PPB May 2018

AD-ITIVES Snap To It Ready to try Snapchat’s ad platform? Here’s what you should know. If you’re looking to add younger demographics to your customer base (think ages 18 to 34) to drive new business, Snapchat’s main users may be your next target market. The app’s new advertising platform can bring you a new roster of young, brand-loving clients—if you learn how to use it effectively. 1 Keep it short and scrappy. Snapchat users spend roughly 30 minutes a day on the app, so limiting the length of ads is crucial—10 seconds or shorter is ideal, though challenging, says Jessica Taylor, marketing director at Keepsafe Software and a member of Forbes Councils. Additionally, glossy pro ads that scream “agency” aren’t going to capture as much attention as ads that are created to mimic user snaps, she says. Consider filming your spot on a phone and using Snap filter options for creative after-effects. 2 Set campaign goals and stick to them. Advertisers always want the biggest bang for the buck. Snapchat advertisers can see how much they spend each day, and depending on how the ad is received, the cost can vary widely, Taylor says. This daily account is actually a boon to advertisers with hard-and-fast budgets, because they can stop serving ads once the limit is hit, maintaining positive revenue. 3 Create your own audience. Snapchat provides predefined audiences for advertisers to target, but Taylor says if you want to further refine your chosen demographic using data gleaned from your current customers, you can combine it with Snap’s data to create your own “lookalike” audience. Still not sure if your company would benefit from Snap Ads? Check out business success stories at forbusiness.snapchat.com/inspiration. BRANDABLE Beauty Is OnThe Inside Avocado distributor launches campaign to market ‘less than perfect’ fruits to consumers Avocados have made a name for themselves as the most desired fruit of the Millennial population, taking on starring roles in avocado toast and avocado-based vegan chocolate pudding. The dark bumpy skin hides a bright, smooth green interior, and avocado purveyors Mission Produce are hoping to get some of that love for its seasonal crops of less-than-perfect looking avocados. Dubbed “Emeralds in the Rough,” Mission’s campaign is designed to sell grade 2 avocados to individual consumers, in hopes that they’ll see past the unattractive exteriors that have often relegated this grade to being sold in bulk to food distributors and industrial users. To attract consumers’ attention, Mission is wrapping the avocados in bright packaging printed with a clever story. Sales Director Patrick Cortes adds that Emeralds in the Rough will be marketed as a promotional item, which alleviates the pressure to sell only to food service customers at times when grade 2 fruits are abundant. “This product has a lot of things going for it; rising consumption of imperfect fruit, a propensity for sustainable products, smart design and average lower cost,” he says. Denise Junqueiro, Mission Produce’s marketing director, says promoting imperfect produce that is still fresh and tasty is a movement that is good for the industry. “This is agriculture, and not every piece of fruit is picture perfect,” she says. “We created Emeralds in the Rough to showcase how beautiful and tasty every avocado is, even when it’s blemished.” 60 | MAY 2018 | THINK