The past six months taught us to create honest and positive content. As we endure the second half, honesty and positivity are needed more than ever.
Quarantine is Better with a Furry BFF
In the age of coronavirus, households are spending more time indoors and less time outdoors. In turn, adopting and fostering a pet is in high demand. Pet brands saw this as an opportunity to boost their advertising budget and increase sales … and they did not disappoint.
Between March and May, the number of pet-related advertisements increased by 52% and online retail sales increased by 24%. Chewy, one of America’s largest pet suppliers, increased promotion of their products by 51% alone. Pets at Home, the largest UK pet supplier, now has an average 30-minute wait time to access their website.
So if you’re thinking about a pet, now is a great time. The numbers don’t lie; quarantine really is better with a furry BFF.
Netflix Takes Their Newest Collection Outdoors
In light of recent events across the country, businesses of all sizes are using their voice to take a stand to help fight racial injustice. Netflix was one of the first companies to use their video platform by creating a new collection, titled Black Lives Matter, dedicated to educating their subscribers through film. The collection includes more than 45 movies, documentaries, and television series such as Malcom X, When They See Us, and All American.
To further promote their collection, Netflix created an out-of-home campaign in two major cities: New York City and Los Angeles to deliver as broad a reach as possible. The campaign highlights select films included in the Black Lives Matter collection. Advertising outside of digital and social was not in the original plans, but a 4,665% increase in interested watchers pushed their decision. “We believe that one of the ways Netflix can have a direct positive impact is through our stories,” said Netflix CEO.
To view the entire Black Lives Matter collection, click here.
Meet a Martin – Colleen Jones, Media Manager
I’m originally from Wilkes-Barre, and I came “down” to Harrisburg after an arts administration internship at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts. I moved on from Whitaker Center to the events and marketing team at the publisher of the Central Penn Business Journal and Central Penn Parent, where I stayed and grew for 10 years. I started at Martin Communications in 2016, where I’ve had the opportunity to fully focus on media strategy and buying.
Though I didn’t continue working in the field, I’m still very passionate about the arts! I have performed with Theatre Harrisburg; I take dance classes (Hip-Hop, Tap, and Lyrical – plus some Zumba and East Coast Swing on occasion); and I am very proud to be a founding volunteer advisor with the Betty J. Gantz Foundation for the Performing Arts, a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2019 to provide access to dance and other performing arts for under-served and minority communities in Central PA through scholarships and outreach programs.
Another fun fact about me: I go on an annual snowmobiling trip in Adirondacks State Park in upstate New York, sledding miles on rail trails in the freezing cold, then warming up by the fire without any cell signal. For us, it’s a great way to disconnect from the real world and spend time with friends.
Pictured: my husband, Andy, and our rescue mutt, Leia (as in Princess Leia) on one of our snowmobiling trips. Back in 2013, Leia got caught going after the apple in a groundhog trap on the CPBJ property. She was released and ran toward me barking, then rolled over for belly rubs. We bonded instantly and when no one reported her missing, she truly became our household princess.
Sources: AdWeek, The Drum. The Verge, Netflix