Target and Walmart recently announced that they will not be open on Thanksgiving Day. In a statement about the change, Target said: “Let’s face it: Historically, deal hunting and holiday shopping can mean crowded events, and this isn’t a year for crowds.” The move comes at a time when health and safety are major concerns [...]
Advertising campaigns can sometimes have a way of veering toward stereotypical depictions. The obvious danger in choosing to advertise by relying on stereotypes is potential customers becoming alienated and turned off, which is the opposite intention of any marketing strategy. However, there are other more nuanced reasons that stereotyping in marketing is a bad idea. Here [...]
Major cybersecurity breaches have been top news stories throughout the past decade, with companies scrambling to right the ship after hacks left them exposed and at risk. Cybersecurity marketing has often promoted comfort and safety while speaking to the fear and worry many consumers have about the security of their technology and their personal cyber [...]
Google announced recent changes to usage of accelerated mobile pages (AMP), previously required for inclusion in the mobile version of Google’s top stories carousel. The move could lead some publishers to drop AMP, but experts are divided on whether publishers should move away from the fussy AMP framework or hold steady because of revenue and [...]
Although eight states and 127 countries have banned or regulated single-use plastic bags, many large retailers believe the necessity of occasionally needing single-use bags requires an inventive, sustainable solution. Enter Beyond The Bag, launched by the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag, which was founded by Walmart, Target and CVS. Additional retailers and environmental groups, [...]
“Digital is now fundamental and central to everything consumers do, and we are the clear leader in digital. We’ll double-down on that,” said John Donahoe, President and CEO of Nike during the brand’s recent announcement about Nike’s move toward more digital enhancements and activations, and a subsequent reorganization of Nike leadership. Donahoe added, “We think [...]
Freemium promotions, which can include offering consumers a free trial or something for free with a subscription, are an effective way to create consumer interest and scale customer acquisitions. A strong customer acquisition strategy allows brands to build lists, gather data, increase brand awareness and develop customer loyalty while elevating sales volume. From Panera to [...]
In a move likely to trigger similar agreements across the film industry, AMC Theaters and Universal Pictures have struck a deal that grants Universal movies a “smaller window” of time in theatrical release, before moving to on-demand streaming channels. “This is a watershed moment for the entertainment industry,” said Rich Greenfield, a media analyst. “Universal [...]
“The longer we stay in this pandemic, the more our relationship with fashion will evolve,” said Dawnn Karen, a fashion psychologist and branding consultant. Putting aside jokes about never wearing bras or buttons again, retailers are genuinely trying to figure out how lasting the impact of COVID-19 will be on consumers shopping and fashion habits. [...]
By now, many students have likely been informed of how their colleges and universities plan to handle the upcoming fall semester. While many students are back on campus, other higher education institutions opted for fully online models or a hybrid of both modalities. However, with so much unknown about the duration of the pandemic and [...]
In an effort to manage their readers’ shopping experience from beginning to end, BuzzFeed has partnered with commerce platform Bonsai to launch an ecommerce experience that eliminates the middleman, and helps BuzzFeed drive revenue.“What we’ve seen through the ongoing pandemic is the benefit of diversifying our commerce capabilities in the same way we’ve diversified our business [...]
As America heads into the sixth month of quarantines and social distancing, the impact of changing social behaviors continues to be felt across industries, including streaming habits. Twitch, a streaming app primarily for gamers, has logged 5 billion hours watched in Q2 and seen a 2,662% increase year-over-year (YOY). Notably, the most popular channel on [...]
Twitter recently began beta testing “branded likes,” which encourage Twitter users to share and like hashtag campaigns with a bit of extra visual bling from brands. “We know that some of the best brand moments deserve a little spark and delight,” said a Twitter spokesperson.What Are Branded Likes?AdAge explains, “Brands choose hashtags that can trigger [...]
Shoppable entertainment, the merging of commerce and creative streaming and video content, is gaining momentum, particularly as consumers get increasingly comfortable with ecommerce solutions. Brands that are open to new ecommerce innovations like shoppable entertainment can reach new users by offering seamless buying opportunities that appeal to younger, dialed-in consumers increasingly looking for ways to [...]
Google has added lead form extensions to YouTube, giving advertisers another outlet for capturing leads and reaching customers. Google began offering lead form extensions for search campaigns last year and has now expanded the lead generation feature to include other Google products and services, including YouTube and Discovery campaigns. From Google: “Lead forms help advertisers [...]
The pandemic has led to many changes, including where consumers eat and how they get their food. Full-service restaurants, in particular, have struggled, while quick-service restaurants, though initially impacted by closings and consumer concerns about safety, have bounced back over the summer. For example, McDonald’s, which initially saw a 19% sales drop in April, is [...]
Lately, the rise of ecommerce and how brands sell their products and services is a story told with Shopify as a central character. Shopify, which describes itself as “one platform with all the ecommerce and point of sale features you need to start, run and grow your business,” has had a meteoric rise, with revenues [...]
ViacomCBS will launch a new ad platform this fall, EyeQ, that will unify and streamline the purchase of ad inventory across all its channels. The launch comes as ViacomCBS debuts its new unified digital service for the first time, including CBS All Access, Pluto TV and Viacom Video. “This [Viacom CBS EyeQ ad platform] fundamentally represents [...]
Corona, the beer, has had a strange few months since the same-named pandemic swept the world. However, sales of Corona have been strong, and the beer’s partnership with rapper Snoop Dogg, announced in March, came to fruition last week with the release of several new commercials kicking off the beer brand’s new “La Vida Más [...]
Although the podcast industry has seen some ups and downs during the pandemic, in 2020, digital audio is projected to overtake radio as the most-listened to audio format. To leverage this growing audio audience, Google has introduced a new ad creation tool, Audio Mixer, and several new audio advertising options in Google Ad Manager, including [...]
In late May, when racial justice uprisings sprang up around the country, many brands joined in the outcry for racial equality, including more diverse workplaces and more inclusive advertising. 2020 didn’t mark the first time brands and advertisers committed to being more diverse. But often in the past, pledges to do better fell short or were [...]
The digital convenience store isn’t a new concept. Back in the late 1990s, during the first online boom, Kozmo famously promised the world delivered in under an hour. Kozmo also went out of business. But times have changed, and one silver lining of the pandemic for delivery businesses has been a massive uptick in usage [...]
According to Facebook, low usage and duplication of certain targeting categories has led the social media platform to remove over 1,000 of its ad targeting options. Why Is Facebook Removing Ad Targeting Options? Targeting is an essential tool for marketers, so it’s somewhat unusual for a platform as significant as Facebook to limit ad targeting [...]
Over the course of the last six months, consumer behaviors and needs have shifted because of the unforeseen circumstances of COVID-19. Few people grasped or could have planned for such a life-changing event, but a silver lining of the pandemic is consumers realizing the importance of financial planning, including life insurance. This increased demand, and [...]
CVS Pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Health, has rolled out CVS Media Exchange (CMX), a platform designed to help advertisers more effectively reach new and existing customers across channels.How Does The CVS Media Exchange Work?In order to gain a competitive advantage in the retail digital advertising space, CMX will use the decades of first [...]
Throughout COVID-19, visual commerce has become increasingly popular as brands realize how beneficial it is for ecommerce. The visual marketing tactic can include everything from video content to augmented reality. Consumers are more and more willing to forgo brick-and-mortar experiences if they can have meaningful engagement through visual commerce, with Retail Customer Experience noting, “The [...]
It’s election season. And, while it may seem the campaigns have been going on for years, it’s actually crunch time with both conventions complete and candidates increasing their outreach ahead of Election Day on November 3rd. The rise of digital, both as a fundraising and organizing tool, has become particularly important during the pandemic with [...]
Among the many consumer buying trends that took place during the last six months, the rise in alcohol sales surprised few people. Beer, wine and spirits sales were all up during the pandemic, and some newer entries in the alcohol sector, canned cocktails, seltzers and flavored malt beverages (FMBs), saw triple digit sales growth year-over-year. [...]
In an effort to create an enhanced digital shopping experience, Stop & Shop is sunsetting Peapod and introducing a new ecommerce platform and a revamped loyalty program, Stop & Shop GO Rewards. The impact of COVID-19 on grocery delivery has been significant, and many grocery retailers have taken steps recently to update their ecommerce capabilities [...]
As the world edges ever closer to a post-pandemic reality, brands that have embraced digital strategies are likely to be more prepared to meet evolved consumer behaviors that stick around in the new normal. In light of current trends, direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing and sales strategies have recently been embraced by several major CPG brands. In [...]
Many consumer packaged goods (CPG) are heritage brands that have been around for decades and have gone through numerous brand iterations. And, though many consumers are loyal to heritage brand products, it can be difficult for some heritage brands to resonate with younger consumers and feel relevant in today’s market. Over the last several years, during [...]
Although the global book publishing industry has seen some decline due to pandemic related shutdowns, a recent market report, the Book Publishers Global Market Report 2020-30: COVID-19 Impact and Recovery by Research And Markets, found that the book publishing industry is expected to “grow at a CAGR of 2% from 2021 and reach $91.4 billion [...]
During COVID-19, education marketing can be a challenge for colleges and universities that need to encourage enrollment in their programs without appearing insensitive. For higher education institutions that need to accurately relay shifting COVID-19 strategies, while still also reassuring parents and students that academics and student life are a priority, deploying positive, inclusive and informative [...]
2020 is a year that will be discussed for a long, long time. The world has changed, and many industries have transformed how they do business, scale revenues and reach consumers. A recent global report from Accenture concluded that one of the latest implications of the recent societal and economic changes is the ushering in [...]
“Your avatar looks just like you!” is a compliment unique to the times we live in. Avatars have become a popular way, similar to emojis, for friends to communicate on social media platforms, and many brands have embraced the customizable, digitized personas and are using them in marketing campaigns. Once only a part of gaming, avatars [...]
Advertisers who use Microsoft Audience Network now have the opportunity to “research the right targeting, budgets and bids to maximize results” without running a test campaign, with Microsoft’s Audience Network Planner.What Is The Microsoft Audience Network Planner?According to Microsoft, once an advertiser has selected their target audience the Microsoft Audience Network Planner allows them to [...]
The end of summer is quickly approaching, which can only mean one thing: The holidays are coming.Like so many other milestones many of us had previously taken for granted, this year’s holidays will be different because of COVID-19. The impact the pandemic has had on the ability to gather and celebrate affects many holiday traditions, [...]
The recent surge in ecommerce shopping because of COVID-19 has led to increased volume for couriers like FedEx, UPS and the USPS. With the holiday season quickly approaching, all three couriers have announced surcharges that retailers will have to reckon with through smart digital strategies and consumer outreach. It is likely that “online retailers will be [...]
It’s never too early to start humming holiday tunes. Ok, it may be a touch early for Silver Bells, but a little holiday prognosticating, especially considering the unique holiday season on the horizon, is always welcome. Our team of marketing minds here at Digital Media Solutions (DMS) has taken a look at 2019 holiday shopping [...]
On September 2, LinkedIn Pages rolled out three new features. According to LinkedIn, the addition of the new features on LinkedIn Pages makes it easier for page administrators to “connect their employees, highlight upcoming events and gain invaluable insights about their brand’s followers.” What Do The New Features On LinkedIn Pages Offer?The new LinkedIn Pages features [...]
Google has updated its search terms reports to include only terms searched by a significant number of users. This could leave some advertiser’s without a full picture of which search terms are working, particularly since Google has released minimal details about the change.What Changes Is Google Making To Search Term Reports?According to Google’s original update [...]
There are 117 million voice assistant users in the U.S. right now, with that number predicted to grow. And, the comfort consumers have with voice assistants like Alexa, Google Home and Apple’s Siri has led to a rise in voice-powered advertising. Several brands have recently partnered with NBCUniversal to launch voice-powered ads on the network’s [...]
Facebook continues to try new ways to integrate news into the Facebook platform, creating better experiences for users and publishers. Recently, Facebook started testing a new account linking tool that links users Facebook accounts with their news subscriptions, removing content consumption hurdles.How Will The New Facebook Feature That Links User Accounts With News Subscriptions Work?Anthony [...]
Anyone that lives with a teenager is very likely to be texted many, many TikTok videos every day. And, these videos usually feature, in addition to people doing dumb things, animals doing dumb things (or cute things and sometimes wearing clothes). When humans are looking for laughs or pick-me-ups, animals and babies are often a [...]
Reaching consumers at a local level isn’t just for mom and pop stores. Major businesses like Chipotle and Walmart rely on effectively connecting with consumers in the communities where their businesses are. Unfortunately, according to a new survey from Forrester, The Localized Marketing Imperative, 77% of surveyed multinational brands find it very challenging to execute [...]
In June, Apple announced that substantive privacy changes are coming with the release of the new iOS 14 operating system, specifically to the “identification for advertisers, or IDFA” code used by app developers for tracking user behaviors, similar to cookies. Although Apple has delayed the new privacy settings until 2021, questions remain about why Apple [...]
It’s almost time to start thinking about holiday shopping, making lists and checking them twice. And, if ecommerce retailers have anything to do with it, holiday shopping will start sooner than ever, with Wayfair and Amazon kicking off their “retail holidays” in the next several weeks. Although Amazon is undoubtedly the retailer to beat this [...]
The release of the IAB 2020/21 COVID Impact on Advertising survey found that the digital media spend for the full year (FY) is expected to grow 6%, despite a decline in growth for the broader ad market.What Areas Of Digital Advertising Spend Are Expected To Grow In 2020?Of the digital advertising categories with a positive [...]