Marketing

The influencer marketing space shows no signs of slowing down. But to have a successful strategy, brands need more than just celebrity endorsements. Identifying the right influencers is a science that relies on complex data, not just the number of social media followers a user has—that’s why influencer platforms are becoming key components of companies’ marketing stacks. Rob Trauber, CEO of apparel brand Johnny Was, and Zackary Cantor, director of decision sciences at digital marketing company GlobalWide Media, spoke with eMarketer’s Maria Minsker about the value of influencer marketing technology.

Brands have been called on to make a stand and many have answered the call. So far this year we have seen a number of large, well-known brands lining up to save the world or make it a better place to live in. I applaud the fact that these brands are willing to take a stand, but I do wonder if it is yet another step on the road to brand fragmentation.  by Nigel Hollis

Marketers are becoming more and more interested in reaching out to and engaging Influencers – due to the factors like media fragmentation, quality and transparency issues of the media supply chain, and the rise of ad blockers. Thus, the idea of reaching a targeted group of people who are particularly powerful and influential is spreading. Which is why the identification of the Affluencers is so important – this target has the potential to not only represent a disproportionate amount of purchases, they also represent a group that is sought for their advice and purchasing input across all categories. In addition, Affluencers on average consume more media than general Affluents, with both print and digital publications up +9%.

By Gonzalo López Martí – Creative director, etc / LMMiami.com

• The way we package, ship and display goods will be disrupted dramatically in the coming years.
• If your job depends on the good old tried & true ways of selling CPGs to the masses, well, get ready for some upheaval.
• Some more upheaval, that is.
• The good news: shopping is not going anywhere.
• Shopping is freedom.
• Shopping is therapy.
• Shopping is our God-given right.

Kantar Millward Brown has transformed its annual Getting Digital Right study into a global Getting Media Right study. Why? Because digital cannot and should not be considered in isolation from the rest of the media mix.  by Nigel Hollis

Brighter spirits may fuel a diverse mix of spending on experiences, self-gifting and gifts for others this holiday shopping season, according to Deloitte’s 32nd Annual Holiday Survey of consumer spending intentions and trends.

Over the last few months I’ve had the opportunity to speak with close to 50  marketers, friends, clients and former colleagues. I didn’t have an agenda or a pitch, just a conversation about their career paths and how they decided on their professions.  The conversation eventually made its way into a discussion of relationships they had with various consultants, advisors, and agencies.  Just for kicks, I built a word cloud from my notes and saw five themes emerge from what they wanted from a vendor.

Today’s connected world is driving a ‘consumer trust divide’ between suspicious minds in developed nations and more accepting attitudes in emerging countries, according to Kantar TNS’s latest Connected Life research.

Growth was tough to come by at the start of the year, but topline sales did increase during the second quarter. Overall, dollar sales for the year are up 1.4%, with online growth driving the majority of the uptick (0.1% brick and mortar vs 21.1% online). Despite the meager growth, the future looks promising, as Americans are feeling very positive about their general situations: Consumer confidence remains strong at an index of 118, maintaining optimistic levels well above the global average of 104.

When it comes to agencies’ clients, a whopping 100 percent of all agency respondents report that they have clients who use ABM. Of these respondents, 91 percent agree that clients who have adopted ABM have improved alignment between their sales and marketing teams.

More than 20 companies were named as winners in 12 separate categories. Grand Prize winners in each category will be announced at an awards ceremony during the ANA’s 19th annual Multicultural Marketing & Diversity Conference, November 5–7 in Miami Beach. The ceremony culminates with the “Best in Show” announcement, honoring the year’s best campaign chosen from the Grand Prize category winners.

The 2017 ANA Multicultural Marketing & Diversity Conference is two weeks away. The theme, “Growth Drivers: Diverse Consumers & Diverse Talent,” is meant to arm attendees with tools to counter anemic growth rates plaguing the industry. Over the past year, ANA’s Alliance for Inclusive & Multicultural Marketing (AIMM) has been at the forefront of addressing these challenges. The alliance has leveraged the collective strengths of marketing visionaries from a cross section of industries, professionals whose commitment to excellence and results is at the heart of their appreciation of the importance of segment specific insights and initiatives.

A trip on the New York subway soon reminds you that we live in a mobile-first culture. Out of the ten people in the same carriage as me most were using their phones: listening to music, reading the news or streaming video. This is the environment in which today’s advertising needs to exist and thrive.  by Nigel Hollis

By Gonzalo López Martí – Creative director, etc / LMMiami.com

• When a “fresh off the boat” Cuban arrives in Miami, one of the first rites of passage his or her friends and family put them through is “the supermarket experience”: visiting an American grocery store aisle for the first time.
• Some of them hyperventilate.
• A few have been known to drop on their knees and start sobbing.
• I kid you not.

ast week I referenced Richard Thaler, winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his ground-breaking work on behavioral economics. We now accept that the old economic models of rationality are wrong and it makes me wonder whether we should be questioning some more up-to-date assumptions.  by Nigel Hollis

In the world of innovation, there’s a clear line of separation between a concept and a product. A concept represents what you plan to offer; it’s a helpful tool for prioritizing features and claims and for determining how to communicate the product’s benefits. It also informs ideal price points and which varieties will be needed to drive trial. On the other hand, a product is a tangible object that consumers purchase and use; its long-term success (i.e., repeated purchasing) relies heavily on the experience that consumers have with it.

The job of managing the amount of data available to marketers has become too big for humans alone to handle. If marketers haven’t yet handed off some data management tasks to machines, they undoubtedly will soon. Allen Nance, global CMO at marketing automation firm Emarsys, spoke with eMarketer’s Sean Creamer about what artificial intelligence (AI) does best, while leaving human marketers to refocus on connecting with consumers.

The customer aftermarket has become an afterthought for makers of home appliances, power tools, consumer electronics and other durable goods. Manufacturers and their retail partners have differing opinions when it comes to ensuring a valued, satisfying and profitable product ownership experience.

Gender stereotyping in advertisements is a common tactic used for many brands and products to portray their target audience. Whether it’s the strong, luxurious shampoo that only features women with beautiful, long hair in their commercials or the newest camping gear that only shows a male on the packaging. Brands are consciously choosing to highlight and promote to one gender over the other. Are consumers aware of this gender stereotyping? Do they like having products for one gender over the other? Should the advertising industry even contribute to gender stereotyping?

There is not one simple definition so there is not one simple strategy to reach them, and connect.  The 37-year-old Millennial is … everything you’d expect from a millennial, and in some cases more.