At Social Studies, we’ve shaped and studied (get it?) the creator economy for over a decade, working with the most captivating brands and crafting narratives with top-tier talent.
Our New Year’s Resolution for 2024 was to reignite our content and connection with our community.
Accordingly, we’re excited to introduce Social Studies’ TL;DR – your monthly shortcut to the most relevant news, insights, and campaigns across the Creator Economy.
Here’s what to expect: a monthly, concise summary of our favorite creators, campaigns, and trends from the social media landscape, featuring the expert insights from a Social Studies’ insider – an employee, client, or creator/influencer.
GET IN THE GAME
As Glossy noted recently, “Events like March Madness, the New York City Marathon, and the Summer Olympics in Paris are becoming bigger brand battlegrounds. One estimate put soccer viewership at around 40% of the entire human population.”
For our inaugural edition of the TL;DR, our CEO and Founder, Brandon Perlman is dissecting the synergy between the super-sized sports moments and influencer marketing, with a look back on advertising’s biggest night last month – The Super Bowl. Consider this edition a playbook for the next colossal event, be it athletic or non-athletic (Paris Olympics, oui, je te regardais!).
The “Big Game” should be a premiere, not just a one-time prime.
As marketing obsessives, we were buzzing in Slack channels and LinkedIn posts the morning after the Super Bowl, but as we reflect a month later, the post-game influencer efforts left us wanting more. I went as far to be the only attendee at the Super Bowl party with a notebook in hand. The brand alignment and caliber of talent on ads like CeraVe, Hellmann’s, and Dunkin’ were a 10/10.
How could these brands have taken their talent alignment to a whole new level? Yes, reaching millions through a commercial is key, but engaging billions through more niche approaches in the lead-up was a critical step in the strategy. We can’t help but wonder…
Could @LoudLuxury have dropped a DunKINGS remix exclusively on an IG Live?
Could skincare expert influencers like @_taylormargaret and rock climbing enthusiasts like @sannimccandless have carried on the Cera archetypes portrayed? What other punny-named creators could have extended the campaign like @cearajaneo?
Could thrifty chefs like @beatthebudget have expanded on Hellmann’s #MakeTasteNotWaste tagline or famous pet accounts (or pet brands) have reposted their feline friend, the MA-YO cat?
As traditional media reach metrics are burgeoning and becoming increasingly complex to analyze, our Community Clustering™ Model is how we consistently validate our strategies, partnerships, and measurement with community alignment.
Here are the community clusters we would assess and execute on:
Dunkin’ Community Cluster™
CeraVe Community Cluster™
Hellmann’s Community Cluster™