Today in Digital Marketing - How the Ukraine Invasion May Affect E-Commerce

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Starting point is 00:00:18 starting at $19 per month at zensurance.com. Be protected, be Zen. Today, Russia's aggression in Ukraine may spell more problems for the global supply chain. Can having a cute logo save your brand in the time of crisis? TikTok reveals the best hashtags to use for specific verticals. Meet the Tinder swindler of the agency world. And on the premium podcast with no ads, more stories, and extended weekend episodes, tap the link in the show notes for more, the numbers are in, and Apple's ad tracking changes are affecting more than reporting. Much more. It's Friday, February 25th. I'm Steph Gunn, filling in for Todd Maffin. Here is what you missed today in

Starting point is 00:01:02 digital marketing. The storm is not over yet for e-commerce merchants. Experts say that Russia's invasion of Ukraine this week threatens to further disrupt the already strained supply chain. In response to the escalating conflict, a growing list of companies have halted operations in the region, and FedEx and UPS have suspended service into and out of the country. According to a Gartner analysis, Russian sanctions and the Ukrainian attack could also result in key material shortages, material cost increases, production capacity impacts, demand volatility, logistics route and capacity constraints, as well as cybersecurity breaches. Additionally, critical logistics routes such as the Black Sea, rail and road networks will suffer delays and

Starting point is 00:01:50 disruptions. Analysts suggest that affected brands prepare risk response plans for fragile supply chains and diversify sources and logistics routes where possible. So you've done something stupid. You tweeted something racy from your brand's account or announced proudly that your interns will no longer be paid. And now your customers are getting mad. Too bad your logo isn't a drawing of a cute kitten, because apparently that would have helped. Todd recently spoke to Felix Septianto, a senior lecturer in marketing at the University of Queensland. He and his colleagues have published an academic paper called

Starting point is 00:02:30 Too Cute to Be Bad. Here's a short clip of their conversation. The interesting bit from our research is like we try to understand why cuteness can actually be beneficial. So I think that's the new thing because like obviously like we know that's the new thing because obviously we know that when we see something cute,

Starting point is 00:02:47 like kittens, puppies, we love them, we want to protect them. So that's been established in the prior research, basically. But what we try to understand a bit more is why we do that. And that's why essentially what we found is when we see something cute,

Starting point is 00:03:04 we think that they are still growing and learning. And that's why we what we found is when we see something cute, we think that they are still growing and learning. And that's why we want to protect them. Oh, I see. So it instills sort of a feeling of nurturing in consumers. Yes, but I think it's beyond when you mentioned the word feeling. So most research, they show that when we see something cute, we want to protect because we want to nurture them. It's kind of like feelings. But what we want to show as well is more than just feeling, there's also cognitive aspect. And that's why like, we perceive them as still growing, they still have a chance, they're still learning, they're still changing. And that's why we want to

Starting point is 00:03:40 protect them. So I guess this is like additional cognitive aspect that has not been explored before. The full conversation between Dr. Septianto and Todd covers the difference between brand cuteness and brand whimsicality, what the risks of using a cute logo are, whether having an ugly logo can hurt your brand in a crisis, how long this effect lasts, and much more. The full interview is coming exclusively to the premium feed tomorrow. Don't forget, the premium feed has exclusive deep dive weekend episodes like that, plus no ads and more stories in the daily show. Tap the link in the show notes to learn more or go to todayindigital.com slash premium feed. TikTok has revealed its second What's Next report, which focuses on key user trends and shifts that are currently driving the platform's culture. The platform also provided

Starting point is 00:04:35 some audience insights for 2022. It bears reiterating that this was a report paid for by TikTok, so obviously it's going to report on the positive synergies. That said, they found three out of four users feel a closer connection to brands they interact with on the platform. Almost 80% agree that the best brands work together with their customers, and they say TikTok inspired about 70% of users to shop even when they weren't planning to. The guide focuses on five key trends. The first trend, self-care champions. Beauty and personal care are winning topics on the app. Hashtags you should use if your brand falls into this category.

Starting point is 00:05:17 Transformation, self-care, and oddly satisfying. The second trend on the list is financial services. The platform has inspired Gen Zs to be financially informed and empowered. Popular hashtags include finance, crypto, and passive income. The third trend is gaming culture. TikTok communities are shaping gaming culture by creating new content that incorporates gaming setups, cosplay designs, and gaming in real life. Hashtag your brand should be using include animation, weeb, and streamer. The fourth trend on the list is food and beverage brands that are growing on the platform.

Starting point is 00:05:55 And finally, the fifth is news and entertainment companies have found a large following. The report also includes case studies for each trend as well as brand notes, including information on what types of posts and ad campaigns perform well with the users. A link to download the guide is provided in today's newsletter. You've heard of the Tinder swindler? Well, if reports are to be believed, there's now an agency swindler. Ali Ayed is said to be behind the fake agency Madbird, which allegedly conned more than 50 people from around the world into working for six months on a commission-only basis,

Starting point is 00:06:33 promising an almost $50,000 salary if deals were closed. The BBC reports that Ayyad claimed to be a visionary creative director who had worked with big brands like Nike, but the broadcaster says it was all an act and the employees of Madbird were never paid. How is he alleged to have done it? First, people were desperate for work during a pandemic. Employees were working remotely, so they never questioned the lack of a real office. The rise of digital platforms has escalated scams. The allegations say it was easy for him to create catfish identities, fake LinkedIn profiles,

Starting point is 00:07:10 and even Zoom meetings with images of people that weren't really there. When the BBC approached him on the street, he said he was just trying to do something good. And on that note, I think my weekend plans include watching the Tinder swindler. I did just finish inventing Anna. I don't know if I would recommend it. It's almost so bad that it's good. At first, I wasn't sure if I could get through Julie Garner's awful accent. And then I watched a YouTube video of the real Anna, and I realized that Julie Garner actually does a pretty good job. Thanks for listening to me this week. It's always an honor to get to take the hot seat and fill in for Todd while he's away.

Starting point is 00:07:49 Todd will be back on Monday. Today in Digital Marketing is produced by Engage Q Digital on the traditional territories of the Snuneymuk First Nation on Vancouver Island. Our associate producer is me, Steph Gunn. Podcast music licensing by Source Audio ad coordination by Red Circle and theme composer Mark Levis's talk is cheap he's not a man he's throwing stones to hide his hands

Today in Digital Marketing - How the Ukraine Invasion May Affect E-Commerce

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