Editor's Picks for ANA Magazine
-
Ramping Up College Recruitment Efforts
B2C March 31, 2023As the marketing industry continues its digitalization, universities and colleges offer pools of talent steeped in digital communication that show little interest in marketing. What can brands do to avoid being the odd man out on campus?
view -
Navigating an Increasingly Complicated Social Media Terrain
B2C March 17, 2023Nearly 20 years after social media channels emerged amid gleeful predictions that they would help to tackle societal problems and bring people together, parts of the market have turned into toxic stews of conspiracy mongering, name calling, and mean-spiritedness — not the best adjacencies for brand advertisers.
view -
What ChatGPT Means for Marketers
B2C March 10, 2023ChatGPT, the large language model chatbot that debuted to great fanfare in 2022, can drive marketing efficiencies and foster creativity, but brand managers need to ensure that humans are the ultimate arbiters for what kind of messaging will resonate with their audiences. Even brand managers who are not in testing mode when it comes to ChatGPT need to understand its widespread implications for marketing and advertising.
view -
How to Resonate with the LGBTQ+ Community
B2C February 24, 2023As the LGBTQ+ community wields growing purchasing power, brands and organizations need to create marketing and advertising campaigns that are inclusive and acknowledge ongoing and dramatic changes in gender identity. While there's been progress in LGBTQ+ representation in advertising, significant gaps remain.
view -
The Curtain Rises for Livestreaming
B2C February 10, 2023After first gaining popularity in China, livestream shopping is growing fast in the U.S., with the market expected to reach $32 billion this year, nearly double compared to 2022. Conversion rates are also on the upswing. As they ramp up their investments in livestreaming, it's key for brand managers to develop programming that will both entertain viewers and mesh with other marketing channels.
view -
How Marketers Steer Clear of Purpose Washing
B2C February 3, 2023The rise in brand purpose has led to a surge in so-called purpose washing, in which a company claims solidarity with a certain cause — the environment, empowering women, or LGBTQ+ rights, for examples — only to do little to nothing to support. With an ever-discerning public waiting to pounce, marketers have to ensure that before they start touting their purpose they are taking actions that have a real impact on people's lives.
view -
Will CMOs Face New Pressure to Prove Their Worth?
B2C December 9, 2022As companies began to double down on their online marketing efforts due to the pandemic, newly hired CMOs were able to command higher salaries. But the calculus for CMO pay may be changing, as companies face a possible recession.
view -
For More Marketers, 'Black History Month' Goes Beyond a Point in Time
B2C November 11, 2022With Black History Month around the corner, a growing number of brands are moving beyond a four-week window tied to the celebration to forge deeper relationships with Black-owned businesses and Black communities. The efforts range from hands-on training to help companies go to market faster to making people aware of rapidly changing demographics in the U.S.
view -
Marketers Try to Untangle Converged TV
B2C November 4, 2022On the road to a streaming universe, linear TV continues to offer advertisers a still-reliable marketing vehicle with broad reach. The next frontier for marketers is how to optimize their ads across both streaming and linear platforms.
view -
Agency Account Reviews Are Increasing
B2C October 14, 2022The pandemic jolted many brands into beefing up their digital marketing and some into switching their ad agencies. But while the tumult caused by COVID-19 has subsided, the pace of account reviews has only accelerated.
view -
Fighting Digital Ad Fraud Is Getting More Complicated
B2C September 21, 2022Fraud in digital advertising remains an issue, and while the exact scale of the problem is a matter of dispute, there's widespread agreement that as the market grows, so will the need for brands to take an active role in protecting their investments.
view -
Brands Seek Secret Formula for Attracting Talent
B2C September 2, 2022As a hot job market continues and the Great Resignation lingers, companies such as Denny's, Pearle Vision, and EOS Products are turning to DEI and other meaningful initiatives to lure and retain top talent.
view -
Making Scents of Your Brand
B2C August 5, 2022The acceleration in scent marketing is being fueled by consumers' post-pandemic thirst for real-world experiences. A powerful driver for human emotion, scent provides food brands with unique ways to stir engagement and fuel sales. As with other brand extensions, context is critical.
view -
Do Marketers Need to Know How to Code?
B2C July 29, 2022Amid a dizzying amount of change, CMOs who collaborate effectively with their CTOs are likely to generate better returns. Establishing strategic alliances with chief technology officers is fast becoming a cost of entry for marketers who want to ascend in their organization.
view -
Back-to-School Season Offers a Challenging Course for Marketers
B2C July 8, 2022The upcoming school year will be tricky for brands to navigate. On the one hand, there's a sense of newness as kids return to in-class learning full-time, with expectations for that to continue uninterrupted, for the first time since COVID-19 hit two-plus years ago. On the other, there are major headwinds from soaring prices, with shoppers combating the worst inflation in 40 years and the Consumer Price Index hitting in 8.6 percent in May.
view -
Do Marketers Have an Emerging Ally in the C-Suite?
B2C June 24, 2022A growing number of brands, including Edelman, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Volkswagen, are hiring chief experience officers. The moves come as tolerance for a bad or mediocre consumer experience continues to plummet, with more than half of brands reporting that those who are dissatisfied with the company will switch brands, per a recent survey.
view -
Previously Cast Aside, QR Codes Are Making a Comeback
B2C May 6, 2022Quick Response (QR) codes were all the rage in the early 2000s but soon fell out of a favor among most brands. But they have come back to life, spurred by the pandemic and the growing imperative among marketers to thread their message between the physical and digital worlds. And, unlike the first time around, QR codes now seem to have much more staying power when it comes to engaging consumers and driving revenue.
view -
Why Chief Executives Run Out of Patience with Their CMOs
B2C April 22, 2022A recent survey paints an ominous picture of the level of confidence chief executives have in their CMOs, with most thinking that CMOs put their own interest above that of the organization. At the same time, about a third of CEOs have great confidence in their CMOs. That presents an opportunity for chief marketers to change the dynamic and demonstrate their business acumen.
view -
Are Marketers Ready to Dive Into Summer?
B2C April 15, 2022With the pandemic starting to fade, this summer is expected to be quite different from the past two. Consumer-facing marketers will need to shift gears somewhat, from supplying an accelerating amount of digital content to ramping up efforts to reach people who will be clamoring for live events and spending a lot more time outdoors.
view -
The Russian Invasion of Ukraine Has Put a Spotlight on Brand Activism
B2C April 8, 2022How brands have responded to the war in Ukraine provides valuable lessons for marketers navigating an increasingly unpredictable world. The crisis has reinforced the need to be nimble and responsive and ensure that every single part of a company’s operation is aligned on the brand’s values.
view