Familiar Creatures

Industry insights that make
us go mm-hmm.

Plus some of our own thoughts.

Why Isn't Advertising Funny Anymore?

Why Isn't Advertising Funny Anymore?

Adweek | November 11, 2022

The advertising industry is facing a crisis in creativity–partly because it has forgotten how to make people laugh. Speaking at Brandweek Europe, Dom Boyd, managing director of strategy and data business at Kantar UK Insights, explained that the firm’s research shows people’s enjoyment of ads has been steadily falling since the 1990s...
Airbnb Says Its Focus on Brand Marketing Instead of Search Is Working

Airbnb Says Its Focus on Brand Marketing Instead of Search Is Working

The Wall Street Journal | November 7, 2022

The home-sharing company posted its most profitable quarter to date, saying its prepandemic move away from search advertising has been a good bet
How sunglasses brand Quay retooled its advertising to be less reliant on performance marketing following iOS changes

How sunglasses brand Quay retooled its advertising to be less reliant on performance marketing following iOS changes

Digiday | September 30, 2022

Joining a building brand marketing trend, Sunglasses brand Quay has retooled its marketing strategy to be more “full funnel” rather than relying on performance marketing tactics. The shift followed iOS 14 (and Apple’s subsequent...
Brands Find It Painful to Address Agencies' Most Pressing Pitching Problems

Brands Find It Painful to Address Agencies' Most Pressing Pitching Problems

Adweek | September 22, 2022

Pitching for new business is filled with problems. Pitches are too long, often dragged out for no reason, expensive and filled with secrecy and a lack of communication and feedback.

A new initiative from the 4A’s and ANA reveals why brands...
Why the Future Favors Independent and Small Ad Agencies

Why the Future Favors Independent and Small Ad Agencies

Ad Age | July 12, 2022

The world has changed.

Not more or less than in previous years or decades or generations. But in a post-cookie, post-pandemic, post-ad-free-Netflix world, things are definitely different. It’s...
Why Marketers Are Returning to Traditional Advertising

Why Marketers Are Returning to Traditional Advertising

Harvard Business Review | April 29, 2022

Pundits have long predicted the demise of traditional advertising. However, it is alive and well and headed for growth for the first time in a decade. The authors explain seven factors driving this trend, including the ability of traditional ads to break through digital clutter...
Airbnb CFO: We were right to shift spend from performance to brand-building

Airbnb CFO: We were right to shift spend from performance to brand-building

Marketing Week | February 16, 2022

Citing PR as its “most important channel”, Airbnb will continue to invest the bulk of its marketing spend in brand-building in 2022 as it looks to attract new hosts and support innovation.
In-House Agencies Grew During Covid-19

In-House Agencies Grew During Covid-19

Ad Age | November 23, 2021

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of in-house agencies grew, as did the number of in-house agency employees, according to the latest Productivity and the Pandemic report released by the In-House Agency Forum (IHAF).

 
The Serious Case for Humor

The Serious Case for Humor

Ad Age | October 29, 2021

Advertising, an industry that has always taken pride in making the audience smile, is increasingly turning its back on humor. Funny ads get caught in a squeeze between worthy, purpose-driven work that gets industry approval on the one hand, and the flat, message-heavy style of online ads on the other.
P&G and Coke’s pandemic performances prove it: You don’t cut ad spend in a crisis

P&G and Coke’s pandemic performances prove it: You don’t cut ad spend in a crisis

Marketing Week | August 11, 2021

Procter & Gamble doubled down on marketing when Covid hit, while Coca-Cola went dark. The former’s revenues surged, the latter’s dwindled, and Ehrenberg-Bass data now proves if you stop advertising you lose sales.
Why Small Agencies Reveal the Big Lies of the Industry

Why Small Agencies Reveal the Big Lies of the Industry

Ad Age | August 10, 2021

At a time when the ad industry is collapsing under its own weight, after decades of agencies claiming to have discovered a new way to find “the big idea,” the underlying philosophy of this historic ad takes on new meaning. Maybe the best way to think big is to act small again.
The Biggest Problem Marketers Face? Brand Unawareness

The Biggest Problem Marketers Face? Brand Unawareness

Intermark Group | August 3, 2021

The pathway from being initially aware of a brand to buying that brand can be complex, and it differs for different brands. Some customer journeys might be best captured by...
What Do KPI's Got To Do With, Got To Do With It?

What Do KPI's Got To Do With, Got To Do With It?

Familiar Creatures | June 30, 2021

Nothing has been debated, merchandised or squandered more by marketers in the past few years than the KPI. Every global holding company and media company has a solution, and everyone's is the best. Now a new study...
Why Indie Agencies are Prioritizing Strategy

Why Indie Agencies are Prioritizing Strategy

Campaign | April 23, 2021

The pandemic forced agencies to embrace business thinking as entire industries shut down, according to a report by Agency Futures Index.
Marketing Relationship Survey: A Recap of The Agency-Client Relationship in 2021

Marketing Relationship Survey: A Recap of The Agency-Client Relationship in 2021

Setup | April 14, 2021

One third of Brand marketers want their agencies to better understand their business + seek greater transparency and communication between Agency and Brand. Additionally, over half of Agencies crave transparency and better communication with a partner who sets reasonable expectations and listens.
America’s Game is coming to Amazon Prime. What that Means for Humanity. And Brands.

America’s Game is coming to Amazon Prime. What that Means for Humanity. And Brands.

Familiar Creatures | April 1, 2021

In America, nothing gets more eyeballs than an NFL game. One regular season game averages 14.9 million viewers per game, or just under 30 million eyeballs if we're being technical.

That's because football is the #1 thing on TV...
A Majority of CMO's Admit to Missing Goals Due To a Lack of Resources, Study Finds

A Majority of CMO's Admit to Missing Goals Due To a Lack of Resources, Study Finds

Ad Age | March 23, 2021

As chief marketing officers try to hit their targets and stay head in the ever-changing industry, a new survey suggests that they may want to look outside their teams for assistance. And they seem to need it: The Chief Marketing Officer Council survey found that 86% of respondents say they have missed opportunities for lack of resources.
Why We're Witnessing a New Age in Advertising

Why We're Witnessing a New Age in Advertising

Fast Company | January 25, 2021

A new wave of small agencies founded by experienced creatives are increasingly grabbing big brand attention.

For 13 years, Boulder, Colorado-based ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky (CPB) came up with creative ideas and advertising for Domino’s...
Amazon is the Perfect Example of Why Big Brands Need to Advertise

Amazon is the Perfect Example of Why Big Brands Need to Advertise

Marketing Week | December 20, 2020

Amazon now tops the global ad spend charts, despite founder Jeff Bezos’s original scepticism towards advertising – not surprising, since it’s crucial for defending market share...
Brands Increasingly Seek Indie Shops and their 'Nimble' Models in the Pandemic

Brands Increasingly Seek Indie Shops and their 'Nimble' Models in the Pandemic

AdAge | November 17, 2020

When Domino’s Pizza broke up with MDC Partners’ CPB in favor of a new creative agency, independent WorkInProgress, Chief Marketing Officer Art D’Elia was asked why the company was splitting with its holding company-owned agency after 13 years. “I really feel that the independent agency model gives us more flexibility and less distractions,” he said...
Are New Biz Account Reviews Spooky?

Are New Biz Account Reviews Spooky?

Familiar Creatures | October 30, 2020

Look, the pandemic and 2020 in general has ruined a lot of things. And one of the biggest things this tag team of trash ruined was Spooky SZN, aka Spooky Season. If you google that phrase or hashtag, you’ll see lots of posts about it from years past, but this year? Not so much...
It’s called a recession, not a regression: why the downturn is the perfect time to level up.

It’s called a recession, not a regression: why the downturn is the perfect time to level up.

Familiar Creatures | September 10, 2020

Do a favor for me. Google “advertising during a recession.” I’ll wait a few seconds. Okay, what’d you see? 100s of articles right? So why read this one? Well, none of those articles were written by actual brands themselves. They’re all by places with minimal, if any, skin in the game...
Welcome to Your Bland New World

Welcome to Your Bland New World

Bloomberg | September 7, 2020

Why do disruptive startups slavishly follow an identikit formula of business model, look and feel, and tone of voice? Because it works, sort of. A week or so ago Colgate unveiled Hum — a smart toothbrush that “guides consumers to brush better and to build healthier habits without sacrificing fun for functionality.” Hum doesn’t look or feel like Colgate’s other toothbrushes … but it does rather resemble Quip...
The Covid Marketing Landscape is Lava: Why going with a fractional AOR now might be right for you.

The Covid Marketing Landscape is Lava: Why going with a fractional AOR now might be right for you.

Familiar Creatures | July 24, 2020

A new show came on Netflix during quarantine that took a popular kids’ pretend activity and made it way more intense and harder to complete. Floor is Lava. Contestants face an enclosed obstacle course featuring shaky pyramids, spinning beds, bouncy planets, secret keys, magical pizza pans— you name it. Oh and of course the “floor” isn’t solid ground. It’s lava! ...
New Creative Startups Are Springing Up, As The Nature Of Advertising Changes

New Creative Startups Are Springing Up, As The Nature Of Advertising Changes

Forbes | June 18, 2020

“Think Small” might as well be the ad business' motto in 2020. In the last 18 months, a veritable constellation of creative stars has shrugged off the confines of the holding companies for their own startups. Jeff Kling, a former colleague of mine at Havas, where he created Dos Equis’ “The Most Interesting Man In The World,” started Lightning Orchard. Craig Allen who reinvented Old Spice when at...
600 Black Advertising Professionals Demand Meaningful Action From Leadership in Open Letter

600 Black Advertising Professionals Demand Meaningful Action From Leadership in Open Letter

Adweek | June 12, 2020

The recent outcry over the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless other Black men and women both known and unknown has forced formerly “apolitical” brands and advertising agencies to reflect on how they should respond to the racism pandemic…
Vox Media Research Shows 9 out of 10 Consumers Have Tried New Brands During the Pandemic

Vox Media Research Shows 9 out of 10 Consumers Have Tried New Brands During the Pandemic

Vox Media | May 18, 2020

The most fascinating element of this pandemic is the abruptness with which it stopped all of our current routines and rhythms. As we search individually for ways to reframe and reformat our lives, we surveyed more than 900 Vox Media consumers to examine how circumstances have affected…
Candidate Noodle Soup: What the 2020 Election Can Tell Us About Advertising Your Brand

Candidate Noodle Soup: What the 2020 Election Can Tell Us About Advertising Your Brand

Familiar Creatures | March 18, 2020

Whether you’re a soup or a presidential nominee, the same principles of branding apply. It doesn’t matter if you have tender juicy beef chunks or concrete plans to eliminate the wage gap, your audience will only choose you if they KNOW you.

How do you get people to know you? …
Old Navy Will Shift Back to Brand-Building in a Growing Trend Among Advertisers

Old Navy Will Shift Back to Brand-Building in a Growing Trend Among Advertisers

CNBC | November 22, 2019

Gap said this week it has made the mistake of advertising its discounts at the expense of building brand loyalty for Old Navy.

It seems to be a trend, as Gap joins several other companies lamenting that they’ve…
Adidas: We Over-Invested in Digital Advertising

Adidas: We Over-Invested in Digital Advertising

Marketing Week | October 17, 2019

Adidas is on a journey to shift from marketing efficiency to marketing effectiveness, admitting a focus on ROI led it to over-invest in digital and performance marketing at the expense of brand building.

The sports brand’s global media director, Simon Peel, explains that four years ago the company didn’t have any econometrics…
When a Recession Comes, Don’t Stop Advertising

When a Recession Comes, Don’t Stop Advertising

Forbes | September 5, 2019

In recent weeks, there has been some talk about an economic recession. When it comes is still anybody’s guess, but another business slowdown is inevitable. It would be the first since the “great recession” ended more than ten years ago. Often times when a recession happens, businesses, fearful of declining revenue, begin to cut back in various areas, including their ad spending...
Why One of Google’s Biggest Spenders is Redirecting Some Money Towards TV and Video Ads

Why One of Google’s Biggest Spenders is Redirecting Some Money Towards TV and Video Ads

CNBC | August 8, 2019

Booking Holdings, the parent of Booking.com, Priceline and Kayak, has long counted on Google for traffic, spending billions of dollars a year on ads and search engine optimization. But the company is trying to diversify away from Google as it looks to build its brand through TV commercials and online videos…
Attracting Top Talent Among Major Concerns For In-House Agency, Study Finds

Attracting Top Talent Among Major Concerns For In-House Agency, Study Finds

Campaign | July 16, 2019

Keeping teams energized and ability to attract top talent are among some of the major concerns by in-house agency management, according to a new ANA report.  

"Managing in-house agency creative content and legal concerns," a joint effort of 111 ANA members…
The Cost of Losing Creativity

The Cost of Losing Creativity

Forrester | June 18, 2019

Agencies’ creative perspective, the very currency of the business, is at risk and can only be realized by shifting billions from tech to fund creative differentiation.

The marketing industry is woefully out of balance, from agency/client relationships to new business requirements and compensation. The healthy tension of creativity…
Average Tenure of CMO Slips to 43 Months

Average Tenure of CMO Slips to 43 Months

Wall Street Journal | June 6, 2019

Chief marketing officers’ average time in their jobs at the country’s largest advertisers fell by one month in 2018, after improving in the previous year.

Average CMO tenure at 100 of the top U.S. ad spenders slipped to 43 months last year from 44 months in 2017, according to…
Why Monster.com is Going Back to TV Advertising After a Decade

Why Monster.com is Going Back to TV Advertising After a Decade

Digiday | May 28, 2019

Monster, the job search site, is putting its media dollars back into TV after a decade.

The company, which was one of the original dot coms, took a decade off of doing top of the funnel brand advertising. During that time, as competitors like Indeed and Zip…
Only 4% of People Trust What Influencers Say Online

Only 4% of People Trust What Influencers Say Online

The Drum | May 9, 2019

Most global internet users lack confidence in what they see and read online, with only 8% believing that the bulk of information shared on social media is true, dropping to 4% when it comes from influencers.

The figures come from media agency UM, which found just a tiny minority of internet users…
The Kraft Heinz Mess is a Warning to Advertisers: You Can’t Cost-Cut Your Way to Growth

The Kraft Heinz Mess is a Warning to Advertisers: You Can’t Cost-Cut Your Way to Growth

Forbes | March 6, 2019

For much of the first decade of the 21st century American companies amassed significant debt and used it to support innovation and invest in their brands. That changed on September 15, 2008 with the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the ensuing Great Recession. Companies became risk…

 
The Lesson of the Kraft Heinz Nosedive: Radical Cost-Cutting is Out, Brands are Back

The Lesson of the Kraft Heinz Nosedive: Radical Cost-Cutting is Out, Brands are Back

Forbes | February 24, 2019

Marketing budgets became a key target for the frugality drive of companies ever since the last recession. Last year, budgets had decreased from 12.1% of average revenues in to 11.3% the previous year, according to consulting firm Gartner…
We Analyzed 12 Of The Biggest Direct-to-Consumer Success Stories To Figure Out The Secrets To Their Growth — Here’s What We Learned

We Analyzed 12 Of The Biggest Direct-to-Consumer Success Stories To Figure Out The Secrets To Their Growth — Here’s What We Learned

CB Insights | February 6, 2019

Today, a new generation of disruptive brands are shaking up retail — direct-to-consumer e-commerce companies that build, market, sell, and ship their products themselves, without middlemen…
8 Top Findings in Gartner CMO Spend Survey 2018-19

8 Top Findings in Gartner CMO Spend Survey 2018-19

Gartner | November 5, 2018

Marketing technology spending, customer experience, innovation and personalization mark key trends in marketing leaders’ budgets and attention.

Innovation is alive and well in marketing. Chief marketing officers (CMOs) indicate that 16% of their budgets are…
Pivot to Traditional: Direct-to-Consumer Brands Sour on Facebook Ads

Pivot to Traditional: Direct-to-Consumer Brands Sour on Facebook Ads

Digiday | June 7, 2018

Four years ago, when Rich Fulop founded Brooklinen, the direct-to-consumer luxury bedding startup, the customer acquisition strategy was straightforward for DTC brands: pour money into Facebook ads.

Soon, Brooklinen was spending up to 75 percent…
The New Battleground for Marketing-Led Growth

The New Battleground for Marketing-Led Growth

McKinsey & Company | February 2017

In the digital age, consumers are always shopping around. New research shows that hooking them early is the strongest path to growth.

The CEO of a branded apparel company was troubled and began putting some tough questions to the marketing…
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