Social Marketing

Digital advertising’s readily available measurement metrics and low-cost perceptions make it more attractive by the day, which is reflected in the channel’s growing share of spend. But is it really as effective as marketers think it is?  by Kristanne Roberts – Global Development Director – Brand Lift Insights Kantar

Internet advertising revenues in the United States totaled $57.9 billion for the half year (“HY”) of 2019, with Q2 2019 accounting for approximately $29.9 billion and Q1 2019 accounting for approximately $28.0 billion. Revenues for HY 2019 increased 16.9% over HY 2018 over HY 2018 with revenues of $49.5 billion.

It takes a concerted effort to develop a successful integrated marketing campaign. Every channel plays its part in driving consumers toward making a purchase and beyond. A campaign’s performance ultimately comes down to nailing the right time and place to deliver it.

Despite strong results being realized by brands from location targeting advertising, nearly two-thirds of spend is still being wasted because of poor quality data and mistargeted location impressions.

Social media isn’t a stagnant thing – it continuously evolves, as does the way users engage with it. The only way to reach these users efficiently is to stay on top of the latest insights into social platforms and allow them to inform your strategies.

Scrolling through social media, it’s hard not to be influenced by influencers. Do you need another carry-on bag? Probably not. But do you have to have it after you saw an influencer capturing its essence on the hills of Santorini, and you suddenly saw yourself there? Of course you do.

Univision Communications Inc and POPSUGAR announced the launch of “Juntos We Shine,” a new podcast that showcases the stories of remarkable men and women who are committed to making a difference in their communities. “Juntos We Shine” marks the first time that POPSUGAR has teamed up with the Spanish-language media company for a podcast.

eMarketer principal analyst Debra Aho Williamson discusses the influencer shift toward authenticity, and why influencer marketing may soon become regulated. She also assesses Facebook’s mind-reading program, a TikTok smartphone and Apple’s new credit card.

Lisa Buyer officially announces the launch of Female Disruptors, a news and education site featuring women and for women.

Influencer marketing stands at a crossroads. Influencer scandals, the introduction and growing acceptance of fakeness and overall low quality of influencers themselves have all contributed to a declining relevance among consumers. Despite the canary in the digital coal mine, brands continue to increase their influencer marketing budgets and employ more digital tools in an attempt to connect with consumers and drive engagement.

The IAB, the national trade association for the digital media and marketing industries, released “Disrupting Brand Preference,” a study that shows that disruptor brand shoppers comprise 48 percent of all U.S consumers. They are younger than incumbent brand-only shoppers, with 84 percent under 54 years old, and are likelier to have a household income of more than $75,000. In addition, direct-to-consumer (DTC) buyers use their favorite brands as vehicles for self-promotion, with twice as many compared to incumbent brand-only shoppers saying that they choose brands to express “who I am.”

Retailers’ digital ad spend parallels that of the overall US digital ad market this year, growing 19.1%, according to our latest forecast. For this industry, mobile and search advertising dominate ad spend allocation.

Lil Miquela posted her first Instagram post in 2016. Three years later and she has over 1.6 million followers. Not bad for someone who is not even real. Brands are increasingly using virtual influencers like Lil Miquela, but where does virtual brand ambassador cross over into brand deception?  by Nigel Hollis

In this conversation, we will explore how brands can play a role in addressing social justice issues in the Black American community by helping improve the lives of Black American consumers while driving brand engagement, loyalty, and sales.

At the end of 2017, Adobe published a report showing that almost two-thirds (62 percent) of marketers planned to take all their programmatic media buying in-house by 2022, with the remaining 38 percent planning to take some elements of programmatic under direct control in the same period. A 2018 ANA report showed a similar effect from in-housing. The ANA’s “The Continued Rise of the In-house Agency” report, which replicated and updated similar studies from 2013 and 2008, found that the number of advertisers with in-house agencies has grown substantially, standing today at 78 percent of brands, compared to 58 percent five years ago and just 42 percent a decade back. Sixty-five percent of advertisers said that the in-house agency workload had grown “substantially” in the past year.

Earlier this month, a widely publicized feud broke out between two well-known beauty influencers, Tati Westbrook and her protege James Charles. Bypassing the rather complex details, the debacle ensued after Charles posted an Instagram ad for SugarBearHair vitamins, a direct competitor of Westbrook’s Halo Beauty vitamins.

Marketers should use all the tools of social to connect with their audiences

Finding the right balance when serving personalized content to consumers can be tricky. But marketers that do this successfully understand that fostering better communication with their target audience is key.

In Vietnam, about half of adults say social media are at least somewhat important for keeping up with political news and other developments. Above, Vietnamese activist La Viet Dung has alleged Facebook may be helping to suppress online dissent.

The growing popularity of social media took an unusual turn and has become one of the most effective advertising platforms.