Approximate reading time: 2.5 minutes Michael Vigeant is the CEO of Great Blue research. He’s a 25-year veteran of consumer and B2B research and a longtime ally of drinkcaffeine. He knows things. That’s why we interviewed him. DC: What should brands know about research right now? A: Research is not an external function or luxury. […]
As video conferencing has become a primary means of communication, there’s a new space ready for branding. And it’s right behind you. Zoom Virtual Backgrounds are useful for a number of reasons. They can increase a sense of professionalism, block out distractions (or messes!), and work as an icebreaker. Here are a few things to […]
Who’s there? Someone entering your website. Someone entering my website who? Someone entering your website doesn’t use the home page. It’s no joke. While many marketers still think of their home page as the front door to their site (and, perhaps, the foyer), in reality visitors are getting more and more accustomed to entering sites […]
Marketers often sit atop a mountain of content. Some of it is very valuable, some not so much. Which is why it’s a good idea to delineate categories as you develop content marketing to fulfill inbound interest. Plus, going forward, having a clear idea of the value of different types of content will keep you […]
It takes 1/5 of a second for someone to form an impression of your site. In another 2.6 seconds, they will have located the content that interests them. In that time span of 2.8 seconds the user has scanned the page, made some judgments, and is ready to move deeper into your site. Or move […]
Did you hear about the Zoe Kravitz Super Bowl ad for Michelob Ultra? The spot uses the sounds of near-silence – whispers, tapping finger nails, carbonated fizzing – to draw viewers into the ad by their ears as much as their eyes. The auditory phenomenon Michelob was leveraging is called ASRM, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian […]
Consider this finding from a recent study: Only 14% of rate payers view their utility as a “trusted energy adviser.” It seems that despite decades of deregulation in markets across the country, consumers aren’t ready to sing kumbaya with their power company. All those statement stuffers encouraging people to get to know their utility apparently […]
Utility marketing: 50 shades of gray Electric utilities, natural gas providers, and other legacy power industry companies have never been known for branding, often because those in charge did not see a return on the investment. But today, those companies are gray – and getting grayer. According to a US Department of Energy report, 25% […]
Marketers wake up to the pain of misspent resources A really disturbing recent study of 1000+ EU marketers reported that, on average, they waste 26% of their annual budget on “the wrong channels or strategies.” In other words, more than a quarter of their budget is gone and unrecoverable. In four years time, an entire […]