π Social may not always need to be 'on message' (and this is fine!)
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I recently saw a good piece of evidence for why you might only need to be entertaining on social. Even if not always with a clear "takeaway message" (at least in brand building work!). The logic goes as follows. A 2021 study(1) looked at what happened that when people were exposed to ads without actively focusing on them. And they found people were 3x more likely to consider buying the brand compared to people who didn't see the ads. And they were also 4x more likely to actually choose the advertised brand compared to those who didn't see the ads. What does this mean? Consider the realities of social. You're in an environment where you need to work harder to earn attention. Which is why so often we talk about needing to be more entertaining in order to stand out. The problem we might foresee is, well yes people will notice you but will they take out any meaningful message? What this study suggests is pure entertainment might be enough to get your brand remembered and considered. Of course, other channels do other roles as part of your media mix. And some are more explicit on brand building and sales activation messaging, as they should. But it does relieve pressure from social needing to do every single comms job under the sun, and fast, and cheaply. Basically, let social do its thing well which is to entertain and grow earned media exposure as a result! Also worth noting the study doesn't account for things like pre-existing brand fame, familiarity or recognition. So the brainy folks out there will have to do some more work on that. Still, it's useful direction for keeping things simple, entertaining, and distinct on social. β (1) 'Mind the attention gap: how does digital advertising impact choice under low attention', 2021
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Salmon Theory, by Rob Estreitinho
Helping savvy strategists swim upstream.
Hey friend β Rob here. This is the last newsletter of the year, and goodness me what a year it's been. I was made redundant. I started a business. I lost my mother. I had my best year ever in terms of cash and confidence building. Ebbs and flows, eh? I hope you have a chance to take a break, genuinely turn off those notifications, and sleep in if you feel like it. I bring below 3x articles i wrote recently, and an event we're running in January. See you in 2025, and thanks for supporting...
Hey friend β Rob here. Here's what's been swimming around our brains lately: Synthesis-as-a-Service 5 things iβve learned from Theophilus Wells IV The question i ask whenever i open a book [Bonus!] Social strategy, deconstructed Grab a cup of caramel tea, and let's get into it. Synthesis-as-a-Service And why it may be an underrated use case for hiring independent strategists. 5 things iβve learned from Theophilus Wells IV Including directness, self-definition and why impostor syndrome is a...
Hey friend β Rob here. Do you worry about things? Or at all? My suspicion is that you worry far too much about everything. But don't worry, so do i. I think it's part of what makes strategists minimally good at the job. We are always wondering what else we might be missing. It's not a point of advantage, but it's definitely a point of parity. Worrying means we don't take anything for granted. And that's the first ingredient you need to challenge preconceptions about a problem. However. As you...