Gen Z, millennials drive growth in mobile video during pandemic, Snap study says

Three quarters of young consumers said they watched more video on their smartphones this year than in 2019, according to a Snap-commissioned study.

By Robert Williams • July 29, 2020

Chipotle unlocks free guacamole with SMS, social guessing game

The fast-casual chain is giving people a chance to win a year of free guacamole by guessing secret passwords in text messages. 

By Robert Williams • July 29, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Influencer Marketing

Amid a surge in confidence and new platform approaches, brands continue to turn to influencers for fresh content that can reach online consumers.

By Marketing Dive staff

WSJ: Instagram lures TikTok creators to drum up buzz for Reels launch

As the social media rivalry heats up, Instagram is reportedly offering a hefty payday to creators who will post exclusively to its copycat service.

By Peter Adams • July 28, 2020

Buy on Google to go commission-free

At a time when more consumers are shopping online, the tech giant said it aims to make e-commerce more accessible for retailers of all sizes.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • July 28, 2020

Ford plans 'Bring Back Bronco' podcast as famed SUV returns

Former NPR reporter Sonari Glinton will host the eight-part podcast that tells the history of the Bronco, including moments like the police chase of O.J. Simpson.

By Robert Williams • July 28, 2020

Popeyes urges fans to prank family members with autocorrect campaign

In a ploy to turn pizza lovers into fried chicken fans, the QSR is asking people to edit "pizza" into "Popeyes instead of pizza" using the autocorrect feature on smartphones.

By Robert Williams • July 28, 2020

Pandemic, protests disrupt Q2 ad spending on social media, study says

Last quarter saw several cross-currents for social ads, with several metrics indicating weaker demand even as ad spending gradually rebounded, per Socialbakers.

By Robert Williams • July 28, 2020

U.S. Bank to launch in-app voice assistant as pandemic boosts mobile banking

Debuting a voice assistant may provide better access to services for people with disabilities such as blindness.

By Robert Williams • July 27, 2020

Michelob Ultra gives NBA fans a way to virtually attend live games

A digital experience with Microsoft Teams is part of a sponsorship agreement that makes the AB InBev brand the NBA's official beer.

By Robert Williams • July 27, 2020

DSW's debut hashtag challenge on TikTok racks up 1.3B views

The shoe retailer enlisted five influencers to promote the #TooManyShoes challenge on the popular social video app.

By Robert Williams • Updated July 28, 2020

New York Times buys producer of 'Serial' podcast for $25M

The Times also formed a creative and strategic alliance with radio show "This American Life."

By Robert Williams • July 24, 2020

Microsoft's Xbox promotes gaming event with Snapchat AR lenses

The integration, inspired by video games announced at the Xbox Games Showcase, can help the tech giant engage a younger audience that's more likely to play video games.

By Robert Williams • July 24, 2020

Dunkin' creates new chief digital officer role as it doubles down on tech, mobile offerings

The position oversees digital marketing and media, consumer insights and IT transformation — areas seeing growing demand during the pandemic.

By Peter Adams • July 24, 2020

Twitter weighs subscription service amid drop in ad sales

Amid a 23% drop in ad revenue to $562 million in Q2, the platform's main priority is the rollout of a new product for companies to promote their apps.

By Robert Williams • July 24, 2020

NBCU's Syfy channel to host shoppable TV special

The interactive program focused on geeky items like graphic novels could help the network increase revenue while helping retail partners reach their target audience.

By Dianna Christie • July 24, 2020

Bumble boosts app installs with direct response ads on TikTok

The dating app increased installs by five times and decreased cost-per-registration by 64% after a campaign with popular TikTok influencers.

By Robert Williams • July 24, 2020

Ball Park hot dogs' social media push helps out-of-work stadium vendors

As baseball season kicks off with televised games and stadiums closed to the public, Ball Park is supporting vendors while helping fans re-create the game day experience.

By Dianna Christie • July 23, 2020

Domino's, ViacomCBS test Alexa feature that tracks ad conversion

Quick Links and a technology to make mobile apps more conversational with smartphone users are among the 31 new features for the voice assistant.

By Robert Williams • July 23, 2020

Social engagement with retailers jumped 40% in Q2, study says

The findings suggest that retailers need to have a robust social strategy in place for the back-to-school season, which is typically one of the most active times on social related to retail. 

By Robert Williams • July 23, 2020

Hanes enlists social influencers to urge people to #MaskAround

The move is somewhat risky, considering government and venue mandates requiring people to wear face masks have spurred pushback from some consumers.

By Robert Williams • July 23, 2020

Unilever, Anheuser-Busch join test of Pandora's voice-powered ads

Brands including KFC and PepsiCo's Doritos are trialing ads that lets listeners say "yes" if they want to learn more about a product or service.

By Robert Williams • July 23, 2020

Visual search startup Shnap launches on mobile, Chrome

The platform, which uses artificial intelligence to match consumers' images to products, aims to drive traffic and sales for its partner retailers. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • July 22, 2020

American Eagle channels TikTok culture for virtually produced back-to-school campaign

Shot entirely over Zoom, the seasonal push is spearheaded by a cast of non-professional kids as part of the brand's #AExME platform.

By Peter Adams • July 22, 2020

Starbucks app will add more ways to pay, earn rewards this fall

Loyalty members will no longer have to use the Starbucks card to collect rewards, and can instead opt for cash, cards or mobile wallets.

By Alicia Kelso • July 22, 2020

Wendy's launches loyalty program as part of digital growth

The initiative, which will reward customers no matter how they order, is part of the chain's plans to make digital sales 10% of overall sales by 2024.

By Julie Littman • July 22, 2020