A brief overview of what is currently trending in news, culture, and/or trending hashtags and formats.
Kendrick Lamar: The Super Bowl LIX halftime show starring Kendrick Lamar broke an all-time viewership record, surpassing that of Michael Jackson.
Ticketmaster: The ticketing platform is all talk as fans race to snag tickets to BeyoncĆ©ās Cowboy Carter Tour, navigating a lengthy & unforgiving queue.
Philadelphia Eagles: Following their win of Super Bowl LIX, fans are rallying around the many accolades associated with their team such as Jalen Hurtsā kindness, Mekhi Bectonās gratitude, & Autumn Lockwoodās win as the first black female coach.
A deeper dive into a subject that is impacting culture on a macro level, beyond just the social space.
The Bumbling Poppi Dramaš„¤
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What It Is:Ā In support of their Super Bowl 59 ad poking fun at legacy soda, popular prebiotic soda brand Poppi indulged in over-the-top influencer gifts that have the internet infuriated. The backlash comes after branded vending machines were sent to the homes of 32 influencers including the likes of Kaeli McEwen, Avery Woods, & Jake Shane. The machines were stocked with unlimited beverages for creators to enjoy during the Super Bowl in what feels to consumers like too much.
Critics argue Poppiās stunt felt tone-deaf amid economic hardship, with influencers flaunting freebies instead of the brand making a broader community impact. Many wished the machines had gone to schools, hospitals, or campuses instead. Though Poppi hosted a consumer event at Tulane, the controversy overshadowed it.
Founder Allison Ellsworth addressed the backlash, denying claims that each machine cost $25K and promising future giveaways and community events. She urged fans to action to āget Poppi to the masses,ā encouraging consumers to nominate friends, family, teachers, and/or locations for the vending machines to go to next.
However, all of this may be too little too late.
Brand Takeaway:Ā Influencer gifting isnāt new, but itās all about optics. As Rachel Karten of Link in Bio put it: āGood marketing doesnāt exist in the context of bad sentiment.ā Poppiās stunt became another pain point for consumersāno one likes watching others get freebies while they pay. Tarteās Bora Bora trip and Eras Tour experience already set a precedent for lavish gifting gone wrong. While experiential gifting encourages organic-looking content, consumers quickly connect the dots on the real costāflights, hotels, concert tickets, and more. Transparency in sponsored content is expected, but excessive gifting feels ambiguous and out of touch. The shift? Rewarding consumers, not just influencers. Brands like Taco Bell, Owala, and AriZona Iced Tea are winning by engaging real customersāthe true drivers of business. Maybe itās time to rethink who gets the perks.
Examples:Ā 1 | 2 | 3
Four must-click links that crossed our feeds today.
š± BuzzFeed announced that itās building its own social media platform.
šļø Netflix is exploring the world of video podcasting to compete with the likes of YouTube and Spotify.
š Those Valentineās Day chocolates could cost 10%-20% more than they did last year with cocoa prices hitting a record $12.6k+ per metric ton in December.
š» Are you a āSeverenceā fan? Please enjoy your day at Lumon Industries.
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