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Here’s How PR Pros Are Using Social ListeningFew report using social listening for newsjacking, although this practice is considered highly effective.
PR professionals have a wider variety of responsibilities these days, going beyond just pitching to journalists. In a survey of 3,700 global marcomm professionals, a new report [download page] from Talkwalker finds that the majority of respondents consider... READ MORE
Fewer Consumers Will Stay Quiet About a Bad Experience Than a Good OneOlder consumers are more likely to keep a bad experience with a company quiet.February 14, 2020
With consumers feeling less loyalty towards brands and the power of word-of-mouth remaining a strong influencer in purchase decisions, it’s vital for businesses to offer an outstanding customer experience. Further evidence for this is seen in research... READ MORE
Media Quality Issues Persist: Here’s What Publishers and Agencies Are Doing About ItData privacy legislation is also on the minds of publishers and agencies this year.
Poor media quality, including ad fraud, can lead to distrust and eventually threaten brand safety. Some platforms are more susceptible to this than others. In a survey composed mostly of publishers and agencies, Integral Ad Science (IAS) found that... READ MORE
Communications Pros Struggle With Tightening Budgets, MeasurementThe biggest measurement problem is aligning metrics to revenue or other vital KPIs.February 13, 2020
One in 5 (21%) global communications and marketing professionals say that their single biggest communications challenge is tightening budgets. But working within a tighter budget is not the only challenge these professionals face, as revealed in a survey... READ MORE
US Shoppers Are Embracing Second-Hand and Upcycled ProductsGen Z and Millennial shoppers are the most open to buying upcycled products.
Consumers are no longer just focusing on price when it comes to making purchase decisions. Indeed, a majority of Gen Z (72%), Millennial (70%) and Gen X (63%) shoppers say that their purchase decisions are based on value, as well as social, personal and... READ MORE
These Brands Enjoyed the Best ‘Buzz’ in 2019Netflix shines while Amazon.com sees a further decline in the rankings.February 12, 2020
When it comes to brands with buzz, Netflix is still holding strong at the top of the list after ending Amazon’s 5-year reign last year, per YouGov BrandIndex’s latest brand Buzz report covering 2019 in the US. The study measures consumer perception of brands... READ MORE
Industries Face Declines in TrustTech and Entertainment companies take the biggest hit in trust this year.
One thing that all industries have in common is their need for the public’s trust. Unfortunately, this year’s Edelman’s Trust Barometer [pdf] shows that while the public still trusts business in general to do the right thing, that trust has declined across... READ MORE
The Insider’s Guide to DMARC: Everything you need to know to protect your brandTo help you get started in creating a DMARC policy, Return Path from Validity created the guide “The Insider’s Guide to DMARC”.February 11, 2020
[Sponsored by Return Path from Validity] More than 90% of successful cybercrimes use this simple tool to pull off their crimes — email, or phishing emails to be exact. Cybercriminals are more likely to pull off a successful hack if they get someone to open,... READ MORE
YouTube and Instagram Account for a Growing Share of Their Parent Companies’ Ad RevenuesGoogle recently revealed YouTube's ad revenues for the first time.
In recent years, marketers have spent increasing sums on online video. So for Google and Facebook, prior purchases of YouTube and Instagram (the latter of which has pivoted increasingly to videos and Stories) appear to be increasingly wise decisions. In Q4... READ MORE
Valentine’s Day Consumer Spending Expected to JumpMore people plan to celebrate Valentine's Day this year - and they're spending more on their pets.
Total consumer retail spending on Valentine’s Day is expected to break a new record this year as more people plan to celebrate the holiday, according to an annual survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF). As consumers broaden the range of who they... READ MORE
Marketers in the C-Suite: Relatively Young, with Short TenuresCMOs in the Tech industry have the shortest average tenure, of just 3 years.February 10, 2020
There is no question that the plates of today’s CMOs are full, as they spend their days aligning strategic priorities with other C-suite members and struggling to deliver an excellent customer experience while driving business growth – all while making... READ MORE
US Household Device Ownership Update: Smart Speaker Adoption More Than Doubles in 2 YearsSmart Speaker usage peaks in the morning on weekends and tends to be higher in the evening hours during the week.
While traditional digital devices like phones and desktops continue to hover at high penetration levels in the US, emerging technologies are seeing compelling growth in adoption. Smart Speaker reach, in particular, has more than doubled between 2017-2019 in... READ MORE
US Hispanics Spend As Much Time Listening to Digital Audio as They Do Watching Digital VideoThe majority of Hispanics think brands should target them more. Streaming audio represents a strong channel through which to reach them.February 7, 2020
A full 85% of Hispanics in the US listen to audio content online, with the majority (90%) using digital audio platforms or services to stream radio or music. And, with a recent report [download page] from H Code revealing that more than 4 in 10 US Hispanics... READ MORE
Three in 5 Businesses Report a High Level of Maturity in Identifying Customers Across ChannelsMore than half of marketing execs at large companies plan to invest in identity resolution this year.
One of the things that customers say helps them feel like individuals is for companies to recognize their activities across all channels. Business executives appear to understand this, with a study [download [age] from Merkle finding that the majority of... READ MORE
Facebook Still at the Top of the Heap for Retail Social AdvertisingSurprise: LinkedIn is also a contender, with many retail advertisers investing in the platform.February 6, 2020
Among retailers advertising on social media, about 50% dedicate at least half of their marketing budget to social advertising. That’s according a recent report [download page] from Smartly.io, WBR Insights and eTail, which surveyed 100 marketing... READ MORE
Six in 10 Voice Control Users Say Privacy Is an Important ConcernOnly 7% of people who use voice control with Smart Speakers and other devices say privacy is not an important concern for them.
With Smart Speaker sales in the US expected to reach 39 million units this year, and the majority of Smart Speaker users searching for media content on their devices, content discoverability has become more important. However, one thing standing in the way... READ MORE
US Online Media Spend in 2019 and the Outlook for 2020Virtually all digital media channels enjoyed double-digit growth last year. What's in store this year?February 5, 2020
Online media spend in the US totaled $145.3 billion in 2019, up 19.1% over 2018. The coming year looks like another strong one for digital media spend, with total investments expected to reach $166.4 billion, an increase of 14.5% from last year, per a report... READ MORE
2019 Email Benchmarks: Which Industries Performed Well, on Which Days?The Retail industry had the lowest open rate last year of all sectors analyzed.
Even though marketers increasingly feel that email effectiveness is on a downward slope, the channel remains a digital workhorse. With brands battling for attention in the inbox and focusing on increasing engagement, it’s worth taking a look a new... READ MORE
Direct Mail Volumes Declined in 2019Direct mail spending also fell last year, although it's expected to rebound somewhat this year. February 4, 2020
Direct mail remains one of the top channels for reaching target audiences, not only in the consumer space but with B2B audiences too, as it garners response rates higher than other direct media. Still, direct mail volumes in the US are on the decline,... READ MORE
Marketers Lack Confidence in Measuring Mobile Advertising EffortsVery few marketers claim to be capable of measuring customer attention to mobile ads.
Recent research indicates that the majority of marketing executives agree that companies have overinvested in performance at the expense of brand, with more expecting to up their investments in brand than performance this year. A new report [download page]... READ MORE
US Offline Media Spend in 2019 and the Outlook for 2020Here's a look at how offline media fared last year - and what's ahead this year.February 3, 2020
Despite being knee-deep in the digital age, marketers have not turned their backs on offline media. Boosted by the upcoming Presidential election and the Summer Olympics, offline media spend in the US is expected to grow from $218.1 billion in 2019 to $223.1... READ MORE
To What Extent Are Large Companies Outsourcing Marketing Services?Areas related to data and tech appear to be more commonly outsourced than others.
There have been numerous discussions around outsourcing – and insourcing – including the agency vs. consultancy debate. But how much do larger companies outsource? Of course it depends on which work area, but a recent study [download page] from... READ MORE
Here’s What Consumers Want From Advertising When Shopping for Everyday ProductsConsumers wish ads were more relevant and timely. January 31, 2020
About two-thirds (68%) of shoppers say that with all the information now available to them, they are able to make better purchasing decisions than they could 5 years ago. With that in mind, what do shoppers want from advertising when they are shopping for... READ MORE
Ad-Supported SVOD Services Gain SteamViewers' favorite service bundles all include at least one AVOD service.
More and more households are subscribing to SVOD services, and while that may signal less opportunity for video advertisers given some of those services’ lack of ads, the opposite may in fact be true. Indeed, a recent report [download page] from TiVo... READ MORE
Should Brands Brag About Doing Good?Four in 10 Millennials like it when brands show off their commitment to issues.January 30, 2020
Consumers may want companies to have a commitment to social issues, but they don’t necessarily want to hear about it. Indeed, US consumers are more likely to believe that brands are trying too hard to look like they care about CSR issues (42%) than... READ MORE
Deals and Discount Offers Influence Consumers’ Dining ChoicesA deal or discount is enough to make a majority of US diners switch restaurants.
Americans spend more on food out of the home than in it – and deals and discounts could spur that trend even further. Indeed, more than three-quarters (77%) of Americans say that a deal or discount would make them more likely to dine out instead of... READ MORE
Super Bowl 2020 DataAhead of the game, here's a look at Super Bowl ad costs, stats and effectiveness.January 29, 2020
Some 193.8 million adults in the US plan to watch Super Bowl 54 this coming Sunday, per a survey of more than 7,200 US adults from NRF. That’s upwards of 11 million more viewers than last year’s projected viewership of 188.5 million. The amount of planned... READ MORE
Here Are Some E-Commerce Traffic Source and Conversion Rate StatsSearch continues to dominate traffic sources - and it converts well, too.
Despite ebbing and flowing throughout the year, search is still one of the main drivers to e-commerce sites. Indeed, per a report [pdf] from Episerver, over 2018 and 2019, organic search was consistently the largest source of traffic, accounting for 19% to... READ MORE
Now It Looks Like SVOD is Taking Over Channel Surfing, TooTwo-thirds of young adults prefer to search for content on online video services.January 28, 2020
Although the majority of viewers know what they want to watch and where they want to watch before they sit down in front of their TV or computer, there are many who don’t and flip through content (surfing) to find what’s right for them. A new survey from... READ MORE
Global App Store Downloads Continue to GrowGlobal app store spend more than doubled from 2016-2019.
Apple’s registered slogan “There’s an app for that,” still holds true some 10 years after its inception. While there seems to be an app available for just about every function in life, mobile phone owners worldwide don’t seem to be paralyzed by choice,... READ MORE
Holiday 2019 Data Hub (Updated): Results RecapLooking at the 2019 holiday season in numbers, including forecasts and key trends.January 27, 2020
Holiday retail sales appear to be back on track after much lower than forecast retail sales growth during the 2018 season. Indeed, the NRF’s latest figures recapping the 2019 holiday season are right on par with their forecast growth rate before the holiday... READ MORE
How High-Growth B2B Companies Get the Most Out of Sales CoachingThree-fifths of high-growth companies have integrated sales coaching as part of their overall training.
One of the complaints the majority of B2B buyers have about vendors is that they are too busy selling their products and services to listen to their needs. With this in mind, a survey [download page] from ValueSelling Associates and Training Industry shows... READ MORE
2019: The Year of A Trillion Music StreamsThe number of on-demand music streams jumped by almost 30% last year to exceed a trillion.January 24, 2020
2019 was another good year for the US music industry with total album equivalent consumption growing 15% year-over-year (y-o-y) to reach 785 million. This rise was bolstered by continued impressive growth in on-demand streaming (audio and video), which hit a... READ MORE
Here’s Where Consumers Want More Convenience When ShoppingNine in 10 shoppers claim to be likely to choose a retailer based on convenience.
Consumers are searching for convenience more than ever, with 83% of shoppers saying that convenience while shopping is more important today than it was 5 years ago. But where do they want more convenience while shopping? A new report from the National Retail... READ MORE
Instagram’s Growth in the US to SlowBy 2023, Instagram will see an annual US user growth rate of less than 2%, according to one forecast.January 23, 2020
Since its acquisition by Facebook in 2012 (widely hailed as an excellent strategic acquisition), Instagram has enjoyed a steady rise in popularity and users. However, a new forecast from eMarketer suggests that Instagram’s user growth might plateau in... READ MORE
How Much Are Consumers Willing to Spend on SVOD Services?There's a cap on how much consumers will spend on streaming services.
About three-quarters (74%) of US households now have at least one subscription streaming video service. As services like Netflix and Amazon Prime continue to see their subscription numbers grow, is there a limit to how much people are willing to pay for such... READ MORE
What Are Marketing Campaign Priorities This Year And How Do They Drive Paid Media Spending?There appears to be a disconnect between the perceived effectiveness of digital media channels and confidence proving their ROI.January 22, 2020
In their push towards digital marketing and advertising, marketers seem to be setting priorities that direct them more to digital than traditional forms of media, results from a new Nielsen report [download page] indicate. For example, respondents cited... READ MORE
The Building Blocks of Consumer Trust in BrandsFor many Gen Z consumers, the default position is that a company must earn their trust.
The majority of Americans say they do not have much (29%) or any (25%) trust that corporate America will do what is right. Yet about three-quarters (74%) say they trust individual brands to deliver consistently on what they promise, and more than half say... READ MORE
OTT Advertising May be Hot, but These Obstacles RemainBrands are more concerned than agencies with the measurement capabilities of OTT advertising.January 21, 2020
The majority (66%) of US homes with WiFi have an OTT device and OTT ad spending has been a hot topic for some time now. However, per a new report [download page] from Nielsen, marketers are encountering some obstacles that have slowed their adoption of OTT... READ MORE
CCPA: Are Businesses Ready?Fewer than half of surveyed companies were or expected to be prepared by the end of 2019.
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) took effect at the beginning of this year. With it came more stringent privacy protections for California residents as well as potential changes to the way businesses that do business in or have customers in... READ MORE
US 2020 Consumer Technology ForecastStreaming services and wireless earbuds are predicted to drive 4% growth in consumer tech sales this year to a record $422 billion in retail revenues.January 17, 2020
With another CES well in the rear-view mirror, it’s worth taking a look at what’s ahead – and it seems to be a rosy outlook for consumer tech. To wit, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) recently forecast a record-breaking year for... READ MORE
Americans Continue to Rank Advertising Professionals Low in Ethics and HonestyFour in 10 US adults rate advertising professionals as having low or very low standards in ethics and honesty.
Once again this year, advertising professionals rank among the least trusted professionals in the US. The most recent Gallup report on honesty and ethics in professions puts advertising practitioners, along with insurance salespeople and Senators, tied for... READ MORE
2 Points on Video Ad LengthAds that stir emotions are typically longer, while the best humorous ones are shorter.January 16, 2020
Although advertisers were planning to spend more on newer video ad formats like 6-second ads in 2019, the tried and true 30-second format appears to still prevail, according to a recent video benchmark report [download page] from Extreme Reach. A Growing... READ MORE
Who Likes Big Business?Only 44% of young adults have a positive overall view of big business.
Americans remain split when it comes to how their feelings about big business. Only slightly more than half (52%) of the more than 1,500 US adults surveyed in late 2019 for a report by Gallup said they have a positive overall view of big business,... READ MORE
Consumers Find It Harder to Trust Companies – But Are They Being Hypocritical?Brands' sustainability efforts matter to consumers - but do they follow through in their own lives?January 15, 2020
More than two-thirds (67%) of adults from across the globe say they have higher expectations for brands than they did in the past, with 7 in 10 US consumers (71%) saying that poor customer service frustrates them more than it used to. These higher... READ MORE
Millennial Parents Seen to be Early Tech Adopters"Parennials" are using video streaming services and playing video games, possibly with their kids.
There’s been a lot of talk about Millennials, from what influences their purchasing habits to which technology they prefer to use for online shopping. But as more Millennials become parents, how is their use of technology changing? Here’s what a Fullscreen... READ MORE
2019 Sender Score Benchmark ReportEmail reputation benchmarks: metrics that matter.January 14, 2020
[Sponsored by Return Path from Validity] Nearly one in four emails sent ends up in the spam folder, never to be seen or opened by your intended recipient. Most of the time, this is due to poor sender reputation. Sender reputation is used by mailbox providers... READ MORE
Media Touted As A Leading Factor in Marketing and Advertising SuccessBeyond media, what's of greater importance: technology; creative; or staff?
Marketers and agencies involved in media brand selection have reported another good year, with the majority saying the marketing or advertising they have done for their company or their clients this past year was somewhat (67%) or very (25%) successful. But... READ MORE
Lower-Tier Cities Act As the Consumer Spending Growth Engine in ChinaA growing subsegment of young Chinese consumers in second-tier cities are spending freely.
The number of middle-class and affluent Chinese consumers has increased dramatically in the past several years with almost half (49%) of the urban population in China coming from households with an annual disposable income of 138K renminbi (approximately... READ MOREFeel Like You're Always Playing Catchup?
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