In recent weeks, brands have shifted their marketing strategies to focus on consumers’ changing interests and priorities. Find out how the Olympics, John Deere, and other brands are hoping to appeal to young consumers with their new campaigns in our Marketing Must-Reads.

Caitlin Clark’s Landmark Endorsement & Merchandise Deals

Following her record-breaking senior season at Iowa and #1 pick in the WNBA draft, Caitlin Clark is now one of the most highly sought-after athletes. In recent days, reports indicate Adidas, Under Armour and Nike have all made offers of more than $20 million to Clark. She’s expected to sign with Nike in the coming days, and her impending signature sneaker deal will be one of the most lucrative in the history of the WNBA.

Clark has been perhaps the biggest factor in growing interest in women’s basketball in recent years. Iowa’s appearance in the Women’s National Championship set viewership records, and the 2024 WNBA draft saw four times more viewers than the 2023 draft. On draft night, her new Indiana Fever jersey became the best seller for any draft pick in Fanatics company history. Find out more details about how Clark is driving interest in women’s sports and her upcoming endorsement deals here: https://theathletic.com/5424729/2024/04/17/caitlin-clark-nike-endorsement-indiana-fever-wnba/

Olympics Advertising is Back on the Rise

With new projections in for the 2024 Paris Olympics, NBCUniversal expects to set a new record with more than $1.25 billion in advertising revenue during the Games. Brands have already filled all the ad inventory during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, along with 13 single sponsorships of commercial-free primetime slots.

According to NBCUniversal President Dan Lovinger, at least $350 million of the ad revenue comes from companies who have never advertised during the Olympics before, indicating that the Games continue to be relevant for a wide range of markets and audiences. The network has also seen increased interest in women’s events from advertisers, following a trend in growing viewership for women’s sports. Learn more about Olympics advertising trends here: https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/nbc-paris-olympics-1-25-billion-advertrising-revenue-1235965276/

John Deere Goes Gen Z

For the first time in 185 years of business, John Deere is partnering with a celebrity spokesperson for a new social media campaign. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy stars in the brand’s new ads, which hope to recruit a new “Chief Tractor Officer” to run John Deere’s TikTok account. In the ads, Purdy travels cross-country in a tractor, looking for the perfect Gen Z candidate and taking calls from other high-profile young athletes, including Tyrese Haliburton and Gabby Douglas.

According to a John Deere global director of strategic public relations, the campaign aims to change the relationship young audiences have with the centuries-old agriculture brand. They also hope their new Chief Tractor Officer will utilize TikTok’s storytelling capabilities to share engaging and unexpected content about John Deere technology. Read on about John Deere’s evolving digital marketing strategy here: https://www.adweek.com/creativity/john-deere-seeks-a-chief-tractor-officer-to-be-the-face-of-its-tiktok-channel/

Mio’s Wellness-Inspired Rebrand

Mio, Kraft Heinz’s liquid concentrate brand, recently underwent its first rebrand since its launch in 2011. Previously marketed as a way to “fix water,” Mio’s new branding focuses on wellness benefits and modernized visuals. Mio’s new branding features brighter blocks of color, a softer font, and a gentle wave pattern to reflect its “Wellness on your wavelength” tagline. Both the bright, colorful packaging and wellness angle should help Mio make more of an impact with Gen Z consumers.

Kraft Heinz has been on a mission the past few years to rebrand many of their products to be more Gen Z-friendly. Recent brand refreshes include Jell-O, Kraft Singles and Kraft Mac & Cheese. Dive into more details on the rebrand here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/kraft-heinz-rebrands-mio-gen-z-wellness-trends/713423/