By: Kylie Acerra
1. Travis Kelce x DIRECTV
It is no surprise Travis Kelce is being looked at for boosting viewership rates with his marketing campaigns. After being published with Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce and the NFL have seen record-breaking viewership numbers and merchandise sales specifically by Gen Z for the #87 Chiefs jersey. But Taylor Swift cannot take all the credit because, according to Spotify, the football star currently hosts the #1 podcast in the world. Similarly, Kelce is trending on social media with his role in the Kelce documentary starring Jason Kelce. Capitalizing on Kelce before his popularity in the media, DIRECTV has used the player to announce its movement into the sports broadcasting industry. As DIRECTV’s “Overly Direct Sportsperson,” Kelce addresses the compromises TV competitors often force fans to make by using the playful slogan “Sack the Sunday Scaries”. Opening DIRECTV to the world of sport, Kelce continues to be the face behind the marketing strategy of gaining Gen Z subscribers. The television platform is adapting to the times of sports streaming and the legalization of sports gambling by offering access to games, statistics, and scores. Their advantage with NFL broadcasting is making the fan experience easier with a one-place destination for a variety of sports content. Focusing on the differentiation of customer experience with sports access, aggregation, and personalization- DIRECTV has shifted from the outdated cable TV model to the advantageous streaming model that has captivated Gen Z.
2. Ice Spice x Dunkin’ Donuts
The New York Times and Billboard have named her as “rap’s new princess” and MTV has awarded her with “Best New Artist”- Ice Spice the new celebrity of Gen Z has taken the charts by storm. With a name like Ice Spice, it was only a matter of time until October hit and someone would ask her to do a pumpkin spice collaboration. Dunkin’ Donuts, a company that needs to keep Gen Z interested with new flavors and deals, really capitalized on the opportunities Ice Spice would bring. Rising every day, the use of social media (predominantly TikTok) has become the most successful Marketing tool for the younger generations. Now that Dunkin’ had their reach of Gen Z, all they needed was a product. What better than logistically putting together two products, the munchkin and frozen coffee, to save on revenue? The munchkin drink, a play on Ice Spice’s song Munch, was just one perfect combination in this marketing campaign. Co-starring in the commercial, Ben Affleck also directed the commercial with his new company Artists Equity (an agency and production brand). Announcing a partnership needs to be carefully crafted to gain the most engagement, but by bringing together Ice Spice and Ben Affleck they successfully brought attention to the Artists' Equity and Dunkin’ Superbowl partnership and a new Gen Z drink.
3. Kendall Jenner x Uber Eats
The most watched show, The Kardashians, with an average of 1.9 million viewers this season has seen a 7% increase from last season- according to Hulu. Uber Eats, whose target market is mostly Gen Z located in the United States, is expanding to Australia. By taking two global celebrities Kendall and Kris Jenner, who are popular in the Gen Z demographic, Uber Eats was able to gain the interest of viewers. Uber Eats competing with other food delivery services needed to gain the hearts and wallets of Gen Z. By taking the most famous interaction with food on social media in 2023- Kendall Jenner and her lack of ability to cut a cucumber- Uber Eats was able to increase Gen Z engagement rates. While the commercial stars many Australian stars to gain interest in Australia, they still were able to gain engagement nationwide by using America’s favorite reality TV family. The marketing tactics many companies are using now have changed from what will get the most views on TV to what will get the most engagement on TikTok. When expanding globally have a worldwide, popular celebrity be the face of your operation because they will get copied and pasted into Gen Z TikTok accounts.