Social Media Trends to Look Out For in 2018

According to Adweek, there are five social media trends that will be essential to reaching key audiences in 2018.

1.      Short-lived content

As evidenced by the popularity of Snapchat, content that is only available for 24 hours or less is great for catching the attention of millennial and gen Z audiences. Engaging creative is essential for this strategy as it needs to catch the eye quickly.

2.      Utilize storytelling and influencers

Relating to consumers through either a persona or influencer helps boost engagement. According to Adweek, “45 percent of people who buy on the internet are affected by the opinions of other people”.

3.      Chat bots

The popular software application has been utilized by large companies to help with customer service. Timely and polite responses to questions benefit both the customer and the business.

4.      Livestreaming

Channels such as Facebook Live and Agora allow businesses to interact with audiences while broadcasting. Facebook Live videos can even be boosted to reach a larger audience.

5.      Artificial Intelligence

It has been proven that consumers are more likely to engage with social media posts that include images. Artificial intelligence allows marketers to search for posts that relate to their brands which can then be reposted. 

Deceleration of TV Ad Sales

As television ad sales slow, terms such as “cord-cutters” and “cord-nevers” are being used more and more frequently. According to eMarketer, viewers are moving to alternative platforms quicker than expected.

The rise of subscription services allow users to access channels such as HBO and ESPN without ever having to pay for cable.  On top of this, digital platforms now offer live TV channels, including sports, and the amount of time viewers consume digital video has increased 9.3% this year.

In 2017, an estimated 196.3 million adults in the United States will watch pay TV. eMarketer predicts that by 2021, this number will drop 10 percent to 181.7 million.

Although television ad spending in the U.S. is up from 2016, the share of total media ad spend is decreasing.

Many broadcast networks utilize digital platforms to reach delayed viewers. Despite this strategy, “the bulk of ad revenue continues to come from linear viewing”. 

Realistic Advertising With IKEA

IKEA’s commercials have gotten a lot of industry buzz for their portrayal of the “honest” side of life. Rather than portraying perfect families in their shiny homes, the “Where Life Happens” campaign features relatable situations, such as adoption or divorce.

In the latest IKEA Sweden spot, a mother comes home to an apartment full of messy teenagers. She is overwhelmed and takes refuge on the apartment’s balcony. It is only after a heartwarming turn of events that IKEA products, with prices, are presented.

You can watch the spot here.

So why do these ads garner so much attention from industry insiders and consumers alike?

Everything, from the 4:3 aspect ratio to the simple yet moving music, works to build a consistent voice that carries from one ad to the next. As Matt Tanter, CSO of Grey London, says, “they have found a voice that uses a magical realism to create beautiful, funny, moving stories.”

The touch of reality and consistent voice help IKEA’s ads stand out amongst the clutter. This strategy can be utilized by other brands to increase likeability and brand recall.

Natural Inspiration for Billboard Creative

This week’s eclipse gave brands an opportunity to capitalize on nature with themed advertisements. But it doesn’t need to be a once-every-few-years natural occurrence in order to serve as inspiration for marketers.

Something as simple as the day’s weather conditions can be utilized in campaigns such as Paramount Pictures’ promotion of the “Baywatch” movie. As reported by Media Life Magazine, Paramount Pictures ran a digital billboard campaign with Lamar Advertising that used current weather conditions to automatically update their ads.

If it was snowing, the ad would read, “Snow sucks. Summer is coming.” And if it was icy or temperatures were below zero, the ad would update to, “Frost bites. Summer is coming.” These small adjustments helped the ads remain “relevant and interesting”.

This campaign was also unique in the choice of markets in which to run. Rather than the top 10 DMAs, the 16 coldest U.S. markets were chosen. “This allows for the creative relevant messaging to really speak to the audience in a unique way when they’re longing for warm weather,” says Ian Dallimore, Lamar Advertising’s director of digital strategy and innovation.

With only a month left of summer, it’s time for marketers to consider how interactive and relevant messaging can boost the effectiveness of their campaigns.

Gen Z: A Unique Challenge

It’s back to school season and as Gen Zers head to college, marketers are realizing that they present a unique challenge. Ilyse Liffreing of Digiday reports that, while often grouped with millennials, Gen Zers are at “different life stages, care about completely different things and need to be programmed for and communicated to entirely differently.”

This realization has spurred an effort by agencies to begin researching this audience. Characterized by a progressive ideology and short attention span, Gen Z is very digitally savvy, having never known life without internet access. This generation also saw their parents go through a recession, in turn affecting their own purchasing behaviors.

Agencies and brands “are bulking up their own Gen Z expertise.” In order to help brands establish a connection, the Day One Agency created a website where Gen Zers answer questions covering various topics and the NFL partnered with AwesomenessTV for a series targeting Gen Z fans.

Sony Music Entertainment even created its own video production company, called Astronauts Wanted, to reach Gen Z. When asked what sets this group apart, Christine Murphy, Astronauts Wanted’s svp of branded entertainment, said, “They kind of have this heightened sense of intuition… and they really are progressive.”

 It is estimated that by 2020, Gen Z will number 2.6 billion and have an annual purchasing power of $44 billion. It would be wise for marketers to begin differentiating between millennials and Gen Z.

The Argument for Awareness

Back in the day, the primary goal of advertisers was to raise awareness for their brands. In recent years, the focus of advertising has shifted to engagement, but it may be beneficial for brands to go old-school and once again drive awareness.

Now that consumers are engaging with various media all day every day, it can be hard for advertisers to break through the clutter and be noticed. In Adweek, Brian Sheehan makes the argument that advertising is no longer about persuading consumers but rather about being remembered.

Oftentimes it is the most innovative brands that receive the most attention. Advertising becomes similar to publicity for disruptive brands such as Tesla Motors, “the most valuable car company in the world despite being one of the smallest in sales volume.” T-Mobile also cultivates awareness with near constant innovation, making it “one of the hardest brands to compete with in the telecom world.”

Driving awareness from the bottom up has also been a successful strategy for companies such as Blue Apron and Glossier. These brands have demonstrated that they understand what consumers share and recommend to each other.

Considering the current cluttered advertising landscape, it would be wise for advertisers to make awareness their primary objective again rather than engagement.

Introduction to Podcast Advertising

If you are a listener of podcasts, you have probably heard advertisements for everything from mattresses to food delivery services. Although podcasts have existed for over a decade, many marketers are unfamiliar with the advertising opportunities associated with the medium.

Podcasts are unique in the delivery of the advertisements. Most podcast hosts read the copy points themselves and the length of time spent promoting the product varies. The audience is more engaged since they have to opt-in to the medium.

A study done by comScore found that podcast ads were considered to be the least intrusive, and listeners tend to take action after hearing an ad. NPR reports that “75 percent of podcast listeners take action on a sponsored message.”

As an advertising medium, podcasts are expected to grow exponentially. Steven Goldstein, CEO of Amplifi Media, said podcasts’ “’live reads and limited commercial loads are attractive” to advertisers. 

Advertising Market Predictions Through 2021

Every year, Price Waterhouse releases their Entertainment & Media Outlook report with advertising market predictions through 2021.

Since last year’s report, online advertising has overtaken television by about $15 billion. By 2021, the online advertising market is estimated to be 50% larger than TV and has a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9%.

Mobile has the largest share of online ad spend and accounts for 71% of all internet consumption, as reported by Digiday. Fueled by social video, “mobile advertising is projected to grow by an annual average of 18.7% from 2016 through 2021”.  

Television advertising spend is growing slowly and is expected to reach 38.8% share of the market in 2021. Its low CAGR of 1.3% is due in part to declining viewership, a trend driven by younger demographics. Marketing Charts reports that this decline is not only due to cord-cutting but also the fact that 18-24 year olds are watching less traditional television.

With both the magazine and radio markets remaining flat, the only market expected to see a decline in revenues by 2021 is newspaper advertising. Despite loyal readership, the newspaper market revenues are expected to drop by $4.6 billion between 2017 and 2021. 

Most Improved Brands Among Millennials

In the results of a recent survey released by the public-perception research firm, YouGov BrandIndex, millennials reveal which brands were the most successful in gaining their patronage. Although some of the brands are not so surprising, others, including brands considered to be traditional, stand out from the list.

The rise of the sharing economy puts Uber at the top of the list, despite public relations woes plaguing the company. Chase also occupies the list at No. 13, prompting Ted Marzilli, CEO of YouGov BrandIndex, to say, “ethics are good, but price and convenience carry the day”.

Traditional brands can also be found in the top 20. The presence of Puma, Delta Airlines, Visa, Adidas, and Ace Hardware show the value millennials place in adaptability. However, it’s important to realize why these brands make the list. These “graybeards” so to speak, aren’t popular for their nostalgia but rather for their ability to stay relevant and adapt to current times.

Another head scratcher on the list is number five, TLC, which dates back to the 1970’s. However, the network has gone through several facelifts to evolve from an education-oriented channel to a source of entertainment filled with Honey Boo Boo and shows like, “My Fat Saved My Life”. 

Reaching Communities Through Mobile Advertising

The Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity had the who’s who in advertising and communications flocking to France last week. The festival presented an opportunity for marketers to share insights and new innovations as participants waited to hear who would be awarded a prestigious Lion award.

Facebook’s COO, Sheryl Sandberg, and Airbnb’s CMO, Jonathan Mildenhall, presented on the growth of global communities and how marketers can reach them through mobile advertising.

The trend in marketing has been to move away from selling a product or service and instead connect the consumer with a community. Airbnb especially relies on the idea of community as it utilizes technology to connect people in real life. “Without our community there is no Airbnb, there is no brand,” says Mildenhall.

To effectively reach these communities, Sandberg says brands need to create attention-grabbing native mobile ads with “thumb-stopping creative”. With Facebook and Instagram, advertisers are able to test an ad’s performance while maintaining the ability to change out creative if the desired results are not achieved.

Noteworthy campaigns often combine multiple mobile elements. The “New Year, New Roads” campaign for Chevy used video and chatbot among other platforms to connect with consumers.  

Airbnb has seen significant benefits to investing in its own community with user-generated content receiving six times more engagement than advertising video on social media.

“At the end of the day,” says Sandberg, “this (ad) community’s job is to drive our businesses. Explain our purpose, but also drive sales.”  

What Verizon’s Acquisition of Yahoo Means for Marketers

For marketers looking to expand beyond Google and Facebook, Verizon’s new subsidiary, Oath, will offer improved targeting and measurement. Through its merging of Yahoo and AOL, Oath will benefit from the advertising capabilities of both companies as well as Verizon’s subscriber data.

The focus on content brands, such as HuffPost and Tumblr, will set Oath apart in the digital advertising space. These content brands will soon be “automatically available on the ‘decktop’ of Verizon subscribers’ phones”.

Oath plans to focus its growth beyond the United States by targeting key markets and possibly acquiring more companies. Tim Armstrong, CEO of AOL, stated the goal is for Oath to double its consumer base by 2020.

Verizon bought AOL in 2015 for $4.4 billion and recently acquired Yahoo for $4.5 billion. eMarketer estimated Verizon and Yahoo will generate a combined $4.7 billion in digital ad revenue this year.

News coverage around Verizon’s acquisition of Yahoo has focused primarily on the resignation of Marissa Mayer as well as Yahoo’s plans to lay off 2,100 workers. The Wall Street Journal reports that most of the job cuts will occur where there are duplicate roles and teams.

From the marketing perspective, however, Oath represents an opportunity for digital advertising to grow. 

Header Bidding: The Trendy Programmatic Technique

Most digital advertisers have been familiar with programmatic selling for a while but may just now be hearing of header bidding. As the newest trend in programmatic, header bidding has the potential to help both advertisers and publishers.

According to Digiday, header bidding is a technique which allows for multiple bids on the same inventory. This increases the yield for publishers and provides more data points for advertisers.

According to Technorati CEO, Shanie Higgins, “the entire idea of this system is to eliminate the need for pushing inventory back and forth, which is inefficient and wasteful”. While header bidding does help to streamline the programmatic process, it comes with a significant drawback.

By adding yet another SSP tag to their page, a publisher risks raising their page load times. Page latency has helped fuel the popularity of ad blockers in recent years.

While the header bidding technique is not perfect, publishers greatly benefit from the increased transparency and revenue. With programmatic ad spend estimated to reach $37.9 billion by 2018, the chance of more revenue is worth the risk and inconvenience for many publishers.

In response to the recent popularity of header bidding, Google has released exchange bidding in Dynamic Allocation for publisher testing. According to The Programmatic Publisher, Facebook’s Audience Network has also integrated with tech partners for header bidding. 

Key Takeaways from the Internet Trends Report

From YouTube’s decreasing share of mobile traffic to the personalization of voice-activated devices, the newly released Internet Trends report offers unique insight into the digital advertising industry. Thanks to Adweek, marketers do not need to read through the 355-page report for the key takeaways.

1)    Dip in Smartphone Sales

In 2016, smartphones saw not only a decrease in sales but also in user-base growth. Globally 2.8 billion people own smartphones. While they remain extremely popular, the user-base only grew by 12 percent in 2016 compared to 25 percent in 2015.

2)    Increased Time Spent on Mobile

Adults spend an average of 5.6 hours per day consuming digital media. The majority of that time (3.1 hours) is spent on mobile devices while desktops account for 2.2 hours. The remaining 0.4 hours come from other devices.

3)    Internet vs. TV Ad Spend

The total Internet ad spend is growing faster than television ad spend, and 85 percent of Internet ad spend is through Google and Facebook. Compared to its 2015 ad revenue, Facebook experienced a 62 percent growth in 2016.

4)    Voice is the Next Frontier

Between the fourth quarter of 2016 and the first of 2017, Amazon’s voice-enabled assistant, Echo, gained 3 million users. With its increasing personalization, voice and visual recognition are considered to be the “next frontiers in search and discovery” by Photon’s VP of marketing, Michael Levine.

5)    Ad Blocking on the Rise

With about 640 million devices utilizing ad blockers in 2016, marketers have the right to remain wary of the software.

Gen Z and the Future of Television Advertising

In an effort to understand the future of television advertising, Tremor Video and Hulu partnered on a study to research the viewing habits of Generation Z compared to Millennials and Gen X. Gen Z is not only watching less television than their forebears but how they choose to access shows and movies is unique.

Even the language differentiates generations. The vast majority of Gen X say “watching TV” means access through cable or satellite whereas the majority of Millennials and Gen Z consider watching by an online source to qualify.

The reliance on streaming videos allows Gen Z to watch more at one time than through traditional cable or satellite. As reported in “How Gen Z Connects to TV: Exploring the Generational Divide in the Future of TV”, 60% of Gen Z watch multiple episodes in one sitting compared to just 44% of Gen X.

In an interesting twist, Gen Z is actually more receptive to advertisements and are the most likely to share video ads through social media. However, advertisers should be aware that Gen Z expects ads to be relevant to what they are viewing.

With 48% of Gen Z saying they watch less television than their parents, it would be wise to target ads thoughtfully. By advertising across platforms (48% of Gen Z say they browse social media while watching TV) and reducing ad loads, advertisers can reach Gen Z when it most counts.

Image Recognition and the Future of Targeting

With the rise of Instagram and Pinterest, the Internet has become increasingly visual. While text-based targeting is still relevant, the recent shift in how consumers use the Web has brought image recognition technology to the forefront.

Companies, such as Cluep in Toronto, have developed engines to scan public images, recognize a brand or product, and then determine the consumers’ interests or lifestyles. This presents an amazing opportunity for advertisers.

The CEO and co-founder of Cluep, Karan Walia, reports that even beta tests of the platform are receiving significant increases in conversions and click-through rates.

Coca-Cola utilized an image recognition engine for a recent Gold Peak campaign. By serving ads to Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter users who had posted photos containing iced tea, Gold Peak creative click-through rates increased four times their usual rate.

Image recognition allows brands to not only target potential consumers but also research their lifestyles and preferences. DigitasLBi, the digital agency for Miller Lite, scanned Instagram for photos containing beer to provide a new perspective on beer drinkers. 

Even Pinterest has tapped into image recognition technology. For the past year, Pinterest’s related pins have been selected based on visual similarities to previous pins.

Digiday reports that while many social platforms do not allow advertisers to utilize their image recognition capabilities, brands can still drive sales through image-based targeting by partnering with companies that have their own engines and servers.

The Power of Data and Transparency in Media Buying and Planning

Adweek released its list of the 15 Most Innovative Agency Executives in Media Buying and Planning this week. The detailed list not only highlights the extraordinary qualities of the honored individuals but also the challenges of media buying and planning strategy in a rapidly evolving industry.

The rise and fall of various advertising formats has created a challenge for media buyers and planners. This becomes especially problematic when tools traditionally used for planning, such as Nielsen, lack transparency.

Scott Hagedorn, CEO of Hearts & Science, says of Nielsen, “they might be missing 40 percent of total video, because they’re missing a lot of the OTT data”. As millennials increasingly view content on mobile apps, the lack of streaming data presents a problem even while mobile devices allow for more individualized targeting.

The inclusion of data in creative strategies has helped agencies remain productive during times of change. The vice president of media operations for Horizon Media, Jennifer Dass, describes the most vital data as being, “accurate, actionable, and easily interpreted”.

In recent years, media planners and buyers have evolved into the realm of marketing strategists and the power of change is emphasized throughout Adweek’s article.  Andrea Millett, president of Havas Media New York, says, “I believe strongly in continuing to try new ways of doing things, new models and new iterations in every aspect”.

Transparency between agencies and clients is described as being essential in order to effectively reach target audiences. While this requires a simplification of media strategy at times, the resulting cooperation allows for “both an upper- and lower-funnel approach”.

Whether the campaign is digital, social, traditional, etc., top-notch media buyers and planners utilize individual skills as well as data and creativity to aid clients and consumers on the media journey.

Risks of Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has been a hot topic in the past few months with media companies increasingly hiring influencer managers to help build brands. Influencers can bolster trust between a brand and its consumers but there is risk associated with this strategy.

Anyone who has been online within the past week has probably heard of the Fyre Festival fiasco. What was supposed to be an exotic music festival experience, complete with celebrity endorsements, quickly soured. From the cheese sandwiches and lack of alcohol to the questionable lodgings (literal disaster relief tents) in the Bahamas, the “once-in-a-lifetime musical experience” had guests scrambling to book flights back to the U.S.

Not only does this reflect poorly on the event organizers, including rapper Ja Rule, it also harms the credibility of the celebrity influencers who have been promoting the festival for months. AdWeek reports that it is expected for consumers to be more wary of influencers’ endorsements. So how can brands avoid potential fallout when using influencer marketing?

Devon Wijesinghe, CEO of InsightPool, recommends for brands to develop relationships with influencers rather than simply paying for a product post. Shared values between a brand and an influencer result in more authentic, trustworthy endorsements. Jennifer Aniston’s long-term partnership with Aveeno is an example of a successful celebrity endorsement.

It is important for brands to remember that while an influencer can be paid to promote something, it won’t always have the intended outcome. 

Goodbye To YouTube’s Unskippable 30-Second Ads

Campaign reports that YouTube is moving away from the unskippable, 30-second ad format. By 2018, Google’s video site will completely phase out the long unskippable ads in favor of shorter preroll formats.

According to YouTube, mobile devices account for more than 50 percent of views. A 30-second unskippable ad can have negative effects on a user’s experience when they are watching on a device with a limited data plan.

BI Intelligence’s 2017 Digital Trust survey found that users consider Facebook and YouTube’s ads to be the most annoying.

 In order to improve the user experience, advertisers will have the option of 15- and 20-second unskippable ads instead. The relatively new 6-second bumper ads are also available.

For advertisers who wish for longer preroll options, TrueView ad formats have no time limit but are skippable.

With its increased efficiency, advertisers can expect more changes to their video ad options as Google continues to invest in YouTube. 

Are Instagram Stories Hurting Snapchat?

Since its initial release in 2011, Snapchat has worked to establish itself as a competitor of Facebook. The social media giant released the Instagram Stories feature in response.

As reported by AdWeek, Instagram Stories now has 200 million daily users. When compared to Snapchat’s 158 million daily users, it appears that Instagram Stories is winning the hearts of Millennials. However, new data released by Episode suggests this is not true.

Women aged 13 through 25 make up the majority of users on Snapchat. Episode reports that 69 percent of these women said they do not use Snapchat any less since Instagram Stories was released. So how does Instagram Stories have more daily users?

The key lies in Instagram Stories’ definition of a user. Anyone who either posts a story or clicks on one is considered a user. So an Instagram account with a large following can generate many users with a single Story post.

Despite the addition of Stories to Instagram, Snapchat is far from dead. In fact, seven percent of Episode’s respondents said they still send between 50 and 100 snaps daily. Nine percent send more than 100 snaps per day.

Advertisers should not be so quick to give up on Snapchat as the engaging app maintains its popularity among teenage girls and young women. 

Elements of an Effective Hispanic Marketing Campaign

Even as the U.S. Hispanic population growth is increasingly driven by U.S.-born Hispanics, a recent “Facebook IQ” study found that marketing in Spanish is still important. The study reports that 80% of U.S. Hispanics say they do not feel the need to give up speaking Spanish in order to assimilate into American culture.

This contradicts a recent trend of replacing Multicultural Marketing with an all-encompassing message delivered in a single language. As the number of bilingual Hispanics continues to grow, so do the opportunities for marketers to deliver culturally relevant messages.

When consuming media online, the majority of bilingual Hispanics use Spanish at least half of the time. This stands in opposition to the idea that Spanish becomes less relevant as a Hispanic consumer becomes acculturated.

It is important to note, however, that there is a gap between the ROI of TV ads in English and in Spanish. A Nielsen study found that the ROI of English ads were $0.30 higher than those of Spanish ads.

After an in-depth analysis of these results, Nielsen found that 54% of the Spanish ads actually had equal or higher ROI than the English ads. Several factors were found to increase the effectiveness of these ads:

·        Original Spanish language rather than translations from English ads or voice-overs

·        Humor relevant to Hispanic culture

·        Relatable settings

Ads that incorporated the above elements saw significantly higher ROI than English-language ads.

In order to effectively reach the growing population of U.S. Hispanics, campaigns not only need to incorporate the Spanish language but also culturally relevant messaging.

Digital Tops TV Despite Some Specific Struggles

Ad Age reports that US digital advertising sales surpassed television ad sales for the first time in 2016. Digital sales pulled in $70 billion compared to $67 billion on the more traditional television medium.

Magna, a strategic media forecasting company, reports that television saw a 4.7% increase in 2016 due to the Olympics and the presidential election. However, that growth is expected to settle back into the 3.7% range for 2017. Meanwhile, digital sales are projected to increase 14% in 2017. Magna believes that by the end of 2017 digital advertising sales will pass television in not only the United States, but globally.

With this, digital vendors are under the microscope more than ever before. Big brands like JP Morgan Chase are pulling the plug on their programmatic to avoid their ads being placed on unwanted sites.

Other large companies have had it with video hub, YouTube, as they are unhappy with the videos their ads are paired with. While advertisers understand that ads are placed with algorithms, formulas, and data, users are not quite as informed. Many users believe that the ad aligned with the video they are viewing is purposefully done.

YouTube isn’t taking a front row seat to their slow destruction though. The Google owned company is taking steps to allow advertisers to proactively avoid undesired content. Previously, YouTube had two preventative options to avoid, “sensitive social issues” and “tragedy and conflicts”. Now, YouTube has rolled out options to stay away from content that is, “sexually suggestive”, “sensational and shocking” and “profanity and rough language”.

While this may help advertisers, YouTube seems to be stuck between a rock and a hard place as they’re receiving push back from content creators. YouTube states in a blog post that, “There’s a difference between the free expression that lives on YouTube and the content that brands have told us they want to advertise against”. With this setback, YouTube could potentially lose $750 million this year.

Even with upset brands and algorithm tweaks, digital advertising has a bright future as king of the castle. 

Cinema Advertising Stands Strong

Cinema advertising is often overlooked by many marketing departments and booted from their media mix. Video Advertising Bureau released some data that might make marketing managers change their minds about the big screen.

According to VAB, box office ticket sales saw an eleven percent increase from 2014 to 2016. Perhaps this is due to the rising median household income amounts. From 2010 to 2015, the median HHI has increased from $53,569 to $56,516. With an increase in HHI comes an increase in disposable income which has grown from $11,515 in 2010 to $14,281 in 2016 (referring to personal disposable income).

Demographically, heavy movie goers tend to be young, multicultural, affluent, educated, and professional. The majority of these people are ages 18-44, employed, home-owners, college educated, and making over $50k per year.

So, what’s so special about cinema advertising? Well, beyond the fact that you’re speaking to a captive, engaged, willing audience; cinema advertising drives consumer action. Many steady cinema advertisers like Vans, Shazam, esurance, LG, Infiniti, and Hotels.com see an increase in website activity when cinema is a part of their media mix verses when they’re not on the big screen.

On top of that, consumers are choosing to spend leisure time watching movies at a theater more often than other activities like attending a sporting event, going to the zoo, or having a picnic.

It might be time to rethink that marketing mix and see how your brand on the big screen can make a difference.

Dominate Digital Forces Look to Continue Their Growth

As eMarketer projects digital ad spend/revenue for the next few years, Facebook and Google look to hold onto their top ranks. Ad spend in the United States looks to grow by 15.9% equaling $83 billion in revenue. Both Facebook and Google look to increase their ad share percentages by 32.1 percent and 14.8 percent respectively.

Overall, Google wins the gold by owning 40.7 percent of the US digital ad market with Facebook settling for silver with 19.7 percent. However, when that’s broken down by search and display the tables turn just a bit.

Google still takes home the prize when it comes to search with an estimated $28.5 billion in ad revenue for 2017 (77.8%), but Facebook comes in on top when we’re talking about display. Facebook brings in $16.3 billion in US digital display ad dollars making up 39.1 percent of the market. Both Google’s search and Facebook’s display revenues are expected to continue growing through 2019.

When looking at mobile, the two digital powerhouses combined accumulate for 57 percent of mobile spend with Google acquiring 32.4 percent and Facebook earning 24.6 percent.

The below chart shows multiple digital providers and their ad share percentage projections through 2019 while focusing specifically on digital mobile ad revenue.

Snap Inc., the inventors of Snapchat, is expected to see the most dramatic increase over the next few years. However, their share is still small and far from the dominating digital forces.

Other platforms like Twitter, Yahoo, and Yellow Pages are expected to decline in the near future. 

Making the Most of Email Marketing

Email marketing – when executed correctly – can be a huge success for any marketing campaign. Seamas Egan, Associate Director of Revenue Operations at Campaigner, digs into the art of email and provides three tips to making the most of your email marketing.

1.     Subject line

Subject lines of an email provide a teaser to the recipient and is ultimately what makes them decide to open or delete your email. In fact, thirty-three percent of recipients report the subject line to be the only factor in deciding whether they will open a marketing email or not. Subject lines should be personalized with either the recipient’s name or the words “you” or “your” to establish a personal connection. Numbers can also be used to help your subject line stand out and create a sense of urgency. Subject lines should also be under 30 characters as sixty-six percent of emails in today’s society are opened via mobile device.

2.     Past purchasers

Segment your email lists based on purchase behavior and target specifically those who have converted with your business on prior occasions. This information will help you send emails that are not only personalized, but directly targeted at the recipient’s interests.

3.     Frequency

Just remember the Goldilocks and the Three Bears – too hot… too cold… just right! You don’t want to annoy your customers with too many marketing emails, but you also don’t want them to forget your brand. It’s important to strike the right balance to keep your product at the top of customers’ minds while not overwhelming them. A good way to test your frequency is by some A/B testing; compare separate emails lists with different frequency levels to discover a happy medium.

When email marketing is done right, it’s a huge success. In fact, 91% of Americans say they like receiving marketing emails. Consumers frequently complain about marketing and how advertisements “obstructs their task”, but in the email space, marketing is actually welcomed. 

Back to Basics with Generation Z

As Generation Z grows into young adults who hold a little bit of spending power, marketers are eager to see how their path to purchase compares to the generations preceding them. Since Gen Z is technology savvy, one would assume that their behavior would revolve around the digital world.

However, a study conducted by Accenture shows something a little different.

Older Gen Z consumers (ages 18-20) actually prefer purchasing at physical brick and mortar locations. In fact, 77% of older Gen Z consumers would rather purchase in-store.

When compared with Millennials, Gen Z shoppers lead the way with in-store and mobile shopping while Millennials still lead when it comes to desktop and tablet.

The difference being, Generation Z consumers are influenced greatly by social media on what to purchase. In fact, 72% of US Gen Z survey participants said they want to make purchases directly from social media. Half of the participants said that social media inspires them to purchase products, and one third of respondents have increased their use of social platforms specifically to inform their decision-making within the past year; as shown by the chart below.

Going beyond social media, Gen Z consumers are open to developing shopping methods like voice-activated ordering (45%), curated subscriptions (77%), and automatic replenishment (66%). 

Jill Standish, senior managing director at Accenture, says, “I think the key takeaway for marketers is you have to be listening in social media. You’ve got to be there, and you’ve got to be inspiring.”

The Back and Forth of Marketing Strategies

When I was a kid, my favorite piece of equipment on the playground was the teeter-totter. My goal was always to find someone who could balance the scale so that we would both be elevated a foot or two above the ground. In an interesting way, the world of marketing mirrors that playground activity.

Andy Sippel writes an article for AdWeek titled, “Reach is the New Black: Advertising’s Mass Reawakening”. Sippel looks at two sides of marketing: mass reach and precise niche targeting of specific people.

While specifically targeting the single soccer mom with two kids aged 7-10 who brings in $80k per year in the Kansas City DMA might sound perfect for your advertising plan, it shouldn’t be the only strategy for your campaign. In fact, Procter & Gamble CMO, Marc Pritchard, announced that his brands “were stagnant due to targeting too narrowly on Facebook”.

Big picture being: throwing all your eggs in one basket won’t work. Advertising doesn’t flourish as we would like when it’s limited to one medium. Sippel reports that, “in 2011, there was nearly a 100-point difference in net ‘plan to spend’ optimism between the highest and lowest media” however, advertisers are seeing the flaw in that thinking and, “last year, the difference compressed to only 42 points.”

Along those lines, the digital world is unable to form a regular audience build comparable to that of television or even radio. When people routinely tune-in to their favorite programs, a loyal audience forms amongst viewers that is unique to the delivery method of your ad.

Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) recommends three “smart-spending action steps” for advertisers who might find themselves stuck on the uneven teeter-totter.

1.      Invest in multiple platforms rather than shifting money from one to the next

2.      Add traditional media to your digital investments to maximum ROI

3.      Spend to reach millennials on traditional and new media – and not just mobile

ARF even recommends spending roughly 71-78% of budget on traditional media and 22-29% on digital (based on a $15 million budget).

So, don’t get caught on the high or low end of the advertising teeter-totter; instead, return to the media mix and reach your audience in more ways than one. The more roads your deliver your message on, the more your brand will succeed. 

Gen X Surpass Millennials in Social Media Usage

Surprisingly enough, Millennials are not the strongest social media users of the bunch. That’s right, according to Nielsen; Generation X (ages 35-49) spends the most time on social media at nearly 7 hours per week.

Millennials do fall in second place with over 6 hours on social media weekly. Across gender lines, females spend 25% of online time on social media while men only reach the 19% mark.

Sean Casey, President of Nielsen Social states that 39% of heavy social users believe that finding out about products and services is an important reason for using social networks.

Thirty-five percent of heavy social users say that special discounts are important and 29% say supporting their favorite brands or companies is important.

On top of that, women are likely to interact with social and television simultaneously. 

Sixty-one percent of unique Facebook users who discuss television on the social network are female.

Generation X females may be the best people to target with a mix of television and social.