Need to Know
09 : 08 : 22

Los Angeles – Luxury automotive company McLaren is dipping its toe into the footwear sector. Through a collaboration with Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL), the company is introducing its performance expertise to the world of sneakers.

The APL McLaren HySpeed is inspired by McLaren’s supercars and hypercars and comes equipped with APL’s signature Load ‘N’ Launch technology, which is designed to maximise vertical lift. The shoe comes in five distinct colourways and features a three-piece cushion heel padding and an outsole inspired by performance tyres.

Given that both companies are known for their commitment to performance, speed and efficiency, the partnership was a natural crossover. ‘It perfectly embodies both our own and APL’s DNA and design philosophy. APL has developed new technologies specifically for this shoe – inspired by our ground-breaking work,’ says Goran Ozbolt, acting design director at McLaren.

In the past, automotive companies have partnered with luxury fashion brands to create capsule clothing collections that apply eco-credentials. Looking ahead, this collaboration points to a future when performance-driven companies can align with different industries to create new innovations.

US – Progressive independent media company Crooked Media is adding an ethical coffee line to its portfolio of services, marking its first move into the food and drink sector. Operating under the name Crooked Coffee, its first product is What A Morning, which plays on the brand’s popular What A Day newsletter and podcast.

The new range was developed in partnership with coffee company Akira Coffee and women’s voting organisation Register Her. This initial launch includes a medium roast and a dark roast, both available in whole bean or ground versions, but the company also plans to unveil new blends, products and philanthropic partners later this year. By creating a product that its audience will enjoy in tandem with its media content, Crooked Media is diversifying its revenue streams while also bolstering its values-driven credentials.

‘It was important to us that this consumer product launch was authentic to Crooked values – bold, responsible and contributing to the greater good,’ says Crystal Ponzio-Busto, senior vice-president of marketing at Crooked Media. In this way, the company is using Elastic Brand strategies to enhance its original product offering.

In the past decade, well-known social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram have attracted the most influencer marketing investment. But now, companies such as TikTok threaten their dominance. According to research by Insider Intelligence, TikTok is set to surpass YouTube’s influencer marketing spending by 2024.

Influencer marketing, where popular social media users are paid to promote products, is a key strategy for companies to reach engaged audiences. While Instagram continues to dominate influencer marketing expenditure, TikTok is expanding quickly and has already eclipsed Facebook, one of Meta’s less popular platforms. The recent furore over Instagram’s shift in its algorithm – where the company has tried to emulate TikTok’s feed – is leading some analysts to predict that the app will soon surpass Instagram too.

TikTok’s ability to uplift micro- and nano-influencers is considered one of the app’s biggest competitive edges, something which platforms like Instagram have not been able to achieve. As a result, there is still reason to believe that TikTok is the future of global marketing.