There’s something exhilarating about catching a moment as it happens. It’s why we pull out our phones during concerts, why we stream breaking news instead of waiting for tomorrow’s paper, and why businesses that lean into real-time customer data are steadily outpacing those that don’t.
As businesses strive to build trust and loyalty among their audiences, leveraging the power of brand advocates—customers, employees, and influencers who passionately support and promote a brand—has become a key driver of growth.
In the digital age, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a linchpin in transforming marketing strategies from standard to spectacular. Embracing AI in your marketing efforts can not only enhance efficiency but also personalize experiences at scale, ensuring that every campaign hits its mark.
For the past century, technology has grown at an extremely rapid pace. It was so rapid, that it came to the point that people would predict a future of flying cars and advanced robotics that could perform any human task possible. Although these may still be in our imaginations, it goes to show how the swift pace of development has shaped our expectations and even business practices.
The recent case before the U.S. Supreme Court was South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., et al. in which the State of South Dakota was seeking to collect sales tax from all online transactions, even for businesses without a physical presence in the state. Prior U.S. Supreme Court decisions in 1967 and 1992 only allowed such taxes to be collected on sales from businesses with a physical presence in a given state.
The last spike in the utilization of print catalogs was in 2007. That trend declined during the Great Recession as many retailers viewed print catalogs as superfluous when their online offerings were so abundant and much less expensive to produce. However, FGI research recently found that consumers spend an average of $850 per year on catalog purchases.
You are not alone if you are wondering exactly what programmatic advertising is. This complex yet effective means of obtaining advertising space has been around for a few years helping business target more efficient spending. Whether it is banner ads on websites, mobile ads, or in-stream video, Magna Global has estimated that 50% of all advertising will be programmatic by 2019.
We have this conversation with our clients all of the time. We understand where you are coming from. As someone who is ultra-conservative with their spending, I sympathize with my clients and relate with wanting to make sure you get the most bang for your buck. There are only so many dollars to go around. Where should you focus that spend?
When you think about what represents a company’s brand, do you think strictly in terms of their logo? Of course, your logo is an extremely important element of your company’s branding, but it does not stand alone. There are other, well thought through, elements that establish and portray a business’s brand image. Consistency with this look starts to build recognition throughout the various touch points in which your customer’s experience you company.
Customers expect to be entertained. As such, strategic storytelling should be an integral part of your brand marketing. Stories provide context and meaning to people across different walks of life. Brand storytelling is the sharing and compilation of the feelings, relationships and attributes of your brand. It inspires people to act.
Definitions – UGC
· A term used to describe any form of content created by consumers or end-users.
· Any form of [visual media] that is created by users of an online system, made accessible via social media. (per Pixlee which has a visual focus of photos and videos)
56% of consumers allow their purchasing decisions to be influenced by friends and peers according to research done by Twitter and Annalect. In a similar survey done by Collective Bias, it was found that 70% of millennials’ purchasing decisions are influenced by peer recommendations. The Collective Bias survey also found that 30% of consumers are influenced by non-celebrity bloggers versus 3% influenced by celebrity endorsements.
