Branding & Marketing

Serena Williams, Budweiser And The NFL Make A Big Impression At Super Bowl LIII

February 4, 2019 7:50 pm Published by

Patriots fans, basking in the afterglow of their sixth victory, may be among the few who will remember Super Bowl LIII. As usual, a less-than-exciting game didn’t stop viewers from sharing their every opinion online, especially about the commercials. The products endorsed by celebrities from every walk of life were touted prior to the big [...]

Mastercard Drops The Text On Their Logo, Joining Other Major Brands Who Let Their Marks Do The Talking

January 24, 2019 8:04 pm Published by

Mastercard recently joined the growing list of companies embracing wordless logos, opting to let their iconic red and yellow interlocking circles represent their brand. “We live in a time where, increasingly, we communicate not through words but through icons and symbols. Now, by allowing this symbol to shine on its own, Mastercard enters an elite [...]

Mortgage Fast Facts: How The Government Shutdown Is Impacting Mortgage Processing And What Mortgage Marketers Can Do

January 22, 2019 8:05 pm Published by

As the government shutdown enters its fifth week, the issues facing mortgage lenders vary from specific, impacting only certain lending institutions, to broad, affecting multiple agencies that have roles in funding loans. The net effect is a slow down in the processing of some loans and, in certain cases, a full-scale stoppage of lending. Mortgage [...]

Subscription News: Arby’s Launches a Curated Box of Swag

January 21, 2019 8:06 pm Published by

Arby’s recently launched a subscription box, selling out in less than an hour, and it all began with meat sweats. Not the condition some people experience when they carnivore too hard, but literally a sweatsuit printed with photographs of Arby’s signature thin-sliced meats. A year ago, Arby’s challenged their fans to post their best meat-related [...]

It’s National Thesaurus Day! We’re Celebrating by Retiring 5 Played-Out Marketing Buzzwords

January 18, 2019 8:07 pm Published by

It’s National Thesaurus Day, and we’ve chosen to celebrate by saying goodbye to those buzzy marketing terms that just aren’t cutting it anymore. Through no fault of their own, these five buzzwords got overused, rendering them meaningless and even potentially harmful to their intended effort. In 2019, we encourage you to say what you mean, [...]

Ralph Breaks the Internet, Offering Valuable Marketing Strategies Along the Way

January 4, 2019 8:07 pm Published by

In Ralph Breaks the Internet, a sequel to 2012’s Wreck-It Ralph, Ralph and Vanellope are best friends, palling around their video game world by night and working in their video games by day. But Vanellope wants more. More excitement, more opportunities and possibly less Ralph, at least that’s what he thinks. All of this leads [...]

The 10 Most Read DMS Insights Articles in 2018 Highlight Innovation & the Continued Rise of Digital Marketing

January 1, 2019 8:08 pm Published by

The 10 most read articles of 2018 on DMS Insights demonstrate an interesting mix of entertaining and informative marketing updates. The results indicate that digital marketers enjoyed both the lighthearted articles geared toward tracking trends and sought out articles that provided details on marketing updates and technology, highlighting strategies that could help marketers grow their [...]

Barnes & Noble Looks to Boost In-Store Sales with Expert Booksellers Ad Campaign

December 27, 2018 8:09 pm Published by

At a time when well-known storefronts are reinventing themselves to bolster market share and ecommerce businesses are opening storefronts to complement online sales, the world of brick and mortar is evolving. Bookstores are part of that evolution. Barnes & Noble (B&N) has more than 630 locations nationwide and is known as much for congregating, study [...]

Kool Aid Featuring Lil Jon: Fresh, Innovative & Catchy

December 25, 2018 8:08 pm Published by

There are a lot of commercials about Christmas during the holiday season, but there’s only one featuring Lil Jon and a 60-year Kool Aid pitcher rapping joyfully about the season. Technically, only Lil Jon raps, with the Kool-Aid Man joining in a call and response of his cheerful and iconic “oh yeahs.” Lil Jon, himself [...]

Weight Loss Marketing Strategies: Evolving with Trends

December 19, 2018 8:09 pm Published by

The ever-changing world of weight loss programs, dieting and wellness can be difficult to keep track of. Fat is bad and good. Carbs are good and bad. Fast for this long. Fast for that long. Don’t fast at all. It’s a whirlwind of trends, celebrity endorsements, quick fixes and wellness-based whole lifestyle plans, each navigating [...]

Social Media Campaigns in 2019: Authenticity, Stories & Paid Media Creating Trust & Engagement

December 17, 2018 8:09 pm Published by

Content management system Hootsuite released their annual report on the “latest global trends in social media.” The detailed report reflects on the recent success of certain social media initiatives and trends and the companies that effectively applied related strategies. Based on report findings, marketers embracing a spirit of ingenuity and commitment to establishing trust with [...]

Top 10 Takeaways from the Rise of Mobile Spending

December 4, 2018 8:11 pm Published by

Mobile ad spending has long been poised to become the revenue-generating giant of advertising, with each successive year dubbed “the year of mobile.” With mobile ad spending accounting for 69.9% of all digital advertising in 2018, and poised to become even more dominant in the years ahead, the giant has arrived. 10 Actionable Mobile Spending [...]

Subaru Teams with ASPCA for a Heartwarming Commercial

November 26, 2018 8:11 pm Published by

If you love dogs, you know they need a well-designed car that allows the freedom to shed, feel the wind in their fur, head toward adventure, and most importantly, keep them close to their human family. Or at least that’s what Subaru’s ubiquitous and adorable dog-centered commercials would have you believe. Throw some skis on [...]

Danny DeVito Day: Marketing Lessons from 5 of His Top Films

November 15, 2018 8:12 pm Published by

The holidays are upon us! And this year, there’s one more to throw on the pile. On November 17th, New Jersey will celebrate its first annual Danny DeVito Day, honoring the cantankerous comedian from Asbury Park for his contributions to film and culture. At Digital Media Solutions – especially for those of us in the [...]

Marketing Strategies Evolve, Coordinated with Growth of Online Business Degree Interest and Enrollment

November 9, 2018 8:12 pm Published by

Online education is continuing to grow. A recent Babson study showed enrollment growth for 14 straight years in most kinds of online higher education programs. “The growth of distance enrollments has been relentless. They have gone up when the economy was expanding, when the economy was shrinking, when overall enrollments were growing, and now when [...]

Welcome Movember! It’s Time for Weird Facial Hair.

November 7, 2018 8:12 pm Published by

November, already widely known for crunchy leaves and turkeys, is now evermore popular for men growing strange facial hair in support of men’s health. Yes, it’s Movember. Grow your beards accordingly, men. Addressing health issues sometimes unique to men and often difficult for men to talk about, Movember began in 2003 with “30 Mo bros” [...]

Dogs Can Be Effective and Adorable Marketing Mascots

November 2, 2018 8:13 pm Published by

Tomorrow marks the beginning of National Animal Shelter Week, an annual opportunity to drive awareness about the plight of shelter animals and to encourage animal adoption. America’s love for their pets – to the tune of $60 billion per year – has us celebrating National Cat Day, Dog Day, Puppy Day and Walk Your Pet [...]

Iconic International Ad Campaigns: Following the Formula to Marketing Success

October 28, 2018 8:13 pm Published by

On this day in 1945 the United Nations (UN) Charter was ratified, creating a powerful intergovernmental organization that would be relied upon worldwide. A collaboration that would be called upon time and again to tackle monumental issues like lasting peace, human rights and economic development. Though the UN shares few similarities with the world of [...]

Creative Recruitment Tools Appeal to Students and Colleges

October 25, 2018 8:13 pm Published by

In the world of college recruitment, the stakes are high. Enrollment is down for smaller private and public universities, driving some colleges and universities to implement new recruitment techniques. As higher education marketers rethink how to approach students from all walks of life, some are discovering inventive new recruitment approaches which bring fresh takes to [...]

New Marketing Opportunities Emerge in the Hispanic Population

October 18, 2018 8:14 pm Published by

There are 57.5 million Hispanic people living in the United States according to the most recent census, and they are among the fastest growing demographic in the country, making up 18% of the general population and estimated to reach 27% by 2050. They are young. They are plugged in. And their buying power is far [...]

CEOs and Celebrities Get Out the Vote

October 17, 2018 8:14 pm Published by

The U.S. midterm elections are November 6th, and the days when the political zeitgeist was limited to only Washington circles are long gone. Consumers around the country are buzzing with political chatter, and marketers have latched onto that excitement. The marketplace is at a point where companies must be thoughtful and authentic about engaging in [...]

And Yet 5 More Things Marketers Can Learn from Cheese

October 9, 2018 8:15 pm Published by

Happy National Moldy Cheese Day! It’s a divisive subject, the moldy cheese, but we are choosing to embrace its quirks and origin stories as marketing inspiration. If a smelly, old, sometimes strange tasting cheese can win, so can marketers who embrace an equally assertive, data-backed strategy. This isn’t our first trip to the dairy. Several [...]

A Look Back at the Marketing Campaign that Launched the Beetle

October 8, 2018 8:15 pm Published by

Foreign. Funny looking. Small. The Volkswagen Beetle was once a dusty import from Europe, trying to find its way during the 1950’s heyday of enormous, flashy cars. It would go on to become an American icon. The grooviest, coolest, most laid-back ride on the road. The Beetle is being retired in 2019 — 80 years [...]

Are You Ready for Some Football… Marketing Lessons?

October 3, 2018 8:16 pm Published by

When the temperature dips and the sports bars fill up, it can only mean it’s time for football. Whether pee-wee, high school, college or the NFL, football movies are nearly as iconic as the game itself, and they usually have a valuable lesson, for life and business. We hit the gridiron to find a few [...]

Pumpkin Spice Makes Room for Maple

September 28, 2018 8:16 pm Published by

Is there any flavor that can unseat pumpkin spice as the ultimate fall flavor? Probably not, but maple is making a strong showing. From coffee giants like Starbucks and Dunkin, to small breweries and skin care, maple is making a big push for those fall flavor feels. Dunkin Donuts: The trusted brand introduces several new [...]