Some brand marketers might see a cultural phenomenon and ask: “What’s up with that?”

Tasty saw an untapped platform last year and asked, instead: “WhatsApp with that?”

Since May 2024, the BuzzFeed-owned recipe publisher has been on the Meta-owned messaging app, and in less than a year has amassed more than 1 million followers, according to the company. By converting its primarily video-based content into text- and photo-based posts, the brand is now reaching a new audience—an essential tactic at a time when TikTok’s fate is still up in the air, David Bertozzi, Tasty’s deputy director of social and creators, told us.

“If you’re a video publisher in particular, you have to have a diversified approach,” Bertozzi said. “You can’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

WhatsApp with you: In years past, brands like Hellmann’s, Absolut, and e-comm brand Kikuu have activated on WhatsApp, mainly through a program called WhatsApp for Business. These brands have used the platform to engage with customers, run sweepstakes, and even operate a custom workflow that directs users to click on product pages on their website.

• Publishers like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and BBC News have also embraced the platform to distribute articles and coverage to readers.

When Tasty got on WhatsApp, it was at the suggestion of the brand’s Meta representative, Bertozzi said, since the messaging app hadn’t been on his radar. At the start, Bertozzi’s team simply created the brand’s channel and focused on securing verification. “Maybe I’ll just make our Meta rep happy,” he said. “And in the best-case scenario, we actually see some performance success from it too.”

That performance success came primarily from an international audience.

• Of Tasty’s 1 million WhatsApp followers, 97% are from outside the US, Tasty’s largest share of non-US users compared to platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, Bertozzi said.

The largely international audience means the team has made some adjustments to content, like converting measurements to metric units.

“If you have limitations to selling just to a US audience, [WhatsApp] might not make a lot of sense,” Bertozzi said. “But if you have the capacity to go global in your marketing approach, then that would probably actually be a really interesting destination to look at.”

Continue reading here.—JN

As Congress once again considers legislation that would regulate how kids can use tech platforms, Meta is making a renewed push to advertise its safety features for teens.

Earlier this month, the platform started running ads promoting Instagram Teen Accounts, a product the company introduced last fall. The update makes accounts belonging to users under the age of 18 private by default, requires users under the age of 16 to get parental approval to change their privacy settings, and blocks messages from accounts teens aren’t following on the platform.

In the 30-second spot, Meta tells viewers—presumably parents—that “you’ve always looked out for them, we’re here to do it with you,” over a scene of a mother watching her son cross the street. The ads are running on linear TV, podcasts, digital display ads, and on out-of-home inventory.

The campaign first started running in September, but was brought back earlier this month to coincide with an announcement that Meta would begin partnering with schools to root out cyberbullying.

“Teen Accounts were designed with parents’ biggest concerns in mind and have built-in protections that limit who can contact teens and the content they see,” Meta spokesperson Liza Crenshaw told Marketing Brew in an email. “Our ad campaign aims to raise awareness of these changes and help parents understand how to manage their teens’ time on Instagram in a way that works best for their family.”

Read more here about the campaign and the response from child safety advocates.—RB

Each week, we spotlight Marketing Brew readers in our Coworking series. If you’d like to be featured, introduce yourself here.

Aman Sareen is CEO of Aarki, a mobile marketing platform. He co-founded and served as CEO at ZypMedia (ZypTV) which was later acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group; he also served as general manager at LG Ad Solutions.

What’s your favorite ad campaign? I loved the original “Rip. Mix. Burn” iTunes ad campaign.

One thing we can’t guess from your LinkedIn profile: Honestly, I am quite disappointed at what LinkedIn has become. It used to be where you went to see the cutting edge, but today it’s full of false platitudes and shameless self-promotion. I have tried my best to keep it real, and you can glean some of what my core values are if you dig deeper into my posts and comments.

On to something that you won’t have guessed, though: I have two beautiful daughters, two dogs, two bunnies, and 10 chickens. I am outnumbered at home as the only male, other than one of my bunnies.

Read more here.

Mergers and acquisitions, company partnerships, and more.

• xAI, Elon Musk’s AI company, has acquired X, according to a post from Musk.
• AT&T signed a multiyear deal to serve as the official connectivity partner of the NWSL.
• Jersey Mike’s was named the official sub sandwich sponsor of the NFL.
• Cheez-It partnered with Warriors star Jimmy Butler for its latest campaign, as the brand looks to push further into basketball.
• Takis partnered with streamers Ludwig and Pokimane for its first livestream event.