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Video Games Are Big Business. Here’s What Americans Consider When Buying Them.Gamers say that YouTube videos and user reviews help them in their decision-making process.
About two-thirds (65%) of US adults play video games and three-quarters of Americans have at least one gamer in their household. So, with the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) reporting that US gamers spent a total of $43.4 billion last year on games,... READ MORE
Want Reader Loyalty? Aim to Convert Search Referrals to Direct TrafficSearch-referred visitors and direct traffic have the highest engagement once they land on a media site, but direct visitors are much more loyal.May 23, 2019
There is a positive correlation between the number of times someone visits a website and retention, according to a new study by Parse.ly. In fact, the most loyal readers, people who visit a website most often, are those who come to a site directly –... READ MORE
Private Marketplace Ad Spend to Soon Exceed Open ExchangesGrowth is still expected on open exchanges, but is far less than that of private marketplaces.
US advertisers are set to spend close to $16 billion dollars on digital display ads bought in real-time on private marketplaces (PMPs) by 2021, according to the latest forecast from eMarketer. The analysis also predicts that the dollars spent via PMPs will... READ MORE
How Are Organizations Measuring the Success of Their Voice-Enabled Experiences?Engagement and returning users are high on the list, but a broad range of use cases makes prioritizing development unclear.May 22, 2019
The overwhelming majority of organizations see voice-enabled experiences as important (67% “very important”, 27% “somewhat important”) for their customers, according to a study by Adobe and Advanis, which also found that 9 in 10... READ MORE
Is Tech In the Home A Good Thing? Consumers Weigh In.Technology in the home generates many feelings and emotions, some of which conflict.
Technology has made it less and less necessary to ever leave your home. People can now work from home offices, access quality entertainment from their living rooms, order groceries to be delivered to the door and talk to friends, family and strangers from... READ MORE
More Consumers Are Now Upping Their Spending Than Cutting BackThat's the first time in at least a decade - but it may not necessarily be the new normal.May 21, 2019
In the midst of a recession a decade ago, about 3 times more consumers said they had been spending less money (53%) in recent months than those who self-reported spending more (17%). But for the first time since that period, the share of consumers spending... READ MORE
Digital Coupon Distributions Increase in 2018 but Remain Far Below PrintThe number of digital coupons clipped in 2018 increased by 1.5 billion.
While everyone loves a good BOGO (buy one, get one free) offer, Americans who prefer them in print saw significantly fewer in 2018, especially in the Food category, where print BOGO promotions were down by 50% year-over-year. By contrast, digital BOGO offers... READ MORE
B2B Marketers Expect to Quickly See Results From AI SolutionsSome 84% of B2B businesses claim to be in some stage of AI adoption.May 20, 2019
The majority (84%) of B2B organizations are in some stage of AI adoption, whether it be planning, evaluating, implementing or currently using AI-powered tools. And half as many (42%) are aware of and using at least some of the AI capabilities that already... READ MORE
D2C Brands Point to Social Media As Their Leading Customer Acquisition ChannelSEO and direct traffic also are popular acquisition channels for brands going direct to consumers.
With many retailers having concerns about selling on marketplaces – ranging from having to share a cut of revenues to potential customer relationship issues – some are choosing to cut out the middle-man and sell to customers directly. Clearly,... READ MORE
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 MOREFeel Like You're Always Playing Catchup?
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