Today in Digital Marketing - When Invoking Science in Your Marketing Backfires

Starting point is 00:00:00 It is Friday, April 14th. Today, science in the crosshairs, but this time, it's marketers pulling the trigger. Are we starting to see signs of saturation in the short-form video ad boom? Meta churns out more updates for Reels? And has Gen Z grown tired of authenticity? I'm Todd Maffin. That's ahead today in digital marketing. The endless pursuit of we marketers is to convince consumers that our product or service is the answer to their problems. Need to pick me up in the middle of the day? Try our chocolate bar. Have rats in your crawlspace? You need our remediation service. There are a lot of tactics we can use, comparing ourselves to competitors, telling people we have the best price, promising better customer service, and more recently, using science to try to convince prospects. But is that the right play? Especially in a world where some media have been convincing

Starting point is 00:00:56 people that science is just opinion. Aviva Philip-Muller is an assistant professor in marketing at the Beattie School of Business at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. She and her colleagues recently published a paper in the Journal of Consumer Research called Get Your Science Out of Here When Invoking Science in the Marketing of Consumer Products Backfires. I spoke with her earlier this week. was that consumers really hate it when marketers talk about the scientific process behind creating products if that product is one where consumers are trying to indulge or seek some sort of pleasure. So for something like a really gooey chocolate chip cookie, consumers really hate it if there's any mention of the science behind creating that type of product. It doesn't have to just be food.

Starting point is 00:01:47 Things like a sensual body wash or rich and moisturizing lotion that's described in a really indulgent way. Or if consumers are really looking to indulge or get some sort of pleasurable experience out of the product, they really don't want to hear about the scientific process behind it. Science often uses the phrase hedonistic for that category. Is that right? We would consider these hedonistic products where science might backfire if used in marketing messaging? Yes, yes. So for hedonistic products, these are products like chocolate chip cookies, like any type of desserts, any type of spa-related product where you're just trying to gain pure pleasure from the product. You're not trying to get some sort of functional use out of it. It's not serving some sort of practical purpose in your life. You're

Starting point is 00:02:39 just simply trying to live in the moment and indulge. Those are hedonic or hedonistic products. And for those types of products, sciences is likely to backfire. Our full conversation goes into much more detail, including what marketers can do to mitigate this backfire and whether she thinks consumers are becoming anti-science. The full unedited interview is coming tomorrow morning exclusively to the premium feed,

Starting point is 00:03:04 which you can sign up for at todayindigital.com slash premium, or by tapping the link in the show notes that says go premium. Is the end of the golden era of TikTok's short form video ad boom near? Over the past few years, TikTok has dominated the short-form video advertising field, but Digiday has an interesting think piece up today suggesting how it might be challenged in 2023. While ad dollars continue to pour into the app despite ongoing controversies, those dollars may not flow as fast as they once did, since Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Snapchat Spotlight all offer competition. According to a research analyst, TikTok's ad growth is expected to slow down to around 40% this year,

Starting point is 00:03:51 which could mean a bigger share of short-form video ad dollars for companies like Meta. One platform gaining momentum is Meta's Instagram, with marketers reporting Reels are now a strong second to TikTok, suggesting the gap between the two is narrowing. And indeed, over the past year, Reels has tapped into marketing budgets. Its annual ad revenue rate increased threefold from $1 billion in the second quarter of 2022 to $3 billion by the end of last year. This trend is expected to continue as the format now accounts for more than a third of Instagram usage. Brands are expanding their investments to other platforms as well, quoting the Digiday piece. As ad spending is more diversified across these short-form channels,

Starting point is 00:04:35 the TikTok-focused mindset that shaped a significant amount of ad spending on short-form in the recent years is evolving into something more holistic. But before we see any grand shifts on short form ad dollar spend, the industry needs to get a better handle on how to best monetize short form. As Reels gains traction among advertisers, Instagram added new features to its TikTok clone today. First, they've added a dedicated destination to find out what's trending on Reels. Marketers will be able to see the top trending songs, how many times an audio has been used, as well as the top trending topics and hashtags on Reels. Instagram has also made editing Reels a bit easier by consolidating video clips, audio, stickers and text onto a single editing screen. New editing tools will also be introduced later, but no specifics were given. Thank you. Instagram is also adding a new feature that notifies you when you gain new followers through your Reels. Gifts on Reels are also expanding.

Starting point is 00:05:49 Brands and creators will be able to see which fans have sent them gifts and recognize them by tapping on the heart icon next to the supporters' names. Meta is also preparing to expand its overall Reel monetization program via ads to more creators in the coming months. Over the last few years, Meta has been working on Reels ads with select creators having access to Reels overlay promotions, but it plans to expand that placement to more users. The company hasn't provided full details yet, but it recently encouraged participants to switch on professional mode to access those upcoming creator features. And finally, MetaCent is also looking to add more tools to help creators build online communities, including insights into their most engaged fans

Starting point is 00:06:29 and templated posts to thank them for their support. Do you have business insurance? If not, how would you pay to recover from a cyber attack, fire damage, theft, or a lawsuit? No business or profession is risk-free. Without insurance, your assets are at risk from major financial losses, data breaches, and natural disasters. Get customized coverage today starting at $19 per month at zensurance.com. Be protected. Be Zen.

Starting point is 00:07:01 Montana is on the brink of becoming the first U.S. state to ban TikTok entirely. The proposed ban, supported by Montana's Republican-controlled legislature, is more comprehensive than bans in place in nearly half of the U.S. states and the federal government that prohibit the app's use but only on government devices. The House endorsed the bill yesterday. The Attorney General of Montana urged state lawmakers to approve the bill, as he said he's uncertain whether Congress would move promptly on a federal ban. Montana's ban, which would come into effect next year,

Starting point is 00:07:33 would be void if Congress passes a ban or if TikTok severs its Chinese connections. As for the bill itself, it would ban TikTok downloads in the state and fine any entity, that's an app store or even TikTok itself, $10,000 per day for each time anyone is given access to the platform or downloads the app. Users themselves would not be penalized. In response, TikTok said it would continue to challenge this and similar bans. Has B-Real's own mojo killed its vibe? The photo-sharing app built on authenticity took off last year, offering refuge from meticulously arranged posts and filtered images.

Starting point is 00:08:19 But it seems to have lost its charm. Despite its initial popularity, New York Times this week reported some users found it boring seeing their own monotonous lives reflected back at them. The app's monthly downloads have declined since September, according to data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, and the number of daily users has dropped by more than 60% from its peak. That data from Apptopia. According to a marketing professor quoted in the New York Times, Be Real now faces a dilemma. Emphasizing authenticity may make the app too dull, while breaking its own rules to generate more exciting content risks turning the app into the very platform it was meant to counteract. Some users, though, are already bending the rules by

Starting point is 00:09:00 posting more interesting photos later in the day. One expert interviewed by the Times calls this trend the online authenticity paradox, where the importance of being real clashes with the desire to share exciting moments and maintain a positive image. These factors have made it difficult for Be Real to live up to its name. And finally, Parler, the self-described uncancellable free speech platform, has been cancelled. Originally set up as a Twitter clone, mostly for conservative voices in the US, the platform has now been bought by a firm who has replaced the whole thing with a single webpage announcing it had acquired it. The announcement reads in part, No reasonable person believes that a Twitter clone, just for conservatives, is a viable business anymore. May 22nd. That is the launch date of the secret project.

Starting point is 00:09:59 I know it's a little ways off yet. You may notice that's a holiday. That's the only hint I'm going to give you. It's big. It might be the biggest thing we've ever done. And there is a hint coming at some point before the end of this episode. That's all I'm going to say. Don't forget the premium version of this podcast is just like this one, but with no ads, access to deep dive interviews, story links in the show notes,

Starting point is 00:10:21 audio chapters that let you jump between stories and more. Go to todayindigital.com slash premium or tap the link in the show notes that reads go premium. Today in Digital Marketing is produced by EngageQ Digital on the traditional territories of the Tsunamic First Nation on Vancouver Island. Our associate producer is the intrepid Steph Gunn. Production coordinator, Sarah Guild. Features coordinator, Sarah Brooke Christian. Music licensing by Source Audio. Ad Coordination by Red Circle.

Starting point is 00:10:50 And you know, not many people know this, but our theme composer, Mark Blevis, is actually one of Elon Musk's closest friends. Or was, anyway. He used to back everything Elon did. Space stuff, brain stuff, car stuff. But over the last few months, Mark has finally given up on him. Even DM'd him the other day, saying,

Starting point is 00:11:11 Once I ran to you, now I'll run from you, this tainted love you've given. I'm Todd Maffin. Thanks for listening. Have a restful weekend. Hopefully you caught the hint there. I'll see you on Monday. I'll see you on Monday. Let me say it's time I do it right. Hey! It's the season for new styles, and you love to shop for jackets and boots. So when you do, always make sure you get cash back from Rakuten. And it's not just clothing and shoes.

Starting point is 00:12:02 You can get cash back from over 750 stores on electronics, holiday travel, home decor, and more. It's super easy. And before you buy anything, always go to Rakuten first. Join free at rakuten.ca. Start shopping and get your cash back sent to you by check or PayPal. Get the Rakuten app or join at rakuten.ca. R-A-K-U-T-E-N.C-A.

Today in Digital Marketing - When Invoking Science in Your Marketing Backfires

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