Marketing

ThinkNow released its ThinkNow Snapshot: 2018 Total Market Markers + Milestones, identifying the top trends that shaped multicultural research. Milestones range from shaky consumer sentiment to the proliferation of mobile shopping and from the rise of stream-ing services to the new multicultural mainstream consumer.

As far as news coverage of emerging trends in marketing go, this one was exceptional: “New Report Cites Skyrocketing Growth of Internal Agencies,” the Ad Age headline shouted, while Adweek weighed in with, “ANA Report: In-Housing Agency Work Is Accelerating.” MediaPost followed suit with “ANA: Over Three-Quarters of Our Members Have In-House Agencies” and Campaign US ran with, “Number of In-House Agencies Rise Dramatically, ANA Study Finds.”

To grow sales, more companies are teaming up to attract each other’s customers—and persuade their existing customers to buy more—by creating a positive association with another brand. Well-known alliances include McDonald’s Happy Meals with Disney toys and Dell PCs with Intel processors.

Experts say the rise of artificial intelligence will make most people better off over the next decade, but many have concerns about how advances in AI will affect what it means to be human, to be productive and to exercise free will

What if there was a proven, brand-safe video ad format that’s equally effective for targeting unique consumers and regions, or blanketing the whole country with a campaign? A medium that offers loyal, engaged audiences at competitive CPMs and the power of sight, sound, motion, and narrative?  What if marketers found out that their agencies won’t even consider it for campaigns because they can’t buy it at their preferred profit margin?

A brand no longer needs, nor can embrace, all trends. It must create sub-brands specifically designed for each niche, and reach each one using algorithms. The organic food brand Mãe Terra recently bought by Unilever has been a smart move in this way.  by Anahi Lucas & Felipe Ramirez

Brands that are perceived as innovative and that also provide a great experience – meeting consumers’ needs where and when they are wanted – grew the most in value in the latest BrandZ™ Top 100 Most Valuable US Brands ranking, announced by WPP and Kantar Millward Brown.

Today’s shopping expectations have created new selling opportunities for businesses in the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry. “Consumers and businesses now expect every interaction to be shoppable–whether on the web, mobile, social, in-product or in-store,” said Brad Rencher, executive vice president and general manager of Adobe Digital Marketing.

There is huge pressure for marketers to spend more on digital: it is where customers are spending more time, it is what everyone else is doing and the convenience metrics look good. So, it is nice to find an example of a company doing its homework and bucking the trend.  by Nigel Hollis

In the latest episode of “Behind the Numbers,” analyst Nicole Perrin joins us in the studio to discuss consumer attitudes about advertising and why so many people are resistant to ads. Who are the ad blockers, what are they actively blocking, and what could help turn them around?

There is no doubt that the plethora of convenience metrics offered by digital media is focusing marketing attention on the here and now, often to the exception of longer-term outcomes. But there is actually no reason why digital media cannot be used for brand-building.  by Nigel Hollis

Two of advertising’s most important titans went head-to-head to debate in-housing and the future of agencies.

Of the many challenges facing marketers and publishers these days, few are more critical than the need to connect with millennials, a generation now on the verge of two major milestones.

The partnerships between clients and agencies can often be fraught with opacity, distrust, and inefficiency.

Teens credit social media for helping to build stronger friendships and exposing them to a more diverse world, but they express concern that these sites lead to drama and social pressure

A new study, released by ID Comms in partnership with the 4A’s, reveals that US advertisers are likely failing to get the best responses from potential media agency partners due to a failure of brands sufficiently defining what they are looking for, and refusing to share details around the selection process.

Who doesn’t love the promise of “found money?” That’s the basic idea behind rebates, and it’s one reason why they can be so effective in both the B2C and B2B realms, regardless of whether the promised money is found or not.

In the latest episode of “Behind the Numbers,” eMarketer analyst Lauren Fisher is joined in the studio by digital strategist Chris Lundquist for a conversation about consumers’ view of loyalty and what the major motivators are for building that loyalty.

I was browsing the Kantar Media’s 2018 Dimensions report (well worth a read), when I came across a section on the need to strike a better balance between short and long-term. This seems to be a topic of increasing interest to marketers, but how do you find the right balance?  by Nigel Hollis

By now, most marketers are aware of the importance of having a brand purpose — a clearly defined reason for a brand’s existence that goes beyond sales and profits, has a distinct societal benefit, and, at least in theory, provides a framework for every strategic business decision. Being purposeful has enabled brands like TOMS Shoes, Nike, Patagonia, Airbnb, and other leading brands to gain a market advantage — and oodles of positive buzz — in a business era defined by the collision of social media and social consciousness.