How Nostalgia Became the Go-to Strategy for Influencer Marketing, J.J. and T.J. Watt Partner With Peloton, David Beckham x SharkNinja, and more!
Navigate is a weekly newsletter dedicated to providing the latest updates and trends in the world of social media marketing. Written by industry experts at Captiv8, each edition features key stories, insights, and trends that are essential for staying informed and ahead in the rapidly evolving landscape of social media marketing.
🗺️ Roadmap
🕹️ How Nostalgia Became the Go-to Strategy for Influencer Marketing
🏈 J.J. and T.J. Watt Bring Competitive Edge to Peloton’s Latest Campaign
⚽ David Beckham Tackles Holiday Hosting in SharkNinja’s New Campaign
📈 YouTube Adds New Elements to Studio to Enhance Fan Interactions
🤓 TikTok Launches Updated ‘TikTok Academy’ Marketing Education Platform
📱 Instagram Upgrades DMs with Focus on Creators
🏁 Top Stories
How Nostalgia Became the Go-to Strategy for Influencer Marketing
Nostalgia has emerged as a powerful marketing tactic, particularly in influencer marketing, where familiar aesthetics and emotional connections can resonate deeply with audiences. By drawing on elements like vintage fashion, retro colors, and symbols from past decades, influencers evoke memories that connect consumers to shared cultural moments, even for those who may not have experienced them directly. Studies show nostalgia makes ads more relatable, especially for millennials and Gen Z, 80% of whom are attracted to nostalgic brands. Successful campaigns like Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” and brands like Bobby Jack leverage this appeal, showing that nostalgia can drive engagement and brand loyalty by making audiences feel understood and connected.
⛽ Revved-up Campaigns
J.J. and T.J. Watt Bring Competitive Edge to Peloton’s Latest Campaign
Peloton has launched a new multi-phase campaign, "Find your push. Find your power," targeting millennial men and featuring the friendly rivalry between NFL brothers J.J. and T.J. Watt. In the campaign’s first phase, the Watt brothers compete on Peloton’s Leaderboard, showcasing the brand’s Tread, Bike, and app offerings as they push each other through various workouts. Peloton, traditionally popular among women, is using this campaign to address the perception gap among millennial men, who engage heavily in fitness but are less familiar with Peloton’s offerings. The campaign includes TV, digital, social, and streaming ads, aiming to inspire men to view Peloton as a challenging workout choice fit even for elite athletes.
David Beckham Tackles Holiday Hosting in SharkNinja’s New Campaign
Recommended by LinkedIn
SharkNinja has launched a global holiday campaign, “Ninja the Holidays,” featuring brand ambassador David Beckham to highlight the convenience of its Ninja kitchen appliances for holiday hosting. In a central 30-second spot, Beckham scrambles to prepare his home for a holiday gathering using a range of Ninja appliances to efficiently create a festive meal. The campaign, which began airing on Nov. 1 across streaming, social media, and out-of-home channels, will expand to international regions including the U.K., France, and Germany. By emphasizing ease and speed, SharkNinja aims to attract holiday shoppers seeking stress-free hosting solutions.
🚗 Platform Directions
YouTube Adds New Elements to Studio to Enhance Fan Interactions
YouTube’s latest update to its YouTube Studio app introduces enhanced content performance tracking and AI tools to help creators better understand their impact. The "Content" tab has been revamped to display all formats, including videos, Shorts, Live, and Playlists, on separate shelves, emphasizing the growing influence of Shorts, which now draw 70 billion views daily. Additionally, a new “Community” tab (formerly “Comments”) now provides a streamlined view of engagement metrics and introduces a "Community Spotlight" for top fans, along with AI-powered reply suggestions to help creators manage high comment volumes. YouTube is also expanding AI-generated video summaries in English to improve content discoverability, and testing an interactive chatbot on desktop YouTube Studio for quick creator support.
TikTok Launches Updated ‘TikTok Academy’ Marketing Education Platform
TikTok has refreshed its TikTok Academy education platform, adding new courses and an updated interface designed to enhance marketers’ expertise in TikTok advertising. Originally launched in 2022, TikTok Academy offers a range of concise courses, with content divided into five streams that cover key aspects of TikTok marketing, including its “Creative Codes” – six essential elements for effective outreach. With courses mostly under an hour, marketers and agencies can easily improve their skills, earn qualification badges, and apply the latest strategies to maximize their promotional impact on TikTok, making it an ideal resource for the holiday season.
Instagram Upgrades DMs with Focus on Creators
Instagram has introduced new updates to its DMs feature, specifically designed to help creators and influencers manage high volumes of inbound messages. These updates include tools that allow users to sort and filter “message requests” — messages from people who aren’t in their main inbox. Now, creators can prioritize DMs by factors such as follower count, verification status, or account type (brands, creators, etc.), helping them quickly identify high-priority messages with potential business or networking value. Additionally, a dedicated “Story Replies” folder will streamline access to story interactions.
💡 Quick Tips
🚦Influencer Spotlight
New York City is a hub of creativity, culture, and endless inspiration—a place where trends are born and influencers thrive. From the fashion-forward streets of SoHo to the buzzing food scene of Brooklyn, the city’s energy is captured by creators who bring their unique flair to every corner of social media. In this Creator Spotlight, we’re highlighting 10 standout New York influencers, discovered through the Captiv8 platform. These creators are using their platforms to share stories, set trends, and engage audiences far beyond the five boroughs.