Welcome back to The Shoppe! This week, we’re talking about Neutrogena’s first TikTok campaign, pandemic shopping trends, Gatorade’s team of TikTok athletes, and how to optimize your content marketing performance. Don’t forget to subscribe so you can be notified every time we post!

Neutrogena Launches First TikTok Campaign Debunking Skin Care Myths

On September 14th, skin care brand Neutrogena launched their first TikTok campaign called “SkinU.” Users are invited to submit their most pressing skin care questions to be answered in a virtual one-on-one lesson with a team of Neutrogena scientists. The campaign’s goal is to combat disinformation on social media and the brand has partnered with singers Chloe x Halle, who have been brand ambassadors since March. An informative campaign like SkinU feels more genuine and is a great way to engage users, and TikTok offers a large potential audience. 

Research Finds that Consumers are Returning to Early Pandemic Behaviors

With the emergence of the Delta variant, researchers have found that shopping behaviors are beginning to mimic the beginning of the pandemic. According to Numerator Research, 20% of people are “highly optimistic” about life returning to normal, a 13% drop since the beginning of the summer. Berkeley Research found that almost 60% are “very or somewhat concerned” about Covid cancelling holiday plans. Consumers have become much more cautious, with the comfort level of going into a store maskless dropping by 15% and many plan on exclusively shopping online. The supply side of retail businesses have also been affected by the Delta variant, with an increase in freight costs and inventory restraints. This holiday season, retailers will need to adapt and be innovative while developing a marketing strategy and should offer omnichannel services. For example, consumers should get their shopping done early to avoid potential supply issues and product shortages. You can read more about our holiday marketing and shopping tips here.

Gatorade Recruits Athlete Influencers for TikTok Sports Series

With the launch of their “Gatorade Social Squad,” Gatorade has partnered with nine young athletes with large TikTok followings who will create content about the brand through November. The Social Squad includes Briana Green of the Harlem Globetrotters and soccer freestyler Caitlyn Schrepfer. Earlier this year, Gatorade held “tryouts” on TikTok and received 1,500 video applications. Although this campaign was created before the NCAA ruling that now allows athletes to receive endorsements, Carolyn Braff, Gatorade’s head of brand strategy says, “We are assessing the landscape and evaluating opportunities for college athlete partnerships, as we see the value they can bring. We’re considering all relevant athletes when choosing athlete partners down the line.”