Adweek October 2024

AS FALL FLAVORS began appearing on grocery shelves, Kit Kat was “thrilled” to announce the candy brand had added another flavor to its product line: vanilla. United Airlines was likewise “thrilled” to share that economy passengers now have a choice of canned wines onboard. All American A/C, a Florida-based provider of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning services, was also “thrilled” to reveal its big news: a new website. Companies are thrilled, and they’re letting the public know it at an increasing rate. A scan of distribution hub PR Newswire’s database shows the word “thrilled” appeared 7,704 times in U.S. press releases published in 2017. Last year, it popped up 19,730 times to describe how business leaders felt about their latest achievements, whether it was unveiling a new warranty or hiring…

DURING THE 76TH Emmy Awards last month, actress Jean Smart joked about confusing HBO and its rebranded streaming service Max. Though the jab was meant to be funny, there’s some truth to it. At ADWEEK’s recent Brandweek conference, Stephanie Fried, chief marketing officer of UGC entertainment and gaming platform Fandom, made a point about how difficult it is to know which streamers have certain programming and when shows are released. Other experts agree that fragmentation is a major issue across the TV and streaming industry. “The move away from pay TV does give consumers that choice. You’re not locked into a contract,” said Jennifer Kent, vice president of research at market intelligence firm Park Associates. “Unfortunately, where we’ve landed is not necessarily painless. That freedom to access content everywhere is…

AMID ANOTHER CONTENTIOUS presidential election year, where neither side seems to agree on any of the issues, one thing is certain: Political ads have been pummeling the public for months. One estimate expects advertising for the presidential general election alone to hit $2.16 billion this cycle, up 17% relative to 2020. A recent survey from data analytics firm YouGov suggests a big chunk of this money may not be doing as much as candidates and their supporters hope: Fully half of respondents said political ads have no influence at all on how they will vote. The majority of U.S. adults also think too many political ads appear on TV during presidential campaigns; a large percentage also dislike watching political ads even more than non-political ads. TV, however, is far from…

WE LIVE IN an increasingly noisy world. Social media platforms are swelling exponentially. Advertising spending growth is the highest it’s ever been; same with entertainment, driven in part by the streaming wars and competition from UGC on social media. Meanwhile, design and branding is recovering from a recent Gen Z-fueled maximalism trend that featured loud colors and complex visuals. It’s enough to give anyone a headache, particularly online where everyone seems to be yelling for attention. It’s also a no-win situation. For brands, this noise creates massive headwinds in competing for attention. Marketers can no longer stick to an annual strategy since plans need to be constantly rethought. Meanwhile, consumers may have more choices than ever before, but they also are so inundated that brand recall across all channels is…

DANY GARCIA is dancing in her living room. As she poses, a group of young women who have helped develop her social media presence chant: “Killer heels and a Bodycon dress. Killer heels and a Bodycon dress.” It’s Garcia’s spin on the “Boots and a Slicked-Back Bun” meme that flashed briefly during midsummer before becoming a memory. Garcia is also quick to move on. Minutes later, she’s sitting on her couch as she and her team film another bit, based on former Trump attorney Michael Cohen’s viral testimony from 2019. How many times has Garcia stared at her husband and professional bodybuilder Dave Rienzi’s butt? “Quite a few times,” she says. Fifty times? “More,” she says. A hundred times? “More.” They do a few takes. And Garcia is on to…

THE MARKETING LANDSCAPE got a serious shake-up 2024. Navigating the shifting sands of AI, retail media, streaming, and influencers takes standout leaders who know their craft, while always keeping an eye on the future. Each year, ADWEEK 50 honors behind-the-scenes changemakers in advertising, marketing, technology, and media who were essential growth drivers for their companies, keeping things running efficiently and, crucially, profitably. CEOs and founders get no shortage of recognition, so this award puts the spotlight on the people delivering customer engagement, driving revenue, and raising the bar for innovation. The class of 2024 includes the CMO of UScellular who’s promoting the telecom provider by encouraging people to use their phones less; the sponsorship director driving growth for banking brand Ally by not sidelining DEI commitments; the Disney Entertainment marketing…