What’s this? A Saturday edition? It’s my birthday and I am a back at the helm of the news round-up. Sure, I took some time to explore the idea that I should slow down and work less. It was a quiet time with a great deal of reflection and I got a lot done. The rest of the world did too, so a weekend update became necessary.
Do you know what’s been missing from our understanding of brand competition? Good sportspersonship. Consumers like it when brands play nicely on social media. At least, that’s what a new study from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Duke University suggests.
Researchers conducted almost a dozen experiments that found when a brand compliments one of its competitors on social media, it boosts their reputation and sales. The experiments came after Xbox and PlayStation complimented Nintendo on the release of new products on Twitter.
In one experiment included, participants received one of two fictitious tweets. In the first, Kit Kat complimented Twix. In the second, Kit Kat mentioned only its own product.
After 11 days those participants who saw the complimentary tweet from Kit Kat, purchased that brand 34% more frequently compared to those who saw the self-promoting tweet from Kit Kat.
“Warmth is one of the first things that we judge a brand by – and how we judge other people by too,” said Katherine Du, one of the study co-authors from the Lubar School of Business at UW-Milwaukee. “Our contribution was to look at how brands can interact to create that perception. But it’s important for the praising brand to initiate the interaction and to appear authentic.”
The study appears in the Journal of Marketing,
Press release: https://www.newswise.com/articles/it-pays-to-be-nice-to-your-competitor-brands-on-social-media-study-says?ta=home
Instacart has expanded its reach into Canadian retail. The same-day delivery solution’s clients now includes the retailers Metro Inc, Giant Tiger, Galleria Supermarket, Menagerie Pet Shop, Popeye’s Supplements, Healthy Planet, Dolce & Gourmondo, Nature’s Emporium, Super Natural Market and Grande Cheese Markets. The milestone means that Instacart now partners with the top five grocers across Canada, including Costco, Loblaws and Walmart. Instacart claims the service is now is available to approximately 90% of Canadian households and in all 10 provinces.
“At Instacart, we’re proud to deepen our presence across Canada and serve as a retail enablement platform for key retailers countrywide, from the largest grocers to small businesses and local favourites,” said Chris Rogers, Vice President of Retail at Instacart. “We know that the demand for same-day delivery of groceries and essential goods is ubiquitous across Canada and we’re committed to creating more ways for Canadians to connect with retailers of all sizes. We’ll continue to increase our footprint across Canada and create the best online grocery shopping experience possible for both our retail partners and customers.”
Press release: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/instacart-now-partners-with-canada-s-top-five-grocers-adds-ten-new-retailers-844708240.html
StrawberryFrog will announce the results of their annual ranking at the 2022 Purpose Power Summit. The event is set for May 24th. The ranking, The 2022 Purpose Power Index (PPI), is the latest installment in a look at how brands stack up in their efforts to add meaning to their identities and deepen their relationship with customers.
“At no time in the past has purpose been as essential for brands as it is today,” said StrawberryFrog founder and CEO, Scott Goodson. “With global turmoil and consumer apathy growing, brands recognize that they need to stand for something authentic and meaningful, or risk becoming irrelevant to their key stakeholders.”
More information: https://events.inc.com/purpose-power
