From phone hotlines to videos designed in code, brands are working hard to differentiate themselves and reach their audience during this pandemic. Catch up on all the latest marketing and advertising stories in our Weekly Must Reads below.

The (Early) Return of the PSL

Consumers can’t wait to close out 2020 – and apparently, neither can Starbucks. Last week, Starbucks launched its famous Pumpkin Spice Latte on its earliest debut date yet. Part of the drink’s launch campaign involves a branded hotline, which fans can call to hear a variety of audio prompts that leads them through their favorite cozy sounds of fall. To drum up excitement, Starbucks gave the autumn-loving Facebook group “The Leaf Raker’s Society” special early access to the hotline, and they’re now linking all social posts to the hotline number as well.

According to a Starbucks spokesperson, the campaign, which began earlier in August, has received “strong media coverage and customer excitement throughout the month.”  Find out more about the PSL’s launch and full campaign details here: https://www.prweek.com/article/1692842/inside-story-very-early-return-starbucks-pumpkin-spice-latte

Lunchables Releases a Personal Safety Hotline

Kraft Heinz’s Lunchables have been a school lunch favorite since the 90s, but this year, their audience is facing a whole new set of challenges. To support students during the Covid-19 pandemic, the brand released a hotline that families can call for advice on personal safety as kids return to school. When they call the hotline number, listeners are introduced to a choose-your-own-adventure-style audio experience, which leads students through a day at school while teaching them about new protocols around hand washing and mask-wearing. In addition to the hotline, Lunchables also created a number of short videos that explain these lessons on personal safety in kid-friendly language.

Although hotlines sound like an out-of-date marketing tactic, they’ve been growing in popularity with brands. Recently, companies like Oscar Meyer, Tropicana and Sabra set up hotline services to encourage more personal interactions with customers. Learn more about Lunchables’ safety-focused campaign here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/lunchables-back-to-school-hotline-teaches-personal-safety/584221/

Olay’s Formula for Solving the STEM Gap

Skincare brand Olay is continuing their campaign in support of women in STEM, which started earlier this year in their celeb-packed Super Bowl commercial. On Women’s Equality Day last week, the brand launched #FaceTheSTEMGap, a movement to close the gender gap in STEM fields by 2030. Currently, only 24% of STEM professionals are women. The first campaign ad features real women in the industry speaking on their experience as female scientists, along with surprising statistics about the STEM gap written in decipherable formulas and codes.

To back up the campaign, Olay will also donate $520,000 to the United States Negro College Fund, which will help support underrepresented Black women who are aspiring STEM professionals. The brand will also create scholarships and internships for women, with a total financial investment of $1 million. Check out the full video and details here: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/olays-new-campaign-uses-scientific-formulas-to-explain-the-gender-gap-in-stem/

Beyond Meat Goes Beyond Brick-and-Mortar

Plant-based meat brand Beyond Meat was one of the few companies to see higher sales at the start of the pandemic, with sales increases up to 264 percent. However, despite these increases, the company still reported a net loss in the second quarter this year due to restaurant closings. Now, as more people start cooking at home and avoiding stores as much as possible, Beyond Meat made the decision to launch an e-commerce site to sell products directly to consumers. With this added direct-to-consumer model, Beyond Meat hopes to further boost sales and gather more customer feedback.

As they launched this new venture, Beyond Meat has focused not only on their obvious audience of vegetarian and vegan customers, but also people who want to eat less meat for health or environmental reasons. With those consumers in mind, the brand made it a priority to package their products in recyclable boxes and use UPS carbon-neutral shipping. Read on about the new site here: https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/27/21400792/beyond-meat-website-direct-consumers