Here’s a look at the marketing and advertising articles we’re sharing internally this week.


Now Is A Good Time To Take Care Of Ourselves

Harvard Business Review

Stressful, unsustainable circumstances due to women taking on “invisible tasks” at work and at home have made it hard for many to stay focused and optimistic.

Why it matters: Well-being expert Mandy O’Neill explains that resource-rich companies see less burnout among employees due to offering financial and psychological benefits such as personal time and autonomy. Whereas at organizations that are poor in resources, burnout is high.


Walmart, Verizon Media Cater Shoppable Holiday Content To An Unusual Season

Marketing Dive

Walmart and Verizon Media’s new holiday campaign, “30 Days of Savings,” gives consumers early access to discounts on electronics, toys and other products through shoppable articles across Verizon Media properties, including HuffPost, Yahoo, TechCrunch, Engadget, In The Know and RYOT Studios.

Why it matters: Brands like Buzzfeed, Lego and Hasbro have also tested shoppable content to meet consumers this holiday season as they increasingly shop online due to safety concerns around COVID-19.


Chobani Raises Minimum Wage To $15 And Challenges All The Companies Who Benefited Due To Covid To Do The Same

Forbes

Chobani’s starting hourly wage will increase to at least $15 an hour, more than double the federal minimum wage, setting the hourly rate at the company’s manufacturing plants in South Edmeston, New York and Idaho at $19 an hour. About 70 percent of the company’s employees are paid hourly.

Why it matters: Some food and beverage brands like Chobani made record profits during the pandemic. Now, Chobani is challenging those brands to put people over profits.


Two-Thirds of FMCG Brands Maintained Or Increased Their Influencer Spend During COVID-19

ION

A new report from Duff & Phelps and Kroll found that  22 percent of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies spend between $1.1 million and $5 million on influencers.

Why it matters: By 2021, 46 percent of FMCG companies expect to spend 31-50 percent of their total marketing budget on influencers.


The Brands Americans Feel Most Intimately Connected To During COVID-19

Marketing Profs

According to MBLM’s Brand Intimacy COVID Study, US consumers feel most intimately connected to Apple, followed by Amazon, Google, Walmart, YouTube and Toyota.

Why it matters: MBLM found that top intimate brands continue to financially outperform the leading brands in the Fortune 500 and S&P 500 indices across revenue growth, profit growth and stock price during Q2 of 2020.


Beyoncé Inks Multiyear Peloton Deal As Fitness Marketer Looks To Keep Up Momentum

Marketing Dive

Peloton has partnered with Beyonce to create digital workouts around homecoming for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that have pivoted virtual due to the pandemic. In addition, students at 10 HBCUs will be given a free two-year membership to Peloton Digital accessible through the app.

Why it matters: The “pro-social initiative” follows a five-point agenda that Peloton CEO John Foley announced around tackling inequity in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. In Q1, the company reported a 232 percent year-on-year surge in sales.


How 2020 Is Reshaping Social Media

ExchangeWire

According to Deolu Deborah King, vice president head of paid social, EMEA at Essence, brands must reassess how they reach out to consumers, especially on social media, as consumers increasingly see brands as a reflection of their own values and identities.

Why it matters: During times of socio-cultural crisis, brands must evaluate the role of the platform, determine whether it’s appropriate for them to act at all and instead of solely blasting sales messages, amplify the full brand identity.