• Gross or great? Kraft and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream are making Mac n Cheese flavored ice cream
• “Planteroni” is a thing now and Little Ceasar’s has released a plant-based pepperoni pizza with a mythical creature ad
• Coca-Cola Zero Sugar is getting a packaging rebrand as well as a recipe change, and Coke Zero fans are upset about it
• THIS, a plant-based food brand, is hiring the world’s first meat sommelier so if you’re UK-based with pro taste buds…check it out

Social media is everywhere in our lives. Sometimes it’s great! Sometimes it’s a friggin’ nightmare 🙂 Social media managers question their livelihoods often, and it’s usually because of the weird curveballs sent their way. 

Game plans are your best friend. Having your social media policies in the bag is the best way to stay ahead of any sucker punches and stressors. This is especially true for your brand’s employees and handling anything negative.

Where to Start: 

• Create a central library: Gather your evergreen, already approved content and keep it on lock. This way anyone has a set standard for posting.
• Assemble a team: Get the whole gang in on it. Senior leadership, HR, legal, marketing, communications, and IT don’t all need to be in the muck of it, but need to be up to snuff on social media in general.
• Bake it in: Make sure everyone knows what’s what when it comes to your policy from the get go. Especially new starts. Your policy should be in your employee handbook and called out as important.

What to include:

• Acceptable conduct and content: What can and can’t your employees post online? Think about how they should be interacting when representing your brand. Make sure they know what breaks regulations, what is legally restricted or sensitive information.
• Response for conflict or crisis: What should your employees do in sticky situations? Who should they reach out to? Canned responses are something you should develop for different use cases as well.
• Call to action for participation: Get the whole squad on board with supporting company culture and messaging. Getting their input is actually a great way for UGC!

SHRM goes into much more detail of the shifting world of social media and how to handle social issues with it as well. See the full article to see if your policies could use an adjustment.

Get weird with it. Gratisography is a free, high-res photo service that has quirky (and self-proclaimed whimsical) photos and vector illustrations. They are royalty-free, you get unlimited downloads, and they have some fun collections. You were searching for a whole gallery of “Mischievous Men,” right? Look no further. Add a little ✨spice✨ to your creative.

You got the content.

You got the loyal ones.

You want the numbers.

Say less! We have your solution, baby. Scalemail is our homegrown referral system that takes your most loyal subscribers and turns them into influencers. Grow your list by gamifying your referrals! It’s easily integrated into your existing systems and your users are gonna love it.

Let us show you what it’s all about!

Squarespace UK released two fantasy characters setting up websites. One spot is Snow White selling organic apples. The other is Dracula himself selling blackout shades. This ad ended up cool and cute and clever with vampy puns abound. It shows how easy it can be to set up Squarespace e-commerce site with custom photos and design.