Marketing

Across nearly all business verticals, marketers reported large shifts in how they evaluate, measure and budget across media channels. Our recently released Nielsen CMO Report 2018 sheds light on the strategic and organizational challenges CMOs face as they adapt to unprecedented change in the marketing landscape.

Millennials expect more from brands. From the shoes they wear to the coffee they Instagram, brand choices are increasingly used to project values in public and online, elevating the need for brands themselves to be value-conscious.

African Americans, Asian Americans and Hispanics represent approximately 40% of the U.S. population. And that number is growing—quickly. In fact, according to the U.S. Census, the U.S. will be a multicultural majority nation by 2044, meaning that African Americans, Asian Americans and Hispanics together will comprise 50% or more of the population.  

Setting your team up for success is tougher than ever. One reason is that, at many companies, the individual players aren’t using the same playbook. As a result, they’re working at cross purposes like the runners in Monty Python’s “100 Meter Dash for People With No Sense of Direction.”

The ANA (Association of National Advertisers) has updated its media agency contract template for advertisers that includes new provisions and revised definitions intended to increase transparency between clients and agencies.

In our report How Disruption Can Fuel Brand Growth we argue that significant brand growth results when a brand does something different that challenges established category rules or existing brand perceptions. But how does that fit with the need for brands to build consistent memories and brand assets?  by Nigel Hollis

The World Cup is not only becoming more popular among women but also increasingly effective in reaching female football fans. As England reaches the quarter finals, our data shows it’s time for advertisers to reevaluate their targeting strategies accordingly.

When it comes to Hispanics’ attitudes and behaviors, there are a few well-known truths: their strong sense of family and community, their high work ethics, their spontaneous take on life, and their undeniable sense of optimism.  By Isaac Mizrahi – Co President, Chief Operating Officer / ALMA

What does a CMO do today?  Turns out, it can be hard to define. First and foremost, CMOs have a direct effect on the way customers engage with a company or brand, but they are also regularly confronted with a multitude of challenges that don’t necessarily have anything to do with “marketing.”

Marketing that represents the diversity of America has come a long way in recent years, but the focus on total market and the widest possible reach is pushing marketers toward a false choice between multiculturalism on the one hand and a total market approach on the other. Both approaches have value, but understanding the nuances of your audience is an essential first step before adopting either strategy. This is an incredibly important point to effectively reach Hispanic communities.  by Carlos Diaz – Chief Revenue Officer – Music Audience Exchange

Following the release of the new How Disruption Can Fuel Brand Growth report Bill Pink, Head of Brand Guidance Analytics in North America, and I have been mulling over whether big data is likely to inspire disruption. Our answer is that to do so you need more than just data, big or small.  by Nigel Hollis

On Aug. 26, 1920, the U.S. Congress ratified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote. Today, Susan B. Anthony and other suffrage leaders who fought for social equality 100 years ago would be proud to witness the fruits of their labor as women maintain a prominent position in determining election outcomes across our 50 states.  That hard-fought influence of the female voter is sure to be felt with the upcoming statewide gubernatorial, senate and house races taking place in almost every state this year.  But are all female voters alike, and will a one-size-fits-all media strategy work as candidates vie to get their messages heard by this important voter segment?

The Cannes Festival of Advertising, where Lions come from, may not have jumped the shark yet, but it’s headed that way. That’s important not just because the Lions are the Oscars of advertising, but because the festival itself is a mirror of our industry. This year’s look in the mirror gave a rather unflattering reflection. What happened?

The shifting of advertising budgets into the digital space brings a number of great opportunities and efficiencies, but it also brings many complexities. Without question, targeting audiences across digital channels is a challenging feat for advertisers, agencies and publishers. And it is not getting easier.

The practice of brand integration is nothing new. Since the early days of entertainment — and specifically soap operas, daytime television wholly sponsored by brands — it has been an engaging and compelling arrow in a marketer’s quiver. There are many historical markers around brand integration since that time. E.T. and Reese’s Pieces. The Bond franchise and multiple brands including Aston Martin and Heineken. FedEx and Wilson in Cast Away. These integrations are considered the gold standards, but thousands and thousands of others may not necessarily grab the headlines but are equally impactful — and sometimes more so.

Based on analysis of huge attitudinal and behavioral data sets Kantar Millward Brown finds that meaningfully different brands grow faster than average and can command a price premium. But how do you know whether a brand has the potential to grow faster than average?  by Nigel Hollis

I attended the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity for the first time this year (long overdue).  One of the highlights was my participation in a discussion titled “Trust, Transparency and Driving Business Outcomes” with MasterCard CMO Raja Rajamannar that was led by Jay Sears, MasterCard’s Senoir Vice President Media Solutions.  One of the issues discussed was progress being made improving trust and transparency between marketers and their agencies.  Unfortunately, I feel that’s been a mixed bag. 

The implication: as more consumers avoid ads, marketers need to examine how they manage ad campaigns today and in the future, particularly if they are targeting groups with a higher propensity to do block ads or have relied on linear TV.

Can Spanish-language radio serve as a powerful platform for the expansion of a very regional brand that seeks wider growth opportunities? Yes. Louisiana-based roaster Community Coffee is using AMs and FMs targeting Hispanic consumers to great success in Texas. In this Hispanic Radio Podcast, advertising agency head Alex López Negrete — whose resume includes Spanish-language play-by-play for an NBA franchise — shares his thoughts on why radio works for advertisers.

Risk drives reward.  We’re all familiar with the financial maxim which defines investment return as a function of risk incurred.  Can this construct also better describe how we view marketing investments?  Organizations showing increased expenditure on stock buybacks and dividends relative to growth investments (advertising/marketing and R&D) tend to be more risk averse.