Marketing

Allison+Partners has released its inaugural Influence Impact Report, which explores the dynamic forces that shape and drive consumers in an active ecosystem of influence.

Millennials account for an estimated one quarter of consumer spending, according to August 2015 research. Yet, advertisers spend more than a third of their total media budget pursuing them.

The retail environment has seen great disruption from a combination of pervasive discounting, new entrants, the evolution of new technologies, and vastly changed consumer behavior. This has had an impact on consumer loyalty and made gaining share a significant challenge. Understanding specific consumer groups’ buying behaviors is more important than ever.

With new programmatic solutions cropping every day, everyone — agencies, publishers and clients alike — is asking the question: how much of our digital spending should be shifting to programmatic buying models? The efficiency story has been a media headline for years, and programmatic media is certainly a solution. But, is it effective?

There’s both good and bad news when it comes to how consumers act when they use a brand. When a negative experience occurs, irate consumers may tell their friends and family and potentially even post a rant on social media.

MediaCom has formed a partnership with The Hofstede Centre, the global centre for cross-cultural research and its parent company ITIM International.

Gen Z is pre-programmed to aspire to independence and individuality. They were raised by Xer parents who were known for their self-reliance in their own youth and wanted to instill the same qualities in their children. As young kids, Z’s were pushed to find their own way; this is in contrast to Millennials, who were heavily supported by helicopter parents.

Millennials entered the workforce during a time of high financial insecurity, triggering long-term risk of economic instability, their shift towards short-term financial thinking and a “Live Now” mentality that focuses on living in the moment and prioritizing quality of life over money. It has opened the door for marketers to become trusted partners by helping this group satisfy their short-term goals, so there is an established relationship by the time Millennials start thinking about their future.

What goes into an ad?  This question used to be simple, but in today’s world, the lines are blurring between content and ads. How can we find a more harmonious way to co-exist and to bring advertising back to a state of approval, or even enjoyment, for the general consumer?

New research has revealed that native advertising – sponsored or branded content that matches the look and feel of publisher websites – is shaping up to be a vital future development for the PR sector and could be the way it gets more budget from its clients.

More than half of the senior marketing leaders surveyed (53 percent) stated that they spend more time on operational details – for example, requirements documentation, securing legal and leadership approval, and content tagging definition – than on core marketing and branding activities.

The hottest topic in marketing, advertising and media is the PROGRAMATIC buying future.

Google’s Matt Brittin once likened programmatic to teenage sex – and it’s easy to understand why. Everyone seems to be worrying about whether the competition is doing more of it, or doing it better than they are. The truth, though, is that worryingly few people know what they are doing at all.

What comes to mind when you read the name Einstein? I am willing to bet an image like the one on this page comes readily to mind. But is that because he is distinctive or different? Many people have trouble distinguishing between the two qualities, but the distinction is important.

As concerns about ad blocking grow, influencer marketing is becoming more important to brands.

The verdict: Madison Avenue 2016 is desperately trying to release the social media Krakken at every turn. Still, methinks creatives are not consuming enough amounts of memes, Vine and Snapchat. Plus, planning is prevailing. Big time. Taking refuge in the warm womb of strategy is not enough, folks. Too much tried-n-true stuff. Madison Avenue needs to innovate way more. Yeah, I know, easier said then done.  By Gonzalo López Martí            LMMIAMI.COM

Marketers are increasingly adopting and incorporating new technologies into their strategy.

Big data continues to be a central point of conversation in the market research world. Whether it is touted as the end of market research as we know it or the beginning of the new market researcher that weaves big data and custom research into a projection of the future, one thing is for sure, big data is here to stay.  By Mario Carrasco

Marketers need to adopt a more nuanced understanding of how people make brand decisions if they want to grow sales. There is an assumption that all decision making is instinctive, but in fact it’s a balance between instinctive and deliberative. Marketers must try to understand what makes their brand the obvious choice for both types of decision making.

Recalling a positive memory about eating a certain food can make a present experience more enjoyable. Since advertising is in the business of building branded memories, demonstrating a product’s tastiness is an important component to any food and beverage advertising. But is it enough to just communicate good taste?