Welcome back to The Shoppe! This week we’re talking about Twitter’s latest venture into e-commerce, Lucky Charms’ new album, LinkedIn tips on using branding to retain talent, and Michelob Ultra’s pledge to support female athletes. Don’t forget to subscribe so you can be notified every time we post!

Twitter tests out shopping features, Adding a “Purchases” Tab

Social media has completely changed the way people shop, as platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook have added shopping features, giving e-commerce brands a new avenue for doing business. It was only a matter of time before Twitter hopped on the bandwagon. Users were quick to notice that a “Purchases” option appeared, and the app is still in its developing stages of incorporating e-commerce. Currently, the “Purchases” button is connected to the “Super Follows” feature, which allows users to pay to have access to exclusive Tweets from their favorite creators, but eventually it will be used to save products and make purchases directly in the app. Businesses should keep these changes in mind, as Twitter revealed 74% of users follow brands to stay up to date on their latest products. 

General Mills Experiments with Audio Marketing, Releases Lucky Charms Album

With the rise in popularity of podcasts and music streaming services, audio advertising proves to be a market with untapped potential for brands to explore. Lucky Charms, owned by General Mills, recently announced that their mascot, Lucky the Leprechaun, has released an album available on all music streaming platforms, but is being promoted exclusively on Spotify. The album, “Magically Delicious,” includes 8 songs of different genres varying from country to EDM, and also features colorful music videos that target parents with young children. This new venture could help the company continue its recent growth. General Mills’ fiscal year ended in May and they reported that annual sales rose 3%. With more and more customers working remotely, the demand for food at home has continued to increase and General Mills recognizes the importance of reaching customers across a variety of platforms. 

LinkedIn Tips on How to Use Marketing to Navigate Post-Pandemic Job Trends

The Covid-19 pandemic has shaken up the job market and made employees reconsider their current roles. LinkedIn posted an infographic sharing insights and tips for businesses to take advantage of these trends to attract and retain top talent through marketing and branding. The key takeaways are:

• 41% of employees are considering leaving their current companies this year.
• Usual motivators to stay in a role, like interest in work, promotions, and co-worker relationships, were significantly lower this year.
• Employees are much more likely to stay in a role if the company focuses on three areas: empathy, accountability, and transparency.
• Employers should use a Brand and Demand strategy to keep talent by crafting long-term strategies centered around their target audience and modernizing their brand.

Read the full infographic here.

Michelob Ultra Pledges $100 Million for Women in Sports

At the end of August, Michelob Ultra, an Anheuser-Busch brand, announced they’re committing $100 million to support gender equality in sports over the next five years. The brand stated they plan on representing female athletes as much as their male counterparts in future campaigns and half of the company’s media inventory will include women’s sports and female athletes (a 40% increase). By 2025 they promise to have an equal balance of male and female athletes in endorsements and sponsorships. Michelob Ultra also launched their “See it, Save it” social media campaign, which fights to give female athletes the visibility they have never received. Ricardo Marques, the brand’s VP of marketing stated, “Change doesn’t happen overnight, but this is a dynamic investment. Five years is a good place to start. But the message is we are committed for the long-term.”