IT MAY BE TAINTED, BUT DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF BRAND LOVE

6. 7. 2022 Although the concept of ‘brand love’ was overused and went out of fashion, it remains an insightful way to consider consumers’ attitudes towards brands. “You do realise that this is fantastically untrendy research?” I explained to the team from Savanta, when they approached me to give the launch speech for their 2022 Most Loved Brand Award. “To… Continue reading IT MAY BE TAINTED, BUT DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF BRAND LOVE

IN A WORLD OF INSTANT GRATIFICATION, DON’T FORGET THE POWER OF ANTICIPATION

17. 6. 2022 As humans, we have a natural urge for instant gratification – the temptation to forego a long-term, future benefit, to obtain an immediate and often less rewarding one. It’s a concept that brands have leveraged with aplomb using technological and product innovation, coupled with bold marketing activity. As such, we find ourselves living in the epitome of a ‘Need… Continue reading IN A WORLD OF INSTANT GRATIFICATION, DON’T FORGET THE POWER OF ANTICIPATION

TV 360: WHY MARKETERS SHOULD COMBINE LINEAR TV AND CTV

16. 6. 2022 The number of cord-cutters has never been higher, and ad spend dedicated to connected TV (CTV) is rising steadily every year. But advertisers shouldn’t discount linear TV just yet. The US counts close to 50 million households with traditional TV services, and in 2021, 61% of US consumers watched linear TV on a weekly basis.… Continue reading TV 360: WHY MARKETERS SHOULD COMBINE LINEAR TV AND CTV

BYRON SHARP: MARKETERS STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW ADVERTISING WORKS

9. 6. 2022 According to the head of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, brands complicate their situation when they can’t draw on their own data and base marketing on impressions. The book How Brands Grow came out about a decade ago, but people in the advertising business are still benefiting from it and still asking its author, Byron Sharp, for… Continue reading BYRON SHARP: MARKETERS STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW ADVERTISING WORKS

CAN YOU ACHIEVE LONG AND SHORT AT THE SAME TIME? USUALLY, NO

26. 5. 2022 It’s appealing to fulfil brand and sales objectives in one execution, but they’re so different that you’ll probably fail at both. There is almost no debate about the veracity of The Long and the Short of It. Les Binet and Peter Field’s master work is the perfect exemplar of marketing ‘bothism‘. Sure, there are a… Continue reading CAN YOU ACHIEVE LONG AND SHORT AT THE SAME TIME? USUALLY, NO

CREATIVITY IN ADS MATTERS MORE THAN EVER

24. 5. 2022 Every marketer and brand these days has a little black box of tricks that they can use in advertising technology: animated ads, ad trackers, rich media with video and audio, high-impact playable ads. The list goes on. But while the technology gets more sophisticated, the experience for consumers has arguably gotten much worse. That’s because technology’s… Continue reading CREATIVITY IN ADS MATTERS MORE THAN EVER

WHY SERIOUS TIMES CALL FOR FUNNY ADVERTISING

24. 5. 2022 The world is a serious place right now, says Lucky Generals’ head of special ops, Paul Mallon, but that’s no reason why brands should be afraid to be funny Around 143 million mammals got torched in those Australian bush fires a couple of years back. No great giggles to be found there. We bounced to… Continue reading WHY SERIOUS TIMES CALL FOR FUNNY ADVERTISING

WHY ADVERTISING WILL NEVER DIE

23. 5. 2022 The ‘advertising is dead’ myth is especially bizarre because advertising has never been more alive. We have never had a wider, more varied array of options and opportunities available in advertising.

HOW STRATEGISTS SHOULD DEPLOY EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

21. 4. 2022 Stategists may be known for their intellectual chops but the very best use empathy in several different ways in order to build deeper, better communications, writes We Are Social CSO Harvey Cossell. For time immemorial strategists have been seen as the smart ones, the bright ones, the intelligent ones. And as I heard in one… Continue reading HOW STRATEGISTS SHOULD DEPLOY EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

A BRIGHT FUTURE AWAITS TV ADVERTISERS THAT PUT CONSUMERS FIRST

18. 4. 2022 Those who listen and reframe challenges as opportunities will come out on top The television industry has entered the golden age of everything. Audiences, advertisers and storytellers alike have ample reason to be optimistic. Yet, as an industry, there’s often bickering about the hurdles of what’s holding us back rather than what lies ahead. Instead,… Continue reading A BRIGHT FUTURE AWAITS TV ADVERTISERS THAT PUT CONSUMERS FIRST

HOW TO RESOLVE THE ATTENTION PARADOX

12. 4. 2022 Can attention be both the “North Star to effectiveness” but also “really not how advertising works”? In January Mike Follett of Lumen Research declared 2022 to be the Year of Attention, here in The Media Leader, which was no surprise. Media owners are investing in research and clients are asking lots of questions about it.… Continue reading HOW TO RESOLVE THE ATTENTION PARADOX

WELCOME TO THE NEW NORMAL, IT’S THE SAME AS THE OLD ONE

21. 3. 2022 Despite dire predictions of Covid-driven decline for some sectors and exponential growth for others, we’re largely where we would have been if it had never happened. The two-year span that will be forever known as the ‘Covid Years’ was a dark time. You had to find your entertainment where you could. And, for me, one… Continue reading WELCOME TO THE NEW NORMAL, IT’S THE SAME AS THE OLD ONE

THE CTV/OTT ADVERTISING INDUSTRY: WHAT LIES AHEAD IN 2022

15. 3. 2022 The explosive growth of Connected TV or CTV adspend is attracting new players and Unruly’s Lee Smith looks at how this will impact the issues of content, services and technology for the platform. 2021 was a record year in terms of ad spending and 2022 is set to witness even more growth, with the global… Continue reading THE CTV/OTT ADVERTISING INDUSTRY: WHAT LIES AHEAD IN 2022

WHY FOCUSING ON THE ENTIRE MARKETING FUNNEL IS KEY FOR LONG-TERM BRAND GROWTH

2. 3. 2022 Following the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020, brands of all sizes and across every industry reduced their marketing budgets, with many pausing or downsizing their brand awareness efforts to save capital. Brands then concentrated their bandwidth and remaining resources on engaging and maintaining existing customers rather than winning over new ones. Because they inspire immediate… Continue reading WHY FOCUSING ON THE ENTIRE MARKETING FUNNEL IS KEY FOR LONG-TERM BRAND GROWTH

TOP SUPER BOWL ADS: 2016-2021

13. 2. 2022 Nothing says Super Bowl like telling people to zip it because there’s finally a break in the game If you’re like me, you’re not really into the Super Bowl because of the game. You’re here for two things: 1. An excuse to eat a wide variety of foods that aren’t that exciting on their own,… Continue reading TOP SUPER BOWL ADS: 2016-2021

2022 NEW YEAR’S PREDICTIONS FOR GAMING, TV, ADVERTISING AND DIGITAL MEDIA

31. 12. 2021 As we near the end of 2021 it is time to look back at my predictions for 2021 and see how I did. In 2020 I gave myself a B (3.25 out of 4) and you can read my 2020 predictions and self evaluation here. You can read my self-grading for 2021 for each prediction… Continue reading 2022 NEW YEAR’S PREDICTIONS FOR GAMING, TV, ADVERTISING AND DIGITAL MEDIA

ACTIONS, NOT WORDS: BRAND PURPOSE IN A SCHIZOPHRENIC CONSUMER WORLD

22. 10. 2021 Many consumers say they do not want to support sweatshops, but they still often buy the cheapest clothing and running shoes made in such places anyway. Companies today want to do better, but they are getting such mixed signals from customers. In this inspiring keynote, Samuel Scott will show how companies can navigate this complex… Continue reading ACTIONS, NOT WORDS: BRAND PURPOSE IN A SCHIZOPHRENIC CONSUMER WORLD

TOP 11 VALENTINE’S DAY ADS

10. 2. 2020 It’s that time of year again. Can you feel it? Overpriced bouquets of roses being bought, people frantically trying to get a reservation at any restaurant they can and engagement ring sales are soaring through the roof. For those of us who are single, we are buying red wine and romantic comedies for the big… Continue reading TOP 11 VALENTINE’S DAY ADS