Tax season has arrived, and accountants everywhere are sharpening their pencils. Or, more likely, consumers everywhere are weighing whether to hire a personal accountant, buy tax preparation software or trust their taxes to a big-box accounting firm. Complex tax laws and a preference for online filing often drive consumers to choose tax preparation software to [...]
More than 75 million Americans listen to podcasts every month, on subjects ranging from history to pop culture, with the podcast medium projected to grow. Microcasts appeal to the same audience that enjoys podcasts, but microcasts are shorter, ranging from two minute bursts of information to 10-minute mini-podcasts. “Any podcaster or person who wants to [...]
Maybe Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, Apple and HBOMax aren’t enough, and what consumers really want is eatertainment for a better streaming eggsperience. Cadbury is counting on it as they launch a new VOD streaming service in the UK promoting their iconic creme eggs.What Is The “Creme Egg Eatertainment” Platform?According to AdAge, the Creme Egg Eatertainment streaming [...]
Third-party cookies have been on the back foot for some time, so the announcement from Google Chrome that the popular browser is on a “path towards making third party cookies obsolete” by 2022 is a natural progression of the ongoing changes in data acquisition.Why Is Google Chrome Phasing Out Third-Party Cookies?Major browsers are increasingly rejecting [...]
At the recent Lead Generation World conference in Denver, Colorado, Digital Media Solutions (DMS) COO Fernando Borghese and DMS CRO Joey Liner discussed the benefits of using lessons learned in hindsight to make actionable predictions in lead generation for 2020.10 Lead Generation Predictions For 2020The rise of the internet and the relentless growth of digital [...]
Freshly uses “data in real time” to show their commitment to customer satisfaction and to perfect their meal service. Freshly, a subscription meal service that delivers fresh single-serve meals, believes proactive data mining provides meals that are just right, and keeps Freshly ahead of the curve – in quality and business – from other meal [...]
Dwell time is one of those terms that gets bandied about when discussing different “stickiness” metrics related to webpage usage and how long a person stays on a given page. But dwell time is a very specific measurement, and it’s often confused with bounce rates, session duration and click-through rates. What Is Dwell Time?The answer [...]
TikTok is in the news again, and this time it isn’t celebrities learning TikTok dances to impress their kids. Recently, TikTok has taken some some hits over controversial content, and brands are apparently getting edgy about where their ads are landing on the wildly popular app.How Is TikTok Planning To Avoid Controversy With Advertisers?According to [...]
In 2019, Spotify had 113 million paid subscribers. Second only to Apple Music, Spotify continues to look for ways to innovate. The streaming service has effectively used data to deploy creative and delightful activations, campaigns and partnerships that create brand loyalty and awareness.Only Spotify Knows If Your Cat Prefers Lizzo Or Billie EilishTruthfully, most cats [...]
When Twitter shuttered the well-loved Vine app in a cost-cutting measure, many creators and fans of the short-form video platform were bereft. Since then, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram stories and other formats for short-from video have come along. The competitive market didn’t stop one of Vine’s original founders, Dom Hofmann, from launching Byte, a short-form video [...]
It’s that time of year again. When everyone gathers around with friends, family and snacks to watch the biggest commercials of the year. Forget the football — it’s the funny, touching and innovative ads from a diverse range of brands and businesses that keep many fans tuning into the Super Bowl each year. And, with [...]
The Monday morning quarterbacking starts early the day after the Super Bowl, and it isn’t usually the game on everyone’s social media feeds — it’s the commercials. Winners, losers and in-betweens, which ads viewers preferred is a hot topic. This year, as usual, there was an effective mix of star-studded, funny and moving spots that [...]
Despite being in the midst of winter, JetBlue is already preparing for this summer’s travel rush with an environmentally impactful announcement that the airline will be going carbon neutral on all domestic flights beginning in July. JetBlue is the latest major company to announce a move toward a lighter eco-footprint, appealing to consumers with increasing [...]
For every parent who has dragged a screaming toddler through a grocery store and every tired commuter who forgot to pick up dinner, the rise of seamless grocery delivery has been a gift from the internet gods. And grocery delivery shows no signs of letting up, with more and more brands either offering their own [...]
Mental illness is an issue that affects one in five American adults every year, and awareness around the dangers of untreated depression and other medical conditions related to mental health is growing. Well-implemented campaigns promoting the importance of understanding and treating mental illness can reach audiences struggling with finding help.With Help From A Future King [...]
Promotions for the recent release of Diary of a Wimpy Kid 14: Wrecking Ball include digital content that fans of the hugely popular series can share on social media. Jeff Kinney’s graphic novels about an awkward middle-school boy named Greg, have been delighting kids since 2004, with more than 200 million books sold around the [...]
U.S. consumer debt is currently more than $14 trillion, although consumer delinquencies remain low. “Spurred by low interest rates and loose financial conditions, we estimate that total global debt will exceed $257 trillion in the first quarter of 2020, driven mainly by non-financial sector debt,” the Institute of International Finance (IIF) noted in a new [...]
Shaving is big business. In 2019, men in the U.S. spent $454.6 million on just shaving cream. Big brands like Gillette continue to make waves with innovative marketing campaigns, and subscription-based, direct-to-consumer (DTC) shaving brands have been hugely successful. However, a recent FTC ruling blocking the sale of Harry’s to Edgewell Personal Care, which owns [...]
Happy Almost Valentine’s Day! Whether single or coupled, giving yourself jewelry or hoping someone else does, Cupid’s big day is a good excuse to add some sparkle to your life. The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts Valentine’s Day spending will be up 32% this year, with totals expected to reach $27.4 billion and jewelry accounting for [...]
“Parasite!” shouted the collective Twitterverse, as the South Korean horror/comedy swept the Oscars and the film’s humble and charming director Bong Joon-ho seemed more and more surprised by each win. It was the first Best Picture win for a foreign language film in the 92-year history of the Oscars. The Academy Awards are a fairly [...]
Digital innovation has made the world a whole lot more convenient. From car rentals to timely texts, humans are able to get what they need at the tap of a button. And getting food delivered without having to make phone calls to busy restaurants or leave the couch is one of many conveniences that continues [...]
Facebook recently announced that Audience Network, Facebook’s digital platform for advertisers, will no longer fill any ad requests for its mobile web arm, including in-stream video. The move comes as major browsers announce changes to third-party cookies and privacy oversight becomes front and center for Facebook and other tech titans.What Will Happen To Existing Mobile [...]
As of 2019, more than a quarter of Americans owned smart speakers, up 40% over 2018, illustrating consumers’ general comfort with smart speaker usage. However, the tasks consumers are comfortable using smart speakers for is different than insiders predicted, resulting in slower than expected adoption of making purchases with smart speakers. According to eMarketer, “By [...]
While most of the country was going about their business, New York City was buzzing with action from New York Fashion Week (NYFW). A week of runway shows, parties, promotions and sore feet mark this exciting time for the fashion industry and fashionistas. Although the relevance of fashion week has changed with the rise of [...]
The increase in vegan diets, socioeconomic growth, climate change awareness and the public’s relentless love for gourmet coffee drinks has given rise to the alterna-milk industry. Sometimes called non-dairy milks or plant-based milk, the industry’s projected to reach revenues of more than $38 billion by 2024. While almond milk remains at the top of the [...]
The recent release, by Facebook and Google, of 2019 revenues for subsidiaries Instagram and YouTube were firsts for the tech giants, and very revealing for a variety of reasons.The Instagram app fetched $20 billion in advertising revenue in 2019, and video monolith YouTube, $15.1 billion.The Success Of Instagram Is Important For FacebookThe last several years [...]
Influencer marketing is big business, with brands expected to spend more than $15 billion on the marketing strategy by 2022. With growth comes oversight, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has stepped in to help influencers stay on the straight and narrow with the release of a new publication that explains to influencers how they [...]
Recently, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) revealed their “250 Brands to Watch.” According to the IAB, “More than 3,500 brands were analyzed before IAB narrowed the list to the most important 250 direct-to-consumer (DTC) products.”Throughout the course of winnowing down their list, the IAB found certain trends continue to influence the DTC sector, including: the [...]
Fast food companies are notorious for launching audacious campaigns in support of new activations, products or services, and four new companies have recently done just that.Burger King Really Wants Consumers To Know How Fresh Their Burgers AreA moldy burger might not shout “delicious” to most people, but knowing the freshest ingredients were used during preparation [...]
Netflix and chill has turned into Netflix or Hulu or Apple TV or HBO Max and chill, and that’s just a fraction of the streaming services viewers are turning to for original content, old shows and replays of network programming. And the viewing preferences of Gen Z – short form, trendy, influencer-heavy – have led [...]
The Swipe Up to Call or Swipe Up to Text ad option for Snapchat is now available nationwide in the messaging app’s Ads Manager. From the Snapchat blog, “Snapchatters can swipe up on an ad to directly call or text a business from their mobile phone. With this new ad capability to meet your advertising [...]
From Michelle Obama’s bare arms to how much Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez pays for her suits, women in the political world are frequently and often harshly criticized for how they dress. M.M. LaFleur, a direct-to-consumer (DTC) womenswear brand would like to change that narrative, or at least help out women who are stepping onto the campaign trail.M.M. [...]
A recent report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) indicated that income-driven repayment (IDR) plans for student loans are growing rapidly. This method of repayment is based on the income of the borrower, and is increasingly popular among students seeking graduate and professional degrees.Enrollment marketers should thoughtfully communicate IDR plans to potential students, particularly non-traditional [...]
Every four years is a Leap Year. February gets an extra day, we get an extra 24 hours and brands get an opportunity to capitalize on this unusual and fun “holiday.” Many brands offer promotions and discounts to consumers, particularly “leaplings” or “leapers” who are people born on February 29, AKA Leap Day. These clever [...]
The recent Subscription Economy Index (SEI) report from Zuora showed subscription businesses growing at a rate five times faster than S&P 500 companies and retail sales. Consumers are comfortable with subscriptions, particularly as brands have become more responsive to privacy and delivery concerns.The trick for subscription brands is to reduce churn, keep subscribers renewing and reduce any user [...]
March is Women’s History Month, when brands and businesses everywhere celebrate the accomplishments of women today and throughout history. Many women celebrities, including Kelly Clarkson and Anna Kendrick, have successfully leveraged their own personas and careers to partner with brands on engaging and effective marketing campaigns.Amy Poehler Lends Her Voice To Pure Leaf TeaComedian, actress, [...]
Some people are home renovation people, and others are proud not to be. Either way, it’s likely that, at some point in the course of owning a home, renovations, repairs or rehab projects will be necessary. Fortunately, there are now digital solutions that can make the process for homeowners easier — from the initial concept [...]
Google’s announcement in January that it plans to completely phase out third-party cookies by 2022 was the latest evidence that first-party data is becoming the preferred data entity for brands and consumers. Issues of privacy and increased desire for personalization are also indicators that third-party data is falling out of favor.The recent decline of data [...]
In partnership with LeadsCouncil, DMS conducted an industry-wide compliance survey in October of 2019. The survey was done to better understand current compliance regulation awareness and perceptions and gauge industry readiness for upcoming regulations. The results of the survey showed that, though many of those surveyed had a comprehensive understanding of well-established compliance regulations, newer [...]
Social responsibility. Mission based. Purpose driven. These are all popular terms to describe businesses aligning themselves with social issues or positive actions that resonate with consumers or increase engagement with certain audiences. Recently, “purpose-driven” has emerged as the buzzword that describes these cause-based marketing strategies.What Are Purpose-Driven Campaigns?Purpose-driven campaigns describe marketing strategies specifically designed to [...]
With the introduction of Fleets, Twitter’s more than 330 million monthly active users (MAUs) may be in for a new way to post on the micro-blogging site.What Are Twitter Fleets?Twitter Fleets resemble stories on Instagram and Snapchat, and, like those social media platforms, Fleets also disappear after 24 hours. Fleets will be available publicly and [...]
LinkedIn, a professional networking platform with more than 660 million users worldwide, has recently expanded its offerings to include LinkedIn Live and LinkedIn Stories.Invite-Only LinkedIn Live Continues To Gain BuzzPete Davies, Senior Director of Product Management at LinkedIn, noted in a recent blog post that LinkedIn has seen a 25% year-over-year increase in conversations, and live video is [...]
A recent report, Optimizing Channels for Customer Support, by customer experience platform UJET, revealed customers want more text-based channels for customer support. As consumers increasingly seek out frictionless, fast processes for their online transactions, they also want interactions with customer service to be streamlined. UJET notes, “Customer support is moving away from siloed, channel-focused experiences [...]
Apple has updated its App Store Review Guidelines, now allowing apps to send ads as push notifications. The change comes with a required opt-in, but it could provide another outlet for brands to engage consumers effectively. How Can Digital Marketers Make Apple Push Notifications Work For Them?Like for all other advertising, keeping push notifications relevant to [...]
For all of the subscription services that make consumers lives easier, there is occasionally a “that’s too good to be true” scenario that crashes and burns. MoviePass was that idea. Meant to be the ultimate disruptor to the movie and streaming industries, MoviePass charged one low monthly fee for subscribers to go to movies in [...]
The announcement, in early March, that Panera had launched a coffee subscription is the latest volley in the multi-year coffee wars. Panera, Starbucks, Dunkin and other brands, like McDonalds, that are less regularly considered for their coffee, have been deploying marketing strategies to drive sales and convince coffee drinkers around the world their product is [...]
Consumers and brands both rely on email. In fact, 3.9 billion people around the world use email, and an eMarketer report found that, while 72% of internet users participate in social media, nearly 91% are email users. More importantly, with regard to digital marketing, 66% of surveyed consumers said they opt into promotional emails. For brands [...]
As of 2019, Netflix had more than 167 million subscribers worldwide. Anyone a little older than a Gen Zer probably remembers that Netflix’s original business model was mailing DVDs in red envelopes to subscribers’ homes. In 2013, Netflix launched House of Cards, its first original series, and streaming services would never be the same. House [...]