123 eGuides

1 Minute Advice: Brand Relevance in 2022

Brand rankings come in a variety of forms, but one of the more intriguing ways of looking at brands is their "relevance." Prophet, a leading analytical firm, considers several factors in determining the relevance of a brand: customer obsession, ruthlessness, pragmatism, distinct inspiration and pervasive innovation. To compile the most relevant brands in the U.S., Prophet surveyed more than 13,500 U.S. consumers regarding 293 brands, according to Marketing Charts. The survey reveals that these are the top ten most relevant brands in the U.S. for 2022:

1. Apple
2. Peloton
3. Spotify
4. Bose
5. Android
6. Instant Pot
7. PlayStation
8. FitBit
9. TED
10. USAA

This post is brought to you by 123 eGuides, publisher of authoritative, affordable guides to help small businesses get the most from your marketing. Now available: The updated, revised Third Edition of the popular eGuide, Branding 123, that details a 3-part system for how small marketers can build a breakthrough brand. Included in the Third Edition are profiles of 5 small brands that grew up using techniques similar to those outlined in Branding 123. Read more about this eGuide here.

 

1 Minute Advice: Consumers Still Like Brick-and-Mortar Stores

Retail and online marketers take note: Despite the pandemic growth of e-commerce, recent research indicates that consumers still prefer to shop in traditional retail stores vs. online, as reported by Marketing Charts. A survey of U. S. adults conducted in February by Morning Consult showed that, when asked how they "typically prefer" to shop, 41 percent of all adults said in a store and 29 percent said online. For adults with household income less than $50,000, the difference was even more dramatic: 45 percent in a store vs. 27 percent online. The variation across generations was also notable: Baby Boomers by far prefer shopping in a store (47 percent in a store vs. 24 percent online). Gen Xers are next (41 percent in a store vs. 30 percent online), followed by Gen Zers (38 percent in a store vs. 30 percent online) and then Millennials (36 percent in a store vs. 34 percent online).

This post is brought to you by 123 eGuides, publisher of authoritative, affordable guides to help small businesses get the most from your marketing. Now available: The updated, revised Third Edition of the popular eGuide, Branding 123, that details a 3-part system for how small marketers can build a breakthrough brand. Included in the Third Edition are profiles of 5 small brands that grew up using techniques similar to those outlined in Branding 123. Read more about this eGuide here.

 

1 Minute Advice: Look Out YouTube, Here Comes TikTok

While YouTube is still dominant in social video, TikTok is growing dramatically in popularity, according to eMarketer. The implications for marketers may be significant as this trend continues. YouTube is still ahead of TikTok in total users and in every age group, reports eMarketer, but things are shifting in a few key age groups:

• Among US teens ages 12 to 17, 87.6% will use YouTube monthly this year, while 65.3% will use TikTok, according to our forecasts. YouTube’s penetration is reaching a ceiling, while TikTok’s is still rising fast; YouTube will rise just 1.5 percentage points this year compared with 2020, while TikTok will be up more than 13 points (from 51.7%).
• In the 18-to-24 group, the usage gap will be even smaller than among teens this year: 85.4% will be on YouTube monthly and 73.9% will be on TikTok.
• By 2025, there will be 24.2 million US TikTok users ages 18 to 24 and 26.6 million US YouTube users.

(Above data from eMarketer)

This post is brought to you by 123 eGuides, publisher of authoritative, affordable guides to help small businesses get the most from your marketing. Now available: The updated, revised Third Edition of the popular eGuide, Branding 123, that details a 3-part system for how small marketers can build a breakthrough brand. Included in the Third Edition are profiles of 5 small brands that grew up using techniques similar to those outlined in Branding 123. Read more about this eGuide here.

 

1 Minute Advice: How Should Brands Approach the Ukrainian Conflict?

According to Marketing Dive, "Consumers want brands to take concrete measures addressing Russia's invasion of Ukraine... A survey Gartner conducted found that most U.S. respondents were concerned about the Ukraine crisis, with eight in 10 naming at least one step they would like to see marketers take. At the top of the list was reconsidering doing business in Russia or with Russian partners, cited by 60%."

Still, the war presents something of a dilemma for brand advertisers. Kate Muhl, vice president analyst at Gartner's marketing practice, tells Marketing Dive, "The messages [consumers] are looking for are: Support for people in Ukraine, peace, and to some degree, resources. But [talking about] what you specifically are doing, it's just too soon."

While some larger brand marketers are being cautious, others have demonstrated through their actions that they perceive consumers want them to side with Ukraine. There has been a significant number of major American brands, including American Express, Apple, Disney, Ford, Ikea, MasterCard, Netflix and VISA, that are pulling back from the Russian consumer market. Other actions, such as oil companies that are abandoning deals with Russia and sports organizations that are banning Russian athletes, are also notable. Every brand marketer needs to look at the situation and evaluate whether to take a stand and how it may affect brand perception -- or if it is more prudent to remain neutral.

This post is brought to you by 123 eGuides, publisher of authoritative, affordable guides to help small businesses get the most from your marketing. Now available: The updated, revised Third Edition of the popular eGuide, Branding 123, that details a 3-part system for how small marketers can build a breakthrough brand. Included in the Third Edition are profiles of 5 small brands that grew up using techniques similar to those outlined in Branding 123. Read more about this eGuide here.

 

Learn how the World War II era influenced the rise of the modern American brand.

1 Minute Advice: Licensing Deals Could Spell the Future for Brands

If the recent actions of  Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies are any indication, licensing deals may be where future profits reside for brands. According to FoodDive, "brand licensing deals are rapidly evolving into a lucrative source of revenue for CPGs aiming to grow their business, build equity and maintain or expand a product's relevancy in an industry beset by mounting competition and changing consumer tastes." In 2019, food and beverage licensing deals were worth $16.5 billion globally. The top food company in terms of licensing its brands for product use in 2020 was Hershey, generating $1.7 billion in licensed sales. Companies that license their brands see both short and long-term gains from the practice.

This post is brought to you by 123 eGuides, publisher of authoritative, affordable guides to help small businesses get the most from your marketing. Now available: The updated, revised Third Edition of the popular eGuide, Branding 123, that details a 3-part system for how small marketers can build a breakthrough brand. Included in the Third Edition are profiles of 5 small brands that grew up using techniques similar to those outlined in Branding 123. Read more about this eGuide here.

 

Learn how the World War II era influenced the rise of the modern American brand.