Marketers Search For Practical Tech to Boost ROI Amid Economic Flux
The Consumer Electronics Show, the tech industry’s premier trade event, is famous for its sampling of flashy gadgets and glimpses into a far-flung future, but marketers in Las Vegas last month for CES 2023 had little appetite for flying cars or robot butlers. With budgets pared down to brave a looming economic downturn, brand leaders…Read More
6 Touchdown Marketing Campaigns That Didn’t Need the Super Bowl
It’s a reasonable bet that most senior-level marketers would like–even if it’s just once–to lead the creation of a Super Bowl ad. After all, who wouldn’t want to work with a budget that lets them drop $7 million on the most prime TV time there is? What CMO doesn’t dream of having 100 million-plus consumers…Read More
TikTok Loves an Underdog Story. Where Does That Leave Big Brands?
For a struggling taco shop in Glenview, Ill., the difference between a disheartening lack of foot traffic and a sold-out menu was a 10-second TikTok post. A decor company based in Grand Rapids, Mich., was saved when the owner’s daughter brandished his collection of horror-themed Christmas ornaments on the platform. And Keith Lee, a former…Read More
Serena Williams Holds Court on Her Super Bowl Ads and Reevaluating Brand Partnerships
Serena Williams exited professional tennis last September, following one final U.S. Open run, in a blaze of branding glory–with a pair of powerful ads from longtime partners Nike and Gatorade honoring and cementing her legacy as the sport’s GOAT. But while Williams has long been one of the industry’s most coveted spokespeople and brand partners–after…Read More
In-Stream vs. Out-Stream: Inside the Update Reshaping Video Advertising
In late January, inside a sunny conference room at the JW Marriott in Marco Island, Fla., a working group of advertising technology executives gathered to discuss a contentious new update to a pair of terms–in-stream and out-stream advertising–whose precise definition would determine the fate of billions of dollars in digital video advertising. The overhaul, which…Read More
The Real Ways Synthetic Data Is Changing Advertising
Data is the lifeline for digital advertising. As the digital landscape continues to change, so too will data. Whether it’s evolving data privacy regulations or third-party cookie deprecation, access to high-quality data–data that’s clean, well structured and free of bias–is a challenge for marketing organizations. As data becomes increasingly difficult to collect, store and activate,…Read More
Getting Back to the Basics of Human Connection
Advertising is the only language of communication between the consumer and the brand. If you personify brands, and a consumer’s experience with a product is the equivalent to a romantic courtship, then advertising is really about establishing the trust that gets you there. It’s about uncovering, understanding and linking the needs and aspirations of one…Read More
The Future of Marketing Is Earned
In May 1998, a tank waving a Union Jack rolled through the streets of New York toward Times Square. Once there, the armored vehicle smashed through a wall of stacked cola cans. The intended message: America’s soft drink giants, Coke and Pepsi, were under attack. Onboard was flamboyant British entrepreneur Richard Branson, who was promoting…Read More
A Fresh Look at B-to-B Marketing Through Social-Colored Glasses
For decades, b-to-b brands have formed their visual identity and logos based on “professional” tones and styles. We’ve all seen them: blue or red text splashed on a plain white background with minimal additional color, often devoid of any personality or flair. Appropriate for a corporate audience? Sure. Effective in attracting today’s social-first audience? Not…Read More