Business

For the customer-obsessed marketer, each dot is like a touchpoint of data — valuable, but only when put together with other points to form the true picture of a consumer. Pointillism combines art and science to create a meaningful work, and so does delivering customer-centric experiences.

For decades, Hispanic grocers and Hispanic products in mass market grocers have been dominated by food which comes either directly from Latin America or U.S. based companies that try to emulate those of Latin America, like cheeses, spices, and canned goods.

The world’s most valuable brands have experienced record growth according to the Kantar BrandZTM Most Valuable Global Brands 2021 ranking, with the total worth reaching $7.1 trillion – equivalent to the combined GDP of France and Germany.

Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. announced that it has named Albert Rodriguez to the position of President of SBS, succeeding Raúl Alarcón, who has served in that capacity since 1985.

Customer expectations are much higher in 2021. Today’s empowered consumers know who they are, expect brands to understand their needs, and use their social currency to influence perception in favor of or against brands. Enlightened brands listen, build intelligence, and use those insights to make products more attractive to buyers.

As the economy recovers faster than expected globally (GDP +6%) and in most markets, so do marketing activity and advertising spending. With the added driver of rescheduled international sports events, MAGNA forecasts global all-media advertising spending to grow by $78bn (+14%) to $657bn in 2021, a new all-time high. MAGNA also raises its forecast for advertising market growth in 2022 to +6.6% (previously +5%). The +14% growth expectation for 2021 would represent the highest growth rate on record, beating +12.5% in 2000, and a significant increase from MAGNA’s previous global forecast (Dec. 2020: +8%).

How do brands appeal to today’s consumers? Is bricks-and-mortar retail going to come back after the pandemic? How have retailers responded to recent discussions around racial tensions and inequality?

As we approach the midpoint of 2021, advertising growth for the year is far exceeding previous expectations, leading to a revision of our forecasts for this year and beyond. Excluding political spending, we now expect a 22% growth in media ad revenue during 2021, a marked improvement from our prior forecast.

Consumer habits shifted dramatically in March 2020 in response to stay-at-home orders and the shuttering of offices across the nation amid the COVID-19 pandemic. There were reports of people traveling less, workers gaining unprecedented freedom to work from anywhere and consumers ordering more products online.  But did these lifestyle changes affect industries in the same way?

This multiyear study organized by the Alliance for Board Diversity (ABD), in collaboration with Deloitte for the 2016, 2018, and 2020 censuses, highlights the progress to date that has or has not been made in the equitable representation of women and minorities on corporate boards.

What’s hot in retail can sometimes be difficult to predict because innovations and adoptions are moving so quickly. The pandemic taught us that new behaviors are always popping up, but we’re still figuring out which ones are here to stay.

Last year, the average US adult spent more time per day with most media formats and devices, including TV. Although adults will spend nearly as much time with media this year, their TV viewing time will drop below pre-pandemic levels.

A dizzying array of changes in consumer behavior will touch nearly every industry as the reopening period progresses, vaccination rates rise, more schools and businesses open, and people start to emerge from their homes and re-enter the larger world. Changes to work and school patterns, and the reemergence of dining out and other experiential spending, will affect how consumers reprioritize their spending in the coming months and beyond.

Advertising, PR, creative, digital, and full-service agencies have played a crucial role in the marketer’s toolkit for decades. But the landscape is changing. More than ever, overlap exists between agencies and consultancies, in-house and external agencies, and the roles of humans and automation. ANA Marketing Futures gathered perspectives from marketers and subject matter experts to understand how marketers view the future of agency and how its trajectory impacts marketing decision making.

The current industry conversation around investment inequalities in the media and creative supply chain has been extensive, and rightly so.  For example, there has been tremendous interest in supporting Black-owned businesses and Asian-owned businesses have also garnered interest and support.  By Bill Duggan /  Group EVP, ANA

On today’s episode, we discuss what the world will look like in 2030. Who will be the digital ad giants, how much shopping will we do online, will bank branches disappear, and more. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer vice president of forecasting Monica Peart, senior director of forecasting Shelleen Shum, and directors of forecasting at Insider Intelligence Cindy Liu and Oscar Orozco.

Post-pandemic business travel is slowly on the upswing among U.S. marketers, and the key reason appears to be the growing number of vaccinations against the coronavirus, according to a new ANA survey.

It seems like every week I speak with executives who tell me they’re burned out or exhausted. And why wouldn’t they be? Everyone has been on a full out sprint for the past year as we’ve run the biggest business social experiment in history. And now, after more than a year of 10 to 12 Zoom meetings a day (that’s the average I’m hearing), COVID vaccinations and the freedom they bring have unleashed a wave of pent-up demand to pack even more into our days.

People have challenged each other’s views for much of human history. But the internet – particularly social media – has changed how, when and where these kinds of interactions occur. The number of people who can go online and call out others for their behavior or words is immense, and it’s never been easier to summon groups to join the public fray.

New normal work models are here to stay