In our fast-paced business world, it can be tough to keep up with all the newest marketing and advertising campaigns. Catch up on the biggest stories and successes you need to know in our Weekly Must Reads.  

Businesses Compete on Prime Day

Amazon’s highly anticipated annual Prime Day begins this week, but they aren’t the only retailer offering major discounts and deals. Competitors like Walmart and Target are also promoting sales on kitchen products, popular technology, and other higher-priced items. These retailers are trying to win over consumers from Amazon with unique benefits, such as a longer sale event and exclusive savings for rewards members. Plus, Prime Day is available only to Amazon Prime customers, which can be a turnoff for non-members. 

Prime Day has effectively become the Black Friday of the summer, and all these national retailers expect to see a big boost in sales. According to research firm Numerator, 65% of consumers aware of Prime Day plan to shop the event this year. Find out more about the event and competing deals here:mhttps://www.businessinsider.com/guides/deals/prime-day-competing-sale-deals 

The Rise of Creative Movie Marketing

The Despicable Me minions have been a staple in the movie theater for more than a decade, but they’re still capturing Gen Z hearts thanks to strategic and creative marketing choices for the franchise’s newest film, Minions: Rise of Gru. The Minions themselves, with their hijinks and nonsensical language, are marketing gold, as the movie’s star Steve Carrell called them “a stroke of genius in terms of marketing.” They’re instantly meme-able (just search “Gentleminions” on TikTok to see what we mean) and appeal to young consumers’ sense of humor. The newest movie also employed popular music producer Jack Antonoff to create a star-studded soundtrack that caught the attention of Gen Zers on TikTok. 

When Rise of Gru debuted in theaters earlier this month, its box office success helped it achieve the most successful Fourth of July debut ever. Find out more about how the film has benefited from creative marketing here: https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2022/07/minions-rise-of-gru-movie/661516/ 

Brands Support Women’s Soccer During Euro 2022

After a two-year delay, Europe’s best women’s soccer teams are finally competing in the Euro 2022 tournament this month. With more than 500,000 tickets sold, it will be the most-attended women’s sports event ever in Europe. There are also several big brands sponsoring the tournament, including Nike, Visa, and Lego. However, sponsorship of women’s sports is still extremely low compared to the men’s. Thankfully, many of the brands supporting this year’s tournament have launched initiatives that support soccer programs or provide essential products for young girls. 

According to a survey from RunRepeat, increased accessibility to women’s soccer through youth programs and even ad campaigns can boost viewership by as much as 350% globally. Learn more about brands’ efforts to support Euro 2022 and other women’s sports here: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/euro-2022-sponsors-are-playing-the-long-game-when-it-comes-to-womens-soccer/ 

Birkenstock Leans into Their “Ugly” Reputation

In their first global campaign, popular footwear brand Birkenstock explains why their sandals are “Ugly for a Reason.” The campaign kicks off with a series of docu-style videos, featuring interviews with scientists about how feet have evolved over the years. The ads focus on the brand’s mission to create shoes that promote foot health – even if that means they aren’t the most stylish. Though the campaign name itself is provocative and attention-grabbing, the content itself is designed to be more educational. 

The campaign makes sense for Birkenstock’s target audience, which is primarily liberal and has a higher socioeconomic status. Dive into more details about the brand’s first big marketing push here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/birkenstock-paid-global-campaign-ugly-sandals-purpose/626540/