Greetings!

Welcome to the November 2026 issue of Key Notes - Marketing Keys' monthly newsletter! As we head into the final stretch of the year, we hope this month's newsletter sparks new ideas and keeps your business growing. 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. 

Technology has changed the way consumers shop, research, and interact with brands, but traditional shopping habits haven't disappeared. Even after decades of growth in online retail, more than 80% of U.S. retail sales still take place in physical stores. This is a reminder that while new technology can create opportunities, it doesn't necessarily replace the habits and behaviors consumers already have.

Artificial intelligence is now creating a similar shift in the marketing world. Businesses are trying to figure out how AI will influence product discovery, shopping decisions, and brand visibility. While AI is changing how people find information, it's still too early to know just how much it will reshape the industry. One thing is becoming clear: being a recognizable and trusted brand still matters. Consumers are more likely to consider businesses they have already seen, heard about, or encountered in their everyday lives.

Research into AI-generated recommendations also points to the importance of brand awareness. Companies that receive more attention through online searches, conversations, and customer reviews are more likely to appear in AI-generated results. This means businesses shouldn't overlook the channels that help build recognition. Traditional advertising, public relations, influencer partnerships, and in-person experiences all play a role in keeping a brand visible and giving consumers something to remember.

Rather than putting all their focus on the newest technology, businesses should continue investing in a well-rounded marketing strategy. Keep advertising across multiple channels, create opportunities for people to engage with your brand, build a strong online presence, and make sure your website is easy for AI tools to understand. AI will continue to influence the marketing landscape, but it doesn't eliminate the need for consistent brand building. The brands that stay visible, relevant, and connected with their audiences will have an advantage as the industry evolves.

Are You Ad-verse to Risk?

One of the biggest challenges in advertising is finding the balance between appealing to customers and taking creative chances. Many businesses are so concerned about receiving negative feedback that they avoid ideas that might spark a reaction. While this approach may prevent a few complaints, it can also lead to advertisements that blend in with everything else. In an effort to keep everyone happy, brands risk giving audiences very little reason to pay attention.

The reality is that not every advertisement needs to please everyone to be successful. Sometimes, a campaign that gets people talking, sharing opinions, or even disagreeing can create more awareness than one that flies under the radar. A handful of negative comments shouldn't automatically outweigh the attention and recognition a campaign receives from a much larger audience. After all, an advertisement that nobody remembers isn't doing much to help a brand stand out.

With AI making content creation faster and easier, this challenge is becoming even more relevant. Businesses can now produce polished advertisements, social posts, and marketing messages in a matter of seconds. However, content that checks all the right boxes doesn't necessarily connect with an audience. Today's consumers, especially younger generations, are looking for brands that feel genuine and have a recognizable personality. Humor, originality, and a little unpredictability are qualities that technology alone can't always deliver.

Ultimately, successful advertising requires more than following guidelines and avoiding controversy. Brands need to be willing to try fresh approaches, make creative decisions, and occasionally step outside their comfort zones. Not every idea will be a hit, and that's part of the process. The goal isn't to create something that everyone agrees with. It's to create something that people actually notice, remember, and associate with your brand. Sometimes, the biggest advertising mistake is being so cautious that your message gets lost in the crowd.

Holding onto past marketing failures can keep businesses from discovering new ways to grow. Just because a campaign didn't produce results a few years ago doesn't mean it deserves to be written off forever. Products change, competitors enter the market, customer expectations shift, and new technology creates opportunities that weren't available before. Even a strategy that once seemed too expensive or time-consuming may now be much easier to put into action thanks to advances in AI and marketing tools.

One of the biggest challenges businesses face is the tendency to play it safe after a disappointing campaign. Nobody wants to spend money on something that has failed before, especially when budgets and expectations are tight. However, avoiding certain marketing channels altogether can be just as costly. Consumer habits and industry trends don't stand still, so relying on outdated results to make current decisions could mean overlooking opportunities your competitors are willing to explore.

A better approach is to stay curious and give new ideas a chance on a smaller scale. Businesses don't need to commit to a massive campaign to find out whether something works. Testing different messages, reaching a specific audience, or experimenting with a new platform can provide useful feedback without a significant investment. The key is to make decisions based on what's happening in the market today rather than what happened years ago. After all, yesterday's unsuccessful campaign could turn into tomorrow's winning strategy.

The holiday season offers plenty of opportunities for brands to put their products in front of shoppers, even without a large advertising budget or months to prepare. Instead of creating an entirely new campaign, businesses can look at what consumers are already buying and find a way to be part of those purchases. From small thank-you gifts to office exchanges and stocking stuffers, shoppers have plenty of people to buy for in December. Brands that can make their products an easy addition to those shopping lists have an opportunity to capture more sales.

A little creativity can also give everyday products a fresh reason to be purchased. Something normally marketed as a toy, beauty item, or household product could become an affordable gift for a friend, teacher, or coworker. Brands can promote these ideas through gift bundles, special pricing, and partnerships with smaller influencers who connect with moms and families. Social media videos, shopping recommendations and in-store demonstrations can help consumers picture how a product fits into their holiday plans. Businesses can also get more mileage out of content they already have by reusing popular videos in seasonal promotions and advertisements.

Timing and convenience are especially important as the holidays approach. Shoppers want to know which products will arrive before Christmas, where they can find them locally, and whether they can pick them up in person. Brands should make that information easy to find while continuing to use social media, live shopping events, and giveaways to keep their products visible. Marketing opportunities don't disappear on December 25, either. Gift card promotions, post-Christmas sales and New Year's offers can help carry momentum into the next season. Sometimes, the most effective holiday campaigns aren't the most complicated. They're the ones that make shopping a little easier for consumers.

The increased attention surrounding the recent midterm elections brought a noticeable boost to cable news audiences, with MS NOW and CNN seeing some of their biggest gains compared to last year. During the week of October 19–25, MS NOW averaged 954,000 prime-time viewers, marking a 30% increase. CNN also experienced growth, attracting 632,000 viewers, up 28%. Fox News continued to lead all cable news networks with 1.75 million prime-time viewers, although its audience was down 23% from the same period last year.This mirrors the recent results in the midterms, as many Republican voters are disenfranchised with their party.

The shift in viewership was also reflected in daytime programming. MS NOW's total-day audience grew 28% to 609,000 viewers, while CNN increased 11% to 424,000. Fox News saw a 21% decline, averaging 1.2 million viewers. Despite the differences in year-over-year performance, all three networks recorded small increases in both total-day and prime-time viewership compared to the previous week.

Individual programs continued to attract large audiences as well. Fox News accounted for 12 of the 15 most-watched cable news programs during the week ending October 19, with "The Five" leading the rankings at 2.8 million viewers. MS NOW's top program, "The Rachel Maddow Show," brought in 1.8 million viewers. With the midterm elections now behind viewers, these ratings offer an interesting look at how major news events can influence television audiences and the networks they choose to watch.

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