Streaming Now Accounts for Three-Quarters of US Recorded Music RevenueMore than 50 million paid music subscriptions are now in place in the US.March 22, 2019

Streaming continues its ascent, accounting for three-quarters (75%) of total recorded music revenue industry revenues last year. With its impressive 30% year-over-year growth, streaming music revenues reached $7.4 billion in 2018 as paid subscriptions... READ MORE

Forecast: Digital To Top Traditional Media In US Ad Spend This YearA new forecast calls for digital media's share of US ad spending to rise to a majority 54.2% this year.

In what would represent a major advertising milestone, digital ad spend in the US is expected to outpace traditional ad spend for the first time this year. Recent figures from eMarketer forecast total US digital ad spend hitting $129.34 billion for 2019,... READ MORE

Auto Industry Still Heavily Invested in TV for AdvertisingThe automotive sector also allocates a far smaller share of its ad dollars to digital than the global average.March 21, 2019

Automotive advertising expenditure across fourteen key markets totaled $35.5 billion in 2018, with $18 billion coming from the US auto market alone. However, while it accounted for almost half of the total ad spend across these markets, data from a new... READ MORE

These Are the Brands with the Best Impression Among US WomenAmazon, Hershey's and M&M's made the list, but which brand holds the crown?

A positive impression in the eyes of women is important to brands, especially when nearly half (48%) of single women between the ages of 30-45 say they feel ignored by advertising. Some brands are receiving a significantly more favorable impression from... READ MORE

Facebook’s Popularity Continues to Drop Among US Youth. What Are Zuckerberg’s Plans?Plans for the network involve integrating Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger - as revealed on a recent investor call.March 20, 2019

Facebook usage in the US continues its steady decline, survey data says. The latest Infinite Dial report from Edison Research and Triton Digital reveals that 61% of respondents ages 12 and older report using Facebook, down from a peak of 67% in 2017. But... READ MORE

Driving Growth Is The Biggest Challenge For US CMOsBrand, budget and ROI also feature prominently among CMOs' challenges.

A majority (64%) of CMOs believe that one of their primary roles is delivering business growth. One of the ways that more than half (55%) of CMOs are boosting this growth is by investing in market penetration, according to the most recent results from The... READ MORE

US CMOs’ Use Of Marketing Analytics Reaches A New High PointCMOs estimate they use analytics more than 40% of the time in decision making - but its impact on company performance remains stubbornly flat.March 19, 2019

Spending on marketing analytics is expected to almost double in the next three years, with US CMOs estimating they will be spending 11.3% of their budget on the category by 2022 (vs. 6.6% in February 2019), according to the latest CMO Survey report. Spending... READ MORE

B2B Buyers Prefer Using Web Search to Research VendorsAlmost 9 in 10 are doing their own research first by turning to search engines - compared with just one-third that pick up the phone.

When it comes to reading content, more B2B marketing professionals prefer to engage in content digitally than in print. So, it’s perhaps not surprising that they are turning to web search to research vendors, according to a report by PathFactory and Heinz... READ MORE

Marketers’ Single Biggest Opportunity? Look to Customer Experience and DataB2B companies are focused on the customer experience, while their B2C counterparts see value in data-driven marketing that focuses on the individual.March 18, 2019

Customer experience continues to stay front of mind for many marketers, according to the latest Digital Trends report [download page] by Econsultancy and Adobe. Out of the more than 12,500 B2B and B2C professionals surveyed, a leading 20% of the B2B... READ MORE

Milestone: More Than Half of the US Population Has Listened to a PodcastOne-third of people ages 12+ listen to podcasts on a monthly basis, up from about a quarter last year.

The tide of online audio listening continues to rise. In fact, two-thirds (67%) of Americans aged 12 and older now listen to online audio on a monthly basis and 60% report that they listen to online audio on a weekly basis, according to the newest edition of... READ MORE

These Were 2018’s Top Brands for Ad AwarenessDespite featuring heavily in other rankings, technology brands aren't highly represented in the ad awareness sweepstakesMarch 15, 2019

Technology brands have featured highly in word-of-mouth rankings, but they are losing out top spots to more established firms when it comes to ad awareness, according to the latest data from YouGov BrandIndex. Coming top of the list with its memorable... READ MORE

Video Ad Viewability Update 2018: Benchmarks Across Countries & DevicesFigures from Google show ad viewability rates haven't changed much, but vary significantly by device, format, region and category.

Brands running video ads on YouTube continue to see good performance in terms of viewability, according to the latest findings from Google. Overall viewability continued to hit 95% in September 2018, matching the level shown in May 2017’s data.... READ MORE

CMOs’ Top Uses For AI: Personalization and Predictive AnalyticsFor those using AI, targeting and segmentation applications also are high on the list.March 14, 2019

Implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning is currently relatively low – but in the next three years, top marketers expect to integrate these technologies to a greater degree, per the latest report [pdf] from The CMO Survey.... READ MORE

Amazon Cedes E-Commerce Customer Satisfaction CrownMembership-club brand Costco has taken the lead - and also ranks tops among Department and Discount stores.

Amazon has for many years been the king of e-commerce by several measures, including brand valuation, where shoppers begin their searches, time spent on e-commerce websites,  and even as a place for retailers to spend their advertising dollars. Jeff Bezos is... READ MORE

B2B Leaders Say Content Spurs Buying Processes. But What Content Turns Them Off?Irrelevant, fluffy, and jargony content are just a few of the problems cited by buyers.March 13, 2019

Content remains one of the most effective ways of initiating the buyer’s journey. Indeed, almost half (48%) of the more than 200 B2B marketing leaders who took part in a survey by PathFactory and Heinz Marketing said that their company’s buying process was... READ MORE

Here’s How Marketers Fared in 2018 in the Metrics That Impact Email DeliverabilityA host of industry-specific benchmarks, refreshed for 2018, across metrics including spam placement rate, read rate, and complaint rate.

Some 15% of US marketing emails fail to reach the inbox, according to an analysis released last year by Return Path. Although this figure is an improvement from 2017’s rate of 23%, marketers can’t afford to rest on their laurels – more so... READ MORE

In Hindsight, What Would Retail Marketers Do Differently to Maximize Their MarTech Investments?At the top of the list is a better strategy, but communication with vendors is also important and retailers may want to look at desired outcomes, not just functionality.March 12, 2019

If given the opportunity to do it all over again with marketing technology, there are at least a few things marketers would do differently to make it more effective. Coming top of that list, according to a report [download page] from Forrester and Listrak,... READ MORE

Smart Speaker Ownership Continues to ClimbConsumers are also increasingly looking for voice functionality in other devices such as TVs, cars and thermostats.

Previous research from Adobe in September 2018 suggested that smart speaker ownership by US adults could reach almost 50% over the 2018 holiday season, but the latest survey from the technology vendor shows that may have been a little optimistic. While this... READ MORE

CMOs Upping Their Brand Investments, Seeing PayoffsGrowth in brand-related spend for February 2019 is almost twice the rate as five years ago.March 11, 2019

CMOs in the US are redoubling their brand efforts, according to the latest biannual CMO Survey [pdf]. Indeed, the latest edition reveals that CMOs are expecting their brand spend to rise by 9.3% in the next 12 months, outpacing comparable growth rates for... READ MORE

What Search Trends Are On Marketers’ Minds?Data privacy and voice search are two that they expect to contend with in the coming months.

Technology has changed customer expectations for companies in a host of ways, influencing desires for customized experiences and new ways to access products and brands. Marketers are paying attention to how these shifts are affecting customers behavior,... READ MORE

Video Ad Engagement Benchmarks in 2018There was a marked improvement in the video ad viewable completion rate, which grew to 77%.March 8, 2019

Video ad completion and viewability rates continue to improve even as click-through rates continue in their decline, while connected TV is the device to watch, according to the latest benchmarking data from Extreme Reach. Video Completion Rates Video... READ MORE

Global Ad Spend Expected to Rise by 4.3% This YearGrowth will be buoyed by a double-digit increase in internet advertising, though not all will benefit.

Global ad spend will again experience healthy growth this year. A new forecast for 2019 has global advertising hitting $616 billion, according to a report [download page] released by WARC – although the projected 4.3% rise this year would be slower... READ MORE

How Are Marketers and In-House Creative Teams Working Together?Working relationships are improving - but communication and creative briefs remain particular bugbears.March 7, 2019

Briefing external partners can be a tricky business, particularly when deliverables are of a somewhat subjective nature. But for marketers working with creatives, the working relationship appears to be undergoing some positive improvements despite ongoing... READ MORE

Women Are Above-Average Users of Smartphones and TabletsThis increased usage is particularly prevalent for tablets and for social networking activities.

While the stereotype may be that men are more addicted to gadgets – indeed, electronics was the favorite shopping category for men in the last Holiday period – new data from Nielsen illustrates that when it comes to using mobile devices, women... READ MORE

Top Digital Ad Industry Opportunities and Threats in 2019Cross-device measurement and multi-touch attribution modeling are also considered big opportunities this year.March 6, 2019

Being able to track users across devices is something that advertisers have pursued yet struggled with, lured by the fact that multi-device shoppers are more valuable. But what can be a struggle for digital advertisers has been listed as a top industry... READ MORE

Study: Brands Lack the Meaningfulness Consumers DesireConsumers feel brands have power - with 55% believing they have a more important role than governments in creating a better future.

People would not care if 77% of brands disappeared. However, more than three-quarters (76%) of consumers expect brands to contribute to their quality of life and well-being, according to a new report on meaningful brands from Havas. What exactly is meant by... READ MORE

These Are 2019’s Top US Retailers by E-Commerce Sales ShareAmazon dominates the list, but others are also experiencing healthy year-over-year growth.March 5, 2019

Not surprisingly, Amazon is far and away the top US e-commerce retailer – but to what extent? A recent analysis from eMarketer finds that at almost half (47%) of total US retail e-commerce sales, it makes up for more than double the combined share held... READ MORE

Where Are Marketers Investing in Mobile Marketing Data?Technology, staffing and third-party data are all attracting investment to improve performance.

Brand and performance marketers from across the globe are putting increased emphasis on data for mobile marketing. In fact virtually all (98%) of the more than 540 marketers surveyed for a study [press release] by YouAppi say they have increased their... READ MORE

Four B2B Marketing Trends to Watch in 2019B2B marketers are as likely to not have an attribution model in place as they are to have the most advanced type.March 4, 2019

One of the promises of digital technology was to put an end to John Wanamaker’s adage that an unknown half of marketing spend is wasted. So for B2B marketers, it’s not too much of a surprise that less than 4% of those surveyed for a report by... READ MORE

Five Notes About Influencer MarketingInfluencer marketing is one area where marketers believe Instagram has a sizable lead on Snapchat.

Four in 5 marketers believe that influencer marketing is effective. The likely reason, according to a report from Mediakix, is that a majority (89%) say that the ROI they generate from influencer marketing is comparable or better than other marketing... READ MORE

Why Do Companies Pursue a Single Customer View?There are a number of reasons - but customer experience comes out on top.March 1, 2019

Customer experience (CX) is a critical and growing priority for many companies – and it’s making them want to bring their customer data together. Indeed, improving the customer experience is the biggest driver for achieving a single customer... READ MORE

Marketers Spending More on Digital Ads Targeting BoomersAdvertisers appear to be focusing growth on particular demographics and interest groups such as pet owners.

Digital advertisers may be recognizing the spending power held by older generations: audience targeting for Boomers (ages 65+ years) increased by 25% year-over-year in the January-October 2018 period, with spending growing faster on this demographic than on... READ MORE

Here Are the Top Reasons Consumers Buy Apparel on AmazonFree shipping and convenience are cited as the top two reasons, with low prices closely following.February 28, 2019

Apparel shoppers in the US are more likely to be buying clothes on Amazon than any other online retailer, according to a recent study. Half (50.7%) of the 2,000 consumers surveyed for the report [download page] from CPC Strategy said they shopped for... READ MORE

Asian-American Households Continue to Enjoy Above-Average IncomesThe median household income for Asian-Americans is now close to six figures - making them an attractive market for advertisers.

Asian-American households continue to have the highest household incomes of any race/ethnicity in the US, according to recently-released figures [download page] from Claritas. Asian and Pacific Islander households in the US have an annual mean income of... READ MORE

What Skills Would Marketers Stake Their Future On?Data analysis and measurement comes out on top - but soft skills are also prized.February 27, 2019

Nine in 10 marketers agree that there is a digital skills gap within marketing teams. Indeed, a new study [download page] by Econsultancy of more than 500 marketers found that very few (8%) marketers feel that there isn’t a gap in digital marketing... READ MORE

These Are the Most “Intimate” Brands in the USYouTube drops in the rankings, and Google falls out of the top 10 altogether this year.

After a long run at the top, Apple has ceded its position as the most “intimate” brand to US consumers, with Disney taking over, according to a new study [download page] by brand agency MBLM. The measure on which brands are ranked is based on... READ MORE

Consumers Prefer Visual to Text Information When Shopping OnlineClothes and furniture are the top two categories for which looks matter most.February 26, 2019

More than one-third (36%) of US consumers have performed or used visual search when shopping online, a figure that matches the percentage who have used voice search. So finds research from Intent Lab, which also notes that 3 in 5 (59%) of consumers believe... READ MORE

Local Radio Stations Capitalize on Digital Ad Revenue GrowthDigital ad spend on local stations is forecast to hit close to $1 billion in 2019.

It’s not just TV where ad spend is becoming increasingly digital. With smartphones, smart speakers and other devices all able to tune into the airwaves, digital ad revenue on radio continues to see double-digit annual growth rates. And it’s not... READ MORE

What Are The Most Effective Email Re-Engagement Campaigns?While there's no quick answer, some methods work better with certain audiences.February 25, 2019

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of B2C and B2B marketers agree that email is either the most or one of the most important marketing channels available. Return Path’s new report [download page] also reveals that the majority (80%) of marketers surveyed believe that... READ MORE

How Advertisers Use Different Video Platforms Across The FunnelWhile linear TV comes out on top early in the journey, video watched on digital devices leads as conversion gets closer.

Roughly half (51%) of advertisers are increasing their video budgets. While the average 10% spending increase over the last year is being spent across all video platforms, a study from Advertiser Perceptions indicates that emphasis will be placed on where... READ MORE

Holiday 2018 Data Hub (Updated): Results RecapLooking at the 2018 holiday season, in numbers, including a recap of Cyber Week.February 22, 2019

By some accounts it was a strong holiday season. But after a delay in reporting its holiday season growth estimates as a result of the government shutdown (which curtailed Commerce Department reporting), the NRF’s figures aren’t quite so... READ MORE

These Were the Top 10 CPG E-Commerce Categories in 2018While still a small part of overall sales, the market is in the billions and growing by double digits.

E-commerce CPG sales hit $58.9 billion in 2018, a 35.4% increase from the year before. While these sales only account for 11% of all CPG sales, they represent 64% of total omnichannel growth, according to a new report [pdf] from IRI. Vitamins are the biggest... READ MORE

US Retail Sales Forecast to Grow by 3.8-4.4% Again This YearRetail sales for 2019 are forecast to reach $3.84 trillion.February 21, 2019

Although Sears filed for bankruptcy in 2018, this month saw the retail giant being bought out and the liquidation prevented. So could this be a positive bellwether for the state of retail? Perhaps so, as the National Retail Federation’s 2019 forecast... READ MORE

US Internet Advertising Revenues Post 22% Y-O-Y Gain in Q3 2018The latest figures from the IAB and PwC show that digital ad revenue growth was among the fastest recorded for a third quarter in the past decade.

The rise of digital ads continues unabated. Internet advertising revenue in the US had the highest Q3 growth rate in a decade with the exception of Q3 2016, according to the latest revenue figures [press release] from the IAB and PwC. Total spending on... READ MORE

Super Bowl 2019 Data [Updated]A wrap up of Super Bowl LIII ad stats, including costs, effectiveness and brand winners.February 20, 2019

Super Bowl 2019 saw the lowest ratings in 10 years. While the game may not have been as exciting as years past, what about the ads? Which brands fared best in the post-game analyses that continue to roll in? Here’s a look at some of the winners and losers,... READ MORE

Retailers See Voice Ordering As More Opportunity Than ThreatThe rise of smart speakers - in particular, Amazon Alexa - brings both benefits and risks to online retailers.

Currently more than half (54%) of brands are selling their wares on Amazon, a figure predicted to reach almost three-quarters (72%) within the next 5 years, according to survey results [download page] from Feedvisor. Smart speakers like the Amazon Echo are... READ MORE

Instagram Stories Accounting for Growing Share of Facebook Ad SpendThe short-lived ad format has seen its share of Instagram ad spend increase more than 10x in just one year.February 19, 2019

Instagram now accounts for almost 1 in 5 (18% of) marketing dollars spent on Facebook’s properties, according to Marin Software’s latest quarterly benchmark report covering client activity in Q4 2018. The image-centered social network has seen... READ MORE

Benefits of 5G Technology Appeal to Consumers And Advertisers AlikeFaster data transfer speeds will improve the smartphone experience even further.

Over the years, mobile technology and data speed have grown faster and more advanced. First, there was 3G followed by 4G, and now the next big thing is on its way — 5G. As 5G makes its way into the market, Verizon has shared insights from both advertisers... READ MORE

In-Person Events Ranked #1 Among B2B Demand Generation TacticsMore than three-quarters list the face-to-face approach as one of their most successful tactics for the top of the funnel.February 15, 2019

Events are proving to be effective in both the early and late stages of B2B demand generation. In fact, according to a Demand Gen Report study, in-person events lead the pack among demand gen tactics for B2B marketers. More than three-quarters (76%) of... READ MORE

What Are The Top Perceived Benefits of Programmatic In-App Ads?Media buyers are enthusiastic about in-app advertising's targeting capabilities, but fraud and viewability concerns persist.

Even though there is evidence that smartphone sales are slowing, that doesn’t appear to be the case for the app economy. In 2017, consumers downloaded 197 billion apps – a figure which is projected to grow to more than 350 billion by 2021,... READ MORE