Advertising best practice, evidence and insights

Article • WARC Best Practice, August 2020

This article provides marketers with information and guidance on generating earned media.

How to use influencers to drive a word-of-mouth strategy

Article • Ed Keller and Brad Fay, WARC Best Practice, April 2016

This article offers best practice advice on engaging influencers - defined as consumers who are much more likely than the average to seek out and share information - for campaigns based around word-of-mouth strategies.

Aussie fandom is big business

News • 29/09/2020

Fandom is a A$4.3bn industry in Australia, with the average fan spending more than A$900 every year, according to Toby Boon, director of strategy, insight and effectiveness at Powered by Nine.

Brands need to share fan values to unlock the value of fandom

Article • Mukta Lad, Event Reports, The Big Ideas Store, July 2020

Nine Australia’s The Big Ideas Store webinar shone the spotlight on how the phenomenon of pop culture fandom can play a pivotal role in the marketing of brands.

Jägermeister’s masterclass in pivoting

News • 01/09/2020

Though it became relatively common to see alcohol brands pivoting to produce hand sanitiser, the – extremely nightlife focussed – liqueur brand opted instead to help those unable to work during lockdown through its #SaveTheNight campaign.

Influencer marketing strategies during COVID-19: the new landscape

Article • Jidé Maduako, WARC Exclusive, August 2020

Influencers are finding new ways to connect with consumers and partner with brands during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How Jägermeister shifted from going out to staying in

Article • Brian Carruthers, WARC Exclusive, August 2020

Jägermeister is extremely reliant on out of home consumption, and needed to shift its strategy radically under lockdown conditions.

RB uses TikTok to share public hygiene advice with #HandWashChallenge campaign

Article • Alex Brownsell, WARC Exclusive, August 2020

RB brand Dettol achieved virality on TikTok with a public hygiene campaign.

Influencer evolution 2020

Article • Research on WARC, August 2020

Today's saturated and fragmented influencer landscape is starting to have adverse effects.

How an Influential Idea repositioned Gillette

Opinion • Lucy Aitken, July 2020

Gillette’s We Believe campaign earned its place on the first level of the Creative Effectiveness Ladder where Influential Ideas attract attention and controversy, writes Lucy Aitken.

Chipotle’s recipe for adapting at speed to cultural moments and COVID-19

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, ANA Digital and Social Media Conference, July 2020

Chipotle, the fast-casual restaurant chain, has relied on a dynamic marketing culture as it adapts to the challenges of COVID-19 and broader societal shifts in the US.

What we know about reach and frequency

Article • WARC Best Practice, July 2020

Provides marketers with information and guidance about how reach and frequency help brands identify the optimal advertising mix.

How Ford Motor Co. spurned legacy media and leaned heavily on social to introduce a powerful brand extension

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, ANA Digital and Social Media Conference, July 2020

Mustang, the auto marque owned by Ford, was launching a new electric SUV, called the Mach-E, which marked a significant departure from the brand’s typical vehicles, and a major innovation in its own right.

YouGov Ad of the Month – UK: McDonald’s

Opinion • BrandIndex, July 2020

During June, McDonald’s achieved the highest uplift in Ad Awareness of any brand in the UK with a +9.4 point rise.

O2 Slovakia: #DontBeAPirate

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, EMEA, 2020

O2, a telecommunications brand, discouraged young drivers from using their phones at the wheel in Slovakia by getting a key influencer to livestream being caught on his phone while driving.

Sony Alpha Universe 2019

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, EMEA, 2020

Sony, a technology company, showcased the different aspects of its cameras across Europe by launching a blog-powered website that featured interviews and video-led content from photographers that had used them.

Behind the Winning Idea: Budweiser Whassup

Opinion • Lucy Aitken, June 2020

Lucy Aitken, Managing Editor – Case studies at WARC, speaks to Budweiser and Anomaly New York about how they revived Budweiser's 1999 Wassup campaign and made it relevant for the COVID-19 lockdown.

Bozoma Saint John seeks to make sure Black voices are heard in new places

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, Lions Live, June 2020

Bozoma Saint John, the CMO of Endeavor, has invaluable advice for marketers that are seeking to advance the cause of racial equality.

The anatomy of a TikTok meme

Article • Alex Brownsell, WARC Exclusive, June 2020

How a single post on TikTok can inspire millions of videos and create buzz across other online platforms.

The effectiveness code

Article • James Hurman with Peter Field, WARC Exclusive, June 2020

This whitepaper presents the results of a major new study of creative effectiveness which has analysed and compared a total of 4,863 effectiveness award entrants and winners from 2011 through 2019, from every major market in the world.

What we know about Super Bowl advertising

Article • WARC Best Practice, June 2020

The current thinking and reading on Super Bowl advertising, an event for which the advertising has become as important as the sport, but the way in which people watch is changing – brands must be ready.

What we know about marketing on Facebook

Article • WARC Best Practice, June 2020

Explores the current reading on the topic of marketing on Facebook – the best used social network in the world, reaching over two billion users every month.

East African Breweries Limited: Launch of White Walker by Johnnie Walker

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, Africa, 2020

East African Breweries Limited, a beverage company, partnered with HBO Network to produce a limited-edition whisky in Kenya, inspired by the critically acclaimed TV series, Game of Thrones.

Audi South Africa: #LiveInTheNow

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, Africa, 2020

Audi, a car brand, increased car sales in South Africa by launching a video campaign that featured key influencers that aligned with the campaign tagline of living in the now.

Band-Aid (J&J): #BandTogether & End AIDS with (Band-Aid)RED

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, North America, 2020

Band-Aid, a brand of adhesive bandages produced by Johnson & Johnson, created bandages that contribute a percentage of sales to the fight against HIV/AIDS, acting as a badge of honour for supporters in the US.

PR, WOM & earned media