From a Deepfaked Elon Musk to RadioShack’s NSFW Tweets, CMO’s Twenty-Two Most Read Stories Today in 2022

Other widely read articles by CMO Today have covered big changes in brand marketing strategies, efforts to improve customer experience and the growing use of AI in marketing, which is set to spread even more in the new year.

Prepare for what’s to come with this list of CMO Today’s most-read covers of 2022, presented in order of popularity.

1. Celebrity “deepfakes” started appearing in ads, with or without their permission

Digital simulations of Elon Musk, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and others have appeared in marketing videos as increasingly powerful deepfake technology has become more popular, presenting the marketing industry with new legal, ethical and and practices.

2. Airbnb says its focus on brand marketing instead of search is working

An Airbnb review has provided insight for marketers who need to know what’s working: the home-sharing company said its strategy of cutting advertising spend, investing in brand marketing and reducing its addiction to search engine ads continued to pay off.

3. Some flight attendants can thrive on the job: tattoos, sneakers, nose studs and all

Customer and employee experience trends have converged as some airlines have relaxed rules on the appearance of crew members. The changes came as customer expectations evolved, staff were pushed to express their individuality and airlines struggled to fill workforce gaps.

4. Super Bowl 2022 ads return to travel, familiar faces and new technology

Travel advertisers have chosen Super Bowl 2022 to capture and encourage a return to pre-pandemic behaviors. The timing hasn’t worked out as well for the game’s new crypto contingent, including doomed exchange FTX.

5. How NSFW tweets connect to RadioShack’s new marketing strategy

The new owners tried to shock a once powerful brand with rude messages on Twitter. (See also: #15.) « We wanted to deliver something that was effective, something that was basically organic traffic, and just lowered the average cost per purchase, » one executive explained.

6. Airlines and restaurant chains are joining the subscription bandwagon

Subscriptions used to refer primarily to a way to get regular deliveries of magazines, newspapers, or milk, but have expanded in the internet age to include everything from video games to pet food. Taco Bell, Sweetgreen and Alaska Air Group explored whether customers would prepay for a taco a day, discounted salads or frequent flights.

7. Marketers Brace for More Changes as Google Commits to Evolving Mobile Privacy

As soon as Google promised to limit consumer tracking on mobile devices, advertisers declared its more collaborative and « empathetic » approach than Apple’s privacy approach, which required app developers to obtain users’ explicit permission in order to track them. But some said all the drama could still encourage them to diversify marketing beyond certain online platforms.

8. Electric vehicle charging stations are getting bigger and brighter

The electric revolution in auto sales can only go so far if drivers don’t perceive charging stations as plentiful, proponents have calculated, pushing for better branding and better lighting.

9. Locked Account Users Struggle With Two-Factor Authentication

Passwords are already circulating between brands and their consumers, and additional security can make matters worse. Some startups have offered products to make sure backup codes don’t get lost.

10. Coca-Cola features bottles with caps that stay attached

The rollout was aimed at reducing bottle cap waste, but conservationists called for a focus on containers that can be reused.

11. Electric vehicle charging station operators ready to fight for ad dollars

With just about any kind of consumer-facing business now selling ads (see #19 for another example), charging station operators said “so do we.”

12. Plus-size fitness fans are calling for more inclusive gym gear and equipment

Many marketers have made inclusivity a big part of their marketing, but some areas have remained overlooked.

13. MTV is opening a metaverse experience to promote the Video Music Awards

The metaverse has yet to reach the potential some imagined. Meanwhile, brands have made it a land of marketing stunts.

14. Supermarkets are moving to simplify date labels to reduce food waste

The ‘Best before’ and ‘Sell before’ labels have come under fire in a battle over food waste and lost sales.

15. Some RadioShack resellers are unhappy because the brand relies on NSFW tweets

RadioShack’s risky marketing strategy has alienated some of its partners. « It’s so detrimental to their integrity and to the reputation of the brand, » said the president of HobbyTown Unlimited, which had operated RadioShack Express locations in dozens of its stores.

16. Budweiser will promote its non-alcoholic beer at the World Cup in Qatar

The official beer of the World Cup has moved cautiously ahead of the tournament in Qatar, planning to sell non-alcoholic Bud in stadiums and offer its flagship alcoholic product in designated areas of the stadium outside the stadiums. main bowls before and after games. (Some of his plans were scrambled at the last minute, however, when the emirate’s royal family moved to ban alcohol sales just outside stadiums.)

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

A flurry of backlash on social media has accused Walmart of inappropriately marketing the holiday marking the end of slavery in the US

18. How Direct-to-Consumer Marketers Are Researching Customers After Privacy Changes

DTC startups have established themselves by targeting only the right prospects with online advertisements. Next, Apple made it easier for consumers to opt out of the kind of mobile tracking that underpinned much of this targeting, as well as its measurement. More than a year later, brands are still adapting.

19. Marriott is rolling out a media network that lets brands reach travelers on its apps and TV screens

A hotel empire has also decided to try its hand at selling ads.

20. Tinder adds background checks to its dating app

Apps have become a go-to dating source for singles. We tried to differentiate ourselves with a security function.

21. Did a robot help create this ad? The answer, more and more, is yes.

More and more marketers have used artificial intelligence tools to help develop creative ideas. Watch this place.

22. Meditation App Calm lays off 20% of staff

The creator of a popular meditation app was not immune to worrying about macroeconomic factors clouding the year ahead.

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