Right About Now with Ryan Alford - Weekly News Update: Dunkin Donuts Paint Collaboration with Backdrop; Google Ecommerce Strategy; Walgreens Ad Tech Strategy; Truly Seltzer and Dua Lipa

Episode Date: May 21, 2021

Welcome to this week’s episode on The Radcast! In this week’s news episode, host Ryan Alford and Reiley Clark dissect a few of the week's top marketing headlines.Here are the week's topics:1. Dunkin Donuts paint collaboration with Backdrop2. Google e-commerce strategy3. Walgreens ad tech strategy - leveraging TV and membership shares to boost branding impressions4. Truly Seltzer campaign with and Dua Lipa: 'No One is Just One Flavor' If you enjoyed this episode of The Radcast, let us know by visiting our website www.theradcast.com or leave us a review on Apple Podcast. Be sure to keep up with all that’s radical from @ryanalford @radical_results @the.rad.cast In this episode, we also sadly say good-bye to The Radcast's producer, Reiley Clark. We are, however, excited for her as she continues in her journey! You can keep up with her on LinkedIn or follow her on Instagram: @roseyrei_ If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, join Ryan’s newsletter https://ryanalford.com/newsletter/ to get Ferrari level advice daily for FREE.  Learn how to build a 7 figure business from your personal brand by signing up for a FREE introduction to personal branding https://ryanalford.com/personalbranding.  Learn more by visiting our website at www.ryanisright.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel  www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford. 

you're listening to the latest radcast news update here's ryan and riley hey guys what's up welcome to the latest edition of the radcast it's our marketing and advertising weekly news segment on friday may 21st 2021 wherever. Wherever, however, whenever you are, we wish you a good day. I'm joined, as always, by my lovely co-host, Riley Clark. Hello, hello. Good to have you.

Yes, good to be here. It's a sad day on the Radcast, we must admit. We're just going to go right at it. Yeah. Going to put you right on it. Riley's leaving us for greener pastures. She's different pastures. We won't call them Greener.

I was going to say, yeah, that's a terrible way of saying it. But it's just going to be different. Different experience, but I'm excited. Yeah. So today's Riley's last news segment. We said, we were talking pre-episode. I was like, it's your last episode. She's like, I can come on?

I'm like, yeah, we'll have her on. We'll do some guest segments. Yeah. We'll bring her on as the uh celebrity uh news guest yes yes I mean that's the thing like this has been such a fun experience for all of us and you know obviously we get to build a lot of the good conversations because of the listeners and so it's just very appreciative of the listeners and everything like that. And I mean, you all have like seriously had our podcast take off. Like, I mean, it's like exploded. So it's just cool and thankful to have been a part of it. And yeah, I'll be back.

Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. We'll give that one a bell. Yes. Good. Good. Good.

Good bell. Good bell. That's good. No, but we've we've really appreciated riley's done a lot she's been the hostess with the mostest and the producer with the i've got no rhyming word but no you've been great and uh we're very appreciative we're and we know you'll do wonders and yeah do us a favor and you know be a guest every now and then absolutely well we'll log in we might

fumble around in it so we don't have you here helping us like daniel and i will be uh you know fumbling through it but uh i know daniel's gonna be taking over a lot of this stuff which will be super cool and then josh will be doing new segments with you josh and and a round table of guests we'll probably get a lot of people from the agency just to get different perspectives but guests. We'll probably get a lot of people from the agency just to get different perspectives, but Josh Hill, our digital media manager here at Radical will assist

as we try to carry the torch and carry things on. Things have been good around the agency otherwise. Implementing a lot of new things and helping clients fight the good fight for making radical

content and pushing the envelope with all the work we're doing. So it's been good there. And we're getting into summertime, supposed to be the 90s around here. We're getting into that summer heat. I'm starting to feel it. Yes. I'm excited about that. Actually, we do have some other news to talk about too. So one of a really good friend of yours, Marvin Yvette, he is a country music artist and he just released a music video today that we basically produced and edited, directed the whole shebang for. and um essentially it was radical but it was actually me you and nick this is what i love about this it's like it's like you're gonna watch the video and think like this full-on production crew did this when in reality it was the three of us and it was an all-day shoot i mean we have uh thousands and hundreds of thousands of equipment here we shoot content all the time but we had a three day one three man and woman uh shoot and one day at the lake for marvin and boat drunk it's gonna be what we hope is the breakout summer hit at

least in it you know who cares how big but we think it has the the legs we might be a little i think it does like you know we might yeah we might be a little biased, but this is a song that you're going to want even if you're near a pool or whatever, you're just going to want a, not to plug Truly Too Soon, but you're going to want it truly in your hand. You're going to want to be playing this song and you're just going to want to be vibing with

your friends. And I think this is going to really take that home, especially with the year that everyone's been having with COVID. I think this is a much needed fun song. Yeah, it's a fun song. And I mean, it's a cross between, you know, we say Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffett, Zach Brown Band. It has some of those vibes of all those things and laid back.

You know, we're in this era of overproduced and over serious songs. I think it can cut through with being a little more lighthearted and feels like the right time and right place. And Marvin's got that deep baritone and I think people are going to enjoy it. And I know it's already, we released the music video yesterday. I think it's got like 5,000 views already on Facebook. Yeah.

It's, it's like popping off without any paid media behind it. Yeah, exactly. So it's, it's going to be super000 views already on Facebook. Yeah, it's like popping off. Yeah, without any paid media behind it yet. Yeah, exactly. So it's going to be super exciting. So yeah, so all of the music platforms, you can search for Marvin Yvette, that's E-V-A-T-T, and Boat Drunk. And his newest album is Soul of a Pirate.

So give that a listen, and I think you'll enjoy it for some great country tunes. But we'll get right to the news. Here's Riley. Here is the Radcast News. All right. Our news update, my last news update to give for the week. We have some really fun topics, and our first one that I love for a lot of reasons, because I'm just a big Dunkin Donuts person. We all know this, but Dunkin Donuts is in collaboration with Backdrop, which is a paint.

I don't know if they're like a distribution or how they're if they're like a what am I thinking of a Sherman Williams or something like that, but essentially like this company Backdrop and Dunkin Donuts are collaborating for Dunkin's color palette to be in paint. Like this is so much fun. This is so cool. I love this concept. And it just it makes me want to get out like it makes me want to go and buy it online because you can only buy it through backdrop.

It's through their e-commerce store, which I'm sure you're going to want to talk about as well. And it's thirty nine dollars a can. So super cool. Hallelujah. So we're not going to be able to do this with a straight face we said this before and we're adding we're adding to all kinds of dynamics so you just be ready for old school 30 years ago talk radio and i just love it hallelujah and so anyway look who doesn't like some icing colored paints?

I mean, you know, like who? I mean, this harkens back to my days living in New York when I was first like there was Dunkin Donuts. They've been around forever, but on every corner in New York City. And so I get my I didn't realize I guess I knew they weren't healthy, but I got on this kick eating or drinking. It was more like eating because of the calorie count, but large Dunkin' Donuts, extra, extra. Oh, there's nothing better on a cold New York day than an extra, extra Dunkin' Donuts coffee. You know, Starbucks, eat your heart out. I like me some Dunkin' Donuts coffee. And nothing better.

That and, hey, a little strawberry ice donut. Are you kidding? Pink strawberry icing. And now I can get it as a paint color? Are you kidding me? That's what I'm saying. I mean, this has got dings and bells and everything written all over it. I will say this.

What's interesting, this, from a brand play is you kind of get permission as a brand. When you have a lighthearted brand, you're selling donuts and you're doing things, you kind of get permission. This is no different than let's say, hey, BMW, if you wanted to come out with some headphones, BMW could come out with some really cool headphones. Because you think of the ultimate driving experience. You think of all those things. For Duncan, this makes sense. You got all these beautiful colors of your donuts. You've got all the brand is thought of as colorful. You have, you think of a million flavors of donuts. So, hey, let's make some paint the color of this.

I think this is cool. I think it's fun. I have no idea if it will sell a million, but something tells me it will do well. I think so, too. Especially for the right places. And, you know, there's just a vibrancy to their colors and the sprinkles and all. It's just a lot of fun. I think brands that venture into places that make sense, this makes sense to me, at least in my brain, I connected the dots to it. No, it does for me, too.

And I think the other thing is, is my imagining this brand play was for more of their millennial target Gen Z audience as well. That's kind of getting into this DIY space. That's also approaching this maximalism culture that I think is being seen a lot through interior design spaces and things like that. like interior design spaces and things like that. And these kinds of colors are not, um, simple. Like they are bold colors. They are here for high energy.

And so I think this is bringing into play all the things that are happening culturally and just from, you know, an interior design, trending style kind of stuff. And I think this hits for a lot of, a lot of the, the funness that is coming

from, uh, you know, COVID and everything else really. It's changed a lot. So that's, that's how I feel about it. I agree. I'm, I'm on the same page. Yes. Um, so that is, that is our first topic. Our next topic is big. So we all know, actually, let's just go this way. If you needed something, you know, to buy online, for me, my first place has always been Amazon. Do you feel like that's fair for you too? Oh yeah, for sure. Especially in the last, I don't know, 10 years, eight years or my times as an old man, I turned

44 this week. So, uh, I know you did it. We had a birthday this week too. Oh my gosh. I know. I know. That's a birthday this week, too. Oh, my God. I know. I know. That's to be part of the news. Forty four.

Round. Yes. Round. Yeah. Yes. Yes. Thank you. Thank you.

Amen. Yeah. It's a round number. But my time starts running together. I'm like, have I been using Amazon for 12 years or seven years? What does it look like? I don't know. But yes, absolutely. I been using Amazon for 12 years or seven years? What does it look like? I don't know. But yes, absolutely.

I think of Amazon first. Well, because the thing is, I guess Google has started to maybe notice this. So essentially, Google is trying to completely change that dynamic. They are wanting to establish themselves as the bigger e-commerce giant. And so they're essentially changing. My understanding from this article is that they're changing their strategy to become the e-commerce giant. And so they're essentially changing, my understanding from this article, is that they're changing their strategy to become the e-commerce hub. Yes. And so here's the deal. Google owns 75%. The percentage has changed daily of overall searches,

searching for anything. Amazon's become the location for shopping and shopping for product searches. And Google doesn't like that. Why would they like it? They want to dominate the world. But in all seriousness, so to pull that back, they have all this data, all these searches happening. So they're making e-commerce what they say is more interesting, which I support because parts of e-commerce are very boring and very stale. And I think it lacks a level of dynamics that there's a lot of ways to go. There's a long room to go. It still only accounts for 15% of all sales, even with COVID. So a lot of bandwidth here

to improve the experience. But Google's using the power of all this data, aggregating all of the products that are sold, and they can bring this together because they have the power, again, they get 75% of all searches, they have the power to aggregate across the entire internet, whereas Amazon only has the products that they sell and their third-party distributors.

So Google is making a play through their shopping tab. So if you've noticed this, if you've paid attention at all, you've probably seen this. You Google a product, you'll see that shopping tab at the top is playing a lot more a priority in your viewing search than before. And so you're seeing this product for sale, but they're going to take it to another level with giving you more specifics across all the places for sale, the average cost, the total, the aggregation of the reviews. So they're really improving this and making it more dynamic visually from a UI perspective. And they have all the data in the world from across the entire internet. And so you're going to see this battle play out for sure.

It may not feel like a battle for everyday consumers, but it's happening behind the scenes. And Google is just not going to go down lightly with letting Amazon take over search volume because that is the crux of their business, all of the ads that they run. And you're just going to see a lot of different plays as it relates to e-commerce. The way you shop, the way that light products are put together, I call it the discovery process.

You know, search is really a discovery, right? But it's really self-discovery. But you're going to start to see more aggregated and curated discovery put together for you as e-commerce goes. So more to come on that. Absolutely. And I think what we'll be seeing, and I think this kind of even goes into our next topic too, as far as like some more ad tech kind of stuff, but Walgreens is kind of moving into a different kind of realm as well. And essentially, I don't necessarily know how much of it's necessarily related, but I think

what we are seeing a lot of is brands just trying to evolve in the digital space for what they feel like might work for their brand specifically. And I think with Walgreens, they're trying to move into the share. So this is our next topic, by the way, for the lack of transition there. But essentially, Walgreens is trying to boost their impressions by advancing like TV shares. And so it's like advanced TV, but they're increasing their shares and people able you're going to be able to speak a little bit better on this. But essentially, like the goal, overall goal is to boost impressions it is because and i'll even back up for a minute because and this isn't the new news part of it but in december walgreens launched their own ad platform where you know because again backing up again, they have 100 million people in their loyalty program.

A lot of data there. You know what those 100 million people are buying. You have their emails, their phone numbers. You have all this data. Probably making everyone creep out for a second and thinking about how much data we give away. But just know that we give a lot away of data. First party data is very powerful, especially with cookies going away and different things. First party day is very powerful, especially with cookies going away and different things.

So they built their own ad platform where they aggregated places where they have in store, like they have their own networks with the email app website. So they have those, but they also layered into where you could use that data on other platforms, other ad buying platforms, Facebook, Pinterest, all of those things. They're now venturing into connected TV, like Riley mentioned, getting more impressions and expanding the reach of that data through connected TV and other places. What does that mean? That means, for example, I'm a media planner and I want to buy media and I'm selling a product that someone that also buys regularly face cream. It's a female or male shopper that buys a lot of face cream, a lot of a certain brand of X, Y, or Z.

And I can pull that audience of people that buy that. Let's say I sell something that would be very relevant to that product as well, so that you're showing that group of audience a product that they're likely to want because of other behaviors they have done. And Walgreens is at the center of connecting all of that data for certain things. It makes sense for certain brands. The jury's still out for how well those things correlate. It should, in theory. Behavioral targeting is certainly something we do and we believe in. But the power of that data, the power of that first-party data, knowing how the correlation goes, because some of these loyalty programs people sign up for, and you don't know how the correlation goes, because some of these loyalty programs

people sign up for and you don't know how invested they are, how likely they shop. But at the same time, if they're showing behaviors and you've got real time shopping metrics, in theory, that correlation should be just as good as anything else. So we'll see. But they've layered on this connected TV and more video to their ad buying platforms and where you can utilize their data. And so, again, this is back to, look, you have these behemoth companies, Walgreens, Walmart, Amazon, and they're sitting on this pile of data.

And it's a way for them to monetize. They're selling products. They get squeezed on margins and all those things. And the power of data is real. And this is another way for them to leverage it but it'll be interesting to see how good it works no absolutely so there you have it well i should say how well it works yeah yeah but uh i think brands what kind of brands do you see like benefiting from this well if you're selling, think about what, I'll say this without just focusing on it.

You can find what are the top 20 products that are sold at Walgreens. That data is out there, you know, whatever they are, most frequently bought products. If you sell something related to one of those top 20 most frequently bought products, you probably want to target that audience with yours. And so if you're a brand that's one of those. And so what's probably those things? I could probably make guess what most of them are. Yeah. Toilet paper, shampoo, probably pain medicine, prescription drugs.

Over the counter. medicine, prescription drugs over the counter. You know, someone's take, Hey, I don't know this for certain, but I bet you their prescription drugs are part of their loyalty programs. If I'm on a statin, a heart medication, I bet you there's some behaviors that show that I'm probably interested in some other things related to that too. Like, uh, obesity or weight loss or like things like for something that might signal they're overweight. Again, correlate from there. And so again, having that data is powerful because you have shopping dynamics that show your prevalence to something, which means you probably fall in a certain category with which you can then target around. Totally. Makes total sense. I love it.

We'll see what happens. I'm a Walgreens person, so this is going to be cool. All right. You're going to take all my data, but I get it. Our last topic for today, and I think this one is so fun and just very felt very fitting for Truly as a brand. So Truly has a new campaign um entitled no one is just one flavor and i like this yeah yeah exactly so you know and i guess that's the thing like

sometimes like even if you take this on a really like you know whatever kind of lens like even day to day styles can change like sometimes you know you feel like you're in tech wear for me. Sometimes you feel like you're, you know, sporty, whatever, you know, it just kind of depends. But I think this kind of goes to that notion of you just grab what you want, what you're in the mood for, because they have a plethora of flavors to choose from that you're not going to be complaining about like any of them. But they have in collaboration for this, they have this video that's out with Dua Lipa. I always say her name wrong. So I apologize if I totally just butchered that again.

I think that's it. OK, well, she she's become a huge phenomenon. And that's just awesome because, you know, all the props to her and her brand and what she's been doing with her music. But the video is super cool. You haven't got a chance to look at it definitely do that otherwise it'll be in the episode um but yeah super cool love the concept love the collaboration a lot of layers to this i mean celebrity endorsement meets product advancement

meets you know brand growth and shit let's throw in some influencer market a lot of layers to this and uh i don't know the numbers were pretty staggering what they were paying for all this and uh i you know like they must be selling a hell of a lots of some seltzer is what i gotta say like i will say like how the sidebar how many different fucking seltzers can you have in one store? Like it's taking, like I have a, I'm an ultra guy. Mocalo ultra is like the beer of choice,

especially trying to keep my girlish figure lakeside. But like, it's, it's like I go into the store though. And it's like 5,000, you know, like, yeah,

there's no one flavor, but how do you even make a choice? 5,432 flavors of, uh, of, uh, seltzer. That's what I'm saying. Like there are so many. Are you a seltzer fan? Yes. I'm a huge seltzer person because I have a, I don't know.

I don't know if it's just like college, whatever, but beer is just hard to just like, you know. So this is you and beer. Yeah. Yeah, pretty much. You know, but I think I think truly like truly a white claw. I've been leaning more towards truly lately, actually, than white claw. I still think Corona lime seltzer is the best lime seltzer in the game. You know, I understand that's probably a polarizing opinion, but I'm OK with that. I still think Corona lime seltzer is the best lime seltzer in the game. Um,

you know, I understand that's a probably a polarizing opinion, but I'm okay with that. I will die on that Hill. Corona seltzers, Corona lime seltzers, I think are better than Bud Light lime or Bud Light orange, Bud Light orange.

Like I think I put on 10 pounds of the leg last time on Bud Light orange. Yeah. It's not a seltzer, but man, it's tasty. Yeah. I haven't had seltzer, but man, it's tasty. Yeah. I haven't had that. Cold Bud Light Orange.

I might have one of those this weekend. But truly, when actually, speaking of Marvin's video, when we filmed Marvin's video and we had to have everyone, you know, have, you know, beverages, we did get some Trulies.

And that peach one is so good. Oh, yeah. Peach tea. Do you remember that peach tea one? Yes. Tea, wasn't it? Tea. I mean, that's what I'm saying. Yeah, me too. Do you remember that peach tea one? Yes. Tea, wasn't it? Tea.

Lemonades. Exactly. I also just like I'm going to have one. I can't do the non-sweet stuff. I got to have a little bit of like stevia, whatever the hell those, you know, artificials. I think that's supposed to be natural, but I don't believe

any of this is natural. I do think that you know, artificials. I think that's supposed to be natural, but I don't believe any of this is natural. But, you know, but I do think that, you know, it's a hell. How many millions was it? Like a hundred million dollars on this campaign or something. I don't know. It was a number that was. But truly, these guys and White Claw and everything else, you know, it's like seltzer. It's the year of the seltzer, I think.

Oh, yeah. It's going gonna be a good summer that's all i'm saying no just kidding yes oh yes yeah for sure oh yeah um any other news i think that's it for us but well we really appreciate riley she's been wonderful on the show and uh we'll put all the ways to stay in contact with her and really appreciate everything you've done. Yeah, yeah, same. It's been awesome. Cool, guys.

Well, you know where to find us. We're at theradcast.com, at the.rad.cast on Instagram. I'm at Ryan Alford on all the platforms. We'll see you next time on The Radcast. Yo, guys, what's up? Ryan Alford here. Thanks so much for listening. Really appreciate it.

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