Praytell | Agency Profile, Contacts, AOR, Client Relationships

See Winmo sales intelligence in action

Gen-Z Media Opps: Fender joins TikTok, launches new work (Score 42)

 promoted Matthew Watts to marketing SVP. Watts joined the company in 2018 and now leads the growth of Fender, Jackson and Gretsch through innovative marketing, social media, PR/communications and artist marketing strategy and leadership. Since he oversees so much more now, Watts's promotion could lead to strategy shifts.

Fender is ramping up its efforts to reach younger generations by joining TikTok to promote its products, foster a sense of community throughout music creators and help educate the 16m+ new musicians who picked up guitars for the first time during the pandemic. PR AOR Praytell developed a new social marketing campaign, #FenderJamSesh, that provided a digital jam session. Fender is reportedly the first major guitar brand active on TikTok.

Content will continue focusing on Gen-Z social media users, and Fender's target demographic is also shifting as more women and younger audiences keep buying guitars.

So far this year, Pathmatics reports Fender has spent roughly $3.9m on digital ads, up 70% from the roughly $2.3m it spent within the same 2021 timeframe. In 2021, the company's approximate full-year spend jumped % to $10.3m from that of $8.3m in 2020. Fender has earned around 454.8m digital impressions YTD via Instagram (42%), desktop display (23%), Facebook (18%), mobile display (10%) and desktop video (8%) ads. Most of this year's desktop display ads have been placed site direct onto destinations such as youtube.com (15%), espn.com, wunderground.com, refinery29.com and listenonrepeat.com.

Obviously, Fender is targeting Gen-Z right now. Get in touch sooner rather than later to secure some of these increasing digital ad dollars; spend shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. As I briefly mentioned, Fender is starting to try harder to include women in its traditionally male community. According to kantar data, the company also invests in OOH.

Agency & martech readers - Though marketing promotions don't always lead to agency reviews as often as outside hires might, it certainly wouldn't hurt to keep Fender on your radar. Along with Praytell, the company works with digital and social AOR McGarrah Jessee. It has an in-house media team.