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Category: Top Posts

Category: Top Posts

Predicted Consumer Trends that Will Endure Through COVID19

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By Natalie Hale, CEO Media Partners Worldwide

Covid 19 has quickly changed our lives and as we emerge and try to get back to normalcy, a lot of the adaptions forced on us will continue and be our new norm.

  • Consumers will stick closer to home. Less foreign travel predicted, at least for the next year and more short trips to National parks, local casinos and short getaways with less noise and people will be preferred. The popularity of road trips and the sale and rentals of RVs will continue to trend up.
  • Voice control technology use growing. Virtual assistants, like Amazon. Com and Alexa have a new draw, as voice control technology limits the need to touch a surface so much. In this case, safety has shifted to be more important than privacy.

 

  • Online learning will increase. As younger generations worry about their future, e learning rises. This generation will work to increase their skills and becoming more competitive in the job market. In addition, there will be more parents opting for online schooling versus traditional classrooms. This is a huge opportunity for e-learning companies and new players in online courses.
  • DIY gains ground. The new interest in baking, cooking, sewing, and painting are not expected to disappear with the virus. Plus, more people are opting to remodel and fix their own house. More consumers have gained confidence in learning from Utube videos, podcasts or TV shows and it has made people more self- reliant.
  • More comfort in digital offerings. If consumers were not comfortable with ordering groceries digitally, they have had to embrace it, with more people buying most everything they need online. Online banking has increased and more doctors and medical providers are offering camera sessions for non emergency situations. A trend that is sure to continue.

 

  • Flexible and modified work arrangements. With so many people getting used to the convenience of working from home, the shift to more flexible work arrangements will continue, as employers realize it’s not necessary to have everyone work full time in the office to get things done. Zoom Calls have replaced meetings and decisions are being made quicker with less bureaucracy. This new workplace means more time and money for many workers. Time

is saved not commuting and allows employees to save money on childcare, maintenance and fuel for vehicles, work clothes, dry cleaning, etc. Giving more time to cook meals and do it your self projects around the house.

What this means for your media buys is that more people will have more time in front of the TV watching their favorite shows and movies, more time in front of the computer engaging in social media, including Facebook, Linked in and Next Door or at home listening and steaming radio and podcasts.

What Does Corona Virus Mean for Advertising?

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We have lived through Swine Flu, Ebola, SARS, and now Corona Virus. What makes Corona Virus unique is the fact that it is officially a pandemic. The point of this article is not to spread fear (there is enough of that) or tell you what you already know. The point of this article is to talk about what this means for the advertising and marketing community.

We see that the stock market is down. This is a reflection of the significantly reduced economic activity. People are stocking up on essentials and trying to stay home as much as possible. Restaurants are offering take-out and delivery only, if not closing doors completely. Major metropolitan cities are implementing city-wide lock downs, closing bars and other places where large groups of people are gathering. Many large companies are having their employees work from home until further notice. Students are transitioning to online classes.

The question that marketers are constantly asking is, “Where is my audience?” This question is relevant now more than ever. Audiences are shifting and the way the general population is operating has changed almost overnight. So, what does an increase in remote workers mean for advertisers? It just means that our audience is in a different place!

Nielsen Scarborough USA+ reports 90% of Americans working from home listen to AM/FM radio. People are clinging to any sense of normalcy they can find nowadays. Listening to radio can provide this sense of comfort, that things aren’t completely upside down.

“AM/FM radio is the soundtrack of the American worker regardless of where they sit,” Chief Insights Officer at Cumulus Media & Westwood One, Pierre Bouvard, states. Share of listening studies see at work listening at 68%. This number jumps up to 75% at home. This study was conducted on people 18 and up in age during 2019.

An interesting insight seen in this table is the drop in engagement on other platforms at home. This can be attributed to people having other services on in the background.

A recent MARU/Matchbox report shows “…only half of at-home Pandora and Spotify listeners can actually hear the ads.” On the other hand, AM/FM radio ads are heard 83% of the time from at home listeners.

Data from smart speakers shows the prominence of radio listening. AM/FM radio is the number one activity in terms of share of time spent, holding 24% of the share. This is 60% larger than Amazon Music’s 15% share.

NuVoodoo came out with a very recent study showing the consumption trend for radio as Americans tune in for more updates on the pandemic. The study shows 27% of those surveyed claim they are listening to radio more during the pandemic and 37% say they are using it for local market updates.

So, what’s the take away? The take away is that your audience is still there! Engaged now more than ever!

Communicate how your product/services will be augmented in accordance with the pandemic where your audience is actually listening. The key here will be to frame how your brand can help. 

Call us for great deals on remnant so we can help you realign your brand get back in touch with the world during these turbulent times. 562-439-3900

Radio is Still Thriving in 2020!

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It’s 2020! And at Media Partners Worldwide we are still experiencing a lot  of interest in radio and audio, and with life life-changing technology at our fingertips like our smartphones, AirPods, voice assistants and smart speakers, it continues to thrive and be the king of mass reach!

According to Nielsen,  Radio is still the #1 reach medium, and has held its top position consistently for 16 quarters. Moreover, mobile devices, streaming, and podcasts have fueled the demand for content that can go wherever the consumer goes.

So what trends do we see in 2020?

Fragmentation of all media not affecting radio

Radio may be the king of mass reach, but it also commands a majority of our attention. In Nielsen’s Total Audience Report Q2 2019, time spent with radio among adults 18 and older is nearly 12 hours per week, while adults spend just under six hours a week with their TV-connected devices. They say we’re living in the golden age of TV, but there are only so many hours in a day one can set aside for binge-watching. Radio is there to entertain and inform when you are in your car, at the gym or wherever you go, helping to keep AM/FM radio as the #1 in-car entertainment choice.

Political Season with News/Talk driving the listening

Even though, pop music and country is reaching more of the younger audience, News/Talk was by far the most listened to genre last year according to Nielsen with a 9.5% share of listeners among persons 6+ in 2019. Though it’s held the top spot among general audiences for almost a decade, listening typically spikes around key election years, and 2020 will be no different. Radio has proven itself as a trustworthy resource for consumers who want to stay informed at the global and community level, and as usual, radio will not disappoint.

Looking to reach loyal, highly-involved listeners? Media Partners owns inventory on many News/Talk network that are jam-packed with top stations across the country.

Demand for Attribution on Radio

Attribution is a buzz word for 2020 and  what everyone is looking for and wants with radio/audio.advertising has made it easy for marketers to precisely track campaign response, and that granular level of detail has raised the bar for other media platforms. At Media Partners Worldwide, we provide our ADTRACTION software so we can measure and pinpoint how your campaigns drive traffic to make smarter creative and media buying decisions, so you can get the most of your dollars spent.

Radio is still relevant as a medium for many advertisers, with less fragmentation, more attention and now attribution is possible.

Why Instagram Should be in Your Marketing Plan

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Instagram often gets neglected by marketers because they believe it will be of no use to their respective business or that their target market is not on there. With over one billion monthly active users, it is safe to say that at least some members of the chosen target audience is present. There are five big reasons to start including Instagram in marketing plans.

  1. Target market access: with the one billion monthly users mentioned above, combined with social media’s ability to communicate personable messages, this is a great medium to find your target audience.
  2. Intuitive: Instagram’s user interface is powerful and simple. There is no learning curve or training necessary. For the most part, you can jump right in and get to work. 
  3. Free: It costs nothing to make an Instagram, publish content on it, and see an endless amount of content. There is also an option to do paid advertising on Instagram as well. The core functions are free, though. 
  4. No equipment necessary: Smartphones are sophisticated enough that an expensive camera, studio, or any other content production tools are not necessary. Creativity, patience, and the slightest photography know-how will get the job done at superb quality
  5. Automation capabilities: Adding another platform to the marketing mix can sound like a lot of extra work, but it really isn’t thanks to recent developments from Facebook, Instagram’s owner. There are automation dashboards that allow Instagram posts to be scheduled ahead of time, in bulk with tools such as Buffer, Hootsuite, and Sprout Social. 

To summarize, start using Instagram in your marketing plan because it’s free, easy to use, doesn’t require fancy equipment, and your target market is on there! 

Next, learn how to optimize your Facebook marketing campaign!

Marketing and Sales Tips for Startups

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Starting a business can be overwhelming, to say the least. Because small business owners have to be whatever their small business needs, it can be difficult to master all the nuances that go into sales or marketing. And if you are not a salesperson, to begin with, you face an even bigger challenge.

However, innovative marketing ideas that will set you apart from competitors is essential.

Here are some marketing tips and tricks to help you with your startup or small business:

1.Create Credibility 

Networking and sharing your expertise with others can help you prove your abilities to your community. After establishing your niche, channel your energy into assembling a culture around your business. You can do this by offering an insider’s perspective to those on the outside.

Entrepreneur.com gives a few suggestions on how to achieve this: ” A blog can offer laymen the chance to understand your trade with a new perspective. A webinar or a podcast can help viewers (or listeners) feel like experts in your field. Speaking at an incubator, expo or niche event can put you in the role of the teacher and allow you to share your groundbreaking ideas with an immediate audience.”

These methods will establish a level of credibility in your field, which is more apt to generate interested customers.

 

 

2. Get “Out There” 

Allow with establishing your niche and increasing your credibility, you need to “be everywhere.” You want to be that brand that people notice when they’re walking down the streets.Even if they don’t know what your startup does, they’ll recognize your name.

This means going above and beyond blogging and being active on social media. Although these platforms and services are important, you can do more.

According to Forbes.com, “Some examples would be commissioning a mural on building and covering the streets with chalk, paint or displays. You could also make up bumper stickers and t-shirts and give them to employees or as freebies at events. They may not be the most unusual, but a creative shirt not only lets people have the chance to be different, it will make others want to jump on board – think Zaarly shirts floating around the Bay Area.”

This may seem a little “out there” but if you following the same method as everyone else, you could get lost in the crowd. Don’t be invisible.

Also, help the people discover your content by improving your ranking on Google. Use hyper-targeted keywords to power your social media-based audience. There are many platforms that can help you do this, like Socedo, a social media automation tool, where you can, for example, find Twitter users who post content using your niche keywords and engage with them over time.

It will take a little bit of fight to get noticed but it will be worth the hard work in the end.

3. Listen To Your Customer   

Customers may at times defy logic, but they are usually right. If you want to know what your potential audience wants, you need to pay attention to what they are saying. Review data, interview customer service reps, build a rapport through email, create a survey and, above all, be open and ready to listen.

 

4. People and Places 

It never hurts to pair with an unexpected partner or place to promote your product. A great example of this is, “the time M&M’s were offered a starring role in E.T. The offer was turned down, so the film went with Reese’s Pieces instead. While that hiccup didn’t remove M&M’s from grocery store shelves, it did help make Reese’s Pieces an extremely popular candy.”

A risk is involved with every avenue of business. So don’t be afraid to branch out into the unexpected. You could be rewarded in the end.

5. Engage, Don’t Sell 

As a startup business owner and an entrepreneur, your first inclination will be to push a sale to everyone you meet. However, start with engagement first and sales will follow later.

With social media, it’s easy to engage your target demographic without looking like you’re just trying to advertise. Build brand trust by showing your support, whether of your community or your online following. This goes along with previous steps mentioned in this article. Sales will come after customers are listened to, credibility is established and your presence on various social platforms is recognized. In short, engagement.