Research

Among the key findings, the study shows that millennial moms’ ownership of smartphones in the U.S. outpaces ownership of laptop and desktop computers for the first time, and that they are spending 35 percent more time online via their smartphones than online via laptop or desktop computers.

The study unveils the evolving shopping landscape of not only where people shop, but who is doing the shopping. Increasingly, men (who now compose 43 percent of primary shoppers) are shopping frequently and they now make just as many monthly store visits as women.

This year’s Year in Sports Media report highlights consumers’ global love of sports, which continues to grow. 2014 was a big year for sports, beginning with the Sochi Winter Olympics and then featuring one of the most exciting World Cups ever held.

From the latest nail polish trends to the hippest hair products or the toughest wrinkle fighters, women and men, young and old are shopping in the beauty aisle. In fact, 94% of all U.S. households buy beauty products, spending an average of $98 dollars each year.

One in five (20%) respondents choose a sports car as the type of car they would want to buy if they were going through a mid-life crisis and were to buy a car, while nearly as many (17%) say a sports utility vehicle, and slightly fewer (15%) a sedan, according to a new poll of over 1,000 adults conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of CarMax. Other choices include a convertible (12%), pickup truck (9%), hybrid (8%), crossover (5%), coupe (4%), minivan or van (4%), or some other type of car (6%).

Boomers were as relevant as ever last year. I predicted they would drive economic expansion, create jobs, become more important to mainstream brands, and continue to rejuvenate the face of 50+. They didn’t disappoint.

More and more, brands are realizing that the U.S. Hispanic audience is large, growing, tech savvy, and particularly receptive to online marketing. This presents a huge opportunity for many brands to drive growth. One question we hear often from brands ready to venture into the Hispanic digital market: Where do we start?

In this two-part series, we explore three critical assessments brands can perform to determine where opportunity lies for growth with a Hispanic audience.

In this two-part series, we explore three critical assessments brands can perform to determine where opportunity lies for growth with a Hispanic audience. Part 1, covering Competitive Analysis, can be found here. Read on for Part 2, covering brand-owned Website Audit and Social Channel Evaluations.

In the Spring 2014 Share of Ear℠ study (a syndicated research series from Edison Research), we took a first look at how much of the total audio consumed by Americans was devoted to podcasts. Compared to the entire audio universe–every available minute of radio, Internet radio, music files, Satellite and more–podcasts occupied a single digit percentage of America’s total audio listening. But when we looked specifically at only those Americans who listen to podcasts, we got a different story–if you listen to podcasts, you listen to a lot of podcasts.

It’s been widely reported that for many Millennials, “30 is the new 20,” with many delaying major life milestones, like full-time employment, marriage and having children. However, recent data from the American Express Spending & Saving Tracker suggests that as the economy continues to recover, Millennials will make 2015 a year of major purchases and life experiences.

In its annual outlook of global technology trends, Accenture has identified a 180-degree shift to what it calls the “We Economy” that is re-shaping markets and changing the way we work and live.

Music consumption has changed, but consumers’ appetite for music is as strong as ever.

“In the United States alone, there are more than 54 million people of Hispanic ethnicity. Such a large group cannot be ignored and is expected to become even larger as the years pass. This infographic serves to provide a basic understanding of such a diverse group.”  By Madison Ciklin / student at Florida State University

The economy can be a tough thing to gauge. Soothsayers of all sorts report on short and long term outlooks, but an important thing to note is that the economy doesn’t exist in a vacuum. While many factors play into its ebb and flow, what people actually expect of it can become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy, impacting spending and saving trends which can in turn have impacts on the economy as a whole.

“Big Data” and “Social Good” may be the yin and yang of tomorrow’s most successful brands. Both are recognized as important components of contemporary marketing strategy, yet they are not typically thought of as bedmates. That is changing.

As viewers gravitate toward OTT services, what are Hispanic multiplatform viewers using and where does OTT viewing fit in for them?

You might think that American Millennials – of all ethnicities – would be in the same ballpark when it comes to their finances… and you’d be partially right. In some aspects of it, they are in lock-step. For example, when asked if they did not believe in using a traditional bank, approximately 30% in each group completely or somewhat agreed.  But what’s interesting is where they diverge from one another.

U.S. companies are struggling to keep pace with their customers’ “always on” nature and greater use of digital channels, according to new research from Accenture. As a result, the “Switching Economy” – the potential revenue up for grabs in the U.S. market due to changes in consumer spending patterns and switching rates – has swelled to $1.6 trillion, a 29 percent increase since 2010.

With “The Big Game” just around the corner, football fans may be starting to wonder whether or not their beloved game is still America’s Favorite Sport.  Back in 1985, there was only a one-point difference between the percentage of American adults who followed at least one sport and considered pro football (24%) or baseball (23%) to be their favorite. 

Among sports fans, the escalating interest around Super Bowl XLIX is focused on which team will earn the championship trophy for its on-field performance. Among marketing and advertising professionals, the chatter is centered on the TV commercials that will air during the game and the integrated multimillion-dollar marketing campaigns from these sponsors. Who will score or fumble on advertising’s biggest day of the year?