Editor's Picks for ANA Magazine

Compared to other generations, gen Xers are a little more cynical, a little more realistic, and a little more loyal. Brands need to craft their messages accordingly.

To effectively communicate with baby boomers, marketers need a more accurate picture of this still-vital generation. Shattering a few myths is a good place to start.

A focus on niche subjects and unique customer experiences is helping indie bookshops in the fight to survive in the age of Amazon.

With digital marketing moving at a furious pace, ethical guidelines must be enforced, modified, and amended on a regular basis.

NASCAR’s business strategy provides valuable lessons for marketers about the importance of being customer-focused first.

To increase the odds that their content will cut through the clutter, marketing departments must behave more like media companies.

Influencers, it turns out, come in all different sizes. Nano influencers — those with followings that range from 1,000 to 5,000 people — are proving they can help brands in ways the mega influencers can’t.

Direct-to-consumer brands put a new and popular spin on delivering products and services — and give traditional brands a run for their money.

Augmented reality and similar technologies have yet to go mainstream, but a growing number of major brands aren’t waiting for the inflection point.

Regardless of the type of agency model adopted, it's crucial that brands build an environment that's conducive to solving marketing- and advertising-related problems creatively.

Looking for ways to battle Amazon, retailers such as Walmart, Nike, Kroger, and The Home Depot have stepped up their buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) game. Doing everything from improving pickup systems to adding special parking sections for BOPIS buyers, their efforts are delivering success.

Following revelations about mishandling consumer data and its slow response to dealing with hateful and dangerous rhetoric on its platform, Facebook has been forced to take a long, hard look at itself. As user engagement sputters, it’s a good time for marketers to question the value of the social giant in their marketing mix — but is the platform, still wielding market share like a cudgel, too big to give up on?

BMW marketing campaign featuring recycled ads takes a page from the comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000 to promote the automaker’s certified pre-owned vehicles.

Broadening the representation of female artists and producers in the entertainment industry? That’s music to Jennifer Breithaupt’s ears. In this Q&A, Breithaupt, global consumer banking CMO at Citi, discusses her company’s participation in the #SeeHer initiative, its launch of #SeeHerHearHer, how Citi uses its sponsorships to drive greater inclusiveness in the music industry, and more.

While static billboards are still part of the ad mix, digital screens in all shapes and sizes are becoming more common, giving marketers the ability to run high-quality video content outside the home.

Understanding what consumers think of your brand is critical, but it’s not always an easy thing to determine — or understand. Here’s how marketing experts at Hershey, USPS, and Huge, among others, measure consumer brand affinity.

To be sure, customizing CPG products is in the nascent stage. However, considering the pace of change in the marketplace — and consumers’ growing penchant for personalized items — brands ignore the trend at their own peril.

Despite years of effort, the advertising industry continues to lack diversity, but a growing number of brands and organizations are going beyond the rhetoric and developing legitimate programs designed to build, nurture, and grow a diverse and inclusive workforce.

A growing number of brands are dipping into the past to use classic references from pop culture to play on consumers’ nostalgia and finding it’s a safe place to be in an increasingly polarizing climate.

Celebrities still hold sway over the purchasing decisions of their fans, but influencer marketing is changing the nature of that relationship, and deepening exposure of celebrities’ online lives is creating brand safety issues marketers must learn to navigate.