123 eGuides

1 Minute Advice: Even as Digital Media Grows, Direct Mail is Surprisingly Strong

Digital media has surged over traditional advertising in recent years. With more consumers shopping online during the pandemic, the growth of digital advertising is even more obvious. But direct mail is one of the few forms of non-digital media that is resilient. Research conducted for The Marketing Insider found that direct mail generates as much as ten times more response than such digital media as email, social media and paid search. The study indicated that direct mail influences 31 percent of purchases and is driving high value purchase decisions. One apparent reason for direct mail's current strength is the fact that it can be precisely targeted and delivered directly to a consumer's mailbox -- and most consumers are spending a lot of time at home right now.

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.

Check out the new book featuring 156 best and worst brands of the 50s and 60s!

1 Minute Advice: Marketing Leadership Right Now

Needless to say, this is a difficult and challenging time for marketers. According to McKinsey, marketing leaders will need to act across three stages:

1. Resolve and resilience: Manage the now
   McKinsey says marketers need to center on four actions: (a) Support customers, employees and suppliers (b) Empathize and understand customers (c) Build up cash reserves (d) Drive revenue response
2. Return: Plan for the recovery
   This stage includes: (a) Rethinking strategies and media plans (b) Winning the battle for brand awareness (c) Redefining loyalty
3. Reimagination: Get ahead of the "net normal"
   Reimagining the future involves: (a) Develop deeper insight and seek foresight (b) Start ideating now

More detail from McKinsey about these crucial stages here: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/how-marketing-leaders-can-both-manage-the-coronavirus-crisis-and-plan-for-the-future?

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.

Check out the new book featuring 156 best and worst brands of the 50s and 60s!

1 Minute Advice: Where Retailers Should Improve the Shopping Experience

As retail stores slowly reopen, they will face a new reality of reduced traffic and social distancing. More consumers will be likely to continue relying on digital shopping as well, potentially changing the way traditional retailers operate. Emphasizing consumer-focused marketing concepts will become more important than ever.

According to research conducted by Google, consumers want their shopping experience improved in three primary areas:

1. Loyalty/rewards programs: Over half of shoppers want automatic activation at checkout of the loyalty or rewards programs to which they belong
2. Relevant promotions and deals: Deals relevant to past purchases are desired by nearly half of shoppers
3. Wish lists: A wish list, which allows shoppers to save items of interest to them, is a very desirable feature.

Google also found that shoppers value experiences that save them time when selecting products, provide the best value through a discounted price, and make it easy to find the right product through recommendations from the retailer.

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.

Check out the new book featuring 156 best and worst brands of the 50s and 60s!

1 Minute Advice: Advertising During the Pandemic

In the past few months, there has been a definite shift in tone and content in most brand advertising. The majority of ads have been redirected to address issues surrounding the coronavirus pandemic -- topics such as staying at home and thanking frontline responders are particularly popular. eMarketer studied the effects of "disastertising" and discusses the current wave of pandemic-driven ads and what the next wave might look like in a podcast.

According to research from eMarketer, brand marketers have made significant changes to ad strategies in March and April. From March 17 - 2o, almost half of brand marketers surveyed delayed an ad campaign launch, (49%) stopped a campaign mid-flight (45%) or made media adjustments such as budget shifts (48%). For the period April 1 - 4, the percentages for these activities increased to 64%, 50% and 49%, respectively.

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.

Check out the new book featuring 156 best and worst brands of the 50s and 60s!