ADVERTISER PLATFORMS
Circle K, Alimentation Couche-Tard | December 06, 2022
Circle K, a global leader in convenience and mobility, today announces its first-ever U.S. nationwide advertising campaign, “Fueled by Circle K.” Taking place over the next year, the campaign focuses on Circle K fuel, which is now available in over half of its 7,000 U.S. locations. The campaign underscores Circle K’s mission to make customers’ lives a little easier every day, highlighting fuel they can trust as yet another way the brand serves the communities where it operates.
The campaign will run primarily on digital streaming and social media channels, taking a customer-centric creative approach in the four-part ad series that showcases different customers, their fueling experiences and how Circle K has everything they need for their journey.
Launched on Dec. 2, the first ad of the year-long campaign is holiday-themed, featuring actual Circle K employees alongside a variety of Circle K customer personalities, from delivery drivers to Santa’s helpers. The ad also features user-generated content from actual Circle K customers, and an original festive jingle to get customers in the holiday spirit.
“With the continued growth of Circle K in the U.S. and the expansion of Circle K Fuel reaching close to 4,000 stores by mid next year, now is the right time to introduce our first national fuel campaign,” explains Melissa Lessard, Head of North American Marketing.
“With the continued growth of Circle K in the U.S. and the expansion of Circle K Fuel reaching close to 4,000 stores by mid next year, now is the right time to introduce our first national fuel campaign,” explains Melissa Lessard, Head of North American Marketing. “As a major milestone for our brand, we want the ‘Fueled by Circle K’ campaign to celebrate our valued customers and show how they can trust the quality of Circle K fuel to support them on their journeys as well as enjoy so many customer favorites in store.”
To continue showcasing real customers throughout the campaign, Circle K fans are invited to share how Circle K is part of their life for a chance to be featured in future ads or social media posts, plus the opportunity to win fun prizes. To enter, customers can post to social media using #MyCircleK or upload their photos and videos directly to the My Circle K website.
View the first ad, “Holiday,” on YouTube. For more information on Circle K, Circle K Fuel, and to find a nearby location, visit circlek.com.
About Circle K and Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
Couche-Tard is a global leader in convenience and fuel retail, operating in 24 countries and territories, with close to 14,300 stores, of which approximately 10,900 offer road transportation fuel. With its well-known Couche-Tard and Circle K banners, it is one of the largest independent convenience store operators in the United States and it is a leader in the convenience store industry and road transportation fuel retail in Canada, Scandinavia, the Baltics, as well as in Ireland. It also has an important presence in Poland and Hong Kong SAR. Approximately 122,000 people are employed throughout its network.
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AD TECH AND MARTECH
Smartly.io | October 27, 2022
Smartly.io, the leading social advertising automation platform for creative and performance marketers, today announced new survey findings that highlight consumers’ plans and preferences for this holiday shopping season. Included in the findings is how digital ads impact their decision-making. Conducted by Dynata, the survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers reveals that 40% of consumers say they will start shopping for holiday gifts earlier in 2022, and almost half of holiday shoppers have either already started shopping or are planning to start within the next month.
With a continued push toward e-commerce in mind, Smartly.io’s survey findings – including year-over-year trends from prior studies – point to a growing interest among consumers to use social media to aid their online shopping journeys. Specifically, 55% of respondents say they are open to making holiday gift purchases directly via a social media ad this holiday season. Further, Facebook continues to be the leading platform that respondents say they would consider making a holiday gift purchase from. However, since last year, YouTube has gained popularity over Instagram, rising 5% to 39% of consumers surveyed. TikTok is also increasing in popularity among consumers, with 24% saying they would consider purchasing holiday gifts from the platform, a 6% increase from 2021.
“For brands wanting to make an impact on consumers this holiday season, multi-platform strategies that tie-in discounts, personalization, and creator content across channels will be crucial,” said Lyle Underkoffler, CMO of Smartly.io. “This data shows that there is a greater opportunity for consumers to discover, and even purchase, products and services from their social media feeds as long as retailers can deliver relevant, personalized, and creative ads.”
Additionally, inflation is having a profound effect on how consumers shop this holiday season. Our data shows that 1 in 5 consumers say they are unsure if or how their shopping plans might change as a result of the current economic climate. Further insights show there is an opportunity for digital advertisers to create new experiences and forge better connections with these consumers via the following:
Discounts, Discounts, Discounts!
For both 2021 and 2022, discounts were ranked as the number one thing influencing consumers' decisions to buy products through digital ads. This year, due to market inflation, ads that offer discounts and coupon codes will be pivotal for brands looking to meet shoppers’ budgets and capture their attention this holiday season.
Making it Personal
Personalization continues to be at the top of the list when it comes to attracting audiences online. 60% of those surveyed rated an ad that is relevant or personalized to them as a deciding factor in purchasing holiday gifts from digital ads.
Be Transparent and Trustworthy
More than a third of respondents ranked a brand's trustworthiness as a crucial factor in deciding whether to purchase gifts from a digital ad. As consumers become more focused on how brands use their data, this is increasingly important.
Collaborating with Creators
Nearly 1 in 4 consumers get gift ideas from creators and influencers, and 66% of consumers say they are either somewhat or very likely to interact with a brand or its products based on content from an influencer or creator that they follow.
Embracing a Multi-Platform Strategy
81% of Gen Z is active on Instagram compared to 47% of general consumers. Incorporating multi-platform strategies that leverage the strengths of each channel allows brands to engage and create genuine connections with their desired audiences, leveraging each individual channel and platform to the best of its abilities.
Learn more about this latest research from Smartly.io, and how brands can capitalize on their digital advertising strategies this holiday season.
About the Study
In a study commissioned by Smartly.io, Dynata surveyed 1,000 consumers to uncover year-over-year trends as well as take a closer look at when consumers are beginning to shop for the holidays and, specific to this year, how the economic downturn may affect their plans. Respondents were located in the U.S. and were over the age of 18. The survey was conducted in September 2022.
About Smartly.io
Powering beautifully effective ads, Smartly.io automates every step of social advertising to unlock greater performance and creativity. We combine creative technology, ad buying automation, and intelligence with outstanding customer service to help 700+ brands scale their results—on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, and TikTok. Last year Smartly.io acquired Ad-Lib.io and Viralspace.ai and are now a fast-growing community of over 800 Smartlies with 21 offices around the world, managing over $4B in annual ad spend and growing rapidly and profitably. Visit Smartly.io to learn more.
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SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING
Smartly.io | October 19, 2022
Smartly.io, the leading social advertising automation platform for creative and performance marketers, today announced the appointment of Oli Marlow Thomas as Chief Innovation Officer. Marlow Thomas was previously the Founder and CEO of Ad-Lib.io, a next-generation creative optimization platform and a leading Google Certified Creative partner that Smartly.io acquired in Q1 of this year.
The acquisition advanced Smartly.io’s cross-channel reach from social to include dynamic creative optimization across programmatic, CTV, and the entire Google ecosystem. Now, ten months later, the two companies, along with Viralspace.ai, have formally integrated to offer Smartly.io customers an advancement in creative optimization capabilities with AI and machine learning for digital advertising. With this integration, Marlow Thomas will join Smartly.io’s executive team to further guide the company as the Leading Digital Advertising Platform.
“Smartly.io and Ad-Lib.io were a natural partner from the beginning and I’m thrilled to be joining the executive team as we make this integration official,” said Oli Marlow Thomas, Chief Innovation Officer, Smartly.io.
“Smartly.io and Ad-Lib.io were a natural partner from the beginning and I’m thrilled to be joining the executive team as we make this integration official,” said Oli Marlow Thomas, Chief Innovation Officer, Smartly.io. "Together, we can offer customers a one stop shop that will maximize creative effectiveness, media buying and creative intelligence."
Previously the Creative Lead at DoubleClick/Google for five years, Marlow Thomas founded creative personalization service Ad-Lib.io in 2017. He is an industry expert and has received recognition as “One To Watch” in Campaign Tech Awards. As Co-Founder and CEO of Ad-Lib.io, Marlow Thomas oversaw the growth and eventually acquisition of the company. Now, as Chief Innovation Officer at Smartly.io, he will bring his forward-thinking industry vision and expertise to identify, harness, and bring to fruition new ideas that will continue to move Smartly.io forward to offer customers the best in multi-platform strategy with game-changing creative tools.
“Smartly.io’s customers are at the forefront of everything we do. With this integration, and by bringing Oli onboard, we are able to offer our customers the best capabilities and technology in navigating the changed ecosystem of digital advertising and conquering walled gardens effectively,” said Laura Desmond, CEO, Smartly.io. “Oli’s industry expertise and vision will be extremely valuable as we continue to combine creative, media and intelligence to generate unparalleled results for our customers.”
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