Brand and Cultural Moments: Reels vs. TikTok, Oatly making $$ and Bumble wins the quarantine
Issue No.03. Your monthly newsletter on brand, consumers and culture.
What we’re seeing this month: Lil Miquela (the world’s biggest digital avatar) launched her first music video. TikTok’s Chinese fashion is 100, and bay area fashion is not. We’re all going slowly mad in this quarantine so if you’re struggling, remember: take care of spaceship you.
Now, let’s get into this season!
brandish bites
1 . First things first, can we just talk about the WWW (Wild Wild Web)?
In less than 4 weeks our favorite online platforms have been through a tough one. The US signed an executive order to shut down TikTok, then Microsoft (literally out of ALL the players) moved into conversations to buy TikTok and a mid these chats Instagram (ie: Facebook) launched their newest product: Reels. Which for those of you that don’t know is basically TikTok. Read more (Axios)
So what’s the social consensus? About a 50/50 split between loving/hating Instagram. Personally, I’ve always respected how quick FB is to launch products and damn are they making it a fun industry to report on. This 👏 Is 👏 Juicy 👏
2 . How an oat milk brand is changing the game for plant-based foods
This month Oatly announced they’ve raised $200MM at a $2BN valuation. That’s huge, so huge in fact that there are rumors of a potential IPO. While milk alternatives (also known as Mylks after getting sued by the dairy industry… lol) are quite popular, Oatly isn’t necessarily healthier or better for you than anything out there. So why did it get so big? The short answer is a great consumer brand fueled by distinguishable packaging and world class copy. Long answer? Every aspect of their business is different from traditional mylk brands. I put together a deep-dive into their brand-driven success, read that here.
PS: I enjoyed writing that brand deep dive, if you liked reading it let me know and I’ll dedicated a section in the newsletter for case studies on Direct-to-Consumer brands :)
3 . Finding love a mid a pandemic
Since the quarantine started, it seems like relationships are starting and ending all around me. And it makes sense. It’s foolish to think our lizard-brains would stop trying to find love and connection amid a world pandemic… and online dating apps know this. Bumble isn’t a new player when it comes to award-winning marketing campaigns, and their newest COVID-inspired launches are targeting those getting in and out of relationships in the most clever ways:
Looking for love? Their most recent out-of-home campaign is all about rewriting the narrative around quarantine romances. Forget ruling out dating, instead reframe it as the story you’ll tell your kids one day. (Instagram)
Ditching your toxic ex? They’ve brilliantly partnered with BABE wine to form a moving company and cover moving costs for people facing a breakup in the midst of the pandemic. (Adweek)
That’s all for now fam, but before you go, this month we’re sending you some early 2000’s chainmail energy: if you don’t share this newsletter with 5 friends you’ll have 7 years of bad luck.
xx Dani