Zoom's SNL Campaign: Redefining the Brand Beyond Meetings

Zoom is launching a significant global brand campaign, "Zoom Ahead," designed to reposition the company from a mere teleconferencing software provider to a leading AI-powered collaboration platform. This ambitious effort, which began last month with podcasts and influencer partnerships, will expand to television later this month and continue into the next year, according to details shared with Marketing Dive.

Central to the campaign is a 30-second advertisement titled "I Use Zoom!" The ad features "Saturday Night Live" comedian Bowen Yang portraying a power-hungry IT manager who champions a frustrating, app-dependent virtual meeting platform. The narrative quickly shifts as cubicle workers enthusiastically declare their preference for Zoom, sparking a movement among users in various professional settings.

Zoom CMO Kim Storin describes the campaign as "a love letter to our users, helping them stand up for the tools that they believe make their work easier." She emphasizes the challenge of finding the "intersection of heart, humor and product truth" that defines the initiative.

The ad, written and produced by "SNL" star Colin Jost through his agency, No Notes, is set to air nationally on December 31 during the College Football Playoffs. A regional pre-show spot for the Super Bowl will follow in key U.S. markets. The "Zoom Ahead" campaign will leverage digital, social, and experiential channels through the spring, with the brand and agency already planning future creative directions.

Storin views this launch as "the jumping off point for a much broader 12- to 18-month campaign," underscoring it as a "long-term investment in our brand."

Shifting Brand Perception: Beyond Pandemic Meetings

Storin, who joined Zoom in April, discussed the strategic pivot, the misconceptions surrounding "B-to-boring" marketing, and the brand's approach to media and measurement. She acknowledged that shifting perceptions is a major challenge, one the campaign directly addresses by focusing on "product truth."

Zoom's goal is to showcase the breadth and depth of its evolving portfolio, asserting that "this is not the Zoom that you might've known during the pandemic." The company has undergone a significant evolution, expanding its product offerings while maintaining its core strengths in video and ease of use. This expansion caters to diverse users beyond the traditional IT department, including solopreneurs, marketing executives, and customer support teams.

By telling the story of an "AI-first workplace platform," Zoom aims to overcome a "perception challenge," not an awareness problem. Storin believes that anchoring marketing efforts in product truth lends greater credibility than marketing alone could achieve.

Making B2B Human: The Emotional Core of Business Decisions

A critical aspect of Zoom's strategy is to dismantle the misconception that B2B marketing is "B-to-boring." Storin argues that business decisions are inherently emotional, whether it's a solopreneur risking cash flow or an IT decision-maker at a Fortune 50 company. She highlights the personal stakes involved, such as job security, financial stability, and ego.

"Those product truths, those are emotional," Storin stated, noting that B2B marketers sometimes overlook the depth of emotion in purchasing and adoption choices. The "Zoom Ahead" campaign strives to make B2B more human and avoid superficial "AI washing." For Zoom, AI should be "embedded, not bolted on," a principle that applies to both product development and marketing ambition.

The Power of Cultural Relevance: Partnering with SNL's Colin Jost

Zoom sought partners who understood humor and were at the forefront of cultural relevance, making the "SNL" team an ideal fit. Storin praised Colin Jost's unique comedic perspective and his agency, No Notes, for their ability to grasp Zoom's business objectives.

The collaboration was anchored in desired business outcomes, yet it allowed Jost and his team the freedom to push creative boundaries. Storin credits Zoom's leadership and board for granting "permission to be iconic," which empowered her to engage with Jost on how to achieve that status in the current market.

Measuring Brand Building in an ROI-Driven Landscape

In an environment heavily focused on return on investment (ROI), Zoom is committed to connecting its brand-building efforts with demand generation. Storin views the campaign as a significant driver of revenue, alongside traditional metrics like share of voice and reach.

A key opportunity lies in net annual recurring revenue (NARR). The campaign aims not just to acquire new customers but also to "spark the love of Zoom" among existing users, anticipating positive impacts on customer retention and expansion of "share of wallet."

Zoom has set "pretty aggressive revenue targets" and is working diligently to bridge the gap between brand and demand generation efforts, which are often siloed. The ultimate goal is to create "one contiguous strategy across the entire customer journey."