From deepfake Elon Musk to RadioShack’s NSFW tweets, CMO Today’s 22 most read stories of 2022

Another widely read article on CMO Today covered a major shift in brands’ marketing strategies. Efforts to improve the customer experience and the use of AI in marketing are expanding, and further expansion is expected in the new year.

Get ready for what’s to come with CMO Today’s list of the most read articles of 2022, ordered by popularity.

1. ‘Deepfakes’ of celebrities start appearing in ads with or without permission

Digital simulations of Elon Musk, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and others are appearing in marketing videos and presenting new legal, ethical and practical questions to the marketing industry as increasingly powerful deepfake technology becomes more popular. did.

2. Airbnb says its focus on brand marketing, not search, works

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Airbnbs

Informed marketers who needed to know what worked: The home-sharing company said its strategy to cut advertising spending, invest in brand marketing, and reduce its reliance on search engine advertising. He said he continues to make progress.

3. Some flight attendants can go all out for the job — everything from tattoos to sneakers to nose studs

Trends in customer and employee experience have converged as some airlines have relaxed their crew appearance rules. The change came as customer expectations evolved, staff were expected to express their individuality, and airlines struggled to fill gaps in their workforce.

Four. 2022 Super Bowl ad returns to travel, familiar faces and new technology

Travel advertisers chose the 2022 Super Bowl to seize and encourage a return to pre-pandemic behavior. The timing of the game’s new crypto terms, including FTX, the exchange of fortune, didn’t work out.

Five. How NSFW Tweets Incorporate into RadioShack’s New Marketing Strategy

The new owner attempted to shock the formerly strong brand with a terrible post on Twitter. (See also No. 15) “We wanted to come up with something that worked, essentially all organic traffic, and lower the average cost per purchase,” explained one executive. .

6. Airlines, restaurant chains join subscription bandwagon

Subscriptions were once reminiscent of regular delivery of magazines, newspapers, or milk, but have expanded in the internet age to include everything from video games to pet food.

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When

Alaska Airlines Group

We investigated whether customers prepay for a day’s worth of tacos, pay for discounted salads, or fly frequently.

7. Marketers prepare for more change as Google promises to shift to mobile privacy

As soon as Google promised to limit consumer tracking on mobile devices, advertisers declared it. Take a more collaborative and “empathetic” approach

apple

‘s commitment to privacy required app developers to obtain explicit permission from users to track them. But some say all the drama can help diversify marketing beyond a particular online platform.

8. Bigger, brighter EV charging stations

The electric revolution in car sales can only go this far if drivers don’t perceive charging stations to be plentiful.

9. Locked out account users struggle with two-factor authentication

Passwords are already exchanged between brands and their consumers, and increased security could make things worse. Some start-ups offered products to keep backup codes from getting lost.

Ten. A new bottle with a cap attached from Coca-Cola

The rollout was aimed at reducing bottle cap litter, but environmental advocates called for a focus on reusable containers.

11. EV charging station operators fight over advertising dollars

Almost every kind of consumer business now sells advertising (see No. 19 for another example), so charging station operators say “we too.”

12. Plus-size fitness fans want more comprehensive sports gear, equipment

Many marketers make inclusivity a marketing point, but some areas have remained overlooked.

13. MTV Opens Metaverse Experience To Promote Video Music Awards

The Metaverse has yet to reach the potential some have imagined. Meanwhile, the brand has made it the land of marketing stunts.

14. Supermarkets move to simplify date labels to reduce food waste

The “Best by” and “Sell by” labels have been slammed for fighting food waste and lost sales.

15. Some RadioShack dealers frustrated as brand leans toward NSFW tweets

RadioShack’s risqué marketing strategy alienated some partners. “This is very damaging to their integrity and brand reputation,” said the president of HobbyTown Unlimited, which operates RadioShack Express locations in dozens of stores.

16. Budweiser to promote alcohol-free beer at World Cup in Qatar

The official beer of the World Cup has moved cautiously as the tournament in Qatar approaches, selling non-alcoholic buds in stadiums and offering alcoholic flagships in designated stadium areas outside the main bowl before and after games. (But some of that planning was disrupted at the last minute when the emirate’s royal family decided to ban the sale of alcohol right outside the stadium.)

17. Walmart apologizes for Juneteenth products after customer backlash on social media

A wave of condemned social media backlash

walmart

On the inappropriate commodification of the holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States

18. How direct-to-consumer marketers are tracking customers after privacy changes

DTC startups have established a foothold by targeting the right prospects with online advertising. Apple then made it easy for consumers to opt out of the kind of mobile tracking that underpinned much of that targeting, along with that measurement.More than a year later, the brand was still adapting. .

19. Marriott rolls out media network to help brands reach travelers on apps and TV screens

The hospitality empire decided to dabble in advertising sales as well.

20. Tinder adds background checks to dating app

Apps have become the go-to dating source for singles. One tried to differentiate with safety features.

twenty one. Did a robot help create that ad? The answer is increasingly yes.

More marketers are using artificial intelligence tools to develop their creative ideas. Check out this space.

twenty two. Meditation app Calm lays off 20% of staff

The maker of a popular meditation app has been no stranger to concerns about macroeconomic factors clouding its outlook for the year ahead.

Write to Nat Ives at nat.ives@wsj.com