Marketing

Nearly 75% of global respondents, on average, say a brand’s country of origin is as important as or more important than nine other purchasing drivers, including selection/choice, price, function and quality, according to findings from the Nielsen Global Brand-Origin Survey releasedy.

It was the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death this weekend.  It’s quite an achievement to be remembered for what you wrote over 400 years later. The British bard was obviously an enormously gifted wordsmith.  I was reminded of the importance of wordsmithing as I was working with a client on process, architecture and organizational structure.  We jointly creating a new approach to allocating budgets, defining target audiences and creating integrated marketing plans. But we soon realized that language stood in the way of clarity.

The hype around artificial intelligence (AI) is ramping up, especially as big tech companies like Amazon, Google, Facebook, IBM and Microsoft attempt to commercialize its use. Agencies are also starting to figure out how they can leverage AI to make their clients’ marketing and advertising efforts more effective. eMarketer’s Bryan Yeager spoke with Josh Sutton, global head of the artificial intelligence practice at Publicis.Sapient, to demystify how AI is used for marketing and what its future may hold.

Over the past decade, U.S. Multicultural consumers drove over 100% of total economic expenditure growth, and now comprise ~50% of the Millennial and youth populations. If these are priority segments, you will find our new eBook very useful. It helps marketers evolve their strategies to succeed in an increasingly Multicultural marketplace.

Forget Mad Men. Today’s marketers are more likely to be math men and women. They plumb the depths of Big Data with advanced analytical tools. They buy and use dazzling new software—some spend more on technology in a given year than their companies’ IT departments. They are hot on the trail of marketing’s holy grail, the ability to measure return on investment (ROI) on every campaign.

Our industry, indeed our world, could accurately be described as obsessed with Big Data. It’s an oft cited solution to many problems, be they ones of branding, advertising, customer understanding or even healthcare, city planning and finding love.

Post 3rd Open Enrollment CMS figures by ethnic & racial group are yet to be published by CMS, however, as of last Fall, most states had yet to enroll more than half of their Hispanic & African American uninsured ACA eligibles. But surprisingly, Multicultural segments eligibles are surprisingly less risky than White Non-Hispanic eligibles.

Spending on brand activation marketing in the U.S. rose 5.5 percent in 2015 to more than $560 billion, accounting for almost 60 percent of advertisers’ budgets, according to a new study by the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) in partnership with PQ Media. This year, brand activation is expected to grow 6 percent, to nearly $600 billion.

Nearly a third of senior advertisers in North America are familiar with people-based targeting and know the concept well, according to February 2016 research. A further 39% said they have a general idea of what it is.

Technology continues to be on the fast track—from the advent of the connected cars to recent improvements in virtual reality gear. These changes are shifting consumer behavior and influencing how people experience video content.

Hispanic & African American Affordable Care Act eligibles standing in the sidelines differ from White Non-Hispanics (WNH) in some significant ways.

Content marketing has become a high priority for both B2B as well B2C brands over the last couple of years. Many brands have taken the position that they effectively need to become publishers to market and win with consumers. In fact, according to Seth Godin, “Content marketing is all the marketing that’s left.”

Ten years ago, the partners at our ad agency did an offsite meeting to plan our future. We were small and scrappy and talent-laden, but like the vast majority of agencies, we lacked any real point of differentiation.

Demographic Data Is Not Enough!  By Ozzie Godinez / CEO and Co-Founder at PACO Collective

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) eleased “Multiscreen Video Best Practices,” a research report created in partnership with Millward Brown Digital and Tremor Video, showing that 10-second mobile video ads have greater brand appeal and persuasion potential for Millennial audiences. In comparison, 30-second spots outrank their shorter brethren in those same categories among consumers age 35 – 54.

Perhaps it’s time for agencies to collectively gain the ability to listen clearly to what marketers want. Because last week a number of very senior marketers were very clear about their wishes.

Brands are now spending huge amounts on digital advertising, be it desktop or mobile, search, display or video. And yet Millward Brown’s Brand Lift Insights results suggest that many advertisers have still not really cracked the code when it comes to creating effective digital ads.

Branded content is very effective, and it’s even more effective than traditional video ads. T

The Consumer Confidence Index hit 92.2 in February, from a revised 97.8 in January, the Conference Board said. That’s lower than the 97.3 expected by analysts, and the lowest level since July, according to Thomson Reuters.  We recently conducted our annual consumer sentiment study with readable base sizes of Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians, and non-Hispanic whites. A segmented view of the cohorts paints a different picture and emphasizes why 2016 is an ideal year to shift some spend to Hispanics.

Hallmark is transitioning its existing Spanish-language greetings line to a new lifestyle brand called Hallmark VIDA.