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Building A Data Dashboard? Here Are Some Questions to Ask First.Most marketers want to figure out which are the right metrics to use, and how the data will be used.May 17, 2019
With CMOs in the US using data more than two-fifths of the time in decision making, it’s no wonder that more than half (55%) of marketing influencers say that one of their main objectives for a marketing data dashboard strategy is to improve how marketing... READ MORE
9 in 10 Businesses Think Chatbots Need to Get Smarter Before Customers Will Use Them RegularlyConsumer behavior reflects this too - they prefer online chat to chatbots or virtual assistants.
Businesses and consumers are experiencing a gap in perception when it comes to the use of AI. While almost two-thirds (63%) of businesses believe that chatbots and virtual assistants make it easier for customers to get their issues resolved, only one-third... READ MORE
Young Millennials Have A Positive View of Targeted Ads. Others? Not So Much.18-24-year-olds are the only age group to feel that targeted online ads are more convenient than intrusive.May 16, 2019
Generally, Americans have an unfavorable opinion about online targeted advertising. More than half (51%) of US adults believe that targeted advertisements are an inappropriate use of personal data rather than a convenient way to see products they’re... READ MORE
Almost Half of US Programmatic Display Ad Spend Expected to be Allocated to Video This YearAnd within this figure, more than half of the total programmatic video spend goes towards mobile.
Growth in programmatic spending on connected TV, social video advertising and OTT has contributed to US marketers spending an estimated $29.2 billion this year on programmatic video. This will account for just about half (49.2%) of the total programmatic... READ MORE
Where Is Social Media Marketing Headed?The short answer: slowly away from Facebook, although the network maintains its lead among marketers.May 15, 2019
Facebook remains the most used social media platform among marketers again this year, but Instagram is gaining in popularity as companies plan to increase their activity on the platform, per the latest annual Social Media Marketing Industry Report [download... READ MORE
Five Points About PersonalizationMore than one-third of Americans report having acted on a personalized message.
While very few marketers would dispute the effectiveness of personalization, there are still barriers to being able to personalize at scale, namely the time and cost involved in creating personalized content. A recent survey of more than 1,000 US consumers... READ MORE
Strategic Content Marketers Find Prioritizing Audience Segmentation A Challenge6 in 10 strategic content marketers struggle to understand what is most important to their audience.May 14, 2019
When thinking about audiences within their markets, 7 in 10 (71%) strategic content marketers struggle to prioritize their efforts towards one audience over another, per the latest research [PDF] from the Content Management Institute (CMI), sponsored by... READ MORE
Taste and Price the Top Influencers For Consumers Trying New Food & Beverage ProductsBrand trust and word-of-mouth outrank traditional advertising when it comes to awareness of new products.
More than one quarter (26%) of US consumers consider themselves to be early adopters when it comes to new food and beverage products, while the majority (61%) of consumers take a more ‘wait and see’ approach when a new product is released, according to the... READ MORE
US Online Ad Revenues Pass $100 Billion Milestone in 2018: 8 NotesIn one shift, display advertising spend surpassed search, likely driven by mobile's continued ascent.May 13, 2019
Online ad revenues grew rapidly again this past year, up almost 22% and surpassing a $100 billion milestone to reach $107.5 billion, per the latest revenue report [pdf] from IAB and PwC. Revenues for the 4th quarter grew by about 19.8% year-over-year as the... READ MORE
How Can Marketers Decrease Wasteful Spending?Two-thirds of marketing professionals surveyed say they're either bringing creative and digital media in-house or considering doing so.
Three in 10 marketing professionals say that one of the challenges they are currently facing is wasted marketing spend, per a new report from Albert and Forrester. So, what are marketers doing to turn this around? One approach is considering bringing... READ MORE
1 in Every 10 Adults in the US Doesn’t Use the InternetMore than 1 in 4 adults ages 65 and older are yet to use the internet.May 10, 2019
The proportion of US adults who do not use the internet continues its slow decline, per data from the Pew Research Center, as the percentage of the US adult population who do not use the internet has more than halved in fewer than 10 years. Still, 1 in 10... READ MORE
Increased Amazon Ad Spend Brings ResultsMerkle clients' sales from using Amazon Sponsored Products and Brands more than doubled year-over-year.
Advertisers are reaping the benefits of their increased investments in Amazon Sponsored Brands and Products, per new research [download page] gathered from Merkle clients. While spend on Amazon Sponsored Brands has increased a full 77% year-over-year (YOY)... READ MORE
Email-Derived Revenues Down For Non-Profits in 2018 Despite List Size GrowthAverage email-sourced revenue is down 8%, although email list sizes grew.May 9, 2019
Non-profits sent an average of 59 email messages per subscriber in 2018, an 8% increase from 2017, according to the latest annual M+R Benchmarks Study. Fundraising emails were responsible for the largest proportion of emails sent, at about 2 per month (25... READ MORE
Mother’s Day Spending Expected to Reach New Peak This YearJewelry, special outings and gift cards are some of the categories expecting increased spend.
Mother’s Day spending is expected to total a record $25 billion this year, says the NRF in a new forecast, representing an 8% increase from last year’s $23.1 billion. Some 84% of American adults are planning to celebrate Mother’s Day (down from 86% in 2018),... READ MORE
Strategic Content Marketers Use More Development AidsCalendars, guidelines, personas and other tools are more likely to be used by companies that take a strategic approach to content marketing.May 8, 2019
More than three-quarters (76%) of organizations say they take a strategic approach to managing content. These organizations are also much more likely to use development aids – such as editorial calendars and formal workflow processes – than those... READ MORE
Does Twitter Engagement Follow the 80/20 Rule?The top 10% of Twitter users account for 80% of all tweets - and they overindex on a host of other metrics.
Fewer than one-quarter (22%) of US adults use Twitter, making it one of the least used of the top social media platforms in the US. Of those who are on Twitter, a mere 10% account for the vast majority of the tweets, per a recent report from Pew Research... READ MORE
Instagram’s Now Capturing Almost 1 in 5 Ad Dollars Spent Across Facebook PropertiesTwo different studies show that Instagram takes at least 19% of Facebook ad spend, likely buoyed by the success of Stories.May 7, 2019
When Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion, many were shocked at the price paid for a company that only had 13 employees. Today, that investment appears to be a very wise decision, and the latest figures from Marin Software show that the... READ MORE
Loyalty Program Membership Doesn’t Always Translate to Activity; Satisfaction Levels May Be to BlameSatisfaction differs across sectors, but personalization could be a way for brands to lift results.
People continue to enroll in loyalty programs, but are active in fewer than half of them, according to a report [download page] by Bond Brand Loyalty. Among the 55,000 consumers surveyed, American respondents on average reported holding 14.8 memberships in... READ MORE
TikTok: How Fast Is It Growing in the US, And Who’s Using It?The new short video social network has seen exceptional growth among younger users, but there's a long way to go in catching up to other platforms.May 6, 2019
Watch out, there’s a new social media kid in town. Taking advantage of the current popularity of short-form mobile videos, made all the rage by the likes of Snapchat and Instagram Stories, TikTok has seen its growth in the US almost quadruple in just... READ MORE
Which Companies’ Marketing Campaigns Are Sparking Conversation?Big campaigns from insurance companies are dominating conversation about those brands.
Even in the digital age, word-of-mouth still matters and if a brand’s marketing efforts are being talked about, it likely means it’s on the minds of consumers when they are ready to make a purchase decision. Knowing the importance of getting consumers... READ MORE
Advertisers Plan More Spend Across Online Video Ad FormatsShoppable video ads have increased the most in planned use from 2018.May 3, 2019
Major advertisers plan to spend 25% more this year on digital video than they did in 2018. And as they invest more in video, advertisers are also expanding the use of newer ad formats such as shorter ads, vertical video ads and Stories, per a new report... READ MORE
Consumers Love Amazon, But May Be Questioning Its EthicsFewer than half think that the firm rewards employees fairly, among other factors.
Amazon is no longer the top company for corporate reputation in the eyes of Americans. Dropping to the second position in the most recent Axios Harris Poll of the 100 Most Visible Companies [download page], Amazon still ranks high in areas like growth,... READ MORE
Advertisers Experience Personal vs Professional Conflict for Data PrivacyAlmost 3 in 4 advertisers say they hold divergent professional and personal perceptions about one or more of the media brands they use.May 2, 2019
Do you use media differently to how you want your customers to use media? If so, you’re not alone – almost three-quarters (72%) of advertisers say they hold divergent professional and personal perceptions about one or more of the media brands... READ MORE
What Do SEO and PPC Agencies Charge?A wrap up of average hourly rates, monthly retainers and minimum single project spend.
Around 1 in 5 US agencies offering either SEO (19.7%) or PPC (21.7%) services have a minimum single project spend of more than $5,000, according to the latest Digital Marketing Industry Pricing Survey [download page] from Credo. Search remains a critical... READ MORE
Marketers Gain Benefits From Personalization, but Rate Performance PoorlyTwo-thirds of marketers give their company's personalization a "C" grade or below. What obstacles are they facing?May 1, 2019
Roughly three-quarters (74%) of marketers think that personalization should be a bigger priority in their organization, according to a study [PDF] published by Evergage. But given the fact that two-thirds (65%) of those surveyed give their company’s... READ MORE
What Brand Information Sources Do People Trust the Most?Hint: It's certainly not advertising, which comes at the bottom of the list.
Just one-third (33%) of consumers who rely on advertising for brand information say they trust its messaging, making it the least credible source of information among the options given, according to a recent report [download page] by Kantar Media. In what... READ MORE
Half of Brands Agree Digital Audio Is A Strong Conversion MediumThis figure comes amid growing digital audio consumption by consumers.April 30, 2019
Digital audio consumption has continued to rise, with consumers listening to their favorite form of digital audio 8% more between 2017 and 2018, according to a new report [SlideShare] from Adobe. With this steady rise it’s no wonder that nearly... READ MORE
Most Youth Say They’ll Share Their Bad Shopping Experiences on Social MediaBut they are slightly less likely than older consumers to compare prices online.
There is plenty of research available to show key differences between generations – whether in terms of wealth, social network use, or television consumption. A new report [download page] from BRP shows that there are also significant variances in... READ MORE
Have Consumers Become Apathetic Towards Advertising?US consumers - as well as those in the UK - are much less likely to enjoy advertising than those in other markets.April 29, 2019
While global consumers’ attitudes towards advertising haven’t changed much over the past year, those in the US report being somewhat less bothered by advertising this year than last. About one-third (32%) of the 1,000 US consumers surveyed for a new... READ MORE
Facebook Says Brands on Instagram Benefit From A Halo EffectGlobally, users of the platform have positive feelings about brands on the social network - and almost 9 in 10 have taken action after seeing brand posts.
Brands that are not already on Instagram may want to take a closer look at the social media platform, as shoppers have generally positive perceptions about the brands that are there. Individuals interviewed for a global survey by Facebook IQ report that they... READ MORE
Shoppers Head to Google For InspirationOnly a minority head to a brand's website when looking for ideas.April 26, 2019
Three-quarters of online shoppers say their online purchases are largely pre-planned (20% say they’re all pre-planned, 55% say many are pre-planned). Regardless of whether shoppers know what product they want to buy before going online or are just... READ MORE
More Than One-Quarter of Cord-Nevers Plan on Subscribing to Pay TVThe desire to channel surf is a surprising allure for some of this group.
A significant contributor to the declining pay-TV penetration in the US is the presence of people who have never signed up in the first place – and that group numbers 31 million Americans, per new figures [press release] published by GfK. But among... READ MORE
Young Adults Are Less Likely Than Others to Take Part in Loyalty ProgramsTo sway these consumers, benefits such as cash back or points may convince them to join.April 25, 2019
Loyalty programs are still going strong in the US, with nearly two-thirds (64%) of Americans participating in at least one such program. That being said, a new report [download page] from YouGov shows that older age groups appear to be the most prevalent... READ MORE
Among Traditional TV Genres, Cable Dramas See the Largest Lift From DigitalProgramming from the four major broadcasters is largely viewed live - particularly comedy/talk shows.
Despite data that shows younger Americans are watching less traditional television, when they do watch traditional TV content they spend quite a bit of time watching it live. A recent Nielsen report has revealed that for viewers age 18-34, two-thirds (66%)... READ MORE
Social Networking Platforms’ User Demographics Update 2019A host of statistics on adults' usage of 9 major social media platforms in 2019.April 24, 2019
Adults in the US are still using YouTube more than any other social media: close to three-quarters of US adults use the platform, with usage high across demographic groups, according to a study from the Pew Research Center, which provides some updates on... READ MORE
Netflix Is Considered The Most Indispensable TV Programming BrandBut consumers age 35+ don't place as much weight on the streaming service, according to figures from two separate studies.
Almost half (44%) of TV viewers ages 16 and older say that if they could only keep some of the TV networks they have access to, Netflix would be on their list, according to figures [infographic] published by Hub Entertainment Research. This number puts it... READ MORE
Online Shoppers Submit More Photos With ReviewsGiven the potential lift in conversion rate, as well as making shopping more personal, that's good news for online retailers.April 23, 2019
Close to two-thirds of shoppers (64%) consider ratings and reviews important, along with consumer-submitted Q&A and photos. That’s one finding from a report [download page] by Bazaarvoice, which also found that 86% of its client brands and... READ MORE
AM/FM Radio Listeners Keep Tuning InAM/FM radio remains popular for a host of reasons, including some emotional factors.
Despite the growing list of listening options available, AM/FM radio remains popular with its listeners. In fact, among the more than 50,000 AM/FM listeners surveyed in the US and Canada for the latest annual TechSurvey report [download page] by Jacobs... READ MORE
How Can Marketing and Sales Teams Become Less Siloed?While technology and tools are a factor, they aren't atop the list of potential remedies.April 22, 2019
Virtually all marketers and salespeople (94%) believe they can make marketing and sales teams less siloed, according to figures from the latest report [download page] by Walker Sands. So considering the same report found that more than half (56%) say these... READ MORE
Misuse of Personal Data Is the Leading Cause of Tech Industry DistrustAlmost 8 in 10 said they would stop doing business with a company that misused their personal data.
Events in the past couple of years have shown how easy it is for a company to lose its reputation and trust with consumers. The tech industry is far from immune, with a report [download page] from Dentsu Aegis Network findings that the main driver of... READ MORE
These Are 2019’s Most Reputable Companies in the US and GloballyFacebook's reputation has fallen so far that even big tobacco does better.April 19, 2019
Reputation matters, especially for businesses. After taking a hit last year, corporate reputation in the US has recovered slightly, up 0.8 index points after 2018’s 3-point decline, according to a recent report [download page] from the Reputation... READ MORE
How Many Search Results Do People Scroll Through on Amazon?Close to half of shoppers say they scroll through fewer than 3 pages of search results.
One of the benefits of Amazon is that a shopper is rarely starved for choice. Yet, despite being presented with pages of options during a search, almost half (45%) of shoppers say they typically don’t scroll past the second page of results, per... READ MORE
Have We Reached “Peak MarTech”?Analysis from Scott Brinker shows just 3% growth in the solutions counted, but there may be more beneath the surface.April 18, 2019
Marketers are now spoiled for choice when it comes to technology. The latest analysis from ChiefMarTec.com now lists a staggering 7,040 martech solutions on its annual landscape, a number that has typically exhibited double-digit year-over-year growth since... READ MORE
Consumers’ Easter-Related Retail Spending Expected to Remain HighFewer will celebrate Easter this year, but they'll spend more than $150 each on gifts and celebrations.
Total consumer spending on Easter is forecast to total $18.1 billion this year, just below last year’s record projection of $18.2 billion, according to the NRF. Some 79% of adults plan to celebrate Easter, somewhat less than last year’s 81%, but they’ll... READ MORE
What Do CMOs Talk About With Each Other?Engaging and building relationships with their colleagues at senior levels is top of mind for CMOs.April 17, 2019
Business can be lonely at the top, so it’s natural that those in the highest echelons of their organizations will want to look to peers in other firms for questions and guidance. So, what are the most pressing topics that marketers in the C-suite are... READ MORE
Consumers Consider Reviews More Influential Than Influencer or Celebrity EndorsementsA survey of more than 20,000 consumers globally notes other effective ways to influence consumers' purchases.
Even away from the social feeds, influencer marketing seems to be everywhere these days. Some 4 in 5 marketers believe it to be an effective tactic, with the majority reporting that the ROI they generate is comparable or better than marketing channels. But... READ MORE
Can Online Shoppers Ever Be Satisfied?This study shows that consumers want far more than even the top retailers are providing them.April 16, 2019
Retail marketers face numerous challenges from today’s consumers. Brand loyalty is fleeting, growing consumer expectations necessitate investment in customer experience, and shoppers spend more time on Amazon than the other top 10 retailers combined.... READ MORE
Connected TV Devices Power 3 Times More Premium Video Ad Views Than Desktops in Q4 2018The number of premium video ad views occurring on connected TV devices grew by 45%.
The past 4 years have seen considerable change in how premium video is watched by US consumers, if ad views are used as a proxy. While Q4 2014 saw desktops accounting for the majority of ad views delivered by premium video, by the end of 2018 they accounted... READ MORE
Instagram Makes Strides Among Teens’ Favorite Social Media PlatformsThe image-centered social network continues to gain ground on Snapchat as the platform of choice.April 15, 2019
Looking at the period between Spring 2015 and Fall of 2017, Snapchat seemed to be on an unstoppable rise in becoming the favorite social platform for the majority of teens. But the latest results from Piper Jaffray’s semi-annual teen survey shows that... READ MOREFeel Like You're Always Playing Catchup?
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