Marketing News Roundup: July 13, 2022

Today we feature a round-up of some big events and recent industry happenings.

• adidas Moves Into the Virtual World
• Twitter Canada Introduces Unmentioning Feature
• Demand Spring Appoints Matt Roberts as Chief Executive Officer
• Global Talent Management Agency, double shot, Achieves 300% Business Growth YOY

Read more below!

Adidas Moves Into the Virtual World

adidas, one of the physical world’s most notable sports apparel brands, has launched its newest campaign targeting GenZs, OZWORLD. In addition to digital, social and search, the multifaceted campaign features notable components – including: adidas’ bespoke gaming activation with Enthusiast Gaming, which integrates the brand into a custom built Fortnite map; its first foray into Snapchat’s advanced features: Snap Codes and custom filters; and a 3D Holographic out of home activation.

“Today’s Gen Zs wants to express themselves digitally, and this campaign allows them to do so in a seamless omnichannel way. However, none of this would be possible without the collaboration of forward-thinking brands, such as adidas,” says Rui Vieira, SVP Business Director at MediaCom Canada. “As always, this campaign was an incredible, interesting experience to work through, and the product is something we can all be proud of: an innovative, authentic way to introduce Canadians to adidas in the virtual space.”

The overall campaign aims to blur the lines between the digital and physical world – creating an immersive experience including:

• Snapchat Snap Codes, which drive to adidas’ virtual world – allowing consumers to design avatars and interact with the brand on a personal level;
• Snapchat filters, integrating the virtual experiences into the physical world, and allowing users to sample shoes digitally;
• adidas x Fortnite activation – complete with creator and influencer relations – allowing players to game on a custom-built map. Which, to date, has over 300,000 plays, while achieving a return rate of 25%; and a
• 3D Holographic OOH installation in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, also driving to adidas’ virtual world through QR codes.

The global campaign was built in partnership with Enthusiast Gaming for the Fortnite elements, MediaCom for all paid media, and Hill+Knowlton for PR.

Twitter Canada Introduces Unmentioning Feature

Sometimes you want to see yourself out.

Take control of your mentions and leave a conversation with Unmentioning, now rolling out to everyone on all devices.

This new feature will allow any account on Twitter to remove themselves from any conversation. This will be available to all users on all devices (both web & mobile) across Canada. The feature is available to use as of July 11, 2022.

Demand Spring Appoints Matt Roberts as Chief Executive Officer

Revenue Marketing consultancy Demand Spring today announced that Matt Roberts has taken on the role of CEO effective July 1, 2022. Company founder and president Mark Emond will be stepping into the role of Executive Chair.

Matt has 20 years of experience in digital marketing as it relates to strategy and marketing technology. Since joining Demand Spring in 2019, Matt has led revenue marketing transformations at many established B2B brands, helping them maximize their contributions to pipeline and revenue. Prior to joining Demand Spring, Matt was the Vice President of Marketing at Forrester, and held leadership roles at Staples and Schneider Electric.

“It’s an honor to take on the role of CEO at Demand Spring, particularly at such an exciting time in the company’s evolution,” said Matt Roberts. “Now more than ever, there is an opportunity for marketers to lead and drive growth in their organizations. Over the last four years, I have seen first-hand the impact Demand Spring has had on advancing the strategic posture of marketing within B2B organizations, a mission I will continue to drive forward in my new role. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Mark, the board of advisors, and the incredible Demand Spring team to lead the company through its next phase of growth and execute on our mission to help marketers stand taller.”

“I am thrilled that Matt has taken on the role of CEO at Demand Spring - he is an exceptional leader, as well as one of the top revenue marketing experts in the world,” said Demand Spring Founder Mark Emond. “And after 10 years I am really looking forward to diving into my new role as Executive Chair, where I can continue to help drive the industry forward as a thought leader and advisor.”

Demand Spring has celebrated a number of significant milestones this year, including marking the 10th anniversary of the organization, and the first anniversary of Leap Advisory. The company has expanded and enhanced the leadership team, most recently bringing on Carlos Hidalgo as CRO.

Global Talent Management Agency, double shot, Achieves 300% Business Growth YOY

What began with a specific and daring mission to inject greater representation into lifestyle marking has developed into an industry-leading force for change.

Canada’s premier global talent management agency, double shot, is celebrating a banner start to its second year, bolstered by an expanded talent roster and a staggering 300% business growth YOY — including a 204% increase in lifestyle campaigns. Double shot’s raison d'être of connecting BIPOC and LGBTQ+ content creators with forward-looking brands is resonating with some of the world’s top companies and proving the business case for this budding new agency.

Since January, double shot has teamed up with marquee brands representing a range of key marketing verticals, including fashion (Wonderbra, Old Navy, Retimans, Thyme Maternity); food & beverage (Dempster, Stoli Vodka, The Chopped Leaf); beauty (Keys Soulcare, Benefit, Organika); and department retail (The Bay, Walmart, Toys “R” Us). In each case, double shot has equipped its brands with out-of-the-box content creation aimed at diversifying and enriching their digital campaigns.

In addition to securing new business on the brand side, double shot has a solid roster of 13 BIPOC and LGBTQ+ content creators representing a spectrum of ages, orientations and ethnicities. The newest additions to the roster are Nneka Elliot (@nnekaelliott) the Trend Family (@Trendfamily), Manal Ranjha (@Manal) and Leché Hope (@Lechehope).

“The growth we’ve experienced over the last few months speaks volumes about our mission to uplift underrepresented voices in lifestyle marketing,” says Priya Chopra, Founder and President of double shot. “Brands are clearly prioritizing the need for greater diversity and cultural authenticity in their campaigns and we feel a deep sense of pride in helping them achieve that. It’s meaningful to know that little by little, we’re working to create a digital world that’s more reflective of our actual world.”

Guiding double shot into this bold new era is Director of Talent and Partnerships, Peggy Vrettis. Peggy brings 15 years of PR experience into the role, including over six years of devising and executing influencer campaigns on the brand side. She joined double shot from its partner agency, 1Milk2Sugars, to affect institutional change by ensuring diversity and representation become the new pillars of successful brand building. As the key point of contact for double shot’s talent and brands, Peggy is responsible for leading programs that challenge the status quo and champion equal opportunities for all content creators.

Compiled by Emma Whiten, Editor of Marketing News Canada