Marketing Communications Today Blog

The use of digital advertising has been on the rise and has seen continuous growth despite these unprecedented times. How do you stand out in a crowded digital space? Storytelling. Join Sukhi Sahni, head of corporate communications at Capital One as she discusses how to sell stories in a digital world.

Amy Teller: Could you start us off today by describing, in your own words, what is digital storytelling?

Sukhi Sahni: I think at the heart of storytelling is how humans connect, right? So, if you think about how you connect with your families, your friends, every conversation, if there's a story that's a part of it, we tend to remember that story. You might not remember the occasion, you might not remember the people in the room, but if there was a story that was told in an impactful way, you tend to relate to that. So, I think at the very essence of storytelling is just the way humans connect, and what's more important these days is that we are connecting in a lot of different ways and a lot of different channels.

Last year WVU Marketing Communications produced a piece predicting the biggest marketing trends to come in 2020, before the year took a dramatic turn. In light of many unforeseen events, the biggest trends of the year drastically changed. COVID-19 and other events pushed marketing communications professionals to test their creative capabilities and ability to pivot, forever changing the industry.

In light of another unpredictable year ahead, the WVU Marketing Communications graduate programs hosted a Twitter Chat discussing "Predicting 2021 Marketing Trends" to encourage staff, faculty, alumni and students to consider what will be the next biggest thing in the industry.

If you missed the Twitter Chat, please view the recap below or visit the @wvuimc Twitter page.

On November 17, Twitter launched a new feature called “Twitter Fleets.” The new feature mimics the popular Stories feature that is available on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and most recently LinkedIn.

Twitter positioned the rationale for Fleets by stating the brand hoped to empower users to share content or thoughts that typically would be left in drafts. Users can share text and image posts that are only visible for 24-hours. Beta testing of the feature prior to launch in the U.S. showcased that users were more likely to “join the conversation” when they knew their post would only be available for 24 hours.

Much like Instagram Stories, user’s Fleets are only visible to their followers. For those with public profiles, anyone who has access to see a user’s public page will be able to view their Fleets. Reactions are also available for Fleets. Individuals who view a user’s Fleet can reply with just a simple emoji or DM a full text message.

Amanda Sains is the head of marketing at Joolies Organic Medjool Dates in Venice, CA. She was part of the brand launch at the trade show Natural Products Expo West in 2019 with only packaging prototypes and a stand-out booth design. Now, about a year and a half later this July, the brand is distributed nationally in over 1,500 doors with many different products including Dates and Date Syrups and flavors. Join Amanda as she discusses brand management and her experiences in launching a brand.

Karen Freberg: Tell us a little bit about your role and how did you get to become the head of marketing for Joolies?

Amanda Sains: When I joined, it was the two founders, the CEO, and then myself. We had 500 acres in the Coachella Valley, and we had a lot of dates, but we didn't have a logo or a package yet. Together as a team, we created the brand that you see today. The name Joolies came from our founder, David Kohl, and his family being date farmers. They just wanted a really fun and cute way, to refer to as medjool dates, it's a little bit of a mouthful, but Joolies is kind of a cute thing.

The holiday tradition of Black Friday shopping typically comes with crowded stores, camping out in close quarters and a high-touch environment. In the face of COVID-19, this holiday and shopping season will face challenges in logistics and marketing. 

Here are some trends to watch for as we move towards the holidays. 

Shifting to Social Commerce

As COVID-19 propels society into a new digital revolution, the entire world is seeking new ways to create connections and innovate at a distance. The future of a "touchless" or "low-touch" world is becoming increasingly more necessary as we settle into the "new normal." Rodney Williams, COO of LISNR, provides insight into how technology is empowering connection, safeguarding society, and creating new opportunities for business managers and marketers.

Cyndi Greenglass: Tell me how a touchless world, a touchless environment for us is going to empower marketers.

Rodney Williams: I think number one for marketers and when we think about especially contactless payments and mobile payments, it's evolving a very tactile manual process of paying with money and making it digital. The moment you make something digital, you open up that platform for marketers because it becomes another way to communicate. Imagine being able to communicate with a consumer at the purchase intent or the moment of making that purchase decision. We haven't necessarily had that level of control as marketers to determine or influence that purchase in store, but in today's touchless environment, when things are going to be more digital than ever before, this will give marketers that opportunity.

Social media is traditionally thought as source of entertainment and platform for informal connection with friends and family. However, in the field of marketing communications, it is also an important industry tool. Social media provides a platform for networking, idea sharing and a source of industry news.

WVU Marketing Communications Brand Ambassadors Alexis Rogers and Marissa Bailey share tips on how they leverage their professional social media channels.

Integrated Marketing Communications

What is a product insight? How do we find insights? In today’s conversation, Hannah Gordon, product insights analyst for Airbnb, will dive into why product insights matter, how to find insights and when to use them. Hannah will share tips on how she uses insights in her day-to-day at Airbnb to influence stakeholders and build products to delight users and meet business goals.

Cindy Greenglass: What is a mixed methods researcher?

Hannah Gordon: The term mixed methods refers to an emergent methodology of research of mixing quantitative and qualitative data. So as a mixed methods researcher, I'm using these different quantitative and qualitative methods to do my research and to learn more about our users and prepare research reports. I might be diving into a data analysis and pairing that with user interviews to understand what our users’ needs are and why they use our product.