2016: The year of innovation and technology applied to branding initiatives – destined to make history in marketing management.
Here are some highlights of the marketing moments that defined the past year – take notes for 2017!

#ABInBev+SABMiller

In 2016, the fourth most expensive acquisition of all time took place – over €112 billion: AB InBev, the British beer production giant, merged with the equally massive SAB Miller (with the transfer of several famous brands, such as Peroni!), creating a behemoth capable of producing 60 billion liters of beer annually.

#Lemonade

In April, Beyoncé released Lemonade, her sixth studio album: a visual album accompanied by a one-hour film on HBO, and premiered on Tidal, the service owned by “1% of the music industry” according to Pitchfork: Jay-Z, Madonna, Rihanna, Kanye West, Calvin Harris, Daft Punk. Five years after the risk of collapse for major record labels, artists’ marketing experimentation continues to surprise.

#Rio

Major sporting events continue to be the leaders of real-time marketing: athletes, events, and celebrations are able to generate conversations and hashtags – as well as unique market opportunities, as shown by the traffic data from YouTube and Google. Among the best marketing moments of the year, some ads we’ve discussed HERE…

#VR

At the Mobile World Congress, Mark Zuckerberg revealed that Oculus technology would be the foundation of Samsung Gear VR. Oculus Rift, as the first result of its launch, revolutionized the possibilities for experimentation by agencies in their marketing campaigns. One such campaign was by MSC Cruises, which, with #NaveinCittà, was among the first brands to create VR solutions to promote their cruises.

We discussed headsets right HERE a few months ago!

#USA

One of the most fiercely contested – and the most social – presidential campaigns ever. Amid hacker attacks and cyber-scandals, with a surprising outcome. Despite questionable tweets, sexist remarks, and expressions and memes… or perhaps, thanks to all of this.

#LiveVideo e #Photo360°

In April, Facebook released live videos for all users: the social network became a streaming platform with a simple tap on a smartphone. Even 360° photos became a reality – literally augmented reality – and have already been expertly leveraged by brands to showcase their products!

#PokémonGO

Nintendo reclaimed the world of gaming, breaking every download record and sending its titles soaring on the stock market. Niantic seized the opportunity to include partnerships with other well-known brands in the game… we discussed it HERE!

#Spectacles

Automated bots, social networks, and wearables all came together in a stunning marketing operation. Snapchat forced even giants like Facebook to engage in a frantic chase to capture the preferences of what seem to be the most sought-after users ever, the Millennials – and the campaign for the launch of its tech glasses, Spectacles, remains one of the most successful in recent years, thanks to a mix of suspense and mania!
(…you can find more details about Millennials HERE…)

#Chatbot

Messenger bots, Amazon Echo, Google Home, and the latest addition, Facebook’s Jarvis. Bots are a reality that promises to explode in 2017, with potential applications for automating daily tasks – no longer limited to just customer care. How will brands leverage these great opportunities in the coming year?

…stay tuned, we will keep you updated in real time…
And for any details, we at Luna are here for you!