Marketing News Roundup: December 22, 2022
Today we feature a round-up of some big events and recent industry happenings.
Nielsen Canada Reveals Insights Amid Growing Soccer Popularity in North America
Demand Spring Releases 2023 Revenue Marketing Predictions
rock-t Promotions Wraps 2022 with Three New Client Wins
How Snapchat Captured You in 2022!
Google Productivity Expert Offering Inbox Organization Tips for 2023
Read more below!
Nielsen Canada Reveals Insights Amid Growing Soccer Popularity in North America
The tide of popularity is turning for soccer in North America to the benefit of sponsors and advertisers. For the first time ever in 2026, the World Cup will span three countries with sixteen host cities across Canada, the United States, and Mexico, giving brands and advertisers a chance to expand their reach to soccer fan bases across North America.
Increasing popularity is creating hotspots of fan bases across each of the future host countries. In Canada, for instance, interest in soccer has increased 32.8% since the announcement that the country will host ten 2026 World Cup matches.
“This is the perfect time for brands to invest in North American soccer. In Canada, the men’s and women’s national teams have captured the public’s imagination in the past two years, with the 2023 & 2026 World Cups still on the horizon,” said Scott Lidbury, Director, Nielsen Sports Canada. “There are a multitude of ways that brands can invest in the sport, and they require timely insights to help maximize their opportunity for ROI.”
According to Nielsen’s 2022 World Football Report, while free-to-air television is still the preferred method of viewing matches (81%) for soccer fans who watch sports, social media is now a go-to platform, with 72% of fans claiming they use apps to watch the action. This can provide brands with additional advertising opportunities and the ability to reach consumers at their fingertips.
When teams perform well, fans flock to social media to engage with content, furthering a rippling effect of popularity. For example, the Canadian men’s team saw a significant increase in social content and interactions in the 2021-2022 season after qualifying for their first World Cup in 36 years. The qualification also sparked interest in soccer for Canadians in general, with 35.6% saying they are now more interested in watching soccer than before the team qualified for the World Cup, according to Nielsen Fan Insights.
In addition to the on-screen audience exposure that sponsors receive on both live TV and social media, Nielsen’s 2021 Trust in Advertising study found that brand sponsorships in sporting events rank just behind recommendations from friends and family, as 81% of consumers reported either completely or somewhat trusting them. The study also found that soccer fans are eager to learn more about the brands sponsoring their favourite team with 56% actively informing themselves about these brands.
“Soccer is the sport with the highest ROI potential for Canadian marketers over the next four years. Twenty-four million Canadians tuned in to watch the 2022 FIFA Men's World Cup, almost two-thirds of the country’s population. Brands are now looking to capitalize on this audience, with the likes of CIBC, Samsung and TikTok all announcing recent sponsorships of the local game. Soccer provides brands with a platform to expand their reach and build connections with fans, across Canada, North America and globally,” stated Scott.
Soccer sponsorships can often be the key to staying top of mind with fans when it comes to making purchases. According to Nielsen Fan Insights, 67% of soccer fans think brands are more appealing when they participate in sports sponsorships, and 59% would pick a sponsor’s product over a competitor’s if price and quality are the same, compared to 45% of the general population. Additionally, Nielsen’s 2022 Global Sports Report found that those sponsorships drove an average of 10% lift in purchases among the exposed fanbase. Sponsorships are providing brands with a key opportunity to reach a new audience.
With the 2022 World Cup underway, advertisers are tallying up the cost of sponsorship against the impact on brand awareness and ROI. Brands looking to get ahead of the 2026 World Cup should start planning now to build on the momentum of 2022 and turn today’s fans into tomorrow’s customers.
Demand Spring Releases 2023 Revenue Marketing Predictions
Revenue Marketing consultancy Demand Spring has released their 2023 Revenue Marketing Predictions.
Marketing leaders are no strangers to change, and have been reacting to a variety of disruptions for the past three years. Many have found building a Revenue Marketing foundation for their organizations to be incredibly challenging. Demand Spring’s 2023 Revenue Marketing Predictions are designed to help marketers from organizations of all sizes develop marketing plans and strategies to help them thrive and succeed next year and beyond.
This year’s predictions cover a wide scope of topics from a cross-section of Revenue Marketing experts:
Demand Spring Founder and Executive Chair Mark Emond looks at ways marketers can recession-proof their marketing budgets as we head into 2023 and the threat of a recession looms.
Senior MarTech Consultant Meg Stamper shares how organizations can engage in corporate activism, and why this is important in the B2B sector moving forward.
Derek Boshkov, Director of Marketing Technology, dives into the importance of doubling down on your marketing analytics, and three actions that marketers can take to make informed decisions based on accurate data.
Marketing Manager Robyn Mia predicts that organizations are now entering a new era of community-led growth to help build and nurture communities of loyal customers.
“While there is a high level of uncertainty for the coming year, marketers have an opportunity to change the trajectory of their storyline and see success on a number of fronts,” said Matt Roberts, CEO of Demand Spring. “Although an economic downturn is anticipated, marketers can help keep their businesses afloat by helping to drive revenue, align their strategies with the organizations short and long-term goals, and guide key decisions by providing data-driven insights.”
For more information, and to see a full copy of the report, visit the Demand Spring website.
rock-t Promotions Wraps 2022 with Three New Client Wins
rock-it promotions, a Toronto-based public relations firm, has announced the addition of brands The Blumz House of Fine Jewelry and Piercings and David Rocco Pasta & Sauces to its roster as their agency partner. The firm has also taken on a special project for Dress For Success Toronto, working with Elaine Quan from EQPR.
International Celebrity Chef, David Rocco, has launched his own line of Italian artisanal pasta and premium sauces, which delivers accessible and traditional high-quality Italian products for home cooks, pros and food lovers alike. David Rocco’s authentic Italian-made pasta and sauces are now available nationally across Canada in select supermarkets and will also be coming to Amazon Canada and Amazon US in early 2023.
House of fine jewelry and piercings, The Blumz goes beyond being a traditional jewelry store, offering a truly unique experience complete with curated piercings, permanent bracelet welding and custom engravings using a selection of fine jewelry from the world’s finest brands. Their flagship store will open to the public in early 2023 and will be located at 343 King St. W.
Dress for Success Toronto will be hosting An Evening with Lisa LaFlamme presented by RBC Wealth Management at the Winter Garden Theatre on Jan 19, 2023. The historical evening will give guests the opportunity to experience a rare personal conversation, led by The Globe and Mail journalist Robyn Doolittle, where Lisa will discuss her road to career success and what’s next for the award-winning journalist.
rock-it will lead the PR strategy for these brands with an always-on approach that includes support on new launches and events, traditional media relations, social media engagement, creative partnerships, red carpet engagements and more. Recognized as one of Canada’s leading boutique lifestyle-based public relations firms, rock-it’s team of skilled and creative PR practitioners have extensive experience across a variety of industries including fashion, beauty, entertainment, food & beverage, hospitality, travel & tourism, and more.
"After the intense impact of the pandemic, we are stoked to see a demand for new business again and to be partnering with clients who fit our roster," says Debra Goldblatt-Sadowski, CEO and Founder of rock it promotions. "We're really thrilled to be working with David Rocco and supporting his first line of pasta and premium sauces across Canada. The Blumz is set to unveil a truly stunning and luxurious space that will be a welcome addition to the downtown core. Last but not least, the special project with Dress for Success Toronto at Wintergarden Theatre will be a historical evening with some of Canada’s top journalistic talent supporting an amazing cause. I can't wait to attend myself."
rock-it promotions’ latest wins join an already robust list of clients including Peloton, Dr. Martens, The JUNO Awards, Knix, Chotto Matte, illumi, Sun Bum, Mary Browns Chicken and many more.
How Snapchat Captured You in 2022!
It’s the time of year to look back, recap, and wrap up how Snapchat captured you in 2022. Snapchatters had a busy year. We felt shaken, Cried, and showed our silly side with Cartoon Kid and Cute Anime – the top Lenses of the year.
Top Lenses:
Snapchat’s Crying Lens came in as the most popular Lens of the year! Since its launch, it has been viewed more than 9.7 billion times across the world.
2022 wasn’t all tears… we felt Shook, and showed our silly side with Cartoon Kid and Cute Anime coming in as runner-up Snapchat Lenses of the year.
Music and Entertainment: Between 2021 and 2022, Snap Stories with music grew three times over.
Vitamin A’s rendition of Happy Birthday, Justin Bieber’s Yummy, and Glass Animals’ Heat Waves were among the top tracks!
Movies and TV: Plus, movies and TV got Snapchatters talking.
Among this year’s top shows mentioned in Snap Stories were Cobra Kai, Euphoria, Love Island, and Stranger Things!
The top movies mentioned in Snaps were Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, Thor: Love and Thunder, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Hocus Pocus 2.
Travel Trends: Travel is back!
This year’s #1 tagged location was the airport (cue *hot destination – bound text*)
Big Ben, Guggenheim Museum, St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and The Empire State Building were among the most popular places Snapchatters captured in Snaps.
Coming soon: In addition to the trend report, every year, Snapchat creates a “Year End Story” for Snapchatters, showing them their top Memories from the year that has been. For Snapchatters who have enough content in their Snapchat Memories, Snapchat will offer a short video look-back at the year. The highlights video will showcase Snaps from the past 12 months and the much-loved Year End Story feature will start rolling out to Snapchatters this
View the full final report HERE!
Google Productivity Expert Offering Inbox Organization Tips for 2023
With 2023 around the corner, there is no better time to reset and look at ways to be more productive and efficient at home and at the office so that people can spend more time on the things that they love.
Laura Mae Martin, Executive Productivity Advisor at Google, suggests that if Canadians are looking to boost their productivity in the new year - the best place to start is their email inboxes, a place where many of us spend too many hours each day. Her key tips for an organized 2023:
How to use filters and AI to stay clear of spam as a way to avoid scams and annoying emails flooding your inbox
Smart archiving in bulk techniques to keep yourself from getting overwhelmed by a crowded post-holiday inbox
Muting email threads so you don’t have to see every update on less-urgent conversations pop into your inbox, giving you the opportunity to catch up when it’s convenient for you
Creating multiple email addresses with a plus sign to streamline and categorize your email. Sign up for different things like “online shopping” or “gym memberships” things using different forms of your email address with a simple plus sign - youremailaddress+gym@gmail.com
Looking at privacy as well as clutter by taking advantage of free tools and resources like Security Checkup and a Privacy Checkup to kick off your new productive inboxes in a safe way
Compiled by Emma Whiten, Former Editor of Marketing News Canada