Marketing

Direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands—encompassing everything from startups like Billie offering women’s razor subscriptions to Casper, the once online-only mattress company that has products now being sold at Target—have been growing in popularity for a variety of reasons.

Much has been written about the importance of distinctive brand assets, but marketers keep defaulting to package graphic changes as a misguided short-cut to make their brand more relevant, or attempt to gain new users.

Television has long been the go-to medium for reaching audiences at scale. The first TV advertisement in the U.S. — a spot for Bulova Watch — aired in 1941, costing the company a cool $9, Quartz reports. That spot opened the floodgates for the TV advertising industry to grow into what’s now an estimated $70 billion industry.

So last week I posted about portfolio momentum as described in “The Granularity Of Growth” and mentioned that share gain only accounted for a measly four per cent of compound revenue growth for large companies across a five year time frame. But why is that, and when do companies benefit from share growth?  by Nigel Hollis

The rise of the U.S. Hispanic population and labor force is setting pace to be the next demographic phenomenon, with Latinos accounting for more than half of the U.S. population growth from 2016 to 2020 and up to 80% by 2040-2045. And that population increase has significant implications when it comes to consumption, largely because the median age of U.S. Hispanics is notably lower than that of non-Hispanic White consumers.

Waste is not just a dirty word, no pun intended. It’s a source of great anxiety for those who encounter it, no matter what it is or where it originates from.

Brands come in all sizes and in a multitude of categories, but all brand marketers have something in common: They want their marketing messages to reach customers and prospects at times and in places where they will be most effective. With the widespread and growing availability of location-targeted mobile ad technology, they’re now able to do that as never before.

Clearing out our bookshelves I came across a book called “The Granularity of Growth”. It reminded me that one of the most important things that marketing does is to help keep up a brand’s momentum. Sales today are often earned in the past and today’s marketing actions have consequences next year.  by Nigel Hollis

Hispanic consumers are young, digitally connected and socially engaged. For brands and marketers, connecting with this important and growing consumer segment requires action now. And tapping into technology and community values will play a big role in how businesses engage with Hispanic consumers today and in the future.

After a dinner at which I sounded off about the inability of big companies to innovate, my friend sent me a link to this article, ‘Why Big Companies Squander Good Ideas’ . It is another interesting read and it strikes a chord with me because it does not buy into the typical disruption model or assume that everyone is an idiot.  by Nigel Hollis

The report tracks the value of the world’s most valuable brands and provides insights on the potential of strong brands. The total brand value of the 2018 BrandZ Top 100 is $4.4 trillion following a record 21% growth – equating to a rise of nearly $750 billion.

When a consumer finds a product they like—the perfect shade of red lipstick or a pair of shoes they can wear all day without a fuss—they tend to become repeat customers.

In the past, TV advertising’s value was obvious. Ask anyone “Where’s the beef?” or “Can you hear me now?” and chances are they’ll immediately associate those questions with Wendy’s and Verizon. But in the digital-first world, TV’s place in an omnichannel marketing strategy is shifting.

Is the “like” on social still enough? How about the share or impression? Those are the questions many brands are asking after years of being inundated with vanity metrics on the reach and impact of ad campaigns.

There’s been a recent trend among many brands of moving their advertising in house, as first reported by the Association of National Advertisers in 2013. Many companies cite faster turnarounds and lower costs as top reasons to make the move. Although the popularity of going in house hasn’t yet reversed, an increasing number of brands are realizing the choice isn’t always cut and dry, and that bringing advertising in house isn’t always as effective and efficient as they initially believed.

In theory the application of zero-based budgeting to marketing ought to be a good thing: no more budgets based on historical spending and funds allocated between options based on current performance. What is not to like? How about the fact that there is often a huge divide between theory and practice?  by Nigel Hollis

Just when you think teens and young adults never look up from their screens, think again. Although every generation is using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and new platforms that are developing on the daily, social media is not the only way! That’s right, face-to-face connections are here to stay.  By: CMC Research Chair Nancy Tellet

Working in advertising isn’t enough to prevent a person from becoming fed up with the ads they see.

At a time when gaining new customers is a critical strategy for growth, it’s important marketers understand why Hispanic consumers are a key segment looking for all kinds of product and service solutions.   Within this community, Latinas in particular have a huge influence on household purchases, so getting to know them better will be integral to developing a brand’s strategic marketing plans.

With major issues in the headlines affecting the multicultural community, there is no shortage of information sharing and social activism—both with in-person protests and social media fundraising. For example, according to the Washington Post, one in five Americans have protested in the streets or participated in political rallies since the beginning of 2016. Of those, 19 percent said they had never before joined a march or a political gathering.  By: CMC Research Chair Nancy Tellet