Snack brand RXBar has leaned into a digital-first approach, pushing wellness-focused content, like follow along, at-home workouts, across its social media channels in short video clips. Blink Fitness has moved to do the same. However, the fitness company has produced video content by way of its mobile app, which includes virtual personal training.

Even post-pandemic, as mass vaccination continues and more people venture outside — and away from screens — both brands say they’ll continue to incorporate digital content creation into their core strategy.

Recent research from eMarketer shows that “nearly three-quarters of U.S. internet users said they spent at least 30 minutes per day watching short-video content.”

Ramping up short-form organic content tracks with shifting consumer behavior, according to Jose Aniceto, svp and head of behavioral science at MullenLowe U.S., who added that consumers are still at home bored and that’s impacting their daily behavior, leading to an uptick in short-form video consumption.

According to Aniceto, brands could afford to be spending time and media dollars in the digital video space even post-pandemic.

“They can use video for more than just brand building and awareness, adding it to their lower-funnel and e-comm spend mix too,” Aniceto said.

Just 48 hours after Covid-19 lockdown orders went into effect last spring, RXBar launched a digital initiative, offering free, at-home workouts to their social media followers. According to vp of marketing Julia Adams, it started as an organic effort, when the brand took to Instagram to announce RXercise, a series of at home workouts via livestream.

“We want to make sure that we’re showing up where [consumers] are most engaged,” Adams said, “So I think for us, that lends itself really nicely to digital platforms.”

The initiative garnered an estimated 155,000 views and has been repurposed for other channels such as TikTok. RXBar has also tapped into working with social media influencers. And for the first time in almost two years, the snack brand launched its first campaign with paid digital efforts.

According to a RXBar spokesperson, currently, 31% of RXBar’s digital ad spend is dedicated to programmatic marketing. Video takes about 29% with paid social at 23%. Search spend sits at 10%, followed by 7% of ad spend dedicated to audio. Digiday previously reported RXBar spent $228,000 on marketing during the first 10 months of 2019. In the past, RXBar has worked with influencers, dedicating about 20% of its marketing budget to influencer initiatives, per previous Digiday reporting.

It’s unclear the level of growth the brand has seen, as it declined to provide specific details on website sales. However, Adams said the brand has …read more

Source:: Digiday

Author: Aaron