While most experiential marketing activations provide valuable opportunities for brands and consumers to connect in a real-time setting, the ones that fail generate the lion’s share of attention and create unnecessary fear around high-profile events. In order to begin a new project with your best foot forward, marketers must do recon on the program, client…
For much of the last century, girls have found themselves in an ongoing struggle to have their innate talents recognized and valued on the same level as their guy counterparts. Teen boys were revered for their physical strength, their athletic prowess and their courageous spirit while teen girls were pushed to the background and patted…
The rise of influencer marketing can be credited to the fact that the most impactful advertising comes from the people in our lives. With reports like Nielsen’s Global Trust in Advertising saying that 83 percent of people trust the recommendations of friends and family over traditional ads, it’s no wonder influencer marketing has emerged as…
As predicted, Cyber Week 2018 delivered good news for retailers. The period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday brought increased sales across the industry, fueling a promising start to holiday shopping. What’s behind this sales boost? We saw four trends playing a big role. Promotions are getting longer One-day doorbuster sales are out; multi-day shopping is…
History has given us many storied accounts of competition: Coca-Cola versus Pepsi; Apple versus Microsoft; Marvel versus DC; Starbucks versus Dunkin. The ferocity of rivalry competition has propelled entire industries and the economy forward as the underdog is forced to innovate to get ahead. There’s only one number one, while the remaining 99.9 percent of…
Paris is burning. Well, not quite, but as I’m sure you’ve seen, a proposed new tax on fuel recently sparked demonstrations and sporadic riots, fanned by discontent over stagnant salaries and rising social charges. Among the targets of the Yellow Vest movement were the city’s luxury stores, a potent symbol of the gap between the…
It’s been said that sunlight is the best disinfectant, which is true, especially in advertising where clients are holding ad agencies’ feet to the fire, demanding clarity and transparency in the business arrangements between them. For media agencies, transparency remains an important and controversial issue. With most agencies running an opaque and non-transparent business model–and…
Influencers and anything social media are the words du jour in brand building. Brands are clamoring to create branded connections via tactics like Instagrammable moments or encouraging their users to be visible brand ambassadors in an effort to drive awareness. But most social media is ephemeral. Snapping a quick picture creates a momentary spark that…
When it comes to the movie box office, bright spots like Ralph Breaks the Internet, Creed II and A Star Is Born are lifting the spirits and fortunes of Hollywood studios. It is much-needed good news as theater attendance continues to decline. In the U.S. and Canada, fewer people went to the movies in 2017…
Everyone knows there’s a gender gap in esports when it comes to female pro players on the biggest stages, but are we neglecting a bigger and more critical audience? Female fans have traditionally been given the cold shoulder by brands investing in esports. and evidence shows it’s time for that to change. Each week, another…
To stand out, brands need to be meaningful. Maybe in 2018 that doesn’t come as a surprise to advertising and marketing professionals, however, what may be surprising is the number of brands that remain irrelevant. Recent data from the 2018 Meaningful Brands study shows that people wouldn’t care if 87 percent of brands disappeared. Despite…
This past weekend, pop star Ariana Grande released the companion music video for her chart-topping hit “Thank U, Next,” creating the sort of mass-market cultural event that has become increasingly rare since the heyday of MTV. The video, a tribute to popular female-led movies from the early 2000s, quickly surpassed YouTube’s all-time record for most…
Despite widespread public interest in blockchain applications and a significant rise in the number of blockchain startups, the technology has yet to make a dramatic impact on the advertising industry. In a recent survey of 300 agency executives, only 11 percent reported using blockchain in their media buys, while nearly half said they had no…
Google’s sudden ban on cryptocurrency ads sent shockwaves through the industry last spring. In a reversal in October, Google announced it would roll back part of its ban. While there is still additional scrutiny on the cryptocurrency space, this is yet another sign of broad acceptance. The original ban was announced in March after a…
In today’s marketing and advertising industry, data is part of every conversation, every pitch and every plan. Now that we all agree that the inclusion of data is table stakes, the conversation must go beyond simply acknowledging the need for it or claiming the possession of it. The right conversation is about where it comes…
Ecommerce was once hailed as the future of retail, but at present, online retailers face growing amounts of competition due to low barriers of entry and high expectations for on-demand shopping. They are continually challenged with redefining their competitive advantage, which often means lowering prices, offering free shipping or exploring niche product markets. That is…
If you watched the Super Bowl in 2016, you might recall the Amazon commercial depicting a party hosted by Alec Baldwin, who wowed guests by ordering a then-obscure cylinder-shaped object to help him create a festive ambiance. “Alexa, turn on the music,” he commanded. With that, voice emerged as an exciting new user interface, rife…
In a year of escalating Twitter battles, the #MeToo movement and increasing anxiety spurred by heated political climates worldwide, a digital time-out seems increasingly appealing. As we dug into research supporting our annual Fjord Trends report (launching Dec. 11), this theme was pervasive. Consumers are reclaiming the headspace they’ve lost to the digital din, resetting…
Data is rapidly emerging as the next frontier in design. Nearly every designer today works with it, and it increasingly plays a role in nearly every part of the creative workflow. And creative professionals are taking notice. Based on a survey conducted last year, more than half of creatives say that at least 75 percent…
Believe it or not, Gen Z is entering its prime working years. The 13- to 24-year-old cohort’s spending power is estimated at somewhere between $29 billion and $143 billion, easily eclipsing that of the millennial generation. But marketers trying to make Gen Z grab their wallets can’t default to the marketing tactics that worked with…
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