For many, the pandemic turned workplace norms like daily commutes and desk salads into relics of the past. Now, with higher burnout rates and increasing calls for greater work-life balance, some believe the five-day work week is the next to go. The 32-hour week is even gaining support in Congress.

But in agency settings, where business is often subject to client whims and schedules, it’s less a question of why the need for a four-day week and more a question of if it’s even possible.

Happy Friday, indeed

Lisa Kribs, founding partner of social impact marketing firm TGW Studio in Rochester, New York, told Marketing Brew the eight-person agency went to a four-day schedule almost two years ago and will never look back.

Kribs said giving employees that extra day to travel, catch up on chores, or pick up a hobby has been great for morale and productivity.

• She calls TGW Studio a “social impact” marketing firm, working with clients like Planned Parenthood and 1% for the Planet. She said that while most of TGW’s clients do not operate on a four-day schedule, the agency’s decision has been respected overall.
• “Sometimes there’s a little bit of sarcasm around it,” she said. “You know, ‘Oh, I know you guys are off today.’” But she’s also seen clients pitch their own C-suites on why they should do a four-day week.

Calls for less demanding work hours are not just restricted to the US, which is known for its blurry lines between work and leisure. Brandish, a 30-person creative branding and marketing agency in Winnipeg, Canada, decided to cut out Fridays this November.

Derek Elliott, partner and engagement director, said he’s seen a boost in both morale and in operations since the switch—a trend that goes beyond just marketing and advertising agencies. “People approach meetings with more energy. People are more efficient with their time on days that aren’t Friday. And certainly from a work perspective, I think we found that the collaboration increases and the output of the work also gets better.”

Both TGW and Brandish operate partly on a project-based billing model, which Elliott and Kribs both said was key to being able to switch to a four-day week.

No way, four-day

For agencies that operate on an hourly billing model, moving to a four-day week is not impossible, but can present more challenges.

Barry Lowenthal, CEO of Media Kitchen, remains skeptical that a four-day week could ever work in a large agency setting with billable hours. For it to happen, he told Marketing Brew that clients would need to make the first move.

“Clients and service people would need to hold hands and say, ‘This is how we want to view work moving forward.’ I haven’t seen that really happen yet,” he told us.

Read the full story here.—KH

Nielsen’s new measurement platform Nielsen One is still being finalized, but its first iteration is on the way. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, the measurement firm is taking the wraps off Nielsen One Alpha, a limited beta version of the technology.

What’s Nielsen One again? It’s the company’s framework for comparing and counting audiences wherever they are watching. With Nielsen One, publishers and marketers will be able to view total video consumption across platforms and devices—like being able to tell who saw a campaign on a streaming service, during a football game watched through a set-top box, or both. The industry will also be able to transact on one metric across linear and digital platforms.

TL;DR: In theory, it will let everyone better understand their audiences, helping marketers cut back on wasteful spending, according to the company.

• Nielsen One Alpha is a nascent form of the tool that will let marketers compare and measure “deduplicated” audiences for ad campaigns across linear TV, connected TV, computer, and mobile screens. For now, the tool only provides age and gender information about audiences, but the company has plans to beef it up throughout the year until Nielsen One rolls out more widely in Q4 2022.
• Disney and the media investment firm Magna are among 10 partners testing and providing feedback about the framework.

Zoom out: Nielsen has long been the industry standard for understanding who watches TV, but its approach to measuring audiences using a sample panel of households has come under scrutiny. Last year, a network trade body accused Nielsen of undercounting TV audiences, which culminated in several of the firm’s products losing accreditation.

Since then, Nielsen has been racing to update its measurement capabilities and shore up industry trust, adding big data and developing ways to identify viewers across screens.—KS

New year, new…marketing trends? 2022 will no doubt be full of ’em. We don’t know what new apps or acronyms will dominate the industry this year, but we do know which trends got too much (and too little) attention in 2021. ICYMI, check out our coverage of last year’s most overhyped and overlooked marketing trends:

• Why marketers think talk of the metaverse is a bit overblown and misunderstood
• Brand partnerships, micro-influencers, and Instagram Reels didn’t get the buzz they deserved
• Survey: Marketing Brew readers share which trends were too hyped up—and which ones weren’t emphasized enough

Looking ahead: We can’t believe it either, but yes, the Super Bowl is a short 41 days away. Over the next month, we recommend enjoying our coverage of how advertisers are approaching this year’s game with a side of totchos.—MS

There are a lot of bad marketing tips out there. These aren’t those.

Meta: Your guide to upcoming audience targeting changes, set to kick in on January 19, lives here.

Branding: If you’re one of those lucky small business owners who also has a strong personal brand, here’s how to make those two brand identities work together.

The ’gram: If you think your brand’s Instagram account needs a better first impression, check out this infographic.

Picture this: You’re wearing a cozy Morning Brew crewneck, sipping your actual morning brew while reading Marketing Brew. The ultimate Brew experience is in reach. Shop now. 

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A lie (champagne ad) from 1994. Happy New Year’s/dry January, y’all.

Catch up on a few Marketing Brew stories you might have missed.

• The best quotes from Marketing Brew’s 2021 CTA event series
• The most overhyped and overlooked marketing trends of 2021, according to our readers
• Mood Board: The hidden gems in Lego’s holiday campaign