Can taking a break help your brand?

My family and I went on a trip last month. It was a big adventure after these past couple of years of being stuck at home (which was an adventure I don’t think any of us care to repeat). And besides a few check-ins, I actually took a break from work. It can feel scary to take a pause from the rat race, to turn over responsibilities to others and—in our always-on culture—to simply not be seen or heard from for a while.

Although we hear that people should take social media breaks for their mental health, brands keep churning out content for those who stick around. But what if brands took breaks, too? Would your content be missed? 

We dive into mental breaks, social media detoxes, and more in this issue.

 

 

 

 

Wellbeing from around the web

 

#DetoxYourFeed with the Dove Self-Esteem Project

As part of the Dove Self Esteem Project, Dove encourages tween and teen girls to carefully think about and curate what they see on their social media feeds. Living up to Dove’s strong track record of emotionally-charged, on-the-nose campaigns, this one includes a video showing teens and their moms discussing the negative messages around beauty standards that are oh-so-common on social media—and it takes a turn that surprises everyone. 

The takeaway: Many of the messages on social media seem like no big deal—until you hear them coming from your mom. “Baby botox is amazing. You’re never too young to start,” says one mom on the screen. 

While this message might be intended for a 20-something, it could be watched by 13-year-olds. In our connected world, it’s important to consider both the intended audience for your message, as well as who might see it and get the wrong idea. Not only do you want to avoid being detoxed, most importantly, you want to avoid inadvertently sending the wrong message to vulnerable audiences.

 

 

 

 

A week off social media reduces depression and anxiety

Research shows that taking a week away from social media improves people’s moods and lessens their anxiety. As wellbeing brands, this may give pause. Does always-on, omnichannel marketing promoting wellbeing actually undermine it? 

The takeaway: Lush is the most recent brand to quit social media (check out their Instagram feed now), but many high-end fashion houses, like Balenciaga, have wiped their feeds to focus solely on the current season’s promotions. While big brands with big budgets aren’t likely to lose too many sales by hopping off Instagram, what’s a smaller brand to do? Follow the adage “work smarter, not harder.” Create an easy-to-follow social posting schedule while building up your email list. And remember that while the Facebook, Instagram and Twitter algorithms may fiddle with your followings, you have complete control of your direct interactions via email or other channels.

 

 

BeReal social media app features real friends taking real photos on really short notice

I recently witnessed something hilarious and literally eye-opening. A waiter at a restaurant known for its Instagram-friendly fare whipped out a pocket ring light to ensure the photos his patrons took shone the most positive light on their food. So I found it refreshing to read this article in the New York Times about new social media platform BeReal that is built on taking unvarnished snapshots of real life, without enough notice to touch up the lighting. It sounds like a mini-documentary made as a group, with a cliffhanger ending: how will BeReal monetize this experience without altering its ethos?

 

Felicity news!

I’m honoured to have been nominated for the 30th annual RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards presented by Women of Influence.

Finally, fitting with this issue’s theme, we’ll be taking a break from MarketWell for the summer. We hope you’ll create the space to take a real break or to go on vacation, too. Wishing you a safe, healthy and memorable season in the sun.

 

Feeling inspired?