Greetings!
Welcome to our year ending December issue of Key Notes - Marketing Keys' monthly newsletter! As you frantically start wrapping up the year while managing a busy holiday schedule, we hope this quick read gives you ideas for planning your successful 2022. Key Notes is an informative, quick-read newsletter to get you caught up on all things media and marketing. Our goal is for you to be informed and entertained with the latest media and marketing happenings quickly and efficiently.
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Which areas should you invest in 2022?
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As you start planning for 2022 and laying out your marketing calendar, which areas should you be focusing on and including in your plans? These (4) categories should be front and center during your planning:
Videos
No surprise here. Video marketing has been on these lists for the past decade and for good reason. It’s effective. With the rise of TikTok and Instagram announcing it’s now a video platform, the rise of video is imminent. According to Wyzowl, over 85% of consumers would like to see more videos from brands. Consequently, at least 67% of brands are looking to increase their video spend in 2022.
Brand Image
Focusing on storytelling and building a solid brand image is what will keep consumers coming back. In 2022, creating a solid brand image requires a mix of traditional media (out of home, tv, radio etc.) with digital advertising and organic growth. Use digital advertising to get your brand out there and find ways to keep growing organically. Use videos, web content that provides value, weekly podcasts, newsletters, and other forms of organic contact.
Voice Search
Since 2019, the rise of voice technology has become a constant thought in every marketer’s mind. Voice search includes everything from voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, and chatbots. Brands that focus on more consumer-friendly content will thrive in this space.
B2B Marketing
Business-to-business content is often neglected as most businesses focus only on consumers. Incorporating educational blogs, white papers, quizzes, and long-form content that address a specific problem can help nurture leads and build audience trust. According to the Content Marketing Institute, close to 68% of B2B marketers use content marketing to build trust.
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Is Broadcast TV still the big giant?
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Linear TV may not be as dominant as it was five or 10 years ago. However, it is still the only place you can go to get 3, 5, or 10 million viewers in just a couple of minutes. Linear broadcast has posted impressive ratings numbers for programming during the last few weeks. This means there are still opportunities for brands to find mass reach through entertainment that isn’t streaming from an Apple device, Roku or Netflix.
The sports category is probably the most reliable. More often than not, sports make up 75 of the 100 top programs in any given year. A significant percentage of October viewership was made up of long-reliable sports broadcasts such as NFL games. According to Wieser, Americans collectively watched about 38 billion hours of TV in October.
Another good place for guaranteed ratings are one-off specials. Ally and Headspace hit the jackpot on a cultural moment this month with CBS’s “Adele One Night Only,” a concert interspersed with a sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey. The event drew about as many viewers as this year’s Oscars telecast, about 10.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
Outside of sports and one-night-only specials, there are still places to find audiences on scripted TV. For example, Paramount’s “Yellowstone” season 4 two-parter premiere attracted 14.7 million viewers across the four channels it was simulcast on within the three days after it aired. The viewers are still there. We can help you by honing in on where to look.
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Is Black Friday back to normal?
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Even with supply issues, higher prices for gas and food, and labor shortages, Black Friday seemed a bit more normal this year. The country's largest mall, the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, said nearly 100,000 people had come as of early afternoon Friday, more than double last year but a bit shy of 2019 numbers.
Black Friday retail sales surged 29.8% through mid-afternoon, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse. That was above its 20% growth forecast for the day. Overall holiday sales are expected to grow this year. The National Retail Federation predicts a sales increase of 8.5% to 10.5% for all of November and December.
Black Friday nowadays isn’t a day of crazed shopping like it used to be. Shopping shifted to Amazon and other online retailers and stores have spread out Black Friday sales on more and more days. Online shopping is expected to rise 7% for the week after the massive 46% gain a year ago, when many shoppers stayed home, according to Mastercard. For the overall holiday season, online sales should increase 10% from a year ago, compared with a 33% increase last year, according to Adobe Digital Economy Index.
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Are consumers still spending online?
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The pandemic has truly changed the way we shop. According to Adobe, consumer spending online has grown by 19.8% year to year from Nov. 1 to Nov. 23 to total $72.2 billion. They expect spending to hit $207 billion for the full season (Nov. 1 to Dec. 31), representing 10% growth year to year.
Cyber Monday brought in $10.7 billion, continuing its reign as the biggest online shopping day of the year. And with many stores closed, shoppers spent a record $5.1 billion online on Thanksgiving Day. Consumers spent 14 billion online between Thanksgiving and Black Friday combined.
Curbside pickup is also up by 92% over November 2019. On Nov. 23, it was used in 23% of all online orders among retailers that offer the service. The use of expedited shipping through November 23 is up by 1% over pre-pandemic levels, with standard shipping up 42%.
Even while navigating inflation and supply-chain issues, consumers have already spent almost 20% more year-over year.
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Is brand loyalty going away?
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Nowadays consumers care about their world and the impact businesses have on it. According to a Sogeti Cap Gemini study, “79% of consumers are changing their purchase preferences based on social responsibility, inclusiveness, or environmental impact.”
An IBM study revealed that “Nearly six in 10 consumers surveyed are willing to change their shopping habits to reduce environmental impact. Over 70 percent would pay a premium of 35 percent, on average, for brands that are sustainable and environmentally responsible.”
Another IBM study found that “one-third of global consumers—from Gen Z to baby boomers (ages 18 to 73)—would abandon even their favorite brand if it doesn’t align with their personal values. They will pay more, and even change their buying habits, for brands that do.”
In response to that, Amazon has had to launch Frustration-Free Packaging and use electric trucks. P&G has also formulated eco-friendly plans under the “Ambition 2030” umbrella. The plan includes packaging that is 100% recyclable or reusable, cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half, and purchasing enough renewable electricity to power 100% of their plants. They also aim to stem the flow of plastic into the world’s oceans, protect forests, expand recycling solutions, and protect water in priority basins around the world.
Saying one thing and doing another are two very different things. Consumers love the convenience of the Amazon, FedEx and UPS truck fleet delivering and the easy to use plastic items. So are we really willing to give all that up and pay more for sustainable brands?
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Here is a recent highlight from Marketing Keys' blog page. Please start following our blogs and let us know what you think.
Get the latest insight here!
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Get help from 'The Mouse'!
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In my previous life, I worked for many media companies including the one headed by the Mouse. During my 20 year executive run with media companies, I had noticed that if an advertiser wasn't properly represented with a media expert helping them with their media planning and buying, then that company was at a disadvantage. Thus, I created a company to provide a solution to that problem.
Marketing Keys was formed in July, 2007 to more than level the negotiation playing field between advertisers and media companies. We enabled advertisers to have a major leg up in the process.
We targeted Presidents, CEOs, Regional Managers, Marketing Directors, CMOs etc. of small and mid-sized businesses. We then went to market with our 'key' differentiator and mission. During the last decade, the company has grown from 2 clients in 2010 to presently close to 20.
To find out if we can help build on the results that you had started and eliminate the inherent disadvantages of buying media on your own, please reach out to us at [email protected].
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We'd like to welcome the United Breast Cancer Foundation to the Marketing Keys family! Their mission is to prevent and cure breast cancer by advancing the world's most promising research. It is the leading cause of cancer death in the world's poorest countries and the second leading cause of cancer death with American women. Marketing Keys will be helping United Breast Cancer Foundation's funding for research through planning and placing their Vehicle Donation marketing program in Chicago and other key markets.
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Are you ready to get into the holiday spirit?
Lincoln Park Zoo’s 27th annual ZooLights Presented by ComEd and Invesco QQQ is back!
Tickets are $5 Wednesday-Sunday, and tickets are free Mondays and Tuesdays. Tickets are required on all nights, including infants and children, and all ticket sales support the zoo’s world-class animal care, global conservation efforts, and innovative programs.
Come for the millions of holiday lights! Stay for the carousel ride!
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A gift done in good taste!
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Do you ever get stuck on what to buy for that hard to buy person on your list? Get him or her a Hooters Gift Card - the gift that is always done in good taste! Ship the card directly to their inbox or mailbox. It makes your job so much easier. And it always puts a smile on the face of the recipient. For more, Click Here!
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Are you Socially Challenged?
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During my 14 years as a business owner, I have discovered there are many companies out there that are challenged with the task of managing their social media.
It may be that they are confused over the platforms that they should use, the content they should post, how to boost that content and/or the time or lack thereof that goes into managing their social media platforms.
As a Social Media partner of ours, our Social Media expert will manage and strategize daily on your sites. We will also coordinate all communication so there are no surprises while all of your initiatives are scheduled accordingly.
For more information, please contact Marketing Keys at (312) 291-4630 or you can email us HERE!
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Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action)
Create a great offer by adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"
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Fill up your Lead Generation funnel!
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In the days of Mad Men, creativity was everything. The goal was for a brand to be the most creative creating a tag line to resonate with the audience. Now, creativity takes a back seat to targeting through data and reaching your target synergistically through multiple mediums with an integrated marketing campaign.
Find out how Marketing Keys can help generate (on average) an incremental 30-35% more in leads and/or conversions through our system.
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