Happy New Year from the BDB team! Each Monday, the BDB team kicks off the weekly meeting by sharing industry content that has caught our eye. We discuss the latest articles, trends, reports and data around influencer marketing, advertising and creativity, so we thought you might like to see what BDB reads too. 

Take a look at this weeks’ BDB reads complied by the team:

How Fashion Got Marketing Right in 2020

During a year of turmoil, fashion companies focused on their customers as never before. The lessons will endure beyond the pandemic. Vogue Business gives a rundown of key 2020 marketing trends and tools with key long-term learnings and takeaways:

  • Fashion sector fully embraced digital (even digital fashion shows/ fashion weeks); sped-up pre-pandemic digital shift
  • Strong digital engagement with audiences key for success (incl. influencers!) 
  • Short-form and shoppable videos (on TikTok and with launch of Instagram Reels); Burberry, Dior and Ralph Lauren all sponsored “challenges” on TikTok, also Gucci (#GucciModelChallenge)
  • Move away from traditional film-based advertising and emphasis on fast-moving original branded content (leads to greater purchase intent)
  • Fashion week becomes entertainment 
  • Less about selling to an industry audience and more about exploiting  an interactive marketing opportunity
  • Focus on China
  • Luxury brands exploring gaming to connect with younger audiences e.g. via Twitch (Balenciaga launched AW21 collection within a video game)

There Was No Official YouTube Rewind This Year so MrBeast Made One

In absence of an official YouTube Rewind, YouTuber MrBeast looks back on the good things that happened this year. YouTube Rewind is an annual tradition that was started in 2010 and looks at the “year’s most impactful creators, videos, and trends. MrBeast begins his video by showcasing some heartwarming moments from this year. Watch his video to come up to speed with what is happening on YouTube.  

TikTok’s First Musical

Entertainment continues to find new ways of reaching audiences and supporting the arts through the pandemic. The TikTok Ratatouille musical— aka the Ratatousical— debuted online on New Year’s Day and has already sold more than $1 million in tickets. You can still get tickets for the one-time-only streaming performance, which will be available until 7pm ET on January 4th.

Glossier Now Has a Trademark Registration For its Millennial Pink-Lined Product Packaging

A year and a half after Glossier filed an application for registration for its millennial pink-hued product packaging, the USPTO has handed the direct-to-consumer beauty brand a win and agreed to register “the colour pink as applied to the inner surface of portions of boxes that contrast with the colour of the rest of the boxes, which form packaging for the goods” as a trademark for use in connection with an array of cosmetics products. This is an interesting use of design to stand out not just to consumers but across the beauty brand’s marketing mix. 

All Eyes on Elsa Majimbo

Recently, Kenyan-based influencer Elsa Majimbo shared #ASKELSA on Instagram, where she asked a bunch people to send her dating questions. The video was empowered by @bumble. Majimbo’s videos provide joy for millions around the world. With a reach of 1.3 million Instagram followers and partnership deals with Fenty and MAC, to name a few, the 19-year-old celebrity is proving that when it comes to fame, there are no boundaries or borders as she goes global. 

What have you been reading this week? See you next week for the next BDB Reads.

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