123 eGuides

1 Minute Advice: Getting to Know the Connected Consumer

A newly released report based on a global survey sponsored by Worldpay, a worldwide payments processor, offers some important insights into the connected consumer for marketers.

Here are some of the highlights from the report:

• Almost half (46%) of consumers say they are comfortable with a home device ordering things on their behalf without behalf, while over a third (35%) says this makes them feel uncomfortable. Half (50%) say they prefer fixed limits on how much a connected device can spend on their behalf.
• Half of consumers (49%) say the convenience of smart devices has added to their quality of life.
• Almost three quarters (72%) agreed that they had concerns that smart device manufacturers might share their data. A full three quarters (75%) are worried about a connected device being hacked.
• 41% of consumers see value in chatbots or personal assistants that can automatically book travel tickets.
• Only 13% of consumers are comfortable with devices using their location to deliver personalized advertising.

You can get a copy of the complete report by clicking on the download link here (PDF):

Download TheConnectedConsumer

This post is brought to you by 123eGuides.com. 123 eGuides are a series of authoritative guides about branding, marketing and small business published exclusively in electronic format to provide maximum value at minimum cost.

1 Minute Advice: Media Usage Isn't Always What You Expect

Online research media firm eMarketer recently published a provocative and interesting article entitled "Six Surprising Facts About the Way We Spend Our Time with Media." In it are some revelations about media usage that are worth keeping in mind as you plan your marketing programs in 2018. For example:

1. While there's plenty of buzz about social media usage, where do U.S. adults spend much more of their time? With nondigital radio. The average daily time adults spend with radio is 1 hour 26 minutes, vs. just 40 minutes on mobile devices for social media.
2. Similarly, we all keep hearing about the explosion in digital video thanks to such outlets as Netflix and YouTube. Yes, it is true that digital video usage is on a strong upward curve while traditional television usage is declining. However, eMarketer estimates that in 2017, adults will have spent a little under 4 hours per day watching traditional TV, vs. 1 hour 17 minutes with digital video. By 2019, eMarketer estimates a narrowing of the gap between the two: 3 hours 47 minutes for traditional TV, vs. 1 hour 26 minutes for digital video.
3. Advertisers are ahead of the curve in mobile advertising -- maybe too far ahead. Advertisers spend just over 30 percent of their ad dollars on mobile advertising, but consumers spent just over 28 percent of their time on mobile devices. That gap will actually increase in 2019, according to eMarketer.

This post is brought to you by 123eGuides.com. 123 eGuides are a series of authoritative guides about branding, marketing and small business published exclusively in electronic format to provide maximum value at minimum cost.

1 Minute Advice: Watchword for Marketers in 2018 is "Humanity"

While marketers are enamored of technology, it is important to keep a certain perspective on why you use technology in the first place -- to reach out to customers and prospects, all of whom are human. That's why Daniel Burstein's post in the MarketingSherpa Blog is so powerful. "People don't buy from websites, people buy from people," writes Burstein. "Remember that everyone behind the technology is a real, complex human. And everyone on the receiving end is a real, complex human with hopes and fears, needs and wants, goals and pain points."

Burstein goes on to discuss "five examples of how to bring the humanity back to marketing." They include discussions of such key ideas as "Engage with influencers," "Talk to one person," and "Be real, not perfect." Burstein shares excellent examples for each of these five ideas.

Marketers cannot afford to lose sight of the end goal: To be authentic, a brand needs to approach humans on their own terms, as humans. This is why "humanity" may well be the watchword in 2018.

This post is brought to you by 123eGuides.com. 123 eGuides are a series of authoritative guides about branding, marketing and small business published exclusively in electronic format to provide maximum value at minimum cost.

1 Minute Advice: The Personalized Shopping Experience

More and more, shoppers want their experience to be personalized. What does that really mean -- and what are the implications for marketers?

McKinsey analyzed what kind of personalized communications work best for shoppers and found these five things that customers said they valued:

1. "Give me relevant recommendations I wouldn't have thought of myself."
2. "Talk to me when I'm in shopping mode."
3. "Remind of things I want to know but might not be keeping track of."
4. "Know me no matter where I interact with you."
5. "Share the value in a way that's meaningful to me."

McKinsey goes on to describe each of the five and present relevant scenarios as examples. This is invaluable information for anyone who sells via traditional retail or online channels. Read the article here.

This post is brought to you by 123eGuides.com. 123 eGuides are a series of authoritative guides about branding, marketing and small business published exclusively in electronic format to provide maximum value at minimum cost.

1 Minute Advice: The Case for a Marketing-Oriented CEO

Marketing has become so important and pervasive as a part of corporate strategy that a CEO is at a striking disadvantage without an understanding of marketing. Daniel Burstein of MECLABS Institute, publisher of the popular MarketingSherpa newsletter, makes an even stronger case, stating that "every CEO should have a marketing background. Because almost everything a company does has an interaction with the customer. So almost everything is marketing." 

Burstein goes on to offer these relevant examples: "If the IT department can’t get the back-end systems right and it goes down when a customer is trying to make a purchase, that’s (negative) marketing. If the purchasing department buys wetlands and puts a store on it, that’s (negative) marketing. Or if the finance department creates a program to give 1% of profits to charitable organizations, that’s (positive) marketing."

This holistic perspective on marketing makes a lot of sense. Today, marketing is the true differentiator between the successful and unsuccessful company. The reality is that CEOs with a marketing background are in a much better position to understand its vital importance.

This post is brought to you by 123eGuides.com. 123 eGuides are a series of authoritative guides about branding, marketing and small business published exclusively in electronic format to provide maximum value at minimum cost.