Marketing News Roundup: November 17, 2022
Today we feature a round-up of some big events and recent industry happenings.
Coors Light launches Draught Draft to Win the Ultimate Raptors Experience
We Are Social and The Narrative Group Announce Merger to Combine Earned and Social Expertise
Reddit Announcing Two New Global VPs
NorthStar Bets Encourages Canadians to Take a 90-Minute 'Stat Holiday’
Read more below!
Coors Light launches Draught Draft to Win the Ultimate Raptors Experience
A recent study commissioned by Coors Light revealed that more than 1 in 3 Canadians would be willing to wear the Raptors mascot suit for a day to win tickets and that one-third of millennials enjoy a certified cold beer to help them chill out during a high-stakes Raptors game.
Enter the Coors Light Draught Draft - an opportunity for Raptors fans to win an even chiller, in-arena game experience. From November 10th to December 22nd, Raptors fans can purchase a pint of Coors Light at participating Jack Astor’s locations in Ontario to enter the draft. Simply scan the QR code for the chance to draft you and four friends to the ultimate Chill Zone experience at a Raptors game.
We Are Social and The Narrative Group Announce Merger to Combine Earned and Social Expertise
We Are Social and The Narrative Group (TNG) announced that they have entered into a merger agreement, joining forces to bolster the agencies' social and culture practices. The merger will introduce We Are Social as the lead brand in the United States, and will be overseen by TNG's current President, Rebecca Coleman, in her new role as CEO of We Are Social US. The Narrative Group will continue to own earned-led speciality offerings across Public Relations, Experiential Marketing and Talent services.
"We Are Social's global perspective and unrivaled social media expertise complements The Narrative Group's ability to embed brands in the zeitgeist through culture-centered, earned-led campaigns," says Rebecca Coleman, newly-appointed CEO of We Are Social U.S. "The merging of these two powerhouses will strengthen both brands' offerings, as the new entity will have more strength and creativity to unlock market differentiation and disruption."
Building upon Plus Company's corporate growth strategy, the new offering will enhance the company's capabilities for current and future business needs while integrating infrastructure and resources to bolster its U.S. presence.
"The merger reflects the strength of the Plus Company network of agencies and its commitment to growth and collaboration not competition," says Plus Company CEO, Brett Marchand. "Together, this team of over a hundred brilliant, creative and trend-setting professionals will bring new ideas and thinking to the table for their clients."
The merger will come into effect on January 1, 2023. While both companies will retain their individual brands, The Narrative Group leadership will work closely with We Are Social to help drive overall vision and enable market differentiation and disruption. Simultaneously We Are Social will bring its global brand with a clear vision, and robust strategy, research, insights, tools and systems that will help drive scalable business.
"Bringing together two talented teams will accelerate the growth of both We Are Social and The Narrative Group in the US market. Our increased scale and combined capabilities creates value for our clients and synergies for our teams, enabling us to deliver even more breakthrough work." says Nathan McDonald, Co-Founder and Group CEO of We Are Social. "I am very ambitious about our fresh offering and look forward to the learnings this will bring to We Are Social U.S. and our global network."
Learn more about Plus Company and our network of agencies by visiting PlusCompany.com or online @PlusCompany_ on Twitter and Plus Company on LinkedIn.
Reddit Announcing Two New Global VPs
As the advertising business continues to scale globally, Reddit is thrilled to announce today two new senior leaders Stephen Riad, Reddit’s VP of Global Mid-Market and SMB Sales, and Roelof van Zwol, Reddit’s VP of Ads Engineering, who join our executive team in newly established roles.
Charged with defining the global strategy and structure for Reddit’s mid-market and small business (MM and SMB) sales organization, Stephen Riad will lead the sales teams responsible for driving monthly active advertiser growth within these important segments, oversee client and agency relationships, and work closely with cross-functional leaders across the business to ensure the strongest solutions for these partners.
Stephen joins us from Google where he held senior roles across strategy, sales, operations, and business growth, and was charged with establishing the company’s first MM and SMB acquisition business across the Asia Pacific region. An Australian now based in London with his wife and three children, Stephen’s favorite Reddit communities include r/casualUK and r/boxing, which is not surprising given his background as a competitive boxer.
“I’ve been fortunate in my career to see several clients evolve from a small business to an enterprise brand and it’s one of my favorite aspects of the job to contribute to that journey,” said Reddit VP of Global Mid-Market and SMB, Stephen Riad. “Reddit’s ads business has seen incredible growth in recent years but is only scratching the surface of its full capability, and I'm excited to be part of the team to further unlock that potential and drive meaningful business outcomes for clients.”
With almost 20 years of experience in machine learning, most recently from Pinterest where he was Head of Monetization Sciences and ML Engineering, Roelof van Zwol is focused on leading the technical strategy, execution, and team behind Reddit’s monetization engine. He is responsible for building the architecture that powers Reddit’s Ads Marketplace and overseeing the Ads Software, Solutions, and Reliability Engineering teams to ensure a best-in-class offering for Reddit advertisers around the world.
Prior to Pinterest, Roelof held senior positions at Netflix and Yahoo!, with roles spanning engineering, product innovation, and research contributing to his well-rounded career in tech. Originally from the Netherlands, Roelof lived and worked in Barcelona for several years before settling down in Silicon Valley with his wife and two teenage children. He holds a Masters and Ph.D. in Computer Science and when he’s not working, you’ll likely find him fine-tuning his bass skills or connecting with others doing the same in r/bass.
“It’s a thrilling time to join Reddit as online communities are becoming more and more integral to the daily lives of audiences around the world. I personally find myself using Reddit every day, whether it’s to find answers to specific questions or learn and share knowledge around topics that interest me,” said Reddit VP of Ads Engineering, Roelof van Zwol. “Reddit is in a unique position to bring together users and advertisers based on their shared interests and goals, and I’m so pleased to be able to help advance the monetization of Reddit as a platform by bringing more value to advertisers and users alike.”
Stephen reports to Reddit’s Global EVP and President of Advertising Harold Klaje, and Roelof reports to Reddit’s EVP of Ads Monetization, Shariq Rizvi. Both start immediately.
NorthStar Bets Encourages Canadians to Take a 90-Minute 'Stat Holiday’
It's time to cheer on the boys in red, Canada!
For the first time since 1986, Canada's men's soccer team will be representing our country in the world's biggest soccer tournament. To mark this historic event, NorthStar Bets is rallying Canadians to support the team in their upcoming matches regardless of where they are or what time of the day it is, that's why NorthStar Bets created a new 90-minute "statutory holiday".
The Canadian team's first match of the tournament is set to kick off on Wednesday, November 23, at 2 p.m. ET, falling in the middle of the workday for many. To give all Canadian soccer fans the opportunity to watch the match, NorthStar Bets is urging Canadian employers and senior decision-makers to give employees time off during the day to watch the national men's team compete on the world stage with the first-ever 90-minute stat holiday.
"Canadian soccer fans have waited 36 years for this moment, and we want to ensure every Canadian has the opportunity to cheer on the Canadian squad," said Michael Moskowitz, CEO and a founding partner of NorthStar Gaming. "We hope that a 90-minute 'stat holiday' will provide a sense of togetherness and patriotism, while demonstrating our nation's pride of Canada's men's soccer team. Canadians have a long and rich history of rallying around marquee hockey, baseball and basketball moments, and now it's time to show our support for our soccer team."
NorthStar Gaming is teaming up with the hosts of the popular soccer podcast Footy Prime, featuring former Canadian men's national soccer team stars Craig Forrest and Jimmy Brennan, alongside their sports podcast co-hosts James Sharman, Brendan Dunlop, Dan Wong and Jeff Cole, to rally Canadians behind the 90-minute stat holiday program.
"We're thrilled to join forces with NorthStar Bets and encourage fellow Canadian soccer fans to take time out of their busy days to watch Canada take on the world for the first time in almost 40 years," said Craig Forrest, former men's national soccer player, sports commentator and Footy Prime podcast co-host. "Our Canadian roots compel us to rally behind our athletes for one of the world's biggest sporting moments in history. We look forward to sharing this experience with Canadians across the country."
To celebrate this momentous occasion, NorthStar Gaming is hosting immersive pre-parties at The Rec Room in Toronto for Canada's first two matches on Wednesday, November 23 at 2 p.m. ET and Sunday, November 27 at 11 a.m. ET. Visit www.90minutes.ca to register and learn more about the 90-minute statutory holiday.
Canadians can also join in on the fun by using the #90MinStatHoliday hashtag on social media or by showing support with a bet on Canada with NorthStar Bets (www.northstarbets.ca), or download the app from the App Store and Play Store. For more information on NorthStar Gaming, please visit www.northstargaming.ca.
Compiled by Emma Whiten, Former Editor of Marketing News Canada