Latest news with #MarketingDive
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
TikTok leans on AI, search in bid to advertisers at annual summit
This story was originally published on Marketing Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Marketing Dive newsletter. TikTok unveiled a host of features designed to increase the app's appeal to advertisers at its fifth annual TikTok World product summit earlier this week, according to a company blog post. New features include expanded branding solutions, creative and artificial intelligence (AI) powered tools, automation features and search capabilities. A new analytics platform called TikTok Market Scope allows advertisers to better understand and activate audiences across every stage of the funnel. The platform also announced an AI-powered Search Center platform meant to simplify buying search ads on TikTok through keyword suggestion and creative tools and measurement capabilities. The latest updates come as the ByteDance-owned app's fate in the U.S. remains uncertain. TikTok has been a leading player in social media marketing for the past five years. Even with a cloud hanging over its head, industry forecasts predict TikTok's ad revenue will rise 24.5% year over year to $32.4 billion in 2025, assuming the service doesn't go dark. Accordingly, TikTok is showcasing all that it can do to help marketers grow their businesses. 'We have been listening to our advertising partners and developed innovative products for each stage of the marketing funnel,' said David Kaufman, global head of product operations and solutions at TikTok, in a statement. At the top of the new product list is TikTok Market Scope, a new analytics platform that provides advertisers with a view across the entire consideration funnel, enabling them to understand precisely what motivates their audiences. The platform is also introducing a new mid-funnel product, Brand Consideration ads, that evaluates audiences based on more than a dozen mid-platform behaviors including commenting, searching, sharing and following to move consumers from awareness to consideration. TikTok is also adding new features to its TikTok One creative platform. TikTok One Insight Spotlight helps marketers understand the content their audiences are watching and then utilizes first-party data to identify emerging trends, enabling brands to build more effective engagement strategies. A new Content Suite feature enables marketers to find and access user-generated videos that mention their brand or products, and convert them into advertising content. The new feature surfaces 40 times more relevant and impactful results than simply searching in the app, according to TikTok's internal data. TikTok also unveiled a new AI-powered Search Center platform within its TikTok Ads Manager to simplify the process of buying ads on TikTok. Search Center includes keyword suggestion tools, measuring capabilities and creative tools. Search has become big business for TikTok, with a quarter of users searching for something within the first 30 seconds of opening the app and overall search growth increasing by 40% over last year, per TikTok. Also on the AI front, TikTok said it would scale three of its AI-powered tools, TikTok Symphony, Smart+ and GMV Max, into its platform to enhance the accountability, scale and impact of performance campaigns as well as greater brand safety tools for ad placement. The company will also launch new Media Mix Modeling badges for marketing partners to drive investment and impact across media channels, and expand the TopView premium ad placement, which places an ad at the top of the app when it is opened. Recommended Reading TikTok reassures brands on future as advertising ambitions broaden Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
WPP Media launches AI-driven tool to push beyond ID-based targeting
This story was originally published on Marketing Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Marketing Dive newsletter. WPP Media launched Open Intelligence June 3, claiming it is the industry's first large marketing model (LMM) that leverages artificial intelligence to aggregate data for reaching audiences, according to information shared with Marketing Dive. While similar in nature to large language models (LLM), LMMs are intended to predict audience behavior and market performance rather than generate content. Open Intelligence applies AI to data on how consumers engage with brands, products, content and other touchpoints so it can deliver insights to marketers. Open Intelligence's partners at launch include FreeWheel, Google, Microsoft Advertising, Adelaide, Adstra, Circana, Experian, Lumen Research, Meta, Snap and TikTok. The model derives data from 75 markets and is intended to reach 5 billion people globally. Open Intelligence is intended to help marketers move beyond ID-based targeting through the aggregation of multiple data points to locate appropriate audiences. The service promises to allow users to create custom AI models, make decisions faster, lower waste and enable full-funnel activations. It is part of the larger AI-driven marketing platform WPP Open. The news quickly follows WPP's announcement that it has rebranded its media holdings from GroupM to WPP Media. The name change is intended to put an emphasis on the company's commitment to AI and integration. The news comes as media mix modeling (MMM), which uses statistics to measure the success of marketing campaigns, has received renewed attention. The declining influence of cookies is forcing marketers to seek alternative methods for measuring campaign success amid increased media fragmentation. Products built around the idea of MMM include Google's Meridian, which launched in 2024. Open Intelligence uses AI to perform a similar function. Open Intelligence collects data points across a variety of relevant factors, such as geographical, commercial and behavioral. This information is then used to create custom AI models which are supplemented with the clients' first-party data. The models are tailored to specific goals and are used to turn audience signals into data patterns. Partnerships allow for the integration of these models across channels without relying on ID. WPP saw a Q1 2025 revenue of $4.3 billion (£3.2 billion), a decline of 5% year-over-year, according to an earnings statement. While not directly affected by tariffs, many of the company's clients are, according to CEO Mark Read. This, combined with broader economic concerns, could present challenges for WPP and its clients during the back half of the year. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
McDonald's goes behind the scenes to hype fan-favorite Snack Wrap return
This story was originally published on Marketing Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Marketing Dive newsletter. McDonald's is hyping up the July 10 return of the fan-favorite Snack Wrap to menus with a multichannel campaign, per details shared with Marketing Dive. The fast-food giant will release a TV commercial that spotlights consumers' social postings about the menu item, which was phased out nationally in 2016. The campaign also includes social posts, out-of-home ads and a Snapchat activation. To further build excitement, the brand launched a throwback web portal that features never-before-seen and behind-the-scenes content about the Snack Wrap and its return. Chicago-headquartered McDonald's announced the return of the Snack Wrap with a brief press release reminiscent of fellow Chicago icon Michael Jordan's famous fax about his return to basketball. In 1995, Jordan wrote 'I'm back;' in 2025, President of McDonald's USA Joe Erlinger wrote about the menu item, 'It's back.' The playful, culture-minded approach appears to inform the rest of the marketing around the Snack Wrap. A microsite resembles an old-school desktop screen, complete with Snack Wrap wallpaper and several folders, including 'The Fandom' (fan emails begging for the return of the item) and BTS (behind-the-scene images from a TV ad shoot). Additional folders (Promo Codes, Playlist, Merch Concepts, et cetera) are still under wraps. The campaign includes a fan-focused TV commercial that will roll out on July 10 and social posts and high-impact OOH placements boasting the return date. In addition, a Snapchat activation includes a first-to-market Reminder Ad that lets app users opt-in to receive both in-app and push notifications timed to the return of the Snack Wrap. Plus, an augmented reality experience will turn Snaps into branded news broadcasts about the return. The social media-heavy play connects with consumers where they have been requesting the return of the Snack Wrap. Other restaurant chains including Taco Bell and Chipotle have acknowledged and encouraged fan interaction on social media when returning items to menus. The Snack Wrap will return to participating restaurants nationwide as a permanent item in both spicy and ranch varieties. McDonald's longtime AOR Wieden+Kennedy New York spearheaded the effort, with creative by Golin, Agency 123, Alma, Boden, IW Group and Translation; digital marketing by Publicis Groupe; paid media by Admerasia, Publicis Groupe and Navigation Blvd; and support by additional agencies. McDonald's saw U.S. same-store sales drop 3.6% in Q1 2025 but has worked to overcome macroeconomic headwinds through culturally minded campaigns and a balance of value offerings and loyalty deals. The Snack Wrap campaign's multichannel approach resembles that of McDonald's efforts from recent years, including its celebration of Grimace's birthday and recent tie-ups with Minecraft and Pokémon. The chain has previously marketed limited-edition fan favorites like the McRib. Recommended Reading How restaurant chains are updating their marketing menus in tough economy Erreur lors de la récupération des données Connectez-vous pour accéder à votre portefeuille Erreur lors de la récupération des données Erreur lors de la récupération des données Erreur lors de la récupération des données Erreur lors de la récupération des données
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Venmo taps ‘White Lotus' stars for push beyond peer-to-peer payments
This story was originally published on Marketing Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Marketing Dive newsletter. Venmo, the digital payments platform owned by PayPal, launched a new campaign featuring 'The White Lotus' stars Aimee Lou Wood and Patrick Schwarzenegger meant to celebrate the app's various commerce solutions, according to a press release. A 60-second spot set to a remixed version of the Black Sheep song 'The Choice Is Yours' follows Wood and Schwarzenegger as they dance their way through various scenarios where they seamlessly make purchases using Venmo. The campaign will appear across culturally relevant touchpoints including TV during the NBA finals, social media, podcasts and gaming platforms. The effort arrives as the platform's commerce tools, including Pay with Venmo and the Venmo Debit Card, report double-digit growth. Venmo is touting its full range of commerce capabilities for its latest campaign, an effort that is joined by the unveiling of several new benefits for consumers who use their Venmo balance beyond the peer-to-peer payments for which the platform is best known. The push comes as adoption of digital payments grows. Roughly nine in 10 consumers in both the U.S. and Europe report having made some form of digital payment over the past year, with the U.S. reaching a new high at 92%, according to McKinsey. At the center of the campaign is a 60-second spot, directed by Tajana Tokyo, that begins with Wood asking Schwarzenegger, 'I thought Venmo was for paying people?' when she observes the star using his Venmo balance to book a rideshare. Schwarzenegger responds, 'Yeah, and for everything else.' The duo then erupts into a dance number, supported by a fresh refrain for 'The Choice Is Yours' ('You can Venmo this, you can Venmo that'), as they use Venmo to make a swath of purchases. Over 64 million U.S. consumers use Venmo each month for tasks like splitting meals, sending birthday gifts and paying their portion of rent, per release details. However, traction is growing for its other payment features. Total payment volume for its Pay with Venmo feature, which allows consumers to pay in-store, online and in-app using Venmo, was up over 50% in the first quarter and monthly active cardholders of the Venmo Debit Card grew 40%. The platform's revenue saw a 20% lift year-over-year in Q1, while monthly active accounts grew 30%. Enlisting Wood and Schwarzenegger for the effort could help Venmo extend to new audiences and grow loyalty. 'The White Lotus' is currently experiencing a surge in popularity and has built one of the largest followings of any HBO series. Other digital payment platforms have emphasized their shopping solutions, including PayPal, which launched its largest-ever U.S. advertising campaign in terms of spend and scale last year with Will Ferrell to showcase how easy it is to shop using its platform and Debit Mastercard. A year prior, Apple launched a 'Pay the Apple Way' campaign promoting its Apple Pay service. To support its campaign, Venmo also revealed limited-time cash back offers for brands popular among its users. Venmo Debit Card holders can earn 15% cash back from Sephora, Walmart, Lyft, McDonald's and Walgreens. They can make purchases more easily with new features including tap-to-pay, automatic transfers and zero international transaction fees. Additionally, Venmo expanded its presence at checkout in-app and online, allowing consumers to pay using Venmo at brands including Instacart, Domino's, Uber and TikTok Shop. Recommended Reading PayPal takes Will Ferrell 'Everywhere' for largest-ever US ad campaign Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How Dove's first creator-led campaign paves way forward for Unilever
This story was originally published on Marketing Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Marketing Dive newsletter. Just days after becoming CEO of Unilever in March, Fernando Fernandez made waves by discussing plans to move to a social-first advertising strategy, shifting 50% of ad spend to the channel and looking to work with 20 times as many influencers. Even as social media remains one of the fastest growing marketing channels across the industry this year, it was a bold statement. 'There are 19,000 zip codes in India. There are 5,764 municipalities in Brazil. I want one influencer in each of them,' Fernandez said in a fireside chat with Barclays analyst Warren Ackerman. 'This is one of the things I will drive like hell in the company in the next few years.' Dove, Unilever's largest brand, was one of the first at the CPG giant to utilize influencer and creator marketing. For the brand's leadership, Fernandez's statement was 'music to our ears,' said Marcela Melero, chief growth officer for Dove Personal Care North America and Dove Masterbrand. 'It's reinforcing the path we're already going to,' Melero said. 'It's all about doubling down on efforts that we were already doing before.' While Dove is an early focus of Unilever's big social media push, it is expected to extend to the company's other brands. The expansive approach to social media is evident with Dove's #ShareTheFirst effort, the brand's first campaign made entirely from creator content without studios or added production. Developed with Edelman, #ShareTheFirst has scaled to 13 markets since launch, features content from global creators and sees the brand shifting from a broadcaster model to a many-to-many one. 'It's really our way of being closer [to] and deeper with the communities that we serve,' Melero said. For more than two decades, Dove's 'Real Beauty' platform has looked to build self-confidence in women of all ages. Its evolving efforts have always been based in research, and #ShareTheFirst is no different. The brand found that nine in 10 women take up to 50 photos before posting one, and that six out of 10 don't post their happy moments on social media because they're not happy with their photos. 'Especially as a woman, it's very easy to take multiple photos, feel slightly self-conscious about your body — whatever that might be — and not share it,' said Sarah Potter, global Dove PR and social influencer director. 'How can we bring that joy back to capturing those real, spontaneous moments?' Dove has worked to utilize creators as connectors to communities rather than just a media channel. #ShareTheFirst goes further: After conversations with Edelman, Dove decided to move from using creators as effort extenders to the be-all-end-all of campaign creation — a first for the brand. 'Basically, everything from the direction of how we were going to do it, the tone of voice, the execution, the content — everything came from creators. There was no [pre-production meeting], there was no production, each creator has their own stories… so what you get is so much more rich and valuable,' said Melero. Dove began testing the campaign concept with U.K.-based creator Lucy Reeves before expanding to more than 100 influencers. The campaign includes an out-of-home takeover at London's Liverpool Street station that uses 64 digital screens to mimic a scrolling camera roll. The creator-led approach allowed the campaign to go from brief to live within 48 hours in some markets, enabling the brand to keep up with the speed and specificity of social media. 'If you give three creators the same brief, you're not going to get back the same content,' Potter said. 'They know what works for their community, they know what works for their followers.' Dove has worked with some of its community of creators since 2017, so #ShareTheFirst worked as a natural extension of previous efforts and relied on years of built-in trust between brand and creator. 'We've moved beyond just working with creators as the amplifiers of the story. They're really co-creating with us,' Potter said. 'They've been part of our community for the long term. We're not looking at contracting someone within 24 hours to suddenly post about the brand.' Dove's existing relationships allow the brand to find creators that are aligned with its values that have been established with platforms like 'No Digital Distortion' and pledges like its announcement last year that it would not use artificial intelligence to represent women in its advertising and communications. 'It's the creators that tell us, 'You need to do something with this,'' Melero said, citing a 2023 effort against a trending filter as an example. 'That's how these relationships are being built.' With 'Real Beauty,' Dove has worked to make beauty a source of happiness — not anxiety — for women everywhere. That mantra remains the same, even as the platform evolves to be relevant and connected to cultural conversations. But despite an industry-wide retreat on purpose-driven marketing — and, in Unilever's case, activist investor actions — that is not happening at Dove. 'Purpose is the secret sauce of Dove, and purpose has been at the center of the growth trajectory of this brand,' Melero said. 'This is not being questioned at all: We stay true to our north star… It's not a question, and we are very committed to it.' Recommended Reading Dove CMO who built brand's purpose marketing bona fides departs
