Chili's Creates A Nostalgic Marketing Moment to Reach Millennial Customers Welcome to HubSpot Marketing News! Tap in for campaign deep dives, the latest marketing industry news, and tried-and-true insights from HubSpot’s media team. Chili’s is back with a new commercial, this time served up with a side of nostalgia. The brand’s infamous “I want my baby back ribs” commercials of the Y2K era were classics (the *NSYNC commercial in particular lives rent-free in my head). Now, the restaurant chain is reminiscing on that time period in its latest commercial starring singer Brian McKnight. The ad depicts a waiter named Brian who closely resembles McKnight (but insists he isn’t) serenading his customers to the tune of the singer’s 1999 hit “Back At One.” Spoiler alert: the waiter is indeed Brian McKnight. If the video’s comment section on YouTube is any indication, Chili’s knocked it out of the park connecting with its ideal customer. Comments on the video are overwhelmingly positive, with users commenting on how nostalgic the video was. In recent years Chili’s has zeroed in on millennials, particularly those with young families, as its target demographic. If there’s anything marketers have learned about reaching millennials, it’s that nostalgia sells. Millennials, or those born between 1981 and 1996, are a generation of people who are on top of most internet trends while still being old enough to remember the “before times” — the days before technology was at the center of...

How TikTok Is Evolving From Social Media App to Entertainment Platform Welcome to HubSpot Marketing News! Tap in for campaign deep dives, the latest marketing industry news, and tried-and-true insights from HubSpot’s media team. TikTok is one step closer to being an entertainment app. An example of this transition is its recent collaboration with Snoop Dogg. In early 2022, Snoop Dogg acquired Death Row records becoming the owner of the infamous label’s catalog of music. A few months later, he announced he was removing the catalog from major streaming platforms with the intention of re-releasing it on his own entertainment app. Though the status of his app is unclear, in 2023 Snoop Dogg decided to re-release the Death Row catalog on streaming platforms — after making it available exclusively on TikTok for a week. @snoopdogg Tha Dogg checcin in. Excited to tell y’all Death Row Records music is back for you to enjoy. Go get the songs on TikTok’s curated Death Row playlist available now 👊🏾🔥💨 #blackmusic #superbowl @musicontiktok @soundon ♬ Gin & Juice - Snoop Doggy Dogg  Getting exclusive rights to a popular music catalog (even for a short time) is a major move for TikTok, as the app distinguishes itself from other social media platforms by taking an entertainment-first approach. Prioritizing TikTok as part of a music rollout strategy can have a big payoff for...

Fabletics Expands Product Line with New Scrubs Collection Welcome to HubSpot Marketing News! Tap in for campaign deep dives, the latest marketing industry news, and tried-and-true insights from HubSpot’s media team.  Activewear subscription brand Fabletics is looking to cover a new market — clothing for medical professionals. In February, the company launched its first line of medical scrubs, which it calls “The World’s First Activewear Scrubs Collection.” The collection launched with 12 pieces for all genders, as well as the ability to customize with embroidery. In addition to creating a style quiz potential customers can take to find the items that will suit them best, Fabletics focused on a community-oriented launch. The brand pledged to donate 25,000 pairs of scrubs to medical professionals across the U.S. and has tapped company spokesperson Kevin Hart to help distribute scrubs to an organization in Philadelphia. Image Source Why did an activewear brand start making medical scrubs? The scrubs market is expected to be worth over $236 million by 2025, and Fabletics saw an opportunity to tap in. Fabletics surveyed its two million subscribers (referred to as VIP members) and discovered 15% of them wore scrubs for work each day. Realizing there was demand from its existing group of customers for scrubs, the brand got to work. During the development process, Fabletics got feedback and insights from over 6,500 professionals who wore scrubs to create the initial collection. Since Fabletics announced the launch of the line on social media, feedback has been generally positive. Social...

The Rise of Paid Verification on Social Media Welcome to HubSpot Marketing News! Tap in for campaign deep dives, the latest marketing industry news, and tried-and-true insights from HubSpot’s media team.  Having a verified account on social media was once seen as a point of notoriety or a status symbol. Now, it’s a commodity that can be purchased. Verifying social media accounts began on Twitter in 2009. Tony La Russa, then manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, filed a lawsuit against Twitter after a user created an impersonation account and shared insensitive tweets. Though the suit was eventually dropped, it led Twitter to launch its Account Verification process giving verified accounts blue check marks as a symbol of authenticity for notable businesses or public figures. The goal was to make impersonation harder to achieve. Instagram followed suit and began verifying accounts in 2014. Twitter's current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn't have a blue checkmark is bullshit. Power to the people! Blue for $8/month.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2022 In late 2022, Elon Musk announced a revamp of the Twitter Blue subscription program upping the price from $5 to $8 per month (or $11.99 per month through the app store) and offering subscribers a blue check mark among other features. Earlier this month Meta announced a similar subscription called Meta Verified, offering users on Facebook and Instagram a blue check mark, increased visibility...

What Delta's SkyMiles Program Campaign Tells Us About the Future of the Travel Industry Welcome to HubSpot Marketing News! Tap in for campaign deep dives, the latest marketing industry news, and tried-and-true insights from HubSpot’s media team. Are rewards programs keeping airlines afloat? They just might be. Delta Airlines is taking a different marketing approach in its latest video called “Grow Your World With Every Mile” highlighting its SkyMiles program. The program was initially launched as the “Delta Airlines Frequent Flyer Program” in 1981 and was renamed SkyMiles in 1995. The recent ad spot marks Delta’s first major investment in marketing the loyalty program. Why the recent focus on marketing a 42-year-old program? Unsurprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic. How Airlines Are Creating Their Own Banks Though travel demand and spending decreased due to the pandemic in 2020, Delta was able to generate cash by raising $6.5 billion through the SkyMiles program and payouts from its co-branded credit card partnership with American Express. Delta isn’t alone in using this approach — United used a similar strategy to generate cash from its loyalty program during the pandemic, and recent reports have found that some popular rewards programs are worth more than the airlines.   In late 2020, Delta created its subsidiary SkyMiles IP Ltd. which essentially serves as the company’s own “bank” that it can purchase miles from to use as financial leverage. With this move, the success of the SkyMiles program is...

Sports and Fashion Team Up for Unique Branding Opportunities Welcome to HubSpot Marketing News! Tap in for campaign deep dives, the latest marketing industry news, and tried-and-true insights from HubSpot’s media team.  The fashion industry and major sports leagues are two different industries that have countless collaboration opportunities. In 2022, major sports and fashion saw a number of intersection points beyond team merch, including: Serena Williams walking a Vogue runway shortly after announcing her retirement from tennis. Ronnie Fieg, the founder of Kith, becoming the first creative director for the New York Knicks. Nike opening World of Flight, its first Jordan concept store, in the fashion capital of Milan. These headline-grabbing events indicate that fashion and sports have a meaningful overlap for consumers. To capitalize on this, sports organizations are prioritizing partnerships with artists and fashion pros to reinvigorate the world of sportswear. Earlier this month, contemporary artists Al-Baseer Holly and Cristina Martinez created a capsule design collection merging their signature designs with NBA team logos.     ...

Snapple Invites Customers to Generate Real Facts with AI Welcome to HubSpot Marketing News! Tap in for campaign deep dives, the latest marketing industry news, and tried-and-true insights from HubSpot’s media team. The facts on Snapple bottle caps are getting an AI-powered glow-up. In a recent press release (partially written by AI) the beverage company debuted the Snapple fAIct Generator, an online tool that allows users to discover and share fun facts at the click of a button.           View this post on Instagram ...

Inside Rihanna's Super Bowl Halftime Show Marketing Engine Welcome to HubSpot Marketing News! Tap in for campaign deep dives, the latest marketing industry news, and tried-and-true insights from HubSpot’s media team. Rihanna is no stranger to good marketing. In the late 2010s, she made the transition from recording artist to billionaire mogul with the growth of her Fenty-label brands. Her portfolio of businesses includes: Fenty Beauty: a cosmetic brand that quickly gained popularity for its shade range and inclusivity. Fenty Skin: the skin and body care counterpart to Fenty Beauty. Savage X Fenty: a lingerie subscription brand that now includes lounge and activewear. Rihanna’s business ventures and music career were largely siloed — until now. Back in September, it was announced Rihanna would be headlining the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, signaling her return to music after a six-year hiatus. As kickoff approaches, we’re seeing Rihanna use her family of brands to promote the upcoming performance. The Fenty Marketing Engine This week on the Fenty Beauty social media accounts, the brand shared an ASMR football-themed video to promote the upcoming halftime show. This came a few weeks after the brand offered a collection of football-themed products in its Showstopp’r line. @fentybeauty That #FENTYGAMEFACE never fumbles! 💯🏈 Start the play with a layer of #HYDRAVIZOR to tackle any SPF worries 🌞 Then, touchdown on #PROFILTRFOUNDATION for that fresh AF, soft matte flex 💪🏿💪🏾💪🏽 #GAMEDAY is just 6 days away, so re-up...

How the Nike and Tiffany & Co. Collaboration Was Overshadowed by AI Welcome to HubSpot Marketing News! Tap in for campaign deep dives, the latest marketing industry news, and tried-and-true insights from HubSpot’s media team. On January 29, the official Instagram accounts for Nike and Tiffany & Co. teased a collaboration between the two legendary brands depicting a Nike shoe box in the classic Tiffany Blue® hue. The initial reaction on social media was optimistic, with users expressing excitement for what’s to come when the collection drops on March 7. Image Source The hero product of the collaboration is a limited-edition black suede Air Force 1 shoe with a Tiffany Blue® swoosh. In addition to the shoes, the collection includes a sterling silver cleaning brush (mistaken for a toothbrush), a co-branded shoe horn, Tiffany Blue® shoelaces with a dubrae, and a whistle. When details of the collaboration’s products went public, reactions skewed negatively. Fans of Tiffany & Co. felt the collaboration was mismatched. A comment on one of the brand’s promotional posts read, “What happened to your brand???? This is so cheap and tacky.” Image Source Meanwhile, Nike customers seemed disappointed in the shoe variation and left comments such as: “Lazy slapping of some Tiffany blue or swapping logos is now considered ‘legendary?’” “I like the box more than the shoes.” After the initial announcement, AI-generated images of what the collaboration could have looked like began circulating the internet, with some consumers feeling underwhelmed by the real product...

The Marketing Power of $17 Smoothies Welcome to HubSpot Marketing News! Tap in for campaign deep dives, the latest marketing industry news, and tried-and-true insights from HubSpot’s media team.  If you’ve spent any time on #WellnessTok then you may be familiar with the luxury grocery chain Erewhon. With eight locations across Los Angeles, the stores feature organic, niche products and have a reputation for being rather bougie.  Over the past few years, the store has turned its smoothie bar into an unlikely marketing machine for beauty, skincare, and lifestyle brands with reach extending far beyond its Los Angeles shoppers. The Tinx smoothie, named after the popular TikTok creator, debuted as an off-menu item in 2021 and was based on the custom smoothie she ordered when visiting the store. Because Tinx grew her following giving LA-based recommendations and frequently posts about her love for Erewhon, a collaboration with the chain was a natural fit.       ...