123 eGuides

1 Minute Advice: Creating Brand Loyalty in 2016

It is more and more difficult for brands to create loyalty these days. With so many choices -- both brands and media channels -- consumers are barely paying attention to marketing messages. That's why Geoff Smith, writing for Media Post's Marketing Daily, thinks creating brand loyalty through early customer engagement will be crucial in 2016.

Smith predicts that brands will attempt to create brand loyalty in 2016 via several specific initiatives, which include:

• Targeting "Centennials" (ages 17 and under) to develop lasting relationships early.
• Allowing consumers to engage in social media on a brand's behalf, even to the extent of permitting influencers to temporarily "take over" a brand's social media.
• Moving from rewarding consumers for purchase to rewarding consumers for engagement as well.
• Utilizing wearable technology to promote brand loyalty.
• Collaborating with other non-competitive brands to offer multi-brand loyalty programs.

Read Smith's entire article here.

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1 Minute Advice: eMarketer's "Wills" and Wont's" for 2016

Digital research firm eMarketer keeps a keen eye on emerging trends in the online world (around the world), so their predictions of what will happen, and won't happen, in 2016 are worth noting.

What Will Happen

• Consumers will make more use of voice-activated search and digital personal assistants. They'll expect, in return, that information from companies will be available in speech-based forms.
• Messaging apps will grow in importance, with a significant push by Facebook's Messenger and Whats App applications.
• Mobile payments will flourish as such apps become standard on smartphones and broadly accepted by retailers.
• Mobile shopping will continue to expand as consumers become more comfortable with mobile buying.
• Younger consumers will increasingly share personal data with marketers.
• Facebook will become almost entirely a mobile channel.

Read more about what will happen here.

What Won't Happen

• A broad, permanent solution to "ad blocking" is not likely to emerge in 2016.
• A "viewable impression" will continue to be debated, hampered by the complex issues raised by desktop vs. mobile.
• Facebook will grow in its video component, but it won't put YouTube out of business.
• Facebook penetration will hold steady among younger users, despite predictions to the contrary.

Read more about what won't happen here.

1 Minute Advice: What's Around the Bend for Marketing in 2016?

There is no shortage of predictions and prognostications about the future of marketing at this time of year. Some of them may be fantastic while others are rooted in reality. Writing for Cross-Channel Marketing Insider, Katrin Ribant, co-founder of Datorama, offers three predictions for marketing that should act as a wake-up call to marketers in 2016.

First, she sees the rise of a function in marketing called the "Chief Marketing Technologist" (CMT) -- a kind of hybrid of a CMO and a CIO. Writes Katrin, "As omnichannel marketing analytics has become the standard for marketing departments, CMTs will start to reengineer internal marketing roles and responsibilities with a greater focus on becoming an analytically driven department."

Second, Katrin thinks spending in the IT area as it relates to omnichannel marketing will increase. "I see 2016 as the year that recommended actions come into the limelight as CMTs pursue analytic solutions with omnichannel positioned right in the middle of it all," says Katrin.

Third, she believes marketing will take on a new, expanded role and be central to the success of any business. While it may be unthinkable to some, Katrin writes that "through optimized customer acquisition, the marketing department will become the owner of improving the sales cycle, as well as ensuring that customers continue to have positive interactions with their brand in an effort to keep them loyal. The only way this can happen is through effective cross-department analytics."

Read Katrin's thoughtful article here. What's your take on her predictions?

1 Minute Advice: Mobile Payments Poised for Growth Next Year

The migration to mobile devices continues unabated -- and with it come predictions of the robust growth of mobile payments.

Research firm eMarketer predicts mobile payment transactions made by tapping, waving, or similar means will grow 210 percent in 2016 in the U.S.  By 2016, total mobile payments transactions should reach over $27 billion, up from nearly $9 billion this year in the U.S.

“Several factors will drive substantial mobile payments growth in the U.S.," said eMarketer analyst Bryan Yeager. "Mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay will become a standard feature on new smartphones. Also, more merchants will adopt point-of-sale systems that can accept mobile payments, and incentives like promotions and loyalty programs will be integrated to attract new users.” 

“Younger consumers generally have fewer apprehensions when it comes to experimenting with and eventually adopting new technologies,” added Yeager. “That’s certainly true for mobile payments, where security concerns are more pronounced among older consumers. Ultimately, mobile wallets will need to have a strong track record of security to attract more users across all demographics long-term.”