Marketing Minute — October 2024
October felt like a microcosm of 2024. From AI and regulation, to women’s basketball making a splash and short-form content driving conversation. As you’re loading up on candy, or trying to keep your kids from doing so, check out the October Marketing Minute.
Shadowbans
October is spooky season—the perfect time to discuss social media shadowbans. To confirm ‘shadowbanning’ – or ‘algorithmic suppression’ – does exist and is used by social media platforms to limit the visibility of certain content without user awareness. For example, in March, Meta began limiting the visibility of politics on Instagram and Threads. Understanding the ins and outs of how shadowbanning works is important for marketers; they can significantly disrupt digital marketing strategies by reducing visibility, decreasing engagement or skewing analytics. Be aware of the changes being made to each platform’s algorithm and strategize accordingly.
Lady Liberty and the WNBA
We’ve been talking to you all year about the explosion in women’s sports – and the opportunities for marketers. While we generally avoid highlighting anything centered in the Big Apple, we loved the quick turn by Nike last week following the New York Liberty winning its first WNBA title when it quickly posted this video on social media, which generated more than 1.2 million views and 23k likes on X alone. Quick, smart, timely short-form content will continue to have an immense and immediate impact.
Hey Angel
On the other side of the coin … Victoria’s Secret returned with its once-heralded Fashion Show to rather mixed reviews. The show was originally canceled in 2018 amid company controversy, the “Me Too” movement, and a steady decline in viewership. The show was reimagined, signaled by the glaringly absent “fantasy” theme, the clear play on nostalgia (hello Tyra Banks), and the expanded model roster in an attempt to be more inclusive. This year’s show saw peak viewership at 12.1 million, prompting some media to refer to it as a “triumphant return.” Others felt differently, calling the show “a lot of lip service and little action,” or telling VS to “read the room.”
Our POV? Forbes got it right; playing catch-up isn’t enough—you must lead. The company is looking to repair its brand image, but it will take more than a fashion show to do it.
Legal Wins and Losses for AI
Two eye-catching headlines in October. 1) California Gov. Newsom vetoed a controversial AI intelligence safety bill. State government representatives and big tech companies in California have been at odds over this bill for months, as it would have enacted some of the first legislation on AI in the U.S. This is a key example of how differing opinions and approaches will shape the conversation around AI moving forward. 2) Tesla and Warner Bros. Discovery are under fire for copyright infringement. A production company for “Blade Runner 2049” is suing the companies for allegedly feeding images from the movie into an artificial intelligence image generator to create unlicensed promotional materials for its robotaxi. AI remains the Wild West with industry reps and lawmakers scrambling to address the regulatory issues created as a result.
Chicken Shop Date
You’ve likely heard of Chicken Shop Date, the popular video series by Amelia Dimoldenberg, where she interviews celebrities in a London chicken shop in a date-like setting. A recent episode with Andrew Garfield became a cultural moment, drawing coverage from outlets like CNN and Mashable and sparking playful calls for the pair to date in real life. Beyond the fun premise, Chicken Shop Date stands out for its originality and humor, which has reshaped online content and earned Amelia a spot on TIME’s 2024 Next 100 list. In an oversaturated digital world, creating something unique and interesting will cultivate an engaged, dedicated audience.
See you next month!
