Roku's new plan: ads every time you hit pause 👀

It’s Monday!

Wonderful Pistachios is hitting the streets with a bold out-of-home campaign, wrapping nearly 80 Uber and Lyft cars in six major U.S. markets to promote their No Shells product, while also partnering with influencers and sponsoring Wi-Fi at high-traffic spots to reach busy, on-the-go consumers.

TL;DR:

• Roku's pause ads patent: Roku is close to patenting tech that plays ads when you pause a show, joining other streamers in finding new ad spaces.

• La Roche-Posay doubles down on tennis: The skincare brand is leveraging tennis tournaments like the US Open to push sun safety and connect with younger consumers.

• Balancing influencer control: Brands are debating how much freedom to give influencers in campaigns, trying to strike a balance between authenticity and brand consistency.

Roku's new ad tech: ads during pause time

Roku is on the brink of revolutionizing streaming ads with new technology that detects when content is paused and displays targeted ads. After receiving a Notice of Allowance from the US Patent Office for its "HDMI customized ad insertion," Roku is a step closer to securing the patent.

While it's unclear if Roku will immediately use this tech, the company has three months to finalize the patent. This move aligns with a growing trend in streaming: pause ads. Amazon, Max, Peacock, Netflix, and Hulu have all been exploring this format, which could soon become a staple in the ad world.

Why La Roche-Posay is betting big on tennis

La Roche-Posay is ramping up its presence at the US Open as the official sunscreen provider for the third consecutive year, offering free sunscreen and on-site dermatologists to help attendees with skincare advice.

Strategic move: Guillaume Monsel, VP of Marketing, sees tennis as a perfect match for promoting sun safety due to its outdoor nature. The brand partners with top tennis players like Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe to push daily sun protection, aligning with its mission.

Growing influence: La Roche-Posay is expanding its tennis partnerships beyond the US Open to include other tournaments and is looking to connect with younger athletes to further promote sun safety.

Creating buzz: The brand's presence at the US Open has boosted the event's luxury appeal by involving celebrities and influencers, enhancing visibility and aligning with a premium audience.

Learning on the ground: By engaging directly with customers, La Roche-Posay gains valuable insights for future campaigns, though it sometimes leads to unusual customer requests for on-the-spot skin checks.

La Roche-Posay is using its US Open partnership to elevate its brand and promote sun protection on a grand stage.

Can brands still trust creator-led campaigns?

Influencer marketing is booming, with spending expected to hit $24 billion by the end of 2024. But as brands invest more, they’re becoming more involved in how influencer campaigns are run. The big question now: how much creative control should brands give to influencers?

Creator-led vs. brand-led production: Finding the balance between authenticity and brand consistency is key. Creator-led production allows influencers to integrate brands into their own style, making content feel genuine and engaging. Brand-led production, on the other hand, keeps messaging and visuals strictly aligned with brand guidelines, ensuring a consistent image.

For example, Newfangled Studios took a brand-led approach for Sonos' new headphones, the Sonos Ace. They chose lo-fi content with controlled scripting and filming, avoiding influencer casting altogether. This strategy let Sonos maintain control over the narrative while still engaging with a social media audience.

The right creators make a difference: Brands need to carefully choose when to let go and trust creators. Micro-influencers, with their niche audiences, might not mesh well with strict brand demands or heavily scripted content. Meanwhile, influencers who thrive on lo-fi, personality-driven content can come off as inauthentic if forced into overly polished brand campaigns.

Finding the sweet spot: Ultimately, the success of influencer campaigns lies in striking the right balance—allowing enough creative freedom for authenticity while retaining enough control to protect the brand's identity. It's about knowing when to lead and when to let influencers do their thing.

Extras…

• From design, supply, distribution, marketing to retail: How AI is being used in the fashion industry (fashionunited.uk)

• Who gets to own a meme? (The Business of Fashion)

• How Barbie is giving fresh energy to its tagline and catching WNBA fever (Marketing Dive)

• It’s going to be a creator commerce holiday (Adweek)