New Apple updates, influencer trouble and how well do you know your Instagram engagement?

This month sees a brand new iOS update land which could change how you target and reach your audience, the first influencer has been fined for breaching code of conduct laws and Facebook has released new features to rival many of the tools and platforms out there. We also look at some interesting creative campaigns, with KFC altering their entire slogan to fit with the coronavirus pandemic and we dive into the reasons behind Dr Bronner’s Pure Castille Soap labels – which go against every rule in the book. Finally, you can compare how well your engagement is with others in the industry thanks to a new report. Are you ready?


1. iOS14.5 has landed

A new Apple update is always an exciting day and the arrival of iOS14.5 to our devices brings with it plenty of new and impressive features. You can now unlock your iPhone using Face ID even whilst wearing a mask (you need an Apple Watch, but still), there are more diverse Siri voices, better skin tone options in the emojis and, probably the most important one of all in the marketing world, user now have the ability to say no to having their data tracked by advertisers. We wrote about this one last month, but now it’s finally here. The App Tracking Transparency function means users have to give their permission before their data gets used on apps or websites owned by companies for advertising and they can now see clearly in Settings which apps have requested permission, so permission can be given or taken away at any time. This could mean it will be harder to measure the impact of advertising, reach certain audiences and larger amounts of people, but as the world of digital marketing is always changing it means there will soon be new and better ways to reach and target your audience.

Watch this space.

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2. Instagram engagement report

It’s always good to know the benchmarks of where you should be when it comes to social media engagement. Knowing where you’re at compared to the rest of the industry means that you can know if you’re doing well and what’s working or if you need to make some adjustments to improve. Overall, the average engagement rate for brands on Instagram increased in 2020 by 6.39%, from 1.09% in 2019 to 1.16% in 2020. In comparison, the posting frequency to actual feeds actually declined by about 6.22% in 2020. This makes sense. Consumers were sat indoors, happy to like and comment on posts, whilst more content creators and brands made the move to Stories, IGTV and, more recently, Reels. Posting to these different areas rather than just to feeds has been shown to increase engagement, so if you’re not utilising these features then it might be something to think about.

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3. Getting Creative: Imitation is the highest form of flattery

It’s not all about tech changes and data this month, we also want to start taking a deep dive into creative trends, inspirations and big campaigns that have made a splash. There have been many changes to the industry thanks to the pandemic, but one thing you may not have considered is the fact that KFC’s slogan, Finger Lickin’ Good, suddenly became vastly inappropriate. So this month, they decided to, ahem, borrow slogans from other brands such as Nike, L’Oréal, Red Bull, Ronseal and even McDonald’s. Their famous chicken buckets were paraded around alongside slogans such as “I’m Lovin’ It” and “Just Do It” – and although the campaign certainly created a buzz, we won’t be trying this anytime soon (we definitely don’t want Nike’s lawyers involved). However, it’s definitely a reminder that thinking outside of the box (or the bucket) really does work.

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4. Changing the message: Dr Bronner’s Soaps

Have you ever taken the time to read through the label of Dr Bronner’s Pure Castille Soap? Although it might seem slightly strange, the reasoning behind it is interesting and could help shape the way we view marketing. You see, the message on the label came first, before the product. The product was almost a by-product of the brand, with Emanuel Bronner giving speeches to advance social change in the early days and when he noticed people taking the soap and leaving before he had a chance to speak, he started putting the speech on the bottles. It’s an interesting move, and makes the point that the brand story can sometimes be just as important as the brand itself. Once you’ve nailed the story, the rest will simply follow. Although seeing as the design label breaks every single graphic design rule in the book, it might be a good idea to weave this story through other places in your marketing!

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5. Influencers fined for not disclosing sponsored content

We wrote about the introduction of the new Code of Conduct rules for Australian influencers back in July, and although the code only came into effect in February, the first influencer has been caught breaching the rule. The code of conduct basically requires influencers to be explicit with paid partnerships, think #ad, yet Anna Heinrich, the influencer in question, didn’t make it clear at all that the dress she was wearing was gifted in a post a few months back. We’re thinking that this will be the start of much more regulation within the Influencer industry and that this will be the first of many posts coming under scrutiny.

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6. Facebook tests tools that are in direct competition with Clubhouse and Instagram Live

It’s becoming increasingly commonplace for brands to try and one-up each other with new features that are similar, if not better, than their rival platforms. This time, Facebook is going head to head with Clubhouse and Instagram Live with their new feature ‘Hotline’. This allows creators to speak to an audience who can then ask questions and engage with them. However, unlike Clubhouse, creators can use video, instead of being audio-only. Not only is Facebook going against rival brands, but they’re also creating features that rival handy tools like Hootsuite with a new Business Suite feature that will allow users to schedule stories ahead of time and edit existing scheduled posts. Soon, we’ll be able to do everything through Facebook itself, which will certainly make save time and energy for more important things.

FB Business SuiteFB Tests Hotline