onto the lake was disappointing, the humorous images of the ‘arrest’ turned out to be a marketing hit, helping draw more publicity to the situation at hand.
View the image here.
KFC is Marketing Week Master’s ‘Brand of the Year’.
When the pandemic began, many rival brands decided to take a step back from marketing due to the closure of in-person stores, but KFC took the opposite approach.
In the height of lockdown, KFC launched a social campaign called #RateMyKFC where people attempted to replicate their chicken using home recipes. When lockdown began to lift again, KFC utilised this hashtag to reintroduce themselves back into the market. They released a video that included various fans #RateMyKFC attempts accompanied by Celine Dion’s ‘All by Myself,’ followed by a message saying, ‘We missed you too. But we’ll take it from here.’
KFC saw huge benefits from its commitment to marketing, with UK consumers contributing to 6% of their worldwide sales – a 248% increase from the same period the year before.
A very deserving Brand of the Year – congratulations KFC!
Half of UK Consumers Plan to Christmas Shop Entirely Online.
Outbrain recently completed a survey revealing that 48% of UK consumers plan to do their Christmas shopping entirely online.
Since the original lockdown of 2020, online e-commerce has seen a massive boom. The convenience and ease of shopping from home came as a blessing to many, and evidently, many people will not be returning to in-person shopping anytime soon.
This decision will greatly impact retailer marketing strategies.
The survey also revealed that when it came to making a purchase, over half of the consumers ranked speed of delivery as an important factor in their purchasing decisions.
Retailers should utilise this information and take steps towards creating an effective digital strategy to increase revenue during this holiday period. Not sure where to start? Crunch can help.
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