In marketing and advertising, change is the name of the game. Stay in the know with the top stories from this week!

An Instagram Influencer Paradise

Have you ever wondered what the most millennial apartment on earth would look like? Wonder no more: Village Marketing has created it. The influencer marketing agency has turned a penthouse apartment in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood into a studio for Instagram’s top influencers.

The apartment was created to provide influencers with a polished and aesthetically pleasing space to use as the set for their paid social media posts. It’s done in hues of light pink, gold and white, and includes “moment-inducing” features like a velvet living room couch, super-modern bathroom and rooftop view of down Manhattan. To generate revenue, Village Marketing charges furniture brands to feature their décor in the apartment; the apartment is free for influencers to rent. Find out more about this Instagram paradise here: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/30/business/media/instagram-influencers-penthouse.html

Takeout, Anyone?

Carvana, an e-commerce platform for buying, selling and financing used cars, recently launched a clever one-day marketing campaign in New York City. New York is well known for its food scene, and its takeout food in particular is incredibly popular. To introduce its platform in the largest US market, Carvana created car-sized takeout bags to place on top of car haulers and drive through the city.

The campaign aimed to show delivery-obsessed New Yorkers they can buy a car on Carvana’s site and have it delivered to their door. Carvana also provided a social stream of their takeout car parade using the hashtag #TheNYCWayToBuyACar. Check out more about the creative campaign here: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2018/10/04/us-creative-work-the-week-carvana-delivers-cars-new-yorkers-take-out-bags

Uber and Lyft Take to the Polls

Need a ride to the voting polls next month? Uber and Lyft have you (and everyone else in America) covered. The ride-share services have announced they will offer free rides to polls on election day in November. Uber will feature a “Get to the Polls” button in their app on November 6 to help riders find a poll and book a free ride. Lyft has offered the free ride promotion in the past to those in under-served communities to encourage more people to get out to vote.

Social action from brands has been a big trend lately, most notably in Nike’s Colin Kaepernick ad. Do you think brands have a duty to promote social action? Learn more about the free ride promotions here: https://www.fastcompany.com/90247113/uber-and-lyft-are-offering-free-rides-to-the-polls-on-election-day

Secrets Behind Wendy’s Twitter

We’ve all seen brands get sassier and bolder on social media in recent years, and fast food chain Wendy’s has been a leader in the charge. This year alone, their Twitter account has received one million new followers and a 113 percent increase in social media mentions.

Wendy’s CMO says their social media presence is all about being true to their brand. Their philosophy is about embracing controversy, being authentic and connecting with people on a human level. While being brash and controversial won’t work for every company, Wendy’s strategy brings up a good point about being true to your brand’s mission and values. Read the full story here:  https://www.marketingdive.com/news/wendys-cmo-on-striking-the-right-amount-of-social-media-sass/538976/

A Toys ‘R’ Us Revival?

Last September, popular toy superstore Toys ‘R’ Us filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and in March they announced they were officially shutting down operations at all their US stores. Now, controlling lenders have changed their tune again.

Lenders have cancelled the brand’s bankruptcy bid and announced plans to revive businesses under both the Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us brand names. Few details been released, though the lenders have said they plan to develop new retail shops and expand the stores’ international presence. Do you think Toys ‘R’ Us will really live to see another day? https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/03/lenders-wants-to-revive-toys-r-us-andbabies-r-us-brands.html