The Sauce – 17/01/24

Welcome to ‘The Sauce’ – your weekly dollop of marketing news.

This week’s edition features the Labour Party’s dig at Rishi, an update on cookies on Chrome, Renault’s rethink, and Nike splitting from Tiger Woods.

Check out the Awesomesauce Marketing LinkedIn page to sign up to get The Sauce straight to your inbox every week.

 

Raw Deal For Rishi

Watch out Rishi Sunak – the Labour Party is coming for you… With the next general election in the UK expected to take place later this year, the Labour Party is campaigning hard and kicked off the new year with a bold new campaign taking aim at Rishi Sunak’s recent tax cuts.

The “Rishi’s raw deal” ads have been created by Lucky Generals and feature a cheesy headshot of the prime minister with a glint in his smile and “You should be grateful” in speech marks next to it. It’s accompanied by the headline ‘Rishi’s raw deal’ along with bold statements such as ‘Families will be £1,200 worse off.”

Companies taking digs at each other through their marketing isn’t new – Coca-Cola and Pepsi have been at it for decades, and car hire company Avis’s famous ‘We Try Harder’ slogan came about in response to a Hertz ad marking Avis as ‘No.2 in rent a cars’ and claiming, ‘We try damned hard’.

But it can backfire… Audi’s ‘Your Move BMW’ billboard from the mid-2000s resulted in BMW placing a much larger billboard directly next to the Audi ad, featuring their latest model and a simple ‘Checkmate’. As recently as last year, we featured an Oatly out-of-home ad taking aim at the dairy industry.

James Keith, Account & Strategy Director at Awesomesauce Marketing, said, “We love seeing companies being bold with their marketing but there’s a fine line between bold and risky, and calling out the competition often crosses that line. This approach is almost guaranteed to grab attention but there’s also a high chance of retaliation from the competitor (or even a response from a disgruntled customer on social media). I’d recommend businesses think very carefully before going down this route and consider other ways to stand out with their marketing.”

One thing’s for sure… Labour isn’t going to play it safe with their campaigning this year, so grab some popcorn and wait to see what happens next. Your Move Tories.

We love seeing companies being bold with their marketing but there’s a fine line between bold and risky…

Google Chrome Tests Changes to Cookies

Google Chrome has started testing changes to the way companies can track users online using cookies. It’s been a long time coming – online privacy and data protection have been major concerns in recent years.

The new feature in Chrome disables third-party cookies but is only initially available to 1% of users globally, who will be offered the option to ‘browse with more privacy’. Google plans to fully eliminate third-party cookies later this year.

Many other browsers such as Safari and Firefox already allow users to block third-party cookies, but Chrome is used by a massive 63.56% of people*.

The move claims to protect consumer privacy online, but what does it mean for advertisers?

Mark Boyles, Art & Digital Director at Awesomesauce Marketing, said, “The initial trial is unlikely to have a significant effect on businesses due to only involving 1% of Chrome users, but the elimination of third-party cookies further down the line is sure to have a huge impact on advertisers.

“But there are still opportunities for advertisers, and with our clients we’re discussing how they can maximise the use of first-party data. Ultimately everyone is in the same boat, and there are opportunities there for those willing to act now and adapt their strategy.”

Ready to revisit your digital marketing strategy? Drop us an email on hello@awesomesaucemarketing.co.uk to find out how we can help.

*Statista.com      

 

Renault’s Rethink

French car manufacturer Renault is aiming to reshape its brand image in the UK as it expands its range of electric vehicles (EVs). Their new ‘Renault Rethink’ campaign focuses on the ‘electric driving revolution’ with a new slogan, “”We never did ordinary, we don’t do same, we do revolution.”

The content will feature on the company’s website and social media, on out-of-home ads and in print. It focuses on the brand’s EV products and how people think about them, from technology to driver safety, and the connection between driver and car.

With the move to electrification, the automotive industry has seen its biggest shake up in decades, with established players forced to adapt as never before, and new players such as Tesla joining the mix. Automotive manufacturers have adapted with varying degrees of success, mostly focusing on their product line-up and how they can meet the technological demands of electrification. 

Ashleigh Morris, Content and Communications Lead at Awesomesauce Marketing, said, “With Renault, it’s refreshing to see the recognition that they also need to think about their brand perception through their marketing, and re-frame how consumers think about electrification. Away from the automotive industry, at Awesomesauce we’re seeing B2B and B2C businesses across the board adapt their marketing to meet changing market conditions.”

How has your business adapted its marketing to address environmental factors, technological advances and changes to consumer behaviour post-pandemic?  Drop us a message to find out how Awesomesauce can help.

It’s refreshing to see the recognition that they also need to think about their brand perception through their marketing.

Nike Nixes Tiger Deal

We didn’t see this one coming – Nike and Tiger Woods have parted ways after 27 years. Woods signed his first contract with the brand in 1996, for an impressive $40 million.

The partnership showed unusual longevity for a brand/celebrity deal, with Nike even standing by Woods after his infidelity scandal and that infamous car crash – an unusual move for a big brand, most of whom cut ties at the first sign of trouble from a celebrity.

With that in mind, why end the partnership now? It’s unclear which side ended the deal and it remains to be seen whether Woods has another deal lined up with a competitor brand. It’s crucial that brands link with celebrities who match their brand ethos and perhaps their partnership with Woods had simply run its course as the company looks to evolve. 

Changing consumer behaviour is also likely to have had an impact on Nike’s strategy, as they continue to be market-leaders in this field. In 2009, at the time the Woods’ scandal emerged, 47% of online adults used a social networking website*. Fast forward to 2024, and that figure is expected to reach 82.3%**.

James Keith, Account & Strategy Director at Awesomesauce Marketing, said, “It’s surprising that Nike stuck with Woods throughout the challenging periods of his life and career, and it’s perhaps unlikely they would do so in a similar situation now, in light of changing consumer behaviour and the rise of social media. We’re seeing brands being held more accountable for their actions, and those of who they work with. 

“This is also relevant to B2B businesses who need to consider the impact of their online presence, even down to how employees are representing the business online.”

 

You can check out our latest dollop of marketing news next week. If you can’t wait that long for your latest sauce fix, you can read our previous posts here.

Want to find out more about what we do and how we can help your business? 

Contact our Account & Strategy Director James Keith here >>> james@awesomesaucemarketing.co.uk.