Research

The past week saw two developments that, while not directly connected, speak to two critical audience-buying issues that are decidedly intertwined: audience fragmentation, and measurement capabilities.

Global consumer confidence edged up one index point to 98 in the first quarter of 2016, remaining relatively stable in the first quarter and slightly below the optimism baseline score of 100. The score reflects mixed confidence levels reported in every region, including some bright spots—particularly in the U.S., which showed resilience amid a fairly robust job market, and in the buoyant growth markets of India and Indonesia.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I question the hype surrounding marketing to Millennials. Are they really snake people or not? Given my skepticism it was refreshing to read Ola Mobolade’s Warc Best Practice paper on how to market effectively to Millennials.  by Nigel Hollis

Living with a parent is the most common young adult living arrangement for the first time on record

A strong ad that builds emotional and behavioral connections with consumers will not only help drive sales for the brand, but can also drive long-term brand loyalty and equity down the road.

With convenience and preference driving behaviors and the paths consumers take to the register—whether virtual or traditional—it’s vital for brands and retailers to understand what’s actually influencing their choices.

When it comes to life choices, nearly every generation has drawn at least a little ire from their longer-lived predecessors—be it their style of clothing, political views or taste in media. From music to movies, younger, often early adopters, have a penchant for blazing their own, new paths.

Millennial men tend to be far removed from the traditional gender roles that males in previous generations took on. eMarketer’s Alison McCarthy spoke with Romy Nehme, vice president of insights and strategy at VaynerMedia, about what makes this generation of men unique, how they use digital and how brands can effectively engage with them.

From food to technology to entertainment, Asian-American influence continues to rise in the U.S. and is spanning across the country.

100% of America’s Upscale consumers’ growth between 2011 and 2014 came from Multicultural Upscale HHs whereas White Non-Hispanic (WNH) Upscales declined. 

The American middle class is losing ground in metropolitan areas across the country, affecting communities from Boston to Seattle and from Dallas to Milwaukee. From 2000 to 2014 the share of adults living in middle-income households fell in 203 of the 229 U.S. metropolitan areas examined in a new Pew Research Center analysis of government data.

The Class of 2016 is optimistic about their job prospects, despite a growing trend in underemployment, and seeking employers that offer meaningful work, ongoing learning opportunities and a fun workplace culture, according to a new study by Accenture on the workforce of the future.

The study shows that half of younger males (18-34) say they tend to remember ads in original digital video more than they did a year ago (31%). The same holds true for a greater percentage of the overall original digital video audience (38% vs. 29% a year ago).

Instagram influencers who have the most followers don’t necessarily garner the most “likes” and comments. Research from Markerly revealed that users who sign up for Markerly’s network with fewer than 1,000 followers get more “likes” and comments on average than those with more than 10 million followers.

For many Americans, smartphones are as much a necessity in their daily lives as the air they breathe and the food they eat. These devices are constant companions, helping us take care of just about everything we need to do each day—watching our favorite shows and movies, keeping up with our friends, learning new languages and managing our finances.

As Nielsen pushes its “total audience” measurement system as the new currency for a hybrid TV and video advertising marketplace, some fundamental issues remain — especially the fact that Nielsen will effectively be adding many more sources of video viewing to the measured universe, and consequently, will fragment the TV/video advertising marketplace beyond anything Madison Avenue has experienced to date.

The teen birth rate in the U.S. is at a record low, dropping below 25 births per 1,000 teen females for the first time since the government began collecting consistent data on births to teens ages 15-19, according to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics.  By Eileen Patten and Gretchen Livingston

Millennials are more “multicultural” than any previous generation. In the U.S., approximately 40% of the generation identify as Hispanic, African-American or Asian American. And over a quarter of all U.S. Millennials are first- or second-generation immigrants—many of whom have strong ties to their global origins.

Hispanic growth in income and population across all ages will drive increases in consumer spending that will exceed the shopping totals of the millennial demographic by 2020, Morgan Stanley analysts said Monday.  By Tonya Garcia / MarketWatch

Data and analytics capabilities have become a top priority for businesses, with many organizations using the discipline to help gain a competitive advantage and improve the customer experience. In fact, many organizations place such high value on data and analytics that primary responsibility for the function lies with the company CEO.