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Despite all of the arguments against “cancel culture,” in today’s multiplatform, multichannel world, it’s really hard to cancel anybody or anything. Case in point: Lou Dobbs Tonight is back. The right-wing firebrand was once one of Fox’s signature personalities, but he was quickly fired in 2021 after being named in the $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit voting technology company Smartmatic filed against the network.
“That was then, and this is now,” Dobbs said on his new broadcast. And where is he now? FrankSpeech.com, a website run by MyPillow CEO and 2020 election conspiracy supporter Mike Lindell. While Dobbs’ show is no longer easily available to anyone with basic cable, his message—regardless of how much his regular anti-immigrant, Democrat-attacking, brash Trump-supporting message was disliked, and regardless of how much it could cost Fox in the Smartmatic lawsuit—is still out there. Lindell’s website, which is full of far-right-targeted content, is not exactly a destination for most people seeking online videos, but Dobbs’ presence is bringing it some notoriety. Dobbs’ interview with former president Donald Trump made news of its own, with Trump saying he hopes the economy crashes in the next 12 months.
Don Lemon, who was fired from CNN last year after making controversial comments, including saying presidential candidate Nikki Haley “isn’t in her prime,” is also back with a new show. The Don Lemon Show will be broadcast on the social network X three times a week. Given the pushback against Lemon’s sexist comments against women, a big question is whether many people would want to go to the social networking site—now more closely associated with owner Elon Musk’s controversial content and moderation (or lack thereof) than information—to see and hear Lemon. “I know now more than ever we need a place for honest debate and discussion without the hall monitors,” Lemon said on X. “This is just the beginning so stay tuned.”
The question is whether viewers want to tune into these broadcasts at all. According to Nielsen data from last year, Fox News was the most-watched cable network in 2023, the eighth straight year it’s achieved that feat. CNN came in third place, behind left-wing MSNBC. However, fewer people are watching cable. Fox’s average viewership in 2023 was its lowest since 2015, and CNN’s was its worst since 2014. Maybe these viewers are more open to videos online, but there’s a good chance they’re spending their time with less serious videos, like what’s trending on TikTok.
Cable news channel viewers often skew older and while they may not be watching TikTok, they are spending quite a lot of time online. Last month, Razorfish’s “Digital Boomers” report found Baby Boomers use technology more than many companies assume. I talked to Razorfish Chief Strategy Officer Nic Chidiac about how to stop missing opportunities to target Boomers online.
BRANDS + MESSAGING
Nike no longer has a Tiger in its tank. Golf legend Tiger Woods’ endorsement deal with the athletic giant has come to an end. Woods’ deal with Nike was first signed in 1996 when he went pro, and this is the end of his most recent 10-year contract with the company. Forbes estimates Woods was paid more than $500 million through the life of the deal, which represents more than a quarter of his earnings as an athlete, and made him one of just two athletes to make it to Forbes’ billionaire list while still playing the sport. (The other is basketball superstar LeBron James.) Woods’ partnership with Nike had an enormous impact on sports marketing, as well as Nike as a whole, writes Forbes’ Brett Knight. When Woods first partnered with Nike, the company had a nearly nonexistent golf division. At its peak, the company got close to $800 million in annual sales in golf equipment.
In the last couple of weeks, hype around the Stanley brand of insulated cups has reached new levels. The Stanley Quencher—an easily toted travel cup with a handle and straw—has a market cost ranging from $20 for a 14-ounce bottle to $60 for a 64-ounce cup. The cups, which come in a variety of colors, have taken over TikTok as a top trend, and special red and pink Valentine’s Day-themed cups offered at Target quickly sold out. The Quencher has helped boost Stanley’s annual revenue from $74 million in 2019 to $750 million in 2023. The 110-year-old brand has long been known for its product quality. Olive green Stanley thermoses have kept everything from coffee to soup warm for generations. A viral TikTok video of the aftermath of a November car fire shows a Stanley Quencher in the cup holder not only survived the blaze, but still has ice inside, which is probably as good of a marketing tool as legions of influencers showing off their array of colors of the popular cup.
RIGHTS + SPONSORSHIP
ESPN is becoming the home for more college sports broadcasts. Last week, the network signed a $920 million deal with the NCAA for eight years of broadcasts of 40 championship events, including the women’s March Madness basketball tournament. Other events in the deal include championships for women’s volleyball and gymnastics, as well as softball, baseball and men’s soccer. About 57% of the deal is tied to women’s March Madness, according to reporting by the AP. While the deal adds to ESPN’s dominance of college sports broadcasting, it also may be an enticement for a potential buyer. Disney, which owns the network, has indicated interest in selling off a stake in the network. As interest in diverse sports grows, and streaming offers new ways to broadcast them, this deal makes that potential stake more valuable.
TECHNOLOGY + INNOVATION
For all of the talk and investment in building up a metaverse through virtual reality, consumer adoption has been sluggish. But that could be about to change, thanks to perpetual disruptor Apple. The company’s long-awaited Vision Pro headset will be available in the U.S. on Feb. 2, with pre-orders starting Jan. 19. The headset, which CEO Tim Cook has called “the most advanced consumer electronics device ever created,” allows users to be immersed in a virtual world and use augmented reality apps to overlay the physical world. The headset will cost $3,499 and is Apple’s first new product line since the Apple Watch’s debut in 2015.
While similar headsets are already on the market from competitors including Meta and Microsoft, Apple’s reputation for quality—and early reviews from testers who say this headset delivers on the possibilities of the virtual world—may be what brings the virtual reality metaverse to the forefront. After all, Apple’s got a decent track record here. It revolutionized personal computing with its Macintosh, changed the way people thought about digital music with its iPod, revolutionized smartphones with the iPhone and helped create a new computer category with the iPad.
ON MESSAGE
Razorfish’s Nic Chidiac Talks About Digital Messaging For Baby Boomers
The stereotype of the older person having a hard time understanding a smartphone and eschewing e-commerce to do business in person is no longer true. A new study from Razorfish examining “Digital Boomers” shows that seven in 10 Baby Boomers say they aren’t intimidated or overwhelmed by new technology. I talked with Nic Chidiac, Razorfish chief strategy officer, about the study findings and marketers’ missed opportunities to target this segment, which represents nearly 20% of all U.S. spending. This conversation has been edited for clarity, length and continuity.
In general, with the messaging that is out there today, how much of it is targeted to Boomers?
Chidiac: Only 6% of marketers who we surveyed said that boomers are a part of their marketing initiative. That is in comparison to…roughly around [64%] when it comes down to Millennials. That is not media spend, it is reported based on marketers, but I would say that that is somewhat of a proxy you can at least look at as an indication.
The subsequent question we asked marketers was, In your marketing goals, what percentage want to ‘age down’ their brand, and what percentage want to ‘age up’ the brand? Forty-three percent of marketers said they want to ‘age down’ their brand [making it more interesting for younger consumers], only 18% said they want to ‘age up’ the brand.
What can marketers take from this study in terms of future planning of campaigns?
Chidiac: I think it’s just reexamining the assumptions that marketers have around the value of Boomers to their business. Genuinely understanding: Have you really maxed out this segment in terms of share? That’s number one. …There are assumptions in marketing that, as far as I’ve seen, are not necessarily underpinned by any real evidence that says to recruit a boomer is to lose a younger segment. That is a myth. If you look at Millennials, Gen-Z’s top 10 favorite actors, around 40% of them are boomers.
[You should be] examining the assumptions around Boomers are less likely to switch [brands] and have formulated and ingrained habits with brands. …Again, not accurate. Our study uncovered that they are equally as likely, if not more in some instances, to want to research new products around on e-commerce. They are open to new products.
…Our study indexed more on designing digital experiences in digital products around Boomers. If you look at the general literature that exists around how to design digital experiences for Boomers, …the number one experience principle you get is make fonts larger. One in 10 Boomers, based on our report, say that font size is an issue across any digital experience. I think and if you look at the kinds of attributes they look for, when it comes down to digital experiences, they’re very similar to other segments. You are looking at gamification being the prime reason for stickiness for digital products for Boomers, not unlike Gen-Z.
…There’s also an assumption around human interaction is necessary for a transaction. You need to have someone sitting at the other end of a transaction, like a human being, …when you are designing … experiences. Again, we found that that is not accurate. It’s an assumption. And boomers are willing to fully transact digitally, assuming the experience feels human, and not necessarily needing a human. We saw high-ticket items—we’re talking about washing machines. flat screen TVs—one in four Boomers would actually transact and buy a high-ticket item through digital channels.
What do you see as some of the bigger opportunities for marketers to take advantage of targeting messaging and designing digital experiences for Boomers?
Chidiac: Just the financial opportunity and the math alone is in itself a marker of that. Roughly, they account for anything between a third and in some cases almost 40% of spend across most categories. Now you could turn around and you could say, ‘Well, that’s transaction data.’ But still, they are a giant segment that accounts for a lot more across most categories than they represent in the population. I think just understanding the financial value of this segment is important across categories where you would be astonished. Sneaker brands: one in four. Mobile phones: almost one in three. EV considerers: almost one in three. Just acknowledging that they are a highly valuable segment is step number one.
FACTS + COMMENTS
Johnson & Johnson came to a tentative agreement to settle investigations about its marketing of talcum powder, according to Bloomberg. The agreement follows thousands of lawsuits accusing the company of not disclosing cancer risks.
$700 million: Estimated settlement
More than 50,000: Number of lawsuits filed against Johnson & Johnson over cancer risks
Johnson & Johnson ‘misrepresented the safety of these products for decades’: St. Louis Circuit Judge Rex Burlison wrote about a 2018 $4.7 billion jury verdict against the company
VIDEO
Slate Milk Cofounder Shares The Brand’s Marketing Strategy
QUIZ
Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg are sharing the spotlight for a new brand campaign. What are they advertising?
A. Planters nuts
B. Bic lighters
C. Lodge skillets
D. Spotify
See if you got it right here.