Happy Tuesday, Lunch Breakers. This time next week we could still be talking about an improbable finish between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. At least that’s the hope, compared to the clunker of a competition from last year’s Big Game (Apologies to any Patriots fans). In this week’s edition, we cover how one snack brand is shifting promo plans in the wake of Kobe Bryant’s death, IGTV’s lackluster performance, and what the PR industry will look like not next year but next decade.
Planters Pauses Promo
Planters is dialing back promotion for its Super Bowl ad that killed off the longtime monocled mascot Mr. Peanut in a car accident following the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others. The snack brand released a teaser commercial last week that shows Mr. Peanut falling to a fiery death after The Nutmobile veered off a cliff. Planters has since paused all promotional activities for the spot that is scheduled to air on Sunday. Other advertisers have also delayed the release of their pre-Super Bowl ads for later in the week.
Instagram Drops IGTV Button
The IGTV button on Instagram’s homepage is no more. A Facebook spokesperson told TechCrunch most people were finding the longform content from follower feeds, the explore page or on the IGTV standalone app. The website’s number crunching contrasted the IGTV app’s 7 million downloads since the July 2018 launch with TikTok’s 1 billion+ downloads in the same time period.
PR in 20…30?
We’ve already covered how PR pros can stand out in 2020. Well what about looking ahead to the next decade? Coping with A.I.-written press releases and companies looking within for the next wave of influencers are just some of the predictions from one public relations prognostication panel. We’re a big fan of the concluding thought about public relations still being about people, regardless of how technologically advanced society becomes.
Employees over Election
We’re a week away from the Iowa Caucuses, and before you know it Super Tuesday will be upon us. Americans expect to be saturated with a primary season filled with slick messages, but they’d rather it not come from their favorite brands. Bulldog Reporter has the new research that found consumers want businesses to focus on employees and avoid diving into political theater. Customers, according to the study, want companies to use the booming economy to enhance employee benefits and wages, while staying neutral instead of a social campaign that appeals to either side.
