Well folks, it’s finally here. The last month of a year that has felt like 10 years wrapped into one. And, unfortunately, many of us are ending 2020 where it started – at home. While 2020 is not a year I’d personally like to relive, it has taught us some valuable lessons and forced us to change how we operate – from the ways we interact to how we educate our children to how and where we work, and so much more.
While 2020 was a year like no other, wrapping it up does include some of the same hallmarks of years past – and putting a bow on your 2021 planning is likely at the top of your list. To help, I’m sharing some of the best marketing campaigns from the past month. Keep scrolling to read on.
1. The New York Times’ Full Page Subscribe Module
Anyone else been binging The New York Times lately 🙋🏻♀️
I’m certainly not alone.
According to Meredith Kopit Levien, CEO of The New York Times, the publication’s coverage “brought 120 million readers to The Times” on the Wednesday after Election Day, and “more than 75 million came the day before.”
So it’s no wonder the Times is looking to capture some of that undoubtedly free traffic and turn it into paying subscribers. And I’m betting their new full page subscription module will be pretty effective at doing so:
The new gate is more intrusive than the Times’ quarter page spread that you can easily click away from. While it appears they’re now testing both variations, it will be interesting to see which sticks around for the long run. And which blog readers (like you) might want to test out on your own site (I can hear the newsletter sign ups already).
2. Scratchers for the Internet from The North Face
I know… another shout out for The North Face, but good marketing is good marketing.
Last month, I included the company’s Reset campaign, which was a lofty influencer-led program. And this month I’m bringing it back to tactics. The brand’s interactive holiday promo is pretty catchy.
See for yourself:
Deals and a game?! Count us in.
3. Data + Billboards to Drive Maximum Attention from Oura Ring
Oura Ring, a personal health tracking device that monitors non-negotiables like sleep, launched a brilliant and timely digital out of home campaign around Election Day. As noted by the Morning Brew, the company made the data the star to spotlight just how much sleep Americans lost out on over Election Day (ahem Week). The data was highlighted on one of Times Square’s most prominent billboards:
According to Oura, America lost 138,833,045 hours of sleep. Let’s do it again in 2024, y’all 🤦♀️
4. (Out of) Office Hours from Wistia
Certainly late to the game on this one, but (unfortunately) Wistia’s series dedicated to all things remote is more relevant than ever. Why? Because the entire series, as you might have guessed from the name, is dedicated to remote video production. And since remote looks like it’s sticking around for a while, there’s no better time to brush up on your remote filming tips to make sure your 2021 campaigns are as polished as possible.
You can check out (Out of) Office Hours here.
5. A Team Hackathon!
Alright, I’m swiping this last one from the Drift Marketing team. We just hosted our last hackathon of the year. Not only was it a great way to bring the entire team together virtually, it seeded some truly innovative campaign ideas for 2021 (we can’t wait to show you 🤫). Before the year is out, think about scheduling your own hackathon. It’s a great way to boost morale AND get some key 2021 planning in.
What marketing inspiration have you come across lately? What should I add to my list? Let me know by tweeting me @gaxelro.
