In the beginning, there were apps for everything. Many of the apps had limited purposes and were not at all aligned with sales or marketing objectives. Those days are (mostly) gone.Apps are much more sophisticated and user-friendly now, offering the seamless integration of technology and real life that should have always been their intention. As [...]
Entertainment has been irrevocably changed by the introduction of streaming services and the explosion of franchise films. Netflix, Hulu and other providers that offer limitless content are competing with and complementing the film world, and it’s inevitable consumers who have grown accustomed to the easy access of streaming, skipping advertisements and franchise fandoms have changed [...]
At first, Popeyes kept it cute and simple: “Chicken. Brioche. Pickles. New sandwich.” So good, the company couldn’t speak in complete sentences. Accompanied by a mouth-watering pic, the Tweet seemed harmless enough, until Chick-fil-A clapped back with a coy response asserting themselves as the original pickle + chicken sandwich purveyors. After that the chicken wars [...]
A robust giving campaign should encompass a multichannel approach that considers a variety of factors including target audience, the benefit to your nonprofit or charitable endeavor and ease of use for donors. With mobile usage rising precipitously, text-to-donate is a growing – and obvious – choice for fundraising. But it’s important to understand the different [...]
After a video in April 2019 in which Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Facebook, first mused about the possibility of bringing high-quality news to Facebook, the social network has officially confirmed that a dedicated news tab will launch in the fall. Details are limited at the moment, but Zuckerberg stated in his initial comments, [...]
For the 7th year running, Brand Keys has conducted the Brand Keys Most Innovative Tech Brands of 2019 survey. 5,127 business-to-consumer (B2C), direct-to-consumer (DTC) and business-to-business (B2B) consumers were interviewed to determine which brands are striking a chord with the shoppers, users and customers who populate the digital world every day.In total, 27 different brands [...]
A few years ago, Vine challenged audiences to think about what they could do in six seconds. Turns out you can eat 2.6 pot stickers, solve a Rubik’s cube or make 11 major decisions about a person after just meeting them. So, it stands to reason that bumper ads – six-second video spots – could [...]
Sometimes Roger grows a beard or gets a posh haircut and fans take note. Sometimes his shirt has a collar, but for many years it didn’t. He never goes sleeveless like Rafa Nadal (“‘That’s not going to happen…” laughed Roger. “My arms are not as big as his are.”). One thing that was always the [...]
The internet makes it possible to shop anywhere, anytime. The upside of this is obvious for consumers, but for brands maintaining consumer awareness and retention can be difficult when there are so many options available. According to research by Invesp, a conversion optimization blog, 61% of retailers cite customer retention as one of their most [...]
Grocery shopping is like laundry. No matter how much you do it, you’ll likely have to do it again in a few days. Luckily, whether consumers are meal planning, cooking every night or spontaneously deciding what dinner will be, there is a grocery-buying solution to meet their needs. More and more grocery shopping options are [...]
Visiting the new grandbaby with a carful of toys then taking older grandkids to their favorite toy stores to pick out something special is a rite of passage for many grandparents. Grandparents indulge their grandkids, and marketers must understand what a significant portion of the toy-buying market Nanny and Pop Pop are, both in-store and [...]
Peer-to-peer fundraising, also called social fundraising, is an effective way to leverage the influence of your nonprofit supporters. By tapping into the existing resource of your donor base, you can grow your nonprofit’s network, scale fundraising efforts and ideally expand the scope of your nonprofit.Strategic Planning Is Integral To A Successful Peer-To-Peer Fundraising CampaignAccording to [...]
Google was recently handed a $172 million penalty from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as part of a settlement involving the privacy of children’s data on YouTube. The settlement – the largest imposed for violations related to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) – included new rules for conduct by the video site, [...]
TikTok, with 500 million monthly active users worldwide and more than a billion downloads, is quickly becoming a go-to app for marketers looking to reach younger audiences. The NFL is the latest TikTok strategic partner, with plans by the NFL to work with additional brands, launch fun and fresh content and increase its social media [...]
Initially teased at Facebook’s F8 2019 Conference in April, the lead generation templates for Messenger were recently rolled out. Over 20 billion messages a month are exchanged between people and businesses on Facebook Messenger, making it a natural fit for a lead generation tool.According to Facebook, “We’re making it even easier for businesses to connect [...]
From Dirty Dancing with Mrs. Butterworth to bucket-of-chicken themed hot tubs, KFC has been pulling out all the stops with their full-on marketing juggernaut over the last several years. But one thing they haven’t done is introduce a hunky, anime Colonel Sanders in a dating simulator. Until now. I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger [...]
In a recent reorganization at General Motors, Deborah Wahl was appointed Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of the more than 100-year old car brand. Wahl is the first female CMO at GM, and the first CMO since 2012. Her hiring comes at a time when GM is looking to streamline their customer experiences, from end to [...]
In July, Facebook-owned Instagram tested out a “like ban” in Canada and rolled out the test in several other countries over the summer, and now it appears Facebook is experimenting with a similar idea.Is Facebook Hiding Their Like Counts?Not yet, but maybe soon. Reverse engineering coder Jane Manchun Wong found a test Facebook conducted in [...]
Searching, streaming, bingeing, chilling — the world of watching TV and movies is ever-evolving to support the expanded options. Google has now updated their TV and movie search to offer personalized recommendations for users.How Does The Google “What To Watch” Feature Work?The search term “what to watch” will trigger the new personalization feature on Google. [...]
In 2013, Netflix earned 14 nominations. Last year, they had 112, surpassing Emmy darling HBO. The addition of streaming networks to the television landscape has drastically changed how viewers consume TV and how networks measure success. Brand awareness and a strong subscriber base have become integral parts of a network’s success, which is reflected in [...]
The Guardian calls it a “whimsical animal trend,” while others are just in it for the llama rhymes. No matter the style or reason, llamas, their alpaca cousins and, lately, emus, are all over advertising.Yes, That’s An Alpaca-Inspired Toupee In A Samsung CommercialUrban legend says, or perhaps alpacas say, that alpacas are nicer than llamas. Less [...]
The big four tech brands (Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google) have been under heavy scrutiny from antitrust investigators over the last several years, with various penalties being incurred. Privacy issues and anti-competitive practices are the primary targets of the investigators, and it appears Apple is trying to mitigate an ongoing issue with its eponymous App Store, [...]
A new campaign from American Eagle (AE) includes a beta test of TikTok’s latest ad unit, an in-feed video with badge. As part of a broader partnership with Lil Wayne who is collaborating on the AE x Young Money fall fashion collection, the new ad unit will send users to external retailers for purchases, a [...]
With the holidays right around the corner, Target is introducing a loyalty offering called Target Circle. Set to launch across the country October 6th, Target Circle will offer a variety of perks and create a more seamless deployment of rewards and promotions under the Target brand.Automatic Enrollment For Target Red Card Holders And Cartwheel MembersTarget shoppers [...]
LEGO wants kids to play. In fact, it wants kids to Rebuild the World. LEGO has launched its first global brand campaign in 30 years with an ambitious ad spot, indoor and outdoor activations and a loftier message for children and parents of the world: “We see our role as a global force that can [...]
Mobile use is up, heads are buried in phones more than ever and mobile carriers have long used a litany of marketing campaigns to flex their coverage and speed capabilities. Most of the campaigns highlight carrier benefits and poke holes in the competition. The “mobile carrier wars” can get heated, with some battles even leading [...]
It’s that time of year again! Yes, the holidays are coming, but more importantly for the health and well-being of consumers, it’s open enrollment season. From November 1st to December 15th, consumers can enroll in a new health insurance plan. Typically, if they don’t enroll during the open enrollment period, health insurance shoppers may have [...]
Recently, Google made a few tweaks to the layout of call-only ad units. Early numbers from Google advertisers have been promising. According to Google’s blog post on the change, “On average, advertisers with the new call-only ads design have seen a 14% increase in phone calls, a 16% increase in call conversions and better cost [...]
Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, there was only one kind of Oreo. Created by Nabisco in 1912 and made in New York City, the original Oreo was the chocolate sandwich cookie most Oreo enthusiasts know and love.Picture from OreoOreo Limited Edition Flavors Take Oreo Connoisseurs By StormBeginning in 2010, Oreo started releasing limited edition [...]
When it comes to battling Google, Facebook and Amazon, who command 70% of online advertising revenues, sometimes joining forces is the only option. And that’s just what Taboola and Outbrain have done. After years of hemming and hawing, the two content recommendation companies, also called native advertisers, have merged to form a single company called [...]
Like so much of retail and other business sectors, nonprofits and fundraising entities are focused on timely, seamless payments that users can easily make. Last year, Alexa and Google Assistant both introduced voice activated donations, allowing users to make donations with their virtual assistants by simply saying “Alexa, make a $10 donation to Red Cross.” [...]
The last time Fritos launched a marketing campaign, Richard Nixon was president and the Fritos mascot was Frito Bandito, an unfortunate caricature better left in the past. The corn chips new “Here’s to the Moment” campaign, brings Fritos firmly into the future with a strategic partner in Hormel and commercials running across a mix of [...]
Last year, The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) released a study clocking the global wellness economy at more than $4.2 trillion. According to the study, the fastest growth sectors are spas, tourism and real estate, but wellness in 2019, which includes everything from beauty products to CBD, is having an impact across industries. This impact and [...]
Is the linear economy headed for the trash bin? Another vestige of a wasteful approach to commerce, that, though lucrative, has contributed to the climate crisis. Environmentalists and business leaders are taking a hard look at the “take, make, waste” linear approach, particularly as the circular economy increasingly appears to be a more sustainable, eco-friendly [...]
Fast food campaigns rarely shy away from strange, funny and bold campaigns. In fact, they seem to thrive on them; from psychotic clowns to hot tubs shaped like buckets of chicken, fast food companies like to push the envelope. The latest fast food marketing activation is from Wendy’s, which has created a very detailed, Dungeons [...]
It’s almost time to cue up Christmas music, and this year the holiday tunes are definitely going to include 2018’s sleeper hit “All I Really Want for Christmas” featuring the iconic Kool-Aid Man and rapper Lil Jon. It isn’t every day a rapper sings with a giant pitcher, but partnerships between brands and rappers are [...]
According to the U.S. Census, there are more than 18 million veterans in the United States. But this group is not monolithic, encompassing veterans from WWII through to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, more than 1.6 million veterans are under the age of 34. Veterans are also racially diverse and enter the [...]
Dynamic pricing is in the air. According to Thomas Gregorson, Airline Tariff Publishing Company (ATPCO) Chief Strategy Officer, dynamic pricing is on its way for the travel industry in a variety of different formats. In effect, by accessing first-party data, analytics and pre-selected preferences from prospective travelers, airlines can better target their customers and cultivate [...]
Recently, Google upgraded several search features, updated its news feed and refined audience targeting.Google Update Tests “Search By Photos” In Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)Search Engine Land reported on a new photo-centric SERP Google appears to be testing in some markets with certain verticals. Several searches (tacos, dentists, jewelry stores) yielded SERPS that displayed photo [...]
Google is in talks to acquire Firework, a video platform app similar to TikTok recently valued at more than $100 million. Vincent Yang, Co-Founder and CEO of Firework parent company Loop Now Technologies, said Firework has been courted by several companies recently, but Yang wouldn’t comment further. As video sharing apps soar in popularity, the [...]
Since 2017, when scanning QR codes became a native feature for Apple and Android phones, QR codes have experienced a revolution. They are now being used everywhere, including traditional direct mail, experiential activations, out of home (OOH) and, of course, across the digital marketing hemisphere in a variety of ways. However, like all marketing tactics, [...]
Hop onto your Amazon account, start scrolling, and you will find a wide variety of personalized recommendations that likely encompass your TV-watching habits, most recent searches and pet and grocery needs. Amazon was an early adopter of this kind of, usually algorithm-based, personalized customization, and most consumers are comfortable with it. More and more, consumers [...]
Taking on the giants of technology is an ongoing theme in so many recent tech stories, and the latest news out of CNN is singing a similar tune. A digital news service platform from the AT&T-owned CNN is in the works, with the hope of countering the dominance of tech brands over news. According to [...]
‘Tis the season to eat candy, a whole lot of candy — Americans spend more than $2 billion on Halloween candy every year. Candy brands, however, need to sell candy all year long, which could explain the recent surge in heritage candy brands advertising for the first time in decades, nostalgia-tinged commercial spots and embracing [...]
Google Ads is offering new lead form extensions. Although only available to businesses in “non-sensitive” verticals in beta form at the moment, the extensions aim to capture detailed consumer information, with fields specifically chosen by the advertisers.Google Ads New Lead Form Extensions Entice Users With Attractive CTAsThe new Google Ads lead form extensions allow advertisers [...]
Google has been rolling out a number of search updates over the last several months and, according to Search Engine Land, the latest update, BERT, is the biggest change in search at Google since RankBrain, and “will impact 1 in 10 queries in terms of changing the results that rank for those queries.”What Is BERT?Bidirectional [...]
As children worldwide begin their Christmas lists, soon to unfurl them scroll-style at the feet of their already tired parents, it’s worth asking: In a post Toys“R”Us (TRU) landscape, where are parents shopping for toys these days? The answer is everywhere. Certainly, many parents are turning to online options, but shoppers are also relying on [...]
With HBO juggernaut Game of Thrones gone forever and sleeper hit Succession finishing out its second season, HBO recently launched their much anticipated twisty, sci-fi, political mindbender Watchmen. The marketing campaign around Watchmen relied heavily on word of mouth on social media — particularly since the series is based on a very popular graphic novel [...]