The MUSE Creative Awards is an international, industry-wide competition for communications professionals. This spring, among 75K of our talented peers from 108 countries, KSV was honored to receive not one, but four MUSE Gold Awards. 

Topics: Energy Efficiency, Climate Change, Content Marketing, Inspiration, Branding and Brand Value, Sustainability Marketing, In the News, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Brand Activations

As TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms grow and evolve, brands have new ways to engage with consumers. 

Yes, the “Instagram/TikTok made me buy it!” trend is real, and it’s certainly not just about ads, which many users have gotten great at ignoring. These days, it’s influencer nudging that often pushes customers to buy. Thanks to the widespread use of these platforms and massive followings, influencers are driving sales. Recent studies show social media users (that is, most people) trust influencer promotions more than celebrity ones. And nearly 50% of social media users say they’ve bought a product after seeing an influencer advertise it.

Topics: Innovation, Social Media Strategy and Best Practices, Content Marketing, Branding and Brand Value, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Brand Activations

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the way businesses operate and interact with customers. Brands that invest in AI technology can gain a competitive edge by automating repetitive tasks, improving decision-making, and providing personalized experiences for customers.

Topics: Digital Transformation and User Experience, Content Marketing, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, AI, Artificial Intelligence

The best way to understand someone’s problems, as the old adage goes, is to walk a mile in their shoes.

Topics: Innovation, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Social Media Strategy and Best Practices, Content Marketing, Sustainability Marketing, Creative, Brand Activations

Heading into the holiday season, KSV was tasked with developing a campaign unlike any other for its most-important client: Mother Earth. 

Topics: Innovation, B Corporation, Climate Change, Content Marketing, Inspiration, Sustainability Marketing, Creative

If you’ve lived and worked through 2020, then the phrase “future-proofing” may sound like the biggest oxymoron of them all. If 2020 taught us anything, it is that plans change. Pivots are necessary. And planning for the future can sometimes mean planning to keep your business’s doors open for just one more day. Who has time to future-proof their business for next year when they’re just trying to survive 2020?

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Innovation, B Corporation, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Content Marketing, Inspiration, Branding and Brand Value, Sustainability Marketing, Creative, D2C, In the News

Happy almost Thanksgiving! As we inch another day closer to a holiday season unlike any other,  the team at KSV can’t help but reflect on all that we have to be grateful for. Even in a year where so much has been turned upside down, we find ourselves finishing each day with gratitude for what has remained the same: inspiring clients, innovative colleagues and a community dedicated to creating a better future. 

As we prepare for a 2020-style Thanksgiving, we’d like to share a few stories bringing us an extra dose of inspiration this week, in the hopes that they do the same for all of you:

Brands Are Using Black Friday Boycotts to Highlight Sustainability Initiatives: Although several brands will spend Black Friday and the weeks after touting promotions and deep discounts, several others are switching things up this year, using the high-profile moment as an opportunity to highlight ongoing sustainability initiatives. For brands like Freitag, this means shining a spotlight on their newly launched bag swap platform, which allows customers to exchange backpacks and messenger bags with other customers as a way to encourage a second-life for a high quality product while also reducing waste.

This is Our Chance to Reclaim Cities From Cars: One positive thing that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic? A more bikeable, walkable and cleaner urban America. Reimagining public spaces has consistently been a part of the conversation around how urban areas rebuild in the wake of the virus. This article takes it a step further, painting a hopeful picture for the future of cities.

25 US Cities Land on CDP ‘A List:’ In spite of both the havoc wrought by the coronavirus and little-to-no support at the federal level, several cities in the US were recognized by the CDP for making progress toward their climate action goals. Progress from cities like Cleveland, OH and San Antonio, TX highlight just how, in the absence of national guidance, impactful and important state and municipal level initiatives toward carbon emissions reductions and the adoption of clean energy technologies can be in ensuring a better, brighter and cleaner future.

Oreo’s Proud Parent ad is a moving, resonant reminder that a loving world, no matter how complicated, starts with a loving home. 

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Innovation, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Content Marketing, Inspiration, Branding and Brand Value, Sustainability Marketing, Creative, D2C, In the News

We kicked off this three-part series a few weeks back, diving into the importance of brands approaching the 2020 holiday season with a clear focus on reality. We then turned our attention to the value of flexibility in brands’ marketing strategies as a way to better serve and support current and future customers in the months ahead.  

This week, we’re concluding the series with one final consideration for brands that are planning, fine-tuning and executing their holiday strategies: incorporating personalization into the holiday shopping experience. 

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Innovation, Content Marketing, Branding and Brand Value, Creative, D2C, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices

Recently we shared the first post in our three-part series highlighting a few considerations brands of all shapes and sizes should focus on to better serve and support current and future customers in the months ahead.  

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Innovation, Content Marketing, Branding and Brand Value, Creative, D2C, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices

No matter how blurry the concept of time feels these days, the holiday season is inevitably and speedily approaching. In years prior, the impending holiday season would have meant a ramp up in in-store product promotions, email marketing campaigns and an influx of television advertisements. 

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Innovation, Content Marketing, Branding and Brand Value, Creative, D2C, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices