RECENT INSIGHTS
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 […]
Be careful when serving up sustainability as marketing content Millennials like causes and communities. They’re environmentally sensitive. And they value meaningful experiences over material possessions. All of which indicates that destination brands seeking to grow a base of millennial consumers should position environmental values front and center, right? Not so fast. First, millennials are savvy […]
Ethical healthcare marketing has to answer tough questions When does targeting become an invasion of privacy? When does doctor advertising become doctor advocacy? When does information sharing become marketing? As consumerism presses deeper into healthcare, competition is increasing – and marketers will naturally want to create content that’s more aggressive. Here are a few reminders […]
Ski Resorts’ Key To Millennials: Micromarketing Micromarketing used to mean tightly defined geographic targeting at the zip-code level. But we’re changing that definition as of this blog. Micromarketing in our view is also small-batch marketing, qualitative in focus, still tightly targeted but focused on small experiences – and it’s a great way for ski resorts […]
Understanding online degree-seekers We recently conducted a research study of student personas for a leading, nonprofit, online college headquartered in the northeast (formerly part of the SUNY system). The results reveal 8 distinct types of online students (which scale up to larger groups of potential students), each with differentiating life challenges and personal characteristics. While […]
Think small picture: The migration to mobile Even though desktop and laptop sessions still account for the majority of actual travel bookings, mobile bookings are constantly on the rise. So yes, of course, mobile access to brand content should still be front and center in any destination marketing brand discussion of next year’s budget. Here […]
The rise of healthcare ratings and rankings US News & World Report was losing money. In 2006, 07, and 08, the center-right Washington-based magazine saw dwindling circulation (less than half of what it had been 10 years earlier) and ad sales (also down 50%) across all its media. And what saved the publication and the […]
Say hello to the 800 lb primate Leaders at DMOs have a TripAdvisor problem. Namely, What To Do About TripAdvisor. Strong annual growth and $1.25+ billion in revenue commands our attention, as does TripAdvisor’s 455 million average monthly unique visitors and its $620+ million annual ad spend. But perhaps the most telling stat about the […]
Generation Z doesn’t like you Generation Z – loosely defined as people born between 1995 and 2010 – isn’t interested in your marketing program. Nor are they interested in your “Values” or your Facebook page, which to them is dead as disco. If they want to learn about you, they’ll look at YouTube. Once they’re […]
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% […]