Marketing

The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council released the findings of its annual Marketing Outlook survey with an upbeat report on spend levels mostly holding steady or trending upward in 2008. However, many marketers say they are frustrated and stymied by organization cultures, senior management mindset, and insufficient budgets.

In this new frontier of marketing communications, advertisers are faced with a sometimes bewildering choice of digital media options. These new technologies allow for a dynamic two-way forum, allowing consumers to interact with and personalize their media choices. In this survey, the ANA sought to discover how multicultural marketers are harnessing the power of digital media relative to marketers targeting the general population. Are multicultural marketers embracing the same digital opportunities as general marketers? Do they have the same concerns regarding effectiveness and budget allocation?

Project Apollo has just released findings that identify how frequency and recency of ad exposures among both heavy and light category purchaser segments can generate sales for a specific CPG food product.

Viral efforts need to include the real world.

Most people use word of mouth, either giving or receiving advice about brands. But influencers, who have sway over others and often engage with multiple audiences, are especially attractive to marketers who want to spread brand news quickly.

When it comes to social media, forget the concept of advertising to a captive audience and instead focus on creating branded content that people want to see and would choose to share with others: brand advertising as social media content.

"What do YOU think?"

Word of mouth is not limited to cutting-edge influential consumers. The majority of consumers give and get perspective on purchases, according to Forrester Research's "NACTAS Benchmark Survey."

Six in 10 US consumers surveyed said they shared product advice with family and friends.