iPhone; Amazon had just begun to include Prime Video in its Prime subscription; Uber had just started up in New York; and Instagram was a private company that just passed the one million user mark and was starting to add hashtags.
As the digital world has exploded over the last decade, brands across categories have been navigating the shifts in consumer behaviors and adapting to meet consumers where they are, be it in social media posts or livestreaming their lives.
“When it comes to our marketing strategy, it’s no secret that social media has made a huge impact on how brands have engaged with fans over the last decade. It’s a cornerstone of our marketing efforts,” said Rachel Ferdinando, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer at Frito-Lay North America. “We’ve made a concerted effort to leverage these evolving platforms to bring our brands to life – and put them into the hands of our consumers.”
“The food industry is incredibly dynamic, and what people seek for their snacking occasions is constantly evolving,” Ferdinando continued. “Food is influenced by culture, seasons, geography, technology, emerging flavors and more, so it can be challenging to stay ahead.”
As we celebrate our 10th anniversary and look back over the last decade and forward to the next, it seems that even as things change, some basic marketing principles still hold.
“For us, it’s all about staying close to the consumer, and we have to go where the consumer is going,” said Lisa McKnight, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Barbie and Dolls for Mattel. “That’s what we’ve done over the past 10 years, and that’s what we will do in the next 10 years. We have to stay in step with consumer interests and behaviors. We have to create products, experiences, and communication strategies that resonate with them, connect with their interests and the way they see the world around them, and are delivered to them where they are.”
Barbie has spent the last few years updating its product to be more diverse. As the brand looks forward to the next decade, creating products and marketing strategies that embrace the cultural shifts and technology trends will remain at the forefront.
“As we know, there are so many different content platforms today, so much disruption in retail, and to be at our best, we must continue to evolve our marketing programs to stay in step with consumers,” McKnight said.
The cultural shifts of the last decade are real and diversity will only become more important. The body positivity movement has been gaining traction since 2011 and has been at the forefront of Blink Fitness’ marketing and communications strategy since Day 1.
“I am new to the gym industry, but I feel like there has been an inflection point of change,” said Michelle Horowitz, SVP, Head of Marketing & Communications, Blink Fitness. “Blink has really stood out in the market as different in how they approach fitness. We are focused on the idea of mood over muscle. We use real members in all of our campaigns. It’s a true story about inclusivity and diversity, and we have been telling that story since the brand’s inception in 2008. In that time period when we first launched the brand, it was the idea of body inclusivity and positivity, and ensuring that our members are engaged. It’s wonderful to have this brand ethos, and it couldn’t be more relevant today.”
A decade ago most people were still going into physical gyms to work out. Today there is an endless supply of livestream classes and video app content available. As we emerge from the pandemic, people will likely work out in some form of hybrid format.
No matter how they work out, Blink has an opportunity to curate options to consumer needs.
“Continuing with that story is something we will continue to focus on,” said Horowitz. “The idea of personalization is also a really important part, we want to meet people where they are on their own journey of physical and mental wellness. Overall wellness is a really big part of what this brand stands for.”
