Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports
TikTok and advertising, vaccine mandates at work and NFL sleepers and grenades
In today’s newsletter, I discuss TikTok and advertising, vaccine mandates at work and NFL sleepers and grenades.
MEDIA: TikTok and Advertising
Consumers appear most receptive to ads on TikTok compared to other major platforms, according to the Media Reactions Study 2021 from Kantar, a media research firm.
According to Kantar, TikTok ranked first in what it terms “global ad equity for media brands” among consumers followed by Amazon, Google, Instagram and Twitter.
(Note: The study is available as a PDF, and if you’re interested, you can register here to download a copy.)
Pink's Bottom LineAdditionally, nearly twice and many consumers were exposed to TikTok ads this year compared to last year, according to the study.
Finally, marketers perceived TikTok ads as more innovative than ads on any other major platform though the perception of the trustworthiness of those TikTok ads was low.
The study underscores the explosive growth of TikTok in the past year, and it also suggests that the platform now is a major player in global advertising.
MONEY: Vaccine Mandates at Work
It appears that more companies are moving to some form of vaccination requirement or mandate for employees like due in part to the spread of the Delta variant.
Pink's Bottom LineAdditionally, nearly six in ten of those companies surveyed currently track whether or not their employees are vaccinated, and more companies are planning or are considering tracking worker vaccination status later this year, according to that survey.
Look for high profile companies — particularly those in the financial services and tech sectors — to determine and finalize their vaccination status policies in the immediate term.
Once those companies finalize their policies, look for that to set the tone for vaccination status policies across other sectors.
SPORTS: NFL Sleepers and Grenades
With the NFL season kicking off next week, a longtime reader — and a fountain of knowledge about professional football — suggested that I look at NFL sleepers and grenades for this season.
For those unfamiliar with the terms “sleepers and grenades” in the context of the NFL, here’s what those terms mean.
A sleeper is a team that could overperform current expectations for the upcoming season. A grenade is the opposite — it’s a team that could underperform expectations.
To find the sleeper, I’m looking for a team that I think will win three more games this season than its current win total projection.
For the grenade, I’m looking for a team that I think will fall three wins short of current win total projections.
Pink's Bottom LineMy sleeper pick is the Detroit Lions, who have a win total projection of five — meaning that the team is expected to win five games this year.
Look for the Lions to win at least eight games this season — the team has a new coach, Dan Campbell, and a new quarterback, Jared Goff, both with a lot to prove.
Additionally, the Lions are playing in a division with three other teams — Green Bay, Minnesota and Chicago — that all might be worse this season than last year.
As for my grenade, it is the Washington Football Team, which currently has a win total projection of 8.5 — that means the team is expected to win either eight or nine games this year.
Washington has a strong defense and it plays in a weak division, but based on the team’s entire schedule, I don’t see it winning more than two or three games outside of its own division.
As such, I expect Washington to finish with five wins, which would make them my grenade this year as they would fall at least three wins short of their projected eight or nine wins.
Jeremy Pink is currently COO of Geniecast, a leading virtual content and experience company. He is the former CEO of private-equity backed Broadcast Sports International where he helped lead the company to a successful sale and exit during his tenure there. He is also a former CNBC television executive in New York, London and Singapore.
The information contained in this communication is strictly for general informational and entertainment purposes and is not meant to be construed as financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. This communication is not a solicitation to buy or sell any securities. I am not a financial advisor or offering professional advice of any kind. Users should not act upon the content or information found within this communication without first seeking professional advice appropriate for their individual situation. Decisions based on information contained in this communication are the sole responsibility of the user, and use of this communication and its contents constitutes an explicit understanding and acceptance of the foregoing disclaimers.
(Newsletter Editor: Karina Pink)