Whilst BeReal is the antidote to social media, it won’t stop brands from trying to speak to consumers.

BeReal’s mission is to be the antidote to traditional social media. No influencers, no filters, no likes and – most importantly – no ads. We know that younger consumers crave authenticity. They hate traditional ads but enjoy content that feels real to them. We also know that community is an important part of a brand’s social presence. So, could B Real work for brands?

Chipotle was the first brand to create an account and post a discount code giving the first 100 people who used it a free meal. The brand saw it as a great way to “highlight our brand’s transparency in fun ways”. Since then, other brands have followed suit. E.L.F offers followers exclusive access to what happens behind the scenes at the beauty brand, including sneak peeks of hot product drops, photo shoots, and happy-hour hangouts.

Instead of acting like a brand, success on the app means acting like your consumer would. Brands need to first identify if they have clear fandoms who would be interested in following them and will need to move beyond using it as a way to broadcast about their products or services. It’s a channel where they could form authentic connections with their most engaged followers.

Sources:
https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2022/08/04/how-brands-can-authentically-leverage-bereal https://www.fastcompany.com/90780938/brands-like-chipotle-and-e-l-f-are-chasing-buzz-on-bereal-but-will-the-love-affair-last https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/waving-flag-anti-social-brands-%E2%80%93-will-bereal-answer-authentic-social/1753702 https://adage.com/article/digital-marketing-ad-tech-news/bereal-and-brands-how-marketers-are-using-anti-instagram/2424401 https://www.prweek.com/article/1797912/brands-bereal https://wwd.com/business-news/technology/are-brands-ready-to-bereal-1235301069/

The future of loyalty programs

Most organisations are gearing up for (more) tough times right now as they prepare for a potential spending slowdown. One of the ways to mitigate this is through new loyalty programs, or examining how they can update their current rewards programs to address new customer needs, giving members access to communities, exclusive content, and new experiences both online and offline.

Starbucks’ loyalty program is an extremely successful part of its business, with over half its sales coming from its rewards members. Experimenting with NFT’s means there is a large potential to market to younger consumers who have yet to get in on Starbucks’ rewards program. Whilst details are yet to be revealed, It could be that certain amounts of points will unlock unique NFTs; a group of NFTs could unlock new activities and so forth.

As data privacy and access become a bigger issue, NFTs are also a way for consumers to get something of value for the information they share with brands. An NFT tied to loyalty rewards offers a tangible value exchange that could make the transaction feel worthwhile. Whilst there will undoubtedly be some apprehension from consumers, it will be interesting to see how brands utilise NFTs as part of their wider loyalty schemes to create worthwhile  initiatives that reward fans and keep them coming back for more. 

The bar for value-driven commitments has been elevated.

Sustainability has long been a focus of Patagonia and it’s a priority increasingly shared with consumers. In Kantar’s 2022 Sustainability Sector Index, 49% of consumers report they believe buying sustainable products is a demonstration of who they are and 57% say a clear explanation of how a brand is bettering the environment would drive them to buy. Patagonia has made its intentions around the topic clear for years with meaningful, purpose-driven campaigns. In 2015 for example, the brand launched its “Worn Wear Wagon,” a mobile garment repair shop that promoted keeping clothing vs getting rid of it for something new.

As sustainability has risen as a priority, many brands have used it as a marketing tool but failed to take any sort of true action known otherwise as “greenwashing.” Recently for example, H&M have promised to “adjust or no longer use sustainability claims on their clothes and/or websites after an investigation into potentially misleading marketing claims found that certain term

like “Ecodesign” and “Conscious” were not clear or sufficiently substantiated. In a similar vein, Boohoo has received backlash for its new ‘sustainable’ collaboration with Kourtney Kardashian, which, to many, only serves to distract from the wide array of environmental and ethical issues involved in the production of fast fashion.

Consumers are clued up, skeptical and are no longer afraid to publicly demand better from the brands they choose to buy. Brands must consistently and authentically demonstrate their purpose beyond just turning a profit.