2020-03-16 Adweek

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22 MARCH 16, 2020 |^ ADWEEK®

Allison Johnson

evp, CMO | PayPal

Johnson joined PayPal in January 2019 and says it is the brand’s

holiday campaign that year, “Give Better,” that stands out as the

effort “which brought to life our values as a company.”

Through “Give Better,” PayPal encouraged consumers to support

small businesses with a shoppable holiday-window experience in

New York. It also sought to inspire donations to charitable causes

by teaming up with Pose actor and activist Billy Porter and

the organization behind Giving Tuesday. To start, PayPal matched

donations by 10%. It also shared “stories of generosity from around the

world” to encourage additional contributions, volunteering and acts

of kindness. As a result, PayPal says more than 1 million customers in

184 markets donated $106 million on Giving Tuesday 2019. In a similar

vein, PayPal Australia launched a #BuyFromTheBush to encourage

shoppers to buy gifts from drought-affected small businesses.

“Since joining PayPal last year, it has been a privilege to be able to

champion the company’s two-sided network through thoughtful and

considered marketing,” says Johnson, “connecting our millions of consumers

with thoughtful, impactful merchants around the world.” —Lisa Lacy

Alex Chang CMO

San Francisco 49ers

While some brands pay millions to appear

during the Super Bowl, Chang’s 49ers

actually got to play in the game. To keep fans

of both Joe Montana and Jimmy Garoppolo

interested, he’s invested in the team’s

“Faithful Then, Faithful Now” campaign,

highlighting the squad’s hall of fame history

with an eye on the future of the franchise.

Chang has also turned to TikTok, where

apparently mascots perform better than

athletes, to reach younger audiences the

team wouldn’t otherwise address. “Winning

certainly drives engagement, but it can’t all

be about winning,” says Chang.

While fans may have noticed the team’s

partnerships with Pepsi and Levi’s, it’s the

partnership with SAP’s Silicon Valley office

that’s actually changing the fan experience,

as the software company tracks data points

along their journey, from ticket volumes at

each gate to concessions sales and inventory,

allowing the team to stay ahead of any pain

points during game day. —Ryan Barwick