Accidental Product Placement, Community Platforms, and Nintendo Ice Cream
Hello Friends!
No need for pleasantries this morning. I'm just gonna dive headfirst into two things that have been stuck in my head for the last two weeks.
First: This song. Released in 2008.
It's been playing over and over and over again in my head for weeks. Mostly when I'm riding my bike, but not always.
"How does this happen?" I wondered / Googled....
Psychologists identify why certain songs get stuck in your head
🎧
Key Takeaway: If I happen to become possessed by a demon from The Upside Down, please drop Young Love by Mystery Jets into some headphones for me.
Now to the second thing that's been stuck in my head all week.
This husky video. WTF sound is this dog making?!?!
The algorithm is sensing my weakness for huskies, so now it's serving up an excessive number of husky videos. And I can't stop watching them. I need to make it stop.
But how can I when...
OK, random rant over.
Happy Friday!
Community Software
Last week, I wrote about the upcoming launch of This Better Work, a support community to help overlooked founders be successful and happy in business and in life.
I love bringing people together. And luckily, it's getting easier with the introduction of a wide range of community management tools.
When I built the community around LaneSpotter, a lot of these tools didn't exist. I managed the community through a combination of Facebook Groups and Slack. It wasn't ideal, but it worked.
I wanted a better (more complete) solution for This Better Work, so I started the research. After hitting up G2 – and a bunch of friends who run successful communities – I narrowed it down to three options:
Mighty Networks won for several reasons. The big one:
They have AMAZING resources to get you up and running fast.
This is one of the first things I look for when assessing software. What resources does the company provide to help me learn and grow? How easy is it to use those resources to master this new tool? This is where Mighty shined.
This is also where some of my other favorite software shines, including Webflow, Canva, and Notion. Outside of their official resources, all of these companies are supported and loved by passionate users who create articles, videos, and templates that help other people become experts.
Don't underestimate the power of good content.
And of course, a community that supports learning 😉
This Better Work
A support community for overlooked founders. We want you to do more than survive. We want you to thrive.
A Little to the Left, Please
Wait. Is that an Iron City Beer?
Yes, yes it was. And I was so pumped.
I spy an @IronCityBeer can in Episode 2 of @Stranger_Things 4 👀
— Lynsie Campbell (@lynsie) June 3, 2022
Product placement, also known as embedded marketing, is a marketing technique where references to specific brands or products are incorporated into another work, such as a film or television program, with specific promotional intent. - Wikipedia
Stranger Things has made this a thing.
‘Stranger Things 4’ product visibility is worth up to $25 million for Coke, Jif and other brands
And brands are taking full advantage of these opportunities👇
Anatomy of a Product Placement (New York Times)
My two favorite tidbits from the article:
Did You Know? Product placement is now a $23 billion industry, up by an estimated 14 percent since 2020.
Of Course The Are! Tech companies are experimenting with tools to place products into shows that have already been taped and AI solutions that could swap one brand of alcohol for another, or a bottle of Pepsi for what might have originally been a bottle of Coke — essentially selling placements like ad space for different markets.
Speaking of product placement, here's a pretty sweet collab 🥁
Cold Stone offering new Nintendo desserts for Kirby, Animal Crossing, and Mario Party (Everything Nintendo)
The kiddo has been home sick all week, so he's been helping me send emails, create ads in Canva, and pick stories for this week's newsletter. This is his contribution to the latter.
I've added a stop at Cold Stone Creamery to the weekend agenda. Sadly, all three of these mashups sound delicious.
'He Didn't Know How Big It Was Gonna Be': Security Camera Catches Horrifying Firework Display Gone Wrong (Entrepreneur)
And finally, the perfect example of accidental product placement. Lots of 👀 👀 👀 on that SimpliSafe logo, thanks to this viral fireworks video.
Marketing Stuff
How to Include Your Customer Support Team into Your Marketing Strategy (Convince & Convert)
Big, big believer in this one. These two departments need to be talking and collaborating constantly. I know you've heard it before, but I'll remind you.
Your customers will tell you everything you need to know. You just need to talk to them.
How to Run Twitter Ads in 2022 (Social Media Examiner)
This is a really solid overview on all of the different options available when it comes to Twitter advertising.
MrBeast Explains YouTube's Algorithm (TechCrunch)
MrBeast has almost 100 million YouTube subscribers. If he has insight he's willing to share, I'm all👂
“Short-form is here to stay and is only going to get bigger and bigger,” Donaldson said. “If you’re not doing it now, you should be.”
Until next time,
✌️Lynsie
Side note: Off the next two weeks to enjoy a "vacation" with the kid. See you on the flip side.
--
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