Baby Back Ribs, UK Ad Regulation, and Oreo Coke

9/27: Marketing News from the Past Week

Happy fall to all who observe! Take it easy on the pumpkin spice this year, yeah? Let’s get to it.

5. Baby Back’s Back, Baby

AdWeek’s convo with Chili’s CMO George Felix earlier this week is a reminder that it’s (almost) never too late for a brand. Chili’s prioritized jumping on social trends in a fast and sassy manner, and it paid off. I particularly liked this quote from their agency’s lead Jeff McCrory: “There are some brands and companies that orient around trying to protect against the downside … Chili’s is an organization that very much wants to maximize the upside.”

(source: AdWeek)

4. Inflation Frustration

New research from Constant Contact and Ascend2 found that small business owners and marketers are feeling the pain of inflation. The report, which surveyed 1,600 SBOs and marketers at business with 250 or fewer employees, found that nearly half say they’ve had to “cut back on expenses this year.”

Get the full report below.

(source: Marketing Profs)

3. Spiced Out

What would have been Coca-Cola’s first permanent new offering in more than three years is officially a dud. “Coca-Cola Spiced” failed miserably, yet the brand has vowed to introduce another potentially-permanent flavor in 2025. If their limited-edition “creation” products are any indication (an Oreo Coke?!), the new flavor next could literally be anything. (The ad below is real.)

(source: MarketingDive)

2. Chumped Up Kicks

UK regulators have banned what they deem a bait-and-switch ad for $35 Nike sneakers. The ad, which targeted adults, linked to a page where the sale was limited to “older kids’” sizes 3.5 to 6.5 for men, and 5 to 8 for women. The move is part of broader campaign by the Advertising Standards Agency to regulate “online choice architecture” that can “distort consumer behavior.” Seems a bit of slippery slope…

(source: CNN)

1. Now is Literally The Time

Hootsuite’s team has analyzed thousands of social posts to solve the conundrum that marketers everywhere test on the daily: When do I hit the button??

Turns out, unurprisingly, it all depends on who you’re targeting, when you’re posting and which platform you’re posting on. Apparently, the best time to post on Facebook is 7 a.m. on Saturdays!

(source: Hootsuite)

Have a fantastic weekend wherever this finds you. Until next week…