Views From the Cove
BY DANIEL BLACK
Growing up, my parents had a simple adage when it came to healthy eating for me and my five sibs: everything in moderation. Then again, I’ve been known to dip Fig Newtons (Fat Free!) in guacamole, so my eating habits probably aren’t worth emulating. Despite that, I’d argue there are five lessons that can be applied from healthy living to healthy marketing.
BY MEL DUNN
Each year, marketers report adopting new tactics and techniques to achieve their goals. Keeping up with the latest trends is one way to stay ahead of your competitors—80% of marketers agree that the art of marketing has changed more in the past three years than in the previous 50 years. Let that sink in. If you’re still doing the same things you did a few years ago, it’s time to revisit your overall program and see what’s missing.
We’ve reviewed what’s happening out there and want to highlight four trends we recommend exploring in 2023.
It’s inescapable. Someone on your social media feeds is looking for a recommendation. Everyone has an opinion or a favorite to share. No, we’re not referring to the latest fad diet, but rather podcasts. Podcasts continue to pop-up regularly and there are a ton to choose from. One recent survey estimates that there are around 700,000 podcasts in circulation with about 30 million individual episodes floating out there.
“What’s your story?”
Here at Hencove we’re storytellers; we help brands find their own voice, craft their story, and engage audiences. Of course, as storytellers, we always enjoy and seek out a good story – which got us thinking. So, we decided to compile our recent favorite books into a list in our newest edition of “Hencove Recommends.”
Even if you’re past the age where you dress up and stalk around your neighborhood once a year to demand candy, you’re probably going to eat at least a couple handfuls of candy during the month of October. Which got us thinking, what is the best Halloween candy brand. We couldn’t come to a consensus – you could say it was a sticky situation –and so we thought we’d share our various perspectives.
When Allbirds launched in March 2016, it burst onto the scene with the promise to disrupt the athletic shoe industry. In the beginning, this San Francisco-based company sold just one simple shoe design made from simple materials: Merino wool. The company’s idea was that all major shoe brands were too focused on flashy logos and man-made synthetics that were bad for the environment. Allbirds promised a product that cut through the noise with a minimalist design made from natural, renewable materials.
For us, what’s more interesting than the product itself is how this simple, understated brand generated awareness without the million-dollar television spots, celebrity spokespeople, or other flashy marketing techniques we’ve all come to expect from athletic and lifestyle shoe brands. What Allbirds may lack in high-profile campaigns, it more than makes up for them through the power of storytelling.
