TheSoul Partner Newsletter
TheSoul Creative Agency
Big news from TheSoul Publishing! We're excited to announce the launch of TheSoul Creative Agency (or that's what we call it now, we're still on the lookout for the perfect name 🙂).
While we've been busy creating hit content for our own channels, we've also been working behind the scenes with some amazing brands. We’ve just got around to announcing it. So here it is: we're now officially in the business of making other brands shine online.
What We Do:
Social Media Management
All of it: competitor benchmarking, content ideation, strategy, re-use, repackaging, rebranding - you name it.
Content Production
Both live action and animation!
Brand Awareness Campaigns
We've still got the whole bunch of TheSoul properties that generate billions of monthly views your brand can utilize.
Commercial Production & Product Videos
While it may not be the Hollywood movies yet, we set the quality bar pretty high.
Influencer Marketing
Through our sub-company Underscore Talent, we source influencers from all verticals and deliver them right to your door, or social.
We've already teamed up with some cool names like Amazon, Crayola, Coca-Cola, Mattel, Dude Perfect, Angry Birds, Sony, and Spotify. We can talk about it non-stop because we're sort of obsessed with what we do.
Oh, and not to forget that we have 15 years of social data collected by TheSoul Publishing from all the channels we've ever created, tested, and experimented with. So we're not just obsessed, we're unbeatable in our expertise! 😉 As you can see, we aren't shy, but why should we be?
Nowadays, a well-executed social strategy isn't a luxury or an influencer game — it's a direct line to sales growth.
We see a lot of companies struggle to justify the value of social for the business, while the solution lies in the correct strategy that won’t just deliver the predicted sales growth, but over deliver breaking any expectations.
That’s what social strategy is when developed right and with the customer needs at the forefront.
Nastassia Belikava
Head of Business Operations
Be imperfect. It’s the imperfections that reveal the unique qualities the market values today. Transparency, flaws and quirks bring true authenticity, connecting products more closely with their audience. In the end, nothing is perfect — except Ryan Gosling.
Nikolai Lebedev
Agency Creative Director
As the summer winds down, families gear up for the back-to-school season, driving significant consumer spending.
Back-to-class items that are still on consumers’ lists by mid-August
Back-to-School Season is Here
Back-to-School vs Back-to-College
Understanding the spending habits and priorities of Back-to-School and Back-to-College consumers can provide valuable insights for tailored marketing strategies, highlighting the key differences and offering a snapshot of how consumers are allocating their budgets.
71% of back to school and 67% of back-to-college students say it’s important to them that items they purchase are sustainable and environmentally friendly. This means that brands should emphasize their commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly practices in their products and marketing strategies.
In the US alone, the back-to-school market is expected to reach $39 billion and $87 billion for back-to-college in 2024, and is projected to reach $245.6 billion USD by 2028.
By early August, back-to-class shoppers typically have completed about half of their shopping. At the start of summer, they focus on buying supplies and clothing, whereas closer to the school year, they tend to purchase bigger-ticket electronics and accessories.
SOURCE: NRF’s 2023 August Spending survey, conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics
Online Leads the Way in Back to School Campaigns
Shifts in consumer habits have driven the adoption of new marketing channels. To engage parents and students effectively, it’s crucial to identify where they spend their time, discover new products, and seek inspiration, and then ensure your presence on those channels.
Online remains the key shopping destination for back-to-class consumers, topping the chart for 3 years in a row. This preference towards online shopping is particularly noticeable on back-to-college consumers, while 41% of parents plan to split their back-to-school spending evenly between online and in-store purchases.
Online search remains the top source of inspiration, while Instagram and TikTok continue showing their growing influence among younger consumers. Brands targeting the back-to-college market should prioritize these channels to effectively reach and engage their audience.
SOURCE: NRF’s 2023 August Spending survey, conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics
60% of Gen Z discover new products on social media, and they’re twice as likely as the general consumer to purchase them.
Recent Forbes Advisor study also revealed that young generations are more likely to use Social Media to search, over Google.
Where consumers are shopping for back-to-class
#1
Centre your content messaging around affordability
Amazon kicked off its 2024 back-to-school marketing campaign with a 30-second ad featuring actress Michelle Buteau, who begins by saying, “I love my kids, but I also love not being broke” 😀 The ad encourages parents to "spend less on your little freeloaders” by using Amazon’s Back to School shopping guide.
Additionally, a "Dorm Roomz" video series offers tips on creating the perfect dorm room on a budget, featuring collaborations with influencers. The series aired from July 18 across premium online video, digital and social including Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.
#2
Make sure to invest in content that shows your product in use
Day Owl Bags let their product images do the talking (and selling!). Thanks to a shot of one of Day Owl’s backpacks along with everything that can fit in it, a parent/student may only need a few seconds to be convinced of the value of the product.
Add in a 15% off two or more items and a clear, well-placed CTA and there you go, the product is in the shopping cart.
#3
Go big with omni-channel marketing strategy
American Eagle introduced the "Live Your Life" back-to-school campaign aimed at Gen Z. Their omnichannel strategy incorporates a blend of offline, traditional and digital media, including TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, and involves influencer creators.
Following the example of American Eagle, brands should consider moving away from traditional marketing approaches and focus on where the audience is and which touchpoints result in conversion. Whether it's a UGC video, a viral photo, or a famous influencer sharing a review, a successful omni-channel strategy involves diversifying your marketing efforts.
Back-to-school really is our Super Bowl and we’re spending a lot of money around talent and surprise activations and content creation to cut through initially.
Craig Brommers
American Eagle CMO
#4
Tune in to what matters to your audience
Sun & Sand Sports, the largest sports retailer in the Middle East, launched their "Play it S'COOL" campaign, striking a chord with both parents and kids. The campaign tackled kids' FOMO by encouraging them to try diverse sports activities, while also appealing to parents who want their children to be more active and reduce their screen time. With engaging content tailored for Gen Z-Alpha and millennial parents, it effectively captured attention across social media and other touchpoints.
This is a great example of how brands should tailor their campaigns to address the specific desires and concerns of the target audience, making your campaign feel impactful, timely and relevant.
#5
Marketing with a smile: engage your audience with humour
And to wrap this up, let's rewatch this heartwarming ad by Google released in 2020 during COVID. It combined UGC clips of parents, teachers, and students posted on social media with the most popular search queries at the time, such as "how to teach from home" and "how to find the value of x".
Not particularly new, but this is a brilliant example of utilising product insights with a bit of humour to produce a stand-out campaign!
Back to Class Campaign Tips and Ideas
To help brands streamline and scale the creative process, TikTok is introducing two new solutions:
TikTok Symphony
A comprehensive set of AI-driven tools designed to help marketers scale content development, creativity, and productivity on TikTok.
Features such as AI-generated music, automated video editing, and personalized content recommendations, are aimed to cater to the evolving needs of brands and content creators.
TikTok One
A centralized hub for marketers to access TikTok's creative tools is launching later this year.
This platform enables brands to connect with nearly 2 million creators, find top agency partners, and utilize tools like TikTok Creator Marketplace and TikTok Creative Challenge, all with a single login for streamlined campaign implementation and scaling
TikTok Continues to Innovate
Social Media News and Insights
Instagram introduces Notes on Reels and Feed posts, enhancing its mission to connect people over discovered content. Gen Z — the generation currently at the heart of Instagram’s product roadmap, are about 10 times more likely to create a Note than others, making Notes a key driver for this sought-after demographic.
Instagram Drives the Focus on Sharable Content
With this new update, and the recent testing of a prominent share button in the navigation bar replacing the post button, it's evident that more changes are coming. Creators, brands, and marketers will need to focus on making their content shareable, whether through DMs, reposting to Stories, or adding a Note on posts.
As an "early test" in the US, Meta rolls out Instagram’s new "AI Studio" that will enable creators to create AI chatbot versions of themselves.
Zuckerberg revealed that this would primarily be available in messaging. He also shared a few videos of conversations with creator-made AI chatbots as examples. From a creator’s Instagram, you can tap a “Message” button to kick off a conversation.
Meta Tests User-Created AI chatbots on Instagram
Meta wants to let creators and eventually brands “create an AI for themselves” to interact with their communities and customers.
We think that’s going to create a much more compelling experience and just be more dynamic and useful than just having a single thing that people use.
Mark Zuckerberg
Founder and CEO at Meta
YouTube has really been doubling down on community lately and this new Community Space feature is no exception. It’s a dedicated place for creators and their communities to connect and have a two-way dialogue within smaller, more intimate spaces.
Like Subreddits, Instagram Broadcast Channels, and Facebook Groups, these spaces allow creators to gain insights into their audience through discussions, which can, in turn, shape their content strategy.
Currently, only selected creators, such as FroggyCrossing, have access. However, YouTube advises everyone to "stay tuned as more opportunities to participate will become available."
YouTube is Beta-Testing New Community Spaces
Other news to check out:
Snap Sports Network – Snapchat’s own Virtual Arena brings unconventional sports content captured by Snapchatters across the globe in a light-hearted and wacky way.
Instagram now allows users to invite collaborators to Reels after posting. A win for creators, influencer marketers, and social media managers 😍
YouTube announced an array of new tools to make creating Shorts easier and more accessible, including Add Yours Sticker, Remix a Remix, and Stylized Captions among others.
TikTok released its midyear report “What's Next 2024: In Action”, exploring how forecasted trends grew or evolved through brand and creator success stories.
X will soon (finally!) provide insight into when your audience is active in the app
Following the January release of Sponsored Articles, LinkedIn rolls out Sponsored Newsletters, providing another way for brands to generate leads from their content.
International Day of Charity
5
International Literacy Day
8
International Equal Pay Day
18
World Peace Day
21
World Tourism Day
27
International Podcast Day
30
September
October
International Coffee Day
1
World Smile Day
4
International Teachers Day
5
Treat Yo’ Self Day
13
World Pasta Day
25
Halloween
31
November
World Vegan Day
1
Singles’ Day
11
International Men’s Day
19
Universal Children's Day
20
World Hello Day
21
Thanksgiving
28
Black Friday
29
Fall 2024 Social Media Calendar
Movember – Men’s Health Awareness Month, #Movember
Global Diversity Awareness Month, #GlobalDiversityAwarenessMonth
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