Studies Suggest Search Engines Top Amazon For Product ResearchSome category research seems exclusive to search; others to Amazon.September 22, 2017

Several studies – such as this one – have suggested that the majority of online shoppers begin their retail research on Amazon, rather than a search engine. But two new pieces of research – from Kenshoo and from Bing – call into... READ MORE

SVOD Originals = TV, Say Adults, Who Prefer the Netflix Programming Release ModelMillennials in particular favor all episodes being released at once, rather than once a week.

Online and offline TV models are blurring as traditional pay-TV operators launch standalone streaming apps to compete with entrenched services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. And the majority of the public agrees that original content from subscription... READ MORE

1 in 12 Americans Say They’ve Boycotted A Brand Due to A Data BreachThe most common reason for boycotting a brand, though, is due to a political position it has taken.September 21, 2017

One-third of Americans have stopped using a brand as a direct result of a scandal, according to new research from YouGov [download page]. Politics emerges as the top offender, with 51% of brand boycotters saying they’ve stopped using a brand due to its... READ MORE

Top DMAs’ Smart TV Penetration Rates in Q1 2017Also inside: the DMAs with the highest SVOD penetration, and those where people watch the most traditional TV.

Smart TV penetration now exceeds one-third of TV households in some key DMAs, details Nielsen in its latest Local Watch report [download page]. Seattle leads the list of the top 25 DMAs, with 37% penetration as of February, followed closely by Los Angeles... READ MORE

B2C Marketers’ Online and Offline Campaign KPIs Are ConvergingOnline campaigns are increasingly using offline success factors, and vice versa.September 20, 2017

When B2C companies launch offline marketing campaigns, they tend to do so with brand loyalty and awareness and customer retention in mind, according to a study from PlaceIQ [download page] conducted by 451 Research. However, offline marketing campaign KPIs... READ MORE

Free Download: Key Trends in Marketing EnablementA look at key data points about marketing enablement, specific to content marketing.

Effectively managing content, personalizing and targeting efforts, and gaining insights into analytics and ROI are critical for sales and marketing alignment and efficiency. In this new deck [download page], discover 8 key data points and charts related to... READ MORE

B2B Buyers to Vendors: Stop and Listen For A MomentBuyers' biggest frustration is vendors' insistence on talking, not listening.September 19, 2017

If there’s something that really irks B2B buyers, it isn’t a vendor’s lack of understanding of the company, its needs, or even its industry. After all, those things can be learned or explained in the course of a discussion. But one thing... READ MORE

Digital Technologies Now Influence Most In-Store Grocery SalesDigital's influence is greatest in the awareness stage of consumers' grocery purchase journey.

Just over half (51%) of all in-store grocery sales in 2016 were influenced by digital technologies, tipping the scale with an 18% point increase over the prior year, according to a report [pdf] from Deloitte. As such, digital’s influence isn’t... READ MORE

Large Companies Are Becoming More Dependent on Smartphone Traffic. Here’s Where Those Visitors Come From.Search and social dominate - but to what extent? And for who?September 18, 2017

Large companies in the US are getting more traffic from smartphones and less from desktops and tablets, according to a new report from Adobe Digital Insights. As a result, mobile devices have grown to represent almost half of traffic to large companies as of... READ MORE

Industry: Marketing Needs More Human Insights Than AutomationThe majority of advertisers and agencies feel that marketing needs mostly human insights, with some automation mixed in.

With the rapid expansion of marketing technology, marketing has taken on a much greater capacity for automation. But that shouldn’t come at the expense of insights generated by… people. In a recent survey [download page] of advertisers, agencies... READ MORE

European Display Ad Market Goes ProgrammaticHalf of European digital display ad spending is traded programmatically.

Half of display ad spending in Europe last year was transacted programmatically, according to a new report from IAB Europe. That follows a prediction last year from Zenith that programmatic trading would account for a majority of global digital display ad... READ MORE

How Independent Podcasters Are Making MoneyPodcasters are less likely to make money from advertising than bloggers and video creators.

Podcast audiences continue to grow, and there are signs that advertisers are warming to their receptive audiences. But as it turns out, independent podcasters are most likely to be making money by selling their own services (63%) and products (62%), per... READ MORE

Audience Targeting Is More Successful on Mobile Than on DesktopDesktop viewability rates improved slightly, with direct buys outperforming programmatic deliveries.September 15, 2017

Mobile ads are reaching their intended audiences at a higher rate than desktop ads, a finding that may relate to desktops’ higher likelihood of having multiple users, according to a comScore report. In its analysis of US digital advertising in-target... READ MORE

Bigger Than Video? Messaging to Influence Social Strategies, Execs SayThere seems to be plenty of room for growth in brands' use of social messaging.

Video content has been gaining popularity in social media, with research recently showing that more social media marketers plan to increase their video efforts than any other social content type. But recent survey results from The Creative Group suggest that... READ MORE

Social Media Seems Some Gains As A News Source, But Still Trails Traditional PlatformsFacebook has the broadest reach as a social news platform, but Twitter has the most news-focused users.September 14, 2017

Two-thirds (67%) of American adults get news from a social media site such as Facebook or Twitter, reports the Pew Research Center in a recent study, though slightly fewer than half (47%) do so at least sometimes. Both figures are up from early 2016, though... READ MORE

Data Suggests Desktops Actually Lead in Automotive ShoppingDesktop site visitors are responsible for far more calls than mobile visitors during auto's peak seasons.

Mobile may be capturing the majority of digital media time and online ad spending, but when it comes to automotive sales, desktops should certainly not be forgotten, according to a study from DialogTech. In fact, mobile devices are responsible for only a... READ MORE

Here’s How Marketers Are Deciding Where to Put Their Media DollarsAudiences and ROI figure prominently. But where can ROI best be tracked, and whose data can be trusted?September 13, 2017

Go where you audience is. That’s the word from the industry, according to a new study [download page] from Kantar Millward Brown. More than three-quarters of survey respondents said that they look at the channels that best reach their target audience... READ MORE

Millennial Men Are Exerting Greater Influence in the Beauty MarketMillennial men are almost as likely as Millennial women to talk about beauty and apparel brands.

A sizable share of Millennial men have a skincare regimen – and many are likely to engage in online and offline conversations to influence others in their beauty product choices, according to a pair of new studies from YouGov and Engagement Labs. The... READ MORE

User Retention Still the Key Challenge for App MarketersRemarketing is becoming more popular with app marketers.September 12, 2017

App marketers are twice as likely to count user acquisition as a goal than engaging and retaining their existing user base (70% and 35%, respectively), according to a survey from InMobi [download page]. But focusing their marketing on acquisition may be... READ MORE

W-O-M the Primary Way Attendees Learn About EventsEvent organizers are seeing success from using digital marketing to boost publicity and attract attendees.

Event organizers should pay special attention to viral marketing, argues XING Events in recent research [download page], which finds that attendees are more likely to learn about events from friends and acquaintances (66%) than by any other means. This adds... READ MORE

People Want Emails to Sell With InformationA look at what people want from brand emails, from frequency to personalization and mobile optimization.September 11, 2017

If there’s one thing that people would like to change about the emails they get from brands, it’s to make them less about promotion and more about providing information. That’s according to a new study from Adobe, which surveyed 1,007 US... READ MORE

64% of Marketers Don’t Have Enough ResourcesEmma’s report analyzes the goals, concerns, and pressures facing marketers and includes advice and strategies to help them overcome their biggest challenges.

[Sponsored] According to Emma’s 2017 Email Marketing Industry Report, 64% of marketers don’t have enough time or personnel to do the marketing they would like. The report shows that marketers are awash in data (only 16% report identify lack of data as... READ MORE

Ad Buyers Gravitate to Programmatic Audio With Efficiency, Targeting in MindMost won't distinguish between broadcast and digital platforms when buying audio.

Three in 10 ad buyers are using programmatic platforms for radio and digital audio today, and another 57% would like to in the next 12 months, according to a report from WideOrbit. As a result, two-thirds of buyers expect to spend more on programmatic audio... READ MORE

How B2B Salespeople Feel Marketing Can Help Them Win More DealsBetter messaging and materials will help close the deal, B2B salespeople say.September 8, 2017

It probably comes as no surprise that salespeople want more qualified leads from marketing, but what else can marketing do to help the sales function along? As it stands, better messaging is a key factor for B2B salespeople, according to a study from... READ MORE

CMOs’ Use of Analytics Registers UptickCMOs appear to be growing a little more confident that they have the right staffing in place to leverage analytics.

CMOs are using analytics a little more than in the past and crediting analytics with a slightly greater contribution to company performance, according to the latest edition of The CMO Survey [pdf]. Respondents to the survey reported 37.5% of projects using... READ MORE

Exclusive: Broadband Market Surpasses Pay-TV Market in SizeTraditional pay-TV losses widened from a year earlier, while the opposite was true for the broadband market.September 7, 2017

The broadband market has topped the pay-TV market in subscriber numbers among the largest providers, according to our analysis of the latest quarterly figures from the Leichtman Research Group (LRG). The top pay-TV providers in the US – which together... READ MORE

Analysis Suggests Baby Boomers Are More Engaged With YouTube Ads Than Younger GenerationsView rates were consistently higher across devices for Baby Boomers than for Millennials or Gen Xers.

YouTube might be a favorite for teens, but ad campaigns on YouTube may get a better response from Baby Boomers, according to a report from Strike Social. The analysis – based on YouTube campaigns managed by Strike Social during 2016 – found that... READ MORE

Want to be An Effective CMO? Here’s What it Takes.Think it's all about marketing technology and analytics? Think again, CMOs say.September 6, 2017

Sure, it helps to have a strong grasp of analytics and technology these days. But to be an effective CMO, you have to bring a business mindset to the table, playing a critical role in growth initiatives and demonstrating marketing’s value while... READ MORE

Few Teens Think Ad Loads Are Too Heavy on Instagram or SnapchatYouTube is another story, though.

Social networking users are most satisfied with site performance and least satisfied with the amount of ads on the sites, per recent research. But youth seem largely unfazed by ad loads, according to recent data released by Forrester Research. In fact, only... READ MORE

Almost Half of Teens & Millennials Discover New Video Content Through Social MediaMore youth say they discover video content from social media than from TV ads.September 5, 2017

Word-of-mouth continues to be the leading way by which teens & Millennials (13-34) – as well as the greater population at-large – discover new movies, TV shows or other full-length video content. That’s according to a recent report... READ MORE

Online Shoppers Increasingly Using Mobile Devices to Locate StoresGoogle data shows that "open now" searches are surging, while "store hours" queries are down.

Mobile commerce now makes up more than one-fifth of e-commerce spending in the US, and that figure should continue to climb, as new data from UPS finds growing comfort with using smartphones for a variety of shopping needs including making purchases. The... READ MORE

Which Digital Channels Do B2B Buyers Use to Engage With Vendors?Websites and email remain the most commonly-used during all stages of the funnel.September 1, 2017

There’s somewhat of a gap between expectations and reality when it comes to the B2B customer experience, according to a Marketo study [download page], with vendors less likely to provide a consistent experience than buyers are to value one. The good... READ MORE

Millennials’ Most Essential Mobile App? It’s Not A Social One.Google owns 3 of adults' 5 most essential apps.

The mobile application that Millennials (18-34) are most likely to say they can’t go without isn’t Snapchat or Instagram. Not even close. In fact, it’s Amazon, according to a report from comScore [download page]. Indeed, more than one-third... READ MORE

Global Content Marketing Revenues Forecast to Grow by More Than 14% Annually Through 2021Branded mobile content & app revenues are growing, as are branded print books and e-book revenues. August 31, 2017

Global content marketing revenues grew by 14.4% last year and are expected to maintain a similar rate of growth through 2021, according to a recent study from PQ Media. That growth trajectory pegs content marketing revenues well above growth rates for... READ MORE

Customer Satisfaction With Automobiles Dips Slightly, But Remains HighMore than three-quarters of the above-average nameplates are imports.

Customer satisfaction with automobiles has dropped by a point this year to an index of 81 on the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s 100-point scale, per the ACSI’s latest report [download page]. That still puts the automotive industry in the... READ MORE

Older Americans Gravitate to Mobile Device Use Over Desktops; App Market Remains Highly ConcentratedSurprisingly, desktops' share of digital media time has increased over the past year for older Millennials.August 30, 2017

We’re spending half of our digital media time with smartphone applications, reveals comScore in its latest annual US Mobile App Report [download page]. Interestingly enough, though, the findings suggest that little has changed over the course of the... READ MORE

Analysis: Half of C-Level Execs at Enterprise Orgs Provide Personal Email Addresses in B2B Lead Gen FormsBreaking down personal vs. business email use at enterprise organizations by job title, based on a new report.

How often do executives submit personal rather than business emails when completing forms for content downloads? A new report [download page] from NetLine Corporation, in partnership with MarketingSherpa, delves into that question based on an analysis of... READ MORE

TV Universe Grows to 119.6 Million Homes for the Upcoming 2017-2018 SeasonThe TV set is the device with the broadest penetration in US households, and is increasingly being used for digital video viewing.August 29, 2017

After climbing by 2 million homes last year, the number of TV homes in the US has grown by another 1.2 million this year to reach 119.6 million for the upcoming season, according to Nielsen’s latest TV Universe estimates. Some 304.5 million Americans... READ MORE

Enterprise SEOs Finding the Most Success With Technical Onsite OptimizationLink building is the most difficult strategy for companies of all sizes.

Technical SEO beats content development, traffic analysis and link building as the most important allocation of resources for SEO specialists working for enterprise-level businesses (500+ employees). That’s according to a recent study [download page]... READ MORE

Taking Stock of B2B Marketing AutomationB2B marketers are enthusiastic about automation's benefits, but aren't yet using these tools to their fullest potential.August 28, 2017

Act-On Software and Econsultancy recently partnered up to produce a State of B2B Marketing Automation report [download page], based on a global survey of 355 B2B in-house marketing professionals from a mix of company sizes and industries. Here are 4 findings... READ MORE

Which App Categories Appeal to Which Age Groups?The 55+ group over-indexes in News and Information app usage.

Social networking apps account for 1 in 5 minutes spent with apps, reveals comScore in its latest US Mobile App Report [download page], with Music apps close behind (18%). Mobile apps account for a sizable share of digital time for most content categories,... READ MORE

Gated or Ungated Content For B2B Nurture Campaigns? It Depends.E-books are highly likely to be gated in nurture campaigns. Not so for infographics.

Three in 10 B2B marketers have exclusive content that they use for lead nurturing, and another 13% plan to create content exclusively for such campaigns within the next year. That’s according to a new study [download page] from Demand Gen Report, which... READ MORE

3 in 4 Smartphone Owners Use A “Retro” DeviceAnalog isn't completely dead, but smartphones apps are replacing many devices.

Smartphones haven’t killed off all devices – at least yet. Despite the current widespread use of smartphones, 3 in 4 adults (76%) are still using one or more “retro” devices, such as CDs (49%), calculators (40%) and landlines (36%),... READ MORE

Social Media Gives Consumers Power to Increase Brands’ Accountability, Users Say7 in 10 say that social media encourages more transparency from brands.August 25, 2017

It’s an interesting time for brands. With political divisiveness reaching new peaks, companies are being asked to step into the fray and take stances (such as the mass resignations from the current administration’s business councils), and are... READ MORE

People’s Perception of the Advertising & PR Industry Is Still Low, But Has ImprovedThe advertising & PR industry ranks joint 18th out of 25 measured in terms of net positive perception.

It’s hard to sell to a public that doesn’t view you well… Yet that’s the task faced by the advertising and public relations industry, which continues to rank towards the bottom of all industries in public perception, according to... READ MORE

Digital Radio’s Ascent Isn’t Blunting Broadcast Radio’s ReachBroadcast radio's reach is steady among 18-34-year-olds and increasing among older adults.August 24, 2017

Online radio has been showing strong growth in recent years, reaching 61% of Americans ages 12 and older. A new report from Nielsen [download page], however, demonstrates that digital radio’s broadening audience hasn’t had a negative impact on... READ MORE

Netflix is the Go-To Source of TV Programming For Almost 1 in 3 SubscribersThe majority of those subscribers would keep Netflix over all other TV sources.

What do do people turn to first when they want to watch a TV show? Turns out it’s still live TV for almost half of TV viewers, according to a recent Hub Entertainment Research study. Even so, about 1 in 4 turn to a subscription video-on-demand service... READ MORE

Analysis Suggests Shorter, Personalized Email Subject Lines Performed Best in Q2Shorter subject lines seem to generate higher open rates, but the research is conflicting.August 23, 2017

There’s a lot of debate about the impact (or lack thereof) of subject line length in email marketing. The most important determinant of an email open may in fact be the sender, and research has also shown that preview panes are important. But with new... READ MORE

Research Report Downloads Considered the Most Effective Lead Gen MethodThere's not much buzz about infographics.

The most important objective of a lead generation strategy is to increase lead-to-customer conversions, according to recently-released survey results [download page] from Ascend2 and its Research Partners. While lead-to-customer conversions also present the... READ MORE

1 in Every 3 Searches in the US is Conducted on the Bing NetworkA breakdown of the Bing Network's market share across regions and countries.August 22, 2017

Bing is “bigger than you think,” reports Bing Ads by way of a tweet last week drawing attention to its market share around the world. In fact, the Bing Network accounts for 1 in every 3 explicit core search queries in the US, totaling 5 billion... READ MORE

Targeting Big-Spending Millennials? Look For Those With Kids and A College DegreeHaving kids has a major impact on Millennials' spending habits.

It’s well known that many brands are enamored with Millennials. But they must also face the harsh realities of this generation: Millennials have below-average incomes and net worth, tend to engage more in deal-seeking behavior, are spending less than... READ MORE

Cost per Lead (CPL) Benchmarks, by Industry, Revenue and Company SizeAverage CPLs differ widely by industry and company size.August 21, 2017

HubSpot recently released a “2017 Demand Generation Benchmarks Report” [download page] focused on a variety of KPIs including email response rates and costs per lead (CPL). Based on a survey of more than 350 companies, the research outlines how... READ MORE

North American Sponsorship Spending on Music Set For An Almost 5% Hike This YearSponsorship spending on music festivals, tours and venues is expected to exceed $1.5 billion this year.

Sponsorship spending on music tours, festivals and venues in North America will grow by 4.8% this year to exceed $1.5 billion, according to ESP research. The projected growth rate for music exceeds that of the sports market (4.3%) and the sponsorship market... READ MORE

These Are the Smartwatch Functions People Use the MostSome are using their smartwatch to control media.

Smartwatch owners primarily use their devices for notifications/texts and as activity trackers, with 54% and 45%, respectively, doing so on a daily basis. That’s according to the latest data released by NPD’s Connected Intelligence, which also... READ MORE

Almost 1 in 4 Adults Are Increasing Their Retirement Savings ContributionsFive percent of workers don't contribute to retirement savings.

More working Americans – particularly young Americans – are upping their retirement contributions than were last year, finds a new report from Bankrate.com. The survey of more than 1,000 US adults indicates that 23% of respondents have stepped up... READ MORE

Here’s Who’s Shopping Online for GroceriesGuess who's most likely to shop online for groceries? OK, yes, Millennials.August 18, 2017

Online grocery shopping is still nascent, but it’s responsible for 80% of grocery dollar sales growth and is making inroads with certain segments of the population. New survey data from Gallup explores the demographic groups who are most likely to be... READ MORE

Major Retail Brands Are Counting on AI to Improve Customer EngagementThere remains some confusion about AI's use cases, though.

Two-thirds of CMOs and senior marketers at major retail brands such as Best Buy and Urban Outfitters will shell out upwards of $1 million on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning this year, including about one-fifth who will spend at least $50... READ MORE

Young Americans Are Spending Less Money Than They Used ToUnlike other age groups, youths' spending patterns haven't recovered since the financial crisis.August 17, 2017

Youths’ spending patterns are changing. Over the past 10-15 years, young people’s preferences have shifted from spending to saving and new data from Gallup indicates that their spending patterns have changed alongside this shift in mindset.... READ MORE

Ad Agencies Abandon Print in Q2National TV ad spend was relatively flat, while digital saw double-digit gains.

Ad agencies continued a familiar theme in Q2, upping their digital ad spending by double digits (11%) year-over-year, according to Standard Media Index (SMI), which derives its data from agencies’ billings systems. National TV ad spend was relatively... READ MORE

Organizational Use of Digital Analytics Remains ImmatureLess than half of analytics data is considered useful for decision-making.August 16, 2017

While the use of digital analytics is increasingly important to organizations, relatively few organizations have a strategy in place for analytics or measure the ROI from their analytics investments, according to a report [download page] from Econsultancy... READ MORE

Almost Half the World is Now OnlineThe majority of households around the world have access to the internet at home.

Some 48% of individuals the world over use the internet, meaning that internet use has more than doubled over the past decade. That’s according to the latest annual report [pdf] from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which also notes... READ MORE

How Active Are Brands on Snapchat?Influencers are mentioning beauty brands more often on Instagram Stories than on Snapchat.August 15, 2017

Snapchat has been in the news quite a lot recently and apparently was the subject of an acquisition bid from Google. Its second quarter earnings release showed slow user growth, though on the positive side WPP is doubling its ad spend on the platform. Now,... READ MORE

Millennials the Most Price Sensitive Generation When CPG ShoppingStore brands hold particularly appeal with youth, who factor private label selection into their store choices.

Millennial consumers are more likely to engage in deal-seeking behavior when shopping for CPG items than are older shoppers, according to the results of an IRI survey [pdf]. Seven out of ten Millennials generally buy the lowest price item while grocery... READ MORE

Back-to-School 2017: Stats & Research ReferenceA look at BTS spending trends and key data points, as well as links to several related research studies. August 14, 2017

Back-to-school (BTS) and back-to-college (BTC) spending are generally forecast to climb again this year, according to recent reports. Although it may seem late for a review of back-to-school trends, past research has shown that late August features the top... READ MORE

Emerging Tech Trends: VR & Smart Home Devices Poised for Strong GrowthThe CTA is projecting a 79% increase in VR unit sales this year.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has released unit and sales growth projections for six major emerging technologies. The forecast envisions strong growth in unit sales of virtual reality devices, along with impressive revenue increases for smart... READ MORE

People in High-Income Households Spend 2X More Daily Than Those in Lower-Income HomesDaily discretionary spending reached a 9-year high in July.

Self-reported daily spending by American adults reached $109 in July, the highest monthly average in almost a decade (since May 2008), per Gallup. The results are based on daily tracking surveys which measure self-reported “yesterday”... READ MORE

Longer Pre-Roll or Intermittent Shorter Ads? Viewers SplitViewers expect 3 ads for every 4 video clips, but have mixed feelings about seeing a longer pre-roll instead.

Video ad engagement increases alongside decreasing ad loads, reports FreeWheel in a new study [download page]. Based on facial recognition research fielded among almost 3,000 viewers aged 18-49, FreeWheel determined that both content and ads get an... READ MORE

The Average TV Show’s Millennial Audience is 8% Bigger Than We ThoughtThe audience lift when factoring in out-of-home TV viewing is greater for Millennials than for other age groups.August 11, 2017

Nielsen recently began measuring out-of-home (OOH) TV viewing, which takes place in areas such as airports, bars, and gyms. The research firm has now released some figures related to such viewing, finding that it provides a disproportionately large lift to... READ MORE

Almost 8 in 10 US Adults Are Familiar With Sharing Economy Services for TravelSharing services' main perceptual advantages over traditional services relate to value and authenticity of the local experience.

As American adults become more familiar with sharing economy services for travel booking, they’re becoming increasingly likely to use them. That’s according to the latest annual Allianz Travel Insurance Sharing Economy Index produced in... READ MORE

Email Considered More Effective Than IM for Workplace CommunicationsMore than one-quarter of office workers use IM most commonly on a day-to-day basis, though.August 10, 2017

Slack may be on a tear, but it still has a perception gap to fill: a recent survey from Robert Half Technology finds that both CIOs and employees feel that email and in-person meetings are more effective for daily communications at work than instant... READ MORE

1 in Every $6 Spent on Groceries Online Goes to New ProductsApparel is the most heavily reliant on newly introduced items.

Adobe Digital Insights has released its latest monthly Digital Economy Project presentation covering July 2017. These reports look at various elements of the economy: one that caught our eye is a measure of “shifting consumer preferences,”... READ MORE

Your Email Campaigns Are Only Reaching Three-Quarters of Your ListOnly 77% of emails in the US reach the inbox; globally, 8 in 10 do so.August 9, 2017

Inbox placement rates have improved in the US over the past year or so, but 23% of emails from US senders still fail to reach the inbox. That’s according to Return Path’s latest annual Deliverability Benchmark Report [download page], which looks... READ MORE

Here Are the Virtual Shopping Concepts That Most Interest Early AdoptersVirtual room design is a particularly interesting concept for AR and VR users.

Research has shown that consumers are interested in the possibilities offered by virtual reality (VR) applications to allow them to demo products before purchase, something which Amazon has tackled in its recently-announced Prime Wardrobe service. Now, a new... READ MORE

CPG Print Coupon Distribution Relatively Flat in H1; Average Shelf Life DropsDigital distribution was up by double-digits, with Food brands leading the way.August 8, 2017

More than 155.7 billion CPG promotions were distributed during the first half of this year, reports Kantar Media, though that figure is relatively flat from 154.9 billion during the year-earlier period. Digital promotions were up by 18% year-over-year, but... READ MORE

Mobile Gaming Apps Less Reliant on Advertising Than OthersIn-app purchases and mobile commerce make up more than 40% of mobile gaming apps' revenues.

The top-grossing mobile app publishers tend to derive more revenues from advertising than from in-app purchases (IAPs) and other sources, according to an AdColony report [download page]. While in-app purchases are their single largest source of revenues (39%... READ MORE

Hispanics Near $1T in Aggregate Household Income, Exceed $815B in Consumer SpendingA look at the top-spending categories for Hispanics and Asian-Americans.August 7, 2017

While Hispanics have median household income that’s about 20% lower than the overall median average, their sheer size means that they’re approaching $1 trillion in aggregate household income this year. That’s according to a new report from... READ MORE

Q1’s Top Ad Spenders in the USThe top-spending verticals differed greatly in the US and China.

Overall ad spending in the US was down year-over-year in Q1 2017, with out-of-home (+1%) the only media type to buck the trend, according to a recent study from Kantar Media [download page]. Print was hardest hit (-9%), while radio and TV also saw modest... READ MORE

OTT Device Users Younger, With Higher Incomes Than Traditional TV ViewersOTT devices' power lies in their marriage of digital's advantages and linear TV's experience.

OTT device users are an attractive audience, reports FreeWheel in its inaugural “Signature Insights” study [download page]. The research looks specifically at over-the-top (OTT) devices, which have grown to exceed all other devices in premium... READ MORE

Apple Remains the Retail Leader in Sales per Square FootApparel retailers are closing the most stores, with rue21 heading that list.

While in-store buying continues to be popular – even with youth – the rapid growth of e-commerce and outsized influence of Amazon has wreaked havoc on many brick-and-mortar retailers. In fact, most public retailers are now averaging $325 in sales... READ MORE

Here’s What Tech Device Ownership Looks Like in US HouseholdsBaby Boomers are the only generation more likely to live in a household with a DVR than an SVOD service.August 4, 2017

Smartphones are almost omni-present in US households, reveals Nielsen in a recent report [download page]. Indeed, 97% of Gen Z (2-20) and Millennials (21-37) live in households with a smartphone, as do 95% of Gen Xers and 86% of Baby Boomers. There’s... READ MORE

8 in 10 People Say They’re More Likely to Trust Legacy BrandsMore than 6 in 10 agree that they've made purchases specifically due to nostalgia.

As part of a survey about nostalgic purchases, Ask Your Target Market (AYTM) reveals that 8 in 10 adults in the US at least somewhat agree that they’re more likely to trust brands that have been around for a long time. As such, while legacy brands are... READ MORE

Only 1 in 4 Young Americans Owns A Home; Older Adults Defy Trend of Declining RatesThe decline in home ownership rates has been especially acute among younger Americans.August 3, 2017

Home ownership rate declines have been especially severe among Millennials, according to a Gallup analysis of surveys fielded since the turn of the century. On average, 63% of adults reported home ownership during the 2010-2017 period, down from 71% during... READ MORE

Demo & Geo Targeting Remain Most Popular for Digital Video Ad CampaignsThe use of first-party digital targeting data is increasing.

Some 63% of US digital video campaigns on the Videology platform used behavioral targeting during the second quarter of this year, according to the company’s latest quarterly update [pdf]. That’s up from the past few quarters, although other... READ MORE

Product Quality and Service The Key Levers in B2B Customer LoyaltyPrice seems to erode more than engender loyalty, while the opposite is true for corporate reputation.August 2, 2017

B2B buyers and consumers are alike in at least one way: product quality is the key determinant of their loyalty. In a new study [download page], Merkle reveals that product quality matters more than anything else to B2B buyers’ loyalty once... READ MORE

Here’s How Much Hispanic Millennials Spend At Top RetailersAmazon tops all department stores in quarterly spend, but Hispanic Millennials trail their non-Hispanic counterparts in spending on Amazon.

While Hispanic Millennials (18-35) have lower household incomes than their non-Hispanic counterparts, they match them in spending, according to a study [download page] from Viant. But where they choose to spend their money differs, per the report. The... READ MORE

SVOD Penetration Said to Near Two-Thirds of US HouseholdsMore than half of households with SVOD subscribe to more than one service.August 1, 2017

Some 64% of US households now have a subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service from Netflix, Amazon Prime and/or Hulu, up from 59% last year and 47% in 2014. That’s according to recent data from Leichtman Research Group (LRG), which also finds... READ MORE

American Affluents’ Opinion of US Automakers Improves, but Germany’s Considered the Top ProducerAlmost half of affluent Millennials say they could see themselves not owning a car in the future.

Some 44% of American adults with annual income of at least $150k (affluents) say that their opinion of automobile makers in the US is more positive than it was last year, according to results from YouGov’s Affluent Perspective 2017 Global Study. That... READ MORE

Sponsored: Educational Content Makes Consumers 131% More Likely to BuyProof content marketing works.

Like any smart marketer, you invest in content — and new research shows just how smart that investment is. Consuming a brand’s educational content makes prospective customers 131% more likely to buy. The study not only shows that content has a major... READ MORE

5 Things to Know About E-Commerce Customer RetentionIntriguing stats from an analysis of 2.5 million sessions in Q1.July 31, 2017

Monetate has released its latest quarterly e-commerce benchmarks report [download page] covering Q1 2017, and this edition is packed full of intriguing data about e-commerce customer retention. Here are 5 takeaways from the report, which is based on an... READ MORE

CEO Activism: The Issues Americans Do and Don’t Want to Hear AboutThere doesn't seem to be much appetite for CEOs to speak out about issues such as gun control and refugees.

Some 35% of American adults believe that CEOs have a responsibility to speak about issues that are important to society, and 42% believe that CEOs now have more of a responsibility to speak out than they used to, according to a study from Weber Shandwick... READ MORE

Alcohol Drinkers Show Uptick in Preference for LiquorMeanwhile, the vast gender gap in alcohol preferences persists.

Some 62% of American adults report drinking alcohol, down from 65% last year but well within the 55-71% range observed over the past 70-odd years, reveals Gallup in new survey results. Among alcohol drinkers, beer remains the beverage of choice, as it has... READ MORE

2 in 3 Asian-American Millennials Are Interested in Trying the Latest TechHispanic Millennials are also avid consumers of emerging technology.

Not surprisingly, Millennials (18-34) are more likely than the public at-large to typically be interested in the latest technology products, services and apps, according to data recently released by YouGov. Notably, though, Asian-American Millennials and... READ MORE

People Take More Time to Read Emails on Mobiles Than on DesktopsEmails opened on desktops are twice as likely to be abandoned as those opened on mobiles.July 28, 2017

Some 55% of emails delivered through the first third of this year have been opened on mobile devices, almost double the share from 2012 (29%), reports Return Path [download page]. The study, which relied on an analysis of more than 27 billion email opens... READ MORE

Netflix Is A “Must Keep” TV Brand, People SayEven more so than FOX.

For the first time this year, Solutions Research Group’s annual “Must Keep TV Report” has included the three major streaming services: Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. And all three have immediately made their mark on the study,... READ MORE

Facebook’s ARPU in the US and Canada Has Doubled in the Past 2 YearsFacebook's ARPU in the US and Canada will likely hit $20 in Q3.July 27, 2017

Facebook’s average revenue per user continues to be far higher in the US and Canada than the world over – in fact more than 4 times higher in Q2 2017, according to the social network’s latest earnings release [pdf]. Though it has warned of... READ MORE

Analysis Shows Rise in Click-Through Rates for Top Ad Positions After Google Nixes Right-Rail AdsOn average, click-through rates for the top 4 positions have climbed by 49%.

Google’s decision to eliminate ads in the right rail early last year has resulted in a substantial rise in click-through rates (CTRs) for the top 4 ad positions on desktops, research from AccuraCast has demonstrated. On average, CTRs for desktop ads in... READ MORE

The State of Traditional TV: Updated With Q1 2017 Data25 consecutive quarters' worth of traditional TV viewing data, analyzed.July 26, 2017

[By MC Editor, JC Lupis] Here we go again! The latest quarterly TV viewing figures have been issued by Nielsen, giving us 25 consecutive quarters of Americans’ traditional TV viewing habits to examine. If you’ve been keeping track of these... READ MORE

Email Click Rates Decline Y-O-Y, Again, in Q1 2017Meanwhile, open rates continue their steady upswing.

Email click rates in North America have failed to increase on a year-over-year basis for the 16th consecutive quarter, per Epsilon’s latest quarterly review [download page] of client activity. The Q1 2017 report shows the average click-through rate at... READ MORE

Google PLA Conversion Rates Are 30% Higher Than Comparable Text Ads on DesktopsAdvertisers are also investing more in Amazon Sponsored Products.July 25, 2017

Google Product Listing Ads (PLAs) have passed a couple of major milestones in recent months, and with good reason: advertisers are enjoying far higher conversion rates and revenues per click in comparison to non-brand text ads, according to a new Digital... READ MORE

Which Social Networks Rank Highest in User Satisfaction?Users are least satisfied with their privacy and the amount of ads on social.

Social media user satisfaction remains steady this year though it is still in the lower tier of industries on this measure, according to an American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) report [download page]. The overall index for social media is unchanged at... READ MORE