An 11-Point Strategic Approach [INSIGHT]

On Dec. 5, 2013, Mark Bradbury wrote Still Relevant: Top 5 Predictions For 2014 in this space. His points were well made. However, you won’t find the driver of improved sales to Baby Boomers (born before 1964) in a company’s planning department, or marketing/advertisement departments.

How Much Are Industries Spending on Direct Response vs. Branding?

While investments are unquestionably rising across the board, each industry is adopting digital at its own pace as it rises to meet its own unique challenges and opportunities. Some industries—such as retail and financial services—are early adopters in their use of digital tactics as part of integrated, multichannel campaigns. Others—such as healthcare and pharma—are further behind on the adoption curve.

Waiting To Wow: Three Keys To Anticipating Consumer Needs [INSIGHT]

The new model of contextual marketing depends on accessibility and anticipation. Accessibility refers to the technology our customers use to engage with brands (apps, mobile sites, campaign microsites, etc.) and our permission to engage back (subscribes, likes, follows, etc.). It is anticipation, though, that separates the wildly successful marketing campaigns from the mediocre. Anticipating the customer need indicated by a specific social status update, a local cold snap or use of an app at a certain time and place gives you, the marketer, the opportunity to wow consumers through brilliant contextual marketing. Seems great in theory, but can brilliant contextual marketing be achieved at scale? You bet it can.

The Influencer Conundrum — Who Do You Choose? [INSIGHT]

Influencer marketing is often defined as reaching out to popular bloggers and YouTube celebrities, vying for shout-outs in their latest posts. If this describes your influencer strategy, then you are missing out. Just as digital media doesn’t apply to banner ads alone, influencer marketing is not confined to a one-size-fits-all approach.

2014 State of Marketing [REPORT]

The 2014 State of Marketing survey asked marketers about their budgets, priorities, channels, metrics, and strategies for 2014. With more than 2,500 responses, we’ve analyzed their insights to give you a current snapshot of the state of marketing.

ESPN Deportes celebrates 10 Year Anniversary

To commemorate this milestone, ESPN Deportes will celebrate along with fans with a special production of more than 12 hours of live programming and content across all platforms live from Miami Beach, Fla. Tuesday, January 7.

2014 Marketing Fact Pack [REPORT]

This is Ad Age’s 2014 Marketing Fact Pack, our annual guide to marketers, media and agencies. We’ll show you the biggest players, who’s rising and who’s falling, drawing on the Ad Age DataCenter’s rankings and analysis from the past year.

Social Media Update 2013 [REPORT]

Some 73% of online adults now use a social networking site of some kind. Facebook is the dominant social networking platform in the number of users, but a striking number of users are now diversifying onto other platforms. Some 42% of online adults now use multiple social networking sites. In addition, Instagram users are nearly as likely as Facebook users to check in to the site on a daily basis.

America’s Newest Generation [REPORT]

Magid Generational Strategiesreleased new research that identifies unique traits and characteristics of the generation of Americans born after the Millennial Generation. 

Small Businesses Expect a Big Year in 2014

A majority of small businesses say they grew in the past year, according to research, but even more expect to do better in 2014 than they did in 2013. Not only that, but four in 10 plan to make marketing a top priority.

100 Things to Watch in 2014 [INSIGHT]

Many of our Things to Watch are technology-centric, including the advent of beacons, Internet safety nets, robots for kids and even techno-paranoia. The list also includes new foods and beverages to watch (savory yogurt, soju), new markets opening up (related to marijuana, privacy and Google Glass), new behaviors (contemplative computing, digital grieving) and ideas with the potential to ladder up to bigger trends.

2014 Multicultural TV Summit & Leadership Awards announces Keynote Speakers

The 2014 Multicultural TV Summit & Leadership Awards, being held on Tuesday, February 4, 2014 at the Grand Hyatt in New York City, will feature leading on-air personalities as well as top advertising and TV executives in a series of three keynote discussions. The first, featuring the Rev. Al Sharpton, host of PoliticsNation on MSNBC, and Jose Diaz Balart, anchor of Noticiero Telemundo on Telemundo, will focus on the impact that television news programming will have on multicultural voters in regard to the 2014 mid-term elections. Another keynote session will feature multicultural market authority Esther “ET” Franklin, who leads the creative vision for the Human Experience Strategy Network at the Starcom Mediavest Group, on how to effectively target consumers within different multicultural segments, such as LGBT, African American and Asian TV audiences.  A third keynote session will be a candid conversation about the impact that sports fans from various multicultural segments will have on the future of sports TV. It features the legendary sports journalist Stephen A. Smith and Lino Garcia, GM of ESPN Deportes, who is a multicultural TV pioneer and has led the Spanish-language network since its launch 10 years ago.  

Total Media Ad Spend Continues Slow and Steady Trajectory

US total media ad spending will reach $171.33 billion in 2013, up 3.8%, or more than $6 billion, from 2012. eMarketer expects a slight uptick in spending in 2014 as well, as marketers allocate more dollars toward the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, the Winter Olympics and the US midterm elections.

Brands turn to Music to Market Content, Reach Younger Consumers

The 21st century has not been kind to the US recording industry. Since peaking at $14.6 billion in 1999, the business has shrunk to less than half its size, barely besting $7 billion in 2012, according to a new eMarketer report, “Marketing Opportunities in Digital and Live Music: More Musicians Say, ‘I’m With the Brand.’”

Five Social Media Platform Predictions For 2014

As 2013 draws to a close, and the Social Media Insider unleashes below the first in a two-part series of predictions, what strikes me about social media is how established it is. It certainly doesn’t feel new anymore. Maybe a better word for how it feels is — embedded.

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