Rachel Tipograph left her role as global director of digital and social media at Gap after a conversation with her boss where she asked, “How do we drive sales on the web, not annoy people, and even make Gap cool again at the same time?” His reply: “If you figure that out, that’s a billion-dollar idea.”
That conversation coupled with her recognition of the seismic upheaval underway in the digital marketing landscape led to the creation of MikMak — the first mobile video shopping network. Hailed as QVC for the Snapchat generation, MikMak works with brands to create short, shoppable, “minimercials” — all hosted by improv comedians. And it operates under the mantra of Watch – Laugh – Shop.
Highlights from this week’s “Marketing Today” podcast include:
- Two factors that helped launch MikMak — the explosion of influencer marketing and the unbundling of media. (3:10)
- Why e-commerce shopping should feel more like Netflix and Snapchat than Amazon and Alibaba. (4:45)
- Marketing in the age of ad blockers and overwhelming sentiment against advertising. (5:52)
- Designing the right canvas: A one-size-fits-all approach to marketing just doesn’t work. (7:45)
- Putting data and creativity together is the marriage of art and science — the two have to go hand in hand. (9:45)
- Reaching ad-averse populations: You get what you give. (14:30)
- Writing the “book” that defines your brand: Creating content that beckons to key, like-minded influencers. (17:57)
- Learning through (big) mistakes is the fuel that powers Rachel Tipograph to do what she does. (19:30)