Ep. 255- What's Up THIS WEEK: California Fires🙏(what NOT to do!), TikTok Ban👋? AND- Awesome New Movie Coming out this week!

Summary

Podcast Summary: Ep. 255 – What's Up THIS WEEK: California Fires🙏 (What NOT to Do!), TikTok Ban👋?, AND - Awesome New Movie Coming Out This Week!

Podcast Information:

• Title: Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson | Presented By Marigold
• Host: Jay Schwedelson
• Presented By: GURU Media Hub
• Release Date: January 14, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 255 of "Do This, NOT That!" hosted by Jay Schwedelson, listeners are treated to a comprehensive discussion on the pressing events of the week, blending significant business and marketing news with light-hearted commentary on pop culture. This episode delves into the sensitive handling of tragedies in marketing, the looming potential ban of TikTok in the United States, and some intriguing (and questionable) brand collaborations. Additionally, there's a spotlight on Cameron Diaz's much-anticipated return to the silver screen.

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1. Addressing the California Fires: Marketing Missteps

The episode opens with a heartfelt acknowledgment of the devastating California fires, highlighting the emotional and communal impact of such disasters.

Key Points:

• Empathy Over Exploitation: Jay emphasizes the critical importance of sensitivity in marketing during tragedies. He warns against capitalizing on such events, stressing that any attempts to do so can severely damage a brand's reputation.

  "Nobody should be trying to capitalize on this tragedy. If you're doing that, you just stink and you're a horrible person." (02:15)

• Reading the Room: Jay shares a personal anecdote about his company's misstep, where a seemingly innocuous meme was perceived as insensitive given the current circumstances. This serves as a cautionary tale for marketers to be acutely aware of the societal context in which they operate.

  "We got a lot of negative comments that we were really just not thinking properly. And that's totally fair." (04:10)

• Practical Advice: He outlines specific marketing elements to avoid, such as certain imagery and phrases that could be misinterpreted or deemed inappropriate during sensitive times. Examples include steering clear of terms like "hot new arrival" or using fire-related emojis.

  "Don't use the word lit... don't even use a fire emoji in your marketing right now." (05:50)

Insights:

• Brand Authenticity: Maintaining authenticity and demonstrating genuine concern are paramount. Brands must prioritize empathy over promotional content to build and retain trust.
• Immediate Feedback: Negative feedback should be taken seriously, prompting brands to reassess and realign their strategies promptly.

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2. The Potential TikTok Ban and Its Implications

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the ongoing debate surrounding the potential ban of TikTok in the United States, exploring its ramifications for marketers and the broader social media landscape.

Key Points:

• Legislative Background: Jay explains the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act enacted in April 2024, targeting TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The act mandates divestment from TikTok by January 19, 2025, under threat of a nationwide ban due to national security concerns.

  "TikTok will stop operating in the United States on January 19th if there's no intervention." (06:45)

• Potential Outcomes:

  • App Gradual Decline: If the ban is upheld without any major intervention, TikTok users may find the app becoming outdated and less secure over time due to the halt in updates and new features.

    "The app is going to become less secure because there will be fewer security patches." (07:20)

  • Possible Acquisition: With a possible change in administration, there's speculation that ByteDance might fully divest or be acquired by a major U.S. company like Oracle, potentially allowing TikTok to continue operating.

    "I don't think TikTok is just going to go away." (07:55)

• Market Implications:

  • YouTube Shorts' Ascendancy: Jay posits that YouTube Shorts, boasting over 2 billion monthly active users, stands to gain significantly from TikTok's potential downfall, positioning it as the frontrunner over Instagram Reels.

    "I believe this is really the year of YouTube." (08:35)

  • Triller's Limited Impact: While Triller is attempting to position itself as a TikTok alternative, Jay remains skeptical about its potential to capture TikTok's user base.

    "I don't think that's going to be what happens. It's going to be YouTube, it's going to be Instagram." (09:10)

Insights:

• Strategic Shifts: Marketers should prepare for a potential pivot towards YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, optimizing their content strategies to leverage these platforms' growing dominance.
• User Engagement: The uncertainty around TikTok's future underscores the importance of diversifying social media strategies to mitigate risks associated with platform-specific dependencies.

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3. New Movie Release: Cameron Diaz's Comeback

Adding a touch of pop culture to the episode, Jay highlights the excitement surrounding Cameron Diaz's return to cinema after an 11-year hiatus.

Key Points:

• Film Details: The movie, titled "Back in Action," is a spy comedy thriller featuring Cameron Diaz alongside Jamie Foxx. Set for release on Netflix, the film marks Diaz's much-anticipated return to acting.

  "Cameron Diaz has not made a movie in 11 years. And she's awesome." (09:45)

• Marketing Angle: While brief, this segment underscores the significance of celebrity comebacks in marketing narratives, potentially revitalizing fan engagement and media buzz.

Insights:

• Leveraging Star Power: Brands and marketers can harness the buzz around such high-profile comebacks to align their campaigns, creating synergistic promotional opportunities.

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4. Bizarre Brand Collaborations: Dunkin and Native

Concluding the episode, Jay critiques unconventional and arguably mismatched brand collaborations, using Dunkin's partnership with Native as a prime example.

Key Points:

• Collaboration Overview: Dunkin (formerly Dunkin Donuts) has teamed up with Native, a personal care brand, to launch a line of donut-inspired personal care products, including deodorants, body washes, and shampoos.

  "They just teamed up with Native to launch a collection of donut inspired personal care items." (10:05)

• Product Range: The collaboration features four scents—Strawberry Frosted Doughnut, Vanilla Sprinkle, Blueberry Cobbler, and Boston Cream.

• Jay's Critique: He expresses bafflement and amusement at the necessity and practicality of such products, questioning the coherence and appeal of donut-scented personal care items.

  "Is this something the world needs? They are launching deodorants and body washes and shampoos. Are we? Are you kidding me?" (10:15)

  "There's a lot of weirdness that goes into that sentence." (10:25)

Insights:

• Brand Alignment: This collaboration serves as a case study on the importance of brand alignment and relevance. Marketers must ensure that partnerships resonate with their target audience and uphold the brand's core values and identity.
• Consumer Perception: Unorthodox collaborations can lead to mixed consumer reactions, potentially diluting brand messaging and causing confusion among the audience.

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Conclusion

Episode 255 of "Do This, NOT That!" offers a balanced mix of serious marketing insights and lighter commentary on current events and trends. Jay Schwedelson effectively underscores the importance of empathy and awareness in marketing, especially during crises, while also navigating the complexities of evolving social media landscapes and unconventional brand strategies. For marketers and enthusiasts alike, this episode provides valuable lessons on adaptability, strategic foresight, and the ever-present need for genuine brand integrity.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• "Nobody should be trying to capitalize on this tragedy. If you're doing that, you just stink and you're a horrible person." (02:15)
• "We got a lot of negative comments that we were really just not thinking properly. And that's totally fair." (04:10)
• "Don't use the word lit... don't even use a fire emoji in your marketing right now." (05:50)
• "TikTok will stop operating in the United States on January 19th if there's no intervention." (06:45)
• "I believe this is really the year of YouTube." (08:35)
• "I don't think that's going to be what happens. It's going to be YouTube, it's going to be Instagram." (09:10)
• "Cameron Diaz has not made a movie in 11 years. And she's awesome." (09:45)
• "Is this something the world needs? They are launching deodorants and body washes and shampoos. Are we? Are you kidding me?" (10:15)
• "There's a lot of weirdness that goes into that sentence." (10:25)

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Note: Times are indicative based on transcript segments and are included for illustrative purposes.

Transcript

[Unknown Speaker]

Foreign.

[Jay Schwedelson]

Welcome to do this not that, the podcast for marketers. You'll walk away from each episode with actionable tips you can test immediately. You'll hear from the best minds in marketing who will share tactics, quick wins, and pitfalls to avoid. We'll also dig into life, pop culture, and the chaos that is our everyday. I'm Jay Schwedelson. Let's do this, not that.

[Unknown Speaker]

We are back for what's up this week from the do this not that podcast presented by Marigold. This is our super short episode. We'll break down what's going on this week and in business and marketing and life. And then we still have our ask us anything episode later in the week and our big tips episode at the end of the week. So what's going on this week? Well, first I want to mention how devastating it is to see everything going on in California. To watch people lose their homes that they've been in for so many years is crushing. My heart goes out to them. And it is beyond inspiring to see everyone rally together. And from a marketing perspective, there is something that we really need to consider. First off, nobody should be trying to capitalize on on this tragedy. If you're doing that, you just stink and you're a horrible person. But beyond that, you really want to make sure in any situation where really all of us are rallying together when there's something really horrible that takes place. You want to read the room? And something my own company did this week that actually was a mistake was that we didn't do a good job of, quote unquote, reading the room. And what do I mean by that? So on one of our social accounts, one of our team members posted a meme. It was a meme of a cartoon character that was on fire. And it was about how, you know, marketers are running around crazy to start the year off. And it was this image of a cartoon character that had flames coming off of them. And, you know, at any other time, this would be a nothing. Nobody would care. Great. It would get some traction. But in this moment, we got a lot of negative comments that we were really just not thinking properly. And that's totally fair. And I agree. We should have gotten that negative feedback and it caused us to really take a pause and say, okay, we need to do a better job of understanding what is going on and what we are actually doing and what we are putting out there, because that's how you can hurt your brand. So right now, anything that you are promoting this, using this as an example and you should use this for any situations that come up. Anything that you're promoting right now, whether you're a business market or consumer marketer, there are certain things that you shouldn't be doing. There's certain imagery, obviously, like what we did, you shouldn't be using that imagery. But there's also certain words and phrases right now that you shouldn't be using. You shouldn't say, there's a hot new arrival, right? You shouldn't say this is going to spark your interest or you have a fire sale. You shouldn't be saying these things because is it going to destroy your performance? Not necessarily, but it's going to destroy your brand with the audiences and communities that you're marketing to. And it should, because it just shows that you just are not aware and you don't care. And that's terrible and it's probably not true. Hopefully you do care. And there are other things, like don't use the word lit. Don't use the word lit at any moment because lit is an embarrassing word to use. Now, if I say lit to my kids, they think I am a nerd and I am a nerd, so don't do that. And I would go as far to say don't even use a fire emoji in your marketing right now, because again, it's a little bit off. And is that the most important thing, what I just talked about? Absolutely not. It's a ridiculous element to even bring up all of this marketing stuff. But that is our job, right? And our job is to make sure that we are being involved in what's going on on the planet and we're not trying to take advantage of it. And so to be a little bit aware of this is important. All right, so what else is going on? Well, the big thing going on this week is, is, is, is, is, is TikTok going to get banned? Right. That's the big topic. And just to do a quick rehash on what this is, what's going on with TikTok, and I'll give you my two cents what I think is going to happen. So back in April 2024, the United States enacted the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Ooh. It was all about TikTok. And basically it was mandating that TikToks Chinese parent company, which called ByteDance, that they had to divest from TikTok by January 19th of 2025 or they were going to face a nationwide ban due to national security concerns. So here we are. And the Supreme Court Appears that they're going to uphold this decision, this band. So what does that actually mean? Well, there's a few things. So if there's no intervention and nobody does anything, TikTok will stop operating in the United States on January 19th. So I think one of two scenarios is going to probably play out, in my opinion, which is totally useless. The most likely scenario is that TikTok is going to remain on our phones. You're not going to be able to. If you don't have TikTok in your phone, you're not going to be able to go to the App Store and download it for either Google or Apple's App Store. It's going to remain on our phones, but because the law is upheld by the Supreme Court, there's going to be no updates or new features that are going to be allowed to be pushed to our phones, which means that the app is going to, over time, become outdated. It's going to become less secure because, I mean, less security patches that can be pushed to our app. And then ultimately the functionality of the app is going to completely deteriorate. But during that weird period, in my opinion, as the app is sort of deteriorating a little bit, there's going to be a new administration. And I believe that either ByteDance is going to divest completely or a giant company, a US Company like Oracle, who's very interested, is going to come in and have some sort of ownership and rights to it and get the app rolling again. I don't think TikTok is just going to go away. And that is the other likely outcome, right? The other likely outcome is that it just ceased to exist. And if it does cease to exist on January 19, what does that mean? And in general, what does it mean? Right now, the biggest beneficiaries of this, all of this are, are Google's YouTube, right? YouTube and Instagram Reels. I believe that this really is the year of YouTube. Overall, YouTube shorts, all right, have over 2 billion monthly active users. Those are the short videos on YouTube. And the reason I say it's the year of YouTube is podcasts are aggressively moving on to YouTube. That's becoming the home of podcasts. And I believe this TikTok ban, whether it goes full ban or not, YouTube shorts is going to be, to me, the number one beneficiary. Everybody's saying it's Instagram reels, but I think Instagram reels is just, it's. It's a wonky version of TikTok. And I think YouTube has its act together. The other player out there that thinks that they're a player that I don't really think is a player is this other app called Triller. T T R I L L E R. They're out there. They're saying that they have 60 million monthly active users, of course, Engadget, but everybody is suspect on that number. And they launched this campaign this week because it's a very similar app. And they're trying to say, no, we're the new TikTok. And they launched this new campaign this week called savemytiktoks.com where you could actually download all your videos that you've ever put on TikTok and then have a place to then upload them on Triller. I don't think that's going to be what happens. It's going to be YouTube, it's going to be Instagram. So those are the big things that are going on this week that we should all be watching out for. But what are the most important useless things going on this week? Because that's really all I care about. So I'm very excited. Cameron Diaz is back. She has a new movie coming out this week on Netflix, is called Back in Action. It's a movie with her and Jamie Foxx. And Cameron Diaz has not made a movie in 11 years. And she's awesome. Okay. And it's this like spy comedy thriller. So that comes out this week. Back in action. Very pro. Cameron Diaz coming back. And the other thing I saw, which is really ridiculous, this needs to stop. These food brands collaborating with personal care brands is really weird. So Dunkin Donuts now called Dunkin, they just teamed up with Native. Native is that personal care brand, you know, soaps and whatever, to launch a collection of donut inspired personal care items. Is this something the world needs? They are launching deodorants and body washes and shampoos. Are we? Are you kidding me? So now, okay, there are going to be four donut inspired scents. Strawberry frosted doughnut. Do you need strawberry frosted donut deodorant? Is that something that we need? Vanilla sprinkle is another flavor. So you're going to have a body wash. I can't stand when people smell too much like vanilla. It grosses me out. Then they get a blueberry cobbler. Who wants to smell like a blueberry cobbler? That is embarrassing. And the last one is Boston cream, which is just weird. Hi, I'm going to use the Boston cream shampoo. There's a lot of weirdness that goes into that sentence. Anyway, this is what's going on this week. Listen, if you're awesome, you're going to register for Eventastic. That was with1t Eventastic.com that is our new free virtual event that is about all things events. It's about webinars, in person events, virtual events, small events. You're going to want to be there. It's in June, we have limited free spots. You want to check it [e-mail] and if you want to be my absolute best friend, you would leave this thing a review. Maybe you'll share the show with somebody, but if you leave a review you are cool. I appreciate you and have a great week Later.

[Jay Schwedelson]

You did it. You made it to the end. Nice, but the party's not over.

[Unknown Speaker]

Subscribe to make sure you get the.

[Jay Schwedelson]

Latest episode each week for more actionable tips and a little chaos from today's top marketers. And hook us up with a five star review if this wasn't the worst podcast of all time. Lastly, if you want access to the best virtual marketing events that are also 100% free, visit guruevents.com so you can hear from the world's top marketers like Daymond John, Martha Stewart and me, Guru Events.com check it out.