Welcome back to The Shoppe! This week we’re talking about the NFL's Pride Advertisement, the delay of third-party cookies being phased out, the new McDonald’s loyalty program, and more! Don’t forget to subscribe so you can be notified every time we post!



NFL’s ‘Football Is Gay’ Pride Ad 

Research has shown how involvement in sports can have exceedingly positive effects on the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth. However, the fear of being ostracized could and does put an immense amount of pressure on people to remain in the closet. Sadly, this is seen in many professional sports rosters. Six former NFL players have come out following retirement, yet, Carl Nassib remains the first and only openly gay active player as of June 21, 2021. Currently, the NFL has a partnership with both 72andSunny and The Trevor Project and is beginning to recognize the need for better allyship with its new ad that aired during the NBA Conference Finals. This spot begins with the words “Football is..” which is then followed by a descriptor that changes every few seconds to another word. The first declaration being “Football is gay,” proceeded by a number of other affirmations with a fast drumbeat and cheers for the soundtrack, to give the sense of celebration and excitement. Tim Ellis, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer at NFL, discusses the importance of inclusion and how the NFL needs to use its platform to drive positive changes, including supporting what their players care about and stand for. Recognizing the importance of showing acceptance for its LGBTQ+ players and fans is just one step forward, but the NFL continues to work towards letting the LGBTQ+ community know that football is inclusive for all. 

Delay in Removal of Third-Party Cookies 

The original plan for Google to phase out third-party cookies by the start of 2022 has been postponed until 2023. This news was reassuring to the ad industry that has been scrambling to plan for the cookieless future. However, the worst that marketers could do today is leave their planning for a later date. Over the next year or so, the ad industry has time to work on new privacy solutions to prepare for this cookieless future. This decision to delay the deadline was expected due to a variety of technical factors. Learn more about Google’s decision and timeline leading into a cookieless future here!

MyMcDonald’s Loyalty Program Goes National

McDonald’s Corp. announced that starting July 8th, the company will be rolling out its loyalty program nationally. Users will be able to receive points on qualifying purchases which can then be traded for items such as hash browns, McNuggets, a large frappe, or a McChicken sandwich. MyMcDonald’s Rewards will be available through the company app at all participating restaurants and users will be rewarded with 1,500 points automatically after their first order using the rewards program. Other food-and-beverage chains are pursuing similar programs to try and promote loyalty and increase visits but also, to gain access to more first-party data as Google and Apple Inc. now allow people to opt out of tracking. When the quarter ended in March, McDonald’s revealed that online and delivery sales helped to lift U.S. sales due to the fact that these areas took priority during the pandemic.

Email Marketing is Key For eCommerce Brands

Being one of the most popular communication channels, email use continues to increase year after year. Millions of consumers worldwide use email and the majority of emails sent daily are business related. From notifications to paperless billing, think of how heavily we rely on emails each and every day. In terms of email marketing, it remains one of the most effective ways for businesses to market to their customers. Email is not going anywhere any time soon and can not be ignored. Here are a few reasons brands should be all-in when it comes to email marketing:

• More customizable and personal than social media
• Highly measurable data
• Consumers have instant access to their email via mobile devices
• Cost-effective

Learn more about the importance of email marketing here.