5 Tips for More Effective Influencer Marketing

influencer marketing

Most experts agree: 2017 is the year for influencer marketing. In fact, 87% of marketers plan to launch at least one influencer marketing campaign in 2017. The reasons that this particular marketing strategy is surging right now are many. The first, and probably the largest reason is social proof.

According to research firm Yankelovich, Americans are exposed to 5,000 advertisements a day. Overwhelmed consumers are now experiencing “banner blindness” as they mentally tune these ads out. With 47% of consumers using ad blockers, more and more brands are moving away from targeted ads and moving toward paying these influencers to represent their brands.

Though now is a great time to experiment with influencer marketing, it’s important to consider the following to make sure you maximize the return on your marketing dollars.

1. Consider Your Brand

Before you seek out influencers, you should first consider your brand. Many industries have influencers that are easier to identify than others. Fashion and beauty brands are already using influencer marketing, with 60% having a strategy in place and 21% planning to create campaigns in the next 12 months. Other brands that work well with influencer marketing include food and beverage, consumer technology, and health and wellness.

2. Find the Right Influencers

The hardest part of influencer marketing is finding the right people for the job. In fact, 73% say finding the right influencers is the hardest part of influencer marketing. Once you’ve tapped someone to share your products, that person becomes an extension of your brand.

So, do your due diligence. Investigate an influencer’s previous posts to determine that they’ll be a good reflection of your brand’s mission and vision. While you can afford to work with influencers that don’t have large followings, you may never recover from a social media faux pas.

3. Don’t Sweat Small Follower Counts

While a social media celebrity might be the ideal influencer on paper, look beyond the A-list. Remember that 72% say relevancy is more important than reach. If your influencers are reaching the target market for your brand, then you’ve hit the jackpot, no matter how large or small their audience may be.

4. Allow Creative Freedom

Your chosen influencers resonate with their audience for a reason. Once you’ve determined that your chosen advocate matches your brand standards and speaks to your brand’s mission, let that influencer fly free. If you try to impose rules and regulations, the relationship may break down. Worse, you might dampen the spirit of that influencer’s posts, which means their followers won’t engage anymore.

5. Track your Metrics

The only way to know if your campaign is working is to track its success. You can’t make changes if you don’t know what’s working and what isn’t, right? Google Analytics and other automated software show you exactly where your traffic is coming from. If one of your influencers isn’t producing results, you’ll know early enough to make necessary adjustments to your campaigns.

Influencer marketing campaigns can be a great tool for driving brand awareness, but only if you’re willing to put forth the effort. If you’d like more thoughts on developing successful influencer campaigns and engaging new audiences, give us a call.

5 Food and Beverage Marketing Trends for 2017 You Should Know

Food and Beverage Marketing and PR

The transition from 2016 to 2017 brought more change than we have yet to realize. If you’re ahead of that turn, aware of what people will want—and not just what they want now—then you can craft successful food and beverage marketing campaigns for your brands. Let’s take a look at some of the growing trends we’re already experiencing.

A Return to Roots: Traditional Food and Beverage Products

A feeling of home and belonging is paramount at the moment. In the current political climate, many are seeking out foods that take them back to their roots. Traditional and retro-inspired products, designs, and campaigns will be huge. After all, no one will forget this Budweiser Super Bowl commercial soon:

In addition to a return to roots, consumers may also seek out foods that teach them about other cultures. Connecting to their fellow man through the things they eat and drink is just one way consumers will continue to broaden their worlds. Two emerging trends are Asian dishes such as pho and ramen, which are inexpensive and include fresh ingredients, and Jewish comfort food with a contemporary twist.

Searching for Youth in Foods and Beverages

Middle-aged and older consumers are enjoying healthier lifestyles and, thus, more youthful appearances. This health and confidence leads older buyers to act younger than generations before. Midorexia, or the middle-aged millennial, will react to food and beverage marketing that focuses on their health and wellness.

Magnum Ice Cream is one brand that really understands, as you can see in this particular ad. Also, FitBit — thought not a food and beverage brand — understands this quest for longer life spans, as you can see in the commercial below:

The Rise of the Child: Fostering Independence with Food and Drink

People aren’t just trying to look and feel younger; they’re also teaching children to act older. Parents will continue trusting their children to give opinions on the food and drink purchased for the family. Quaker has really reached out to children in their ads, giving them reasons to choose the healthy options. There’s also this truly funny commercial for Halos:

Part of the reason for this increased independence for children is the struggle for parents to find a work/life balance. With both parents (or single parents) in careers, the time needed to plan shopping and meals is limited. Giving children the responsibility of helping with those choices relieves some stress for the parents but also encourages more mature decision-making in the kids.

The Need for Time: Marketing Quick, Healthy Meals

That work/life balance that working couples or singles strive for means that the time needed to plan and cook healthy meals is limited. Studies show that 43% want meals that are easy to cook, 34% want something that’s quick, and 18% want to use as few pots and pans as possible.

That need for time must also balance against the desire for healthy choices. Tech-driven start-ups like Plated, Hello Fresh, and Blue Apron are dominating the scene, giving consumers the ability to cook gourmet meals without added hormones, preservatives, and colors. Food brands that can provide a similar experience will see a big boost in 2017.

The Multichannel Experience: Food and Beverage Marketing Beyond Traditional Media

Our changing world leaves buyers with a lot of questions. They will look to several different channels to get those answers. When marketing your brand, be where your buyers are – online, in stores, on apps, in both social media and traditional media, and anywhere else your buyers live on a daily basis.

Brands can never again tell consumers what they want. It’s the buyer who shapes the narrative and determines the need for their families. The buyer controls the cash. It’s up to marketers to create an experience with as little friction as possible, while also helping consumers sift through the enormous amount of data they receive from the various channels they use to get their information.

What will you do this year to enhance your buyers’ experiences? How will you help them return to their roots and recapture their youth? How will you create experiences that draw them closer together and give them time to enjoy their lives? If you need help with your food and beverage marketing, we’re here for you.

4 Things the 2016 Election Taught Us About Marketing to Women

It’s no secret that women feel like marketers don’t understand them. The same might be said about legislators, as we’ve seen from the tremendous uproar following the 2016 election. The problem isn’t that women are hard to understand; it’s that no one seems to be listening. If you want to make a difference with your efforts in marketing to women and really reach the people who control $5 trillion to $15 trillion annually in the U.S., then consider these four things we’ve learned about marketing to women since our new president was elected.

1. Same Outlets, New Message

You don’t have to go somewhere new to reach the millions of women who are reaching for their wallets. They’re right there, using the same social media accounts that men are using.

The use of social media and humorous memes can, of course, be used to spread misogynistic imagery, but women have found these tools can also be used for good. Research the hashtags and memes used to rally women together and show them your business stands with them.

If you don’t think women are using these tools to affect spending, consider the #GrabYourWallet movement, which is possibly responsible for the removal of the First Daughter’s fashion line from high end department stores.

2. Stop Researching, Start Understanding

Some creatives, such as Glenn Cole of 72andSunny, came to a conclusion that women have long felt was overdue: No one really tries to understand their audience. “For me, the big ‘aha’ of all this is the realization that we (Americans) don’t really know each other, or what drives each other,” says Cole. This is definitely a step in the right direction, but not at all helpful if marketers still don’t drill down and take the time to truly identify with the women they’re trying to reach.

A graph might show you what the majority wants, but it won’t show you the various nuances of your target audience. Understanding women involves research across various geographic, economic, and ideological landscapes. In other words, what urban women consider strong and successful will differ from what rural women aspire to.

3. Stop Following, Start Leading

Almost half (48%) of women surveyed by SheSpeaks believe that the election results will not benefit women. However, 3 million to 4 million women, men, and children banded together to march for women’s rights just one day after the inauguration, proving at least one benefit already—renewed solidarity.

Whatever the polls may tell you, women say something different with their actions. Just because they feel they’re not being heard doesn’t mean they’ll stop speaking up. In fact, they’ll just get louder. Don’t just hear them. Yell with them, too.

4. Stop Degrading, Start Uplifting

The buying public isn’t as willing to accept brands that glorify sexual violence, even if only a cheeky ad, as evidenced by Trump’s plunging brand equity after the release of his interview with Billy Bush. Someone should remind Burger King before they create another ad like this one:

Burger King Misses the Mark while Marketing to Women

Even if a woman chuckles at a degrading ad or meme, that doesn’t mean she’ll make a purchase. It doesn’t even mean she’s comfortable with the imagery. In fact, she probably fears for her future.

Instead, speak to her power. Remind her that she can do anything—and probably already does—that a man can do. Whether that’s buying a car, making home improvements, or simply choosing a delicious beer that’s not pink or fruity.

It’s a new era for marketing, and a lot of dollars are at stake. Will you work to understand your audience now that they’re shouting what they want, or will you keep doing the same old thing? It’s your move.

Marketing to Mothers In the Sandwich

Mom in the Sandwich I recently read an article by Liz O’Donnell about marketing to “mothers in the sandwich,” those women who are caring for their parents while also raising their children and trying to balance careers. Life in the sandwich raises unique challenges for these women, but also provides unique opportunities for those products, services and businesses that support these women. I should know, because I am one of those mothers in the sandwich.

These women are busy, savvy (they need to be; they are managing crises, averting crises, and solving problems every day), and influential. As Liz notes, they’re making health care decisions for three generations, managing money for three generations, consuming services for three generations, and purchasing products for three generations.

So whether it’s car services to transport seniors to medical appointments and children safely to afterschool activities, or errand and meal delivery service, these women have purchasing power that shouldn’t be ignored. Marketers would be wise to listen to them, support them, and help solve their problems. For that, they’ll be rewarded with a lifetime of loyalty.

Marketing to the Millennial Mindset

Marketing to the Millenial Mindset

The Millennial Influence on the Consumer Market

Last year, millennials became the largest generation of consumers living in the U.S. Beyond the sheer size of this generation, their impact lies in their ability to influence an entire market of consumers who may or may not be their peers. For example, a 50-year-old man is not a millennial, but he is just as dedicated to wearing his Nike+ FuelBand every day as his 23-year-old son. In its latest research, FutureCast has dubbed this the Millennial Mindset.

Elements of The Millennial Mindset

Social Circle – While social media is a powerful tool, The Social Circle refers to the team of advisors modern consumers have built for themselves – without question the most influential and impactful pillar within the Millennial Mindset. The more brand fans who advocate for the brand, the bigger the social circle.

Self – The key to great brand performance is building an emotional connection with your audience. Consumers who feel that a brand understands them on a personal level develop the kind of loyalty that leads to brand dominance. Brands that help consumers live more fulfilling lives through customized experiences are winning big.

Innovation – Millennial Mindset consumers want the novelty, efficiency, and effectiveness that come with product innovation. They constantly seek out brands that are re-inventing and re-creating new ways to make consumer’s lives easier and more efficient. Brands that are constantly in beta will drive interest and engagement across generations.

Trust – Trust is the first step to any great relationship – millennial or otherwise. The most trusted brands are the ones that put consumer needs first and follow through with their promises. Consumers today have more access to brands than ever before. so keeping secrets and important information hidden behind red tape is no longer an option.

Accessible – Accessibility is key. Consumers today are looking for access to brands across both physical and digital channels and for brands to create a seamless transition between those two worlds.

Purposeful – Millennial Mindset consumers are looking for brands that are committed to making our planet a better place. Today, brands must acknowledge the triple bottom line that exists – people, planet and profit. Businesses cannot exist in the modern market if they are only focused on the numbers in their P&L.

To delve deeper into the Millennial Mindset, download a copy of the report here.

Warby Parker – Winning Marketing Strategy Resonates With Women

When eyeglasses company Warby Parker launched in 2010, its founders had no real traditional marketing plan, but had invested their life savings in three main areas: their product, their website and a public relations program.

According to co-founder and CEO Neil Blumenthal, they knew that you only have one shot to launch a fashion brand, and set their sights on Vogue and GQ magazines where they wanted the company’s name to debut. The PR team placed Warby Parker in the February issues that year, and the result was better than anyone could have expected. Since then, their press-triggered sales spikes have turned into sustained growth, with more than 50 percent of Warby Parker’s sales driven by word-of-mouth and peer recommendations.

“Everybody’s looking for that tidbit to talk about at the dinner table,” he explains. “For us it was our $95 price point, innovative home try-on model, and our buy a pair, give a pair program.”

For every pair sold, Warby Parker donates a new pair to VisionSpring (visionspring.org), a nonprofit that trains low-income women in developing countries to sell affordable glasses in their communities.

Today, consumers want their brands to matter more; they’ll support the brands that align to their values and are meaningful to them. This give-back mentality really resonates with people, particularly women.

In an interview included in 99U’s new book, Make Your Mark, Blumenthal also revealed three branding tips that have helped make Warby Parker an authentic lifestyle brand that treats customers the way they want to be treated. As you’ve read in previous blog posts, these tips are especially important when marketing to women, and well worth remembering:

1. Don’t Fake It

“People have extremely sensitive BS detectors these days,” Blumenthal says. “They sense a brand’s authenticity — or fakeness — immediately.” To gain the consumer’s trust, Warby Parker has made transparency and honesty key components of its customer relations, especially when it comes to owning up to a mistake before it becomes a bigger issue.

2. Don’t Forget the Little Things

Being honest and accepting responsibility is just the beginning in starting an authentic relationship with customers. Brands should also be proactive about making customers feel their needs are being met. “For us, that might be offering a discount, it might be offering free glasses, it might be doing whatever it takes to get that person a pair of glasses before they go on vacation,” Blumenthal says. “It’s the little things that make a brand great.”

3. Don’t Be a Control Freak

According to Blumenthal, a brand is no longer a strict messaging hierarchy. With the social Web, a brand’s messaging is constantly changing and consumers are helping shape it every day. “Your brand is part of conversations that are being held in the streets, on Twitter, and on Instagram,” he says. “And the best that you can do is help influence that dialogue by giving people reasons to talk positively about it. These days, community managers are your brand managers.”

Does your brand have a well thought-out strategy for reaching your target consumer that addresses what is most important to them? We can help.

Marketing to Women: Trends to Watch in 2015 and Beyond

I believe that most brand and marketing managers understand the economic importance of women, and recognize that they influence 85 percent of all household purchase decisions. I also believe that 2015 will bring a surge of renewed interest in the subject of marketing to women. Going forward in this blog we’ll discuss recent trends, the differences in female market segments, and why women’s influence over purchase decision-making will continue to grow.

In the meantime, Bridget Brennan, author of Why She Buys, has written an article for Forbes.com about 2015 trends in marketing to women. Her insights are so spot-on that I’ve reprinted the entire article below.

2014 was a watershed year in marketing to women. We witnessed female-empowerment advertising campaigns from brands like Pantene (Not Sorry), Under Armour (I Will What I Want) and Always (Like a Girl); we saw a sweeping effort to update women’s images in stock photography with the Lean In Getty Images Collection; and we witnessed a GoldieBlox Super Bowl commercial. Not bad, 2014, not bad.

It’s exciting stuff. And yet the conversation, hard work, and opportunity have just begun. I predict 2015 will be the year that marketers move beyond signaling to women, “We know you’re important, empowered and strong,” to a broader, holistic approach to women consumers that impacts every aspect of the business with the following types of initiatives:

1. Optimizing the customer experience for women consumers.

From conducting sales training initiatives focused on “E.Q.”-style communication techniques, to enhancing the ambiance of retail environments and refining the editorial voice of websites, there’s room to optimize the experience for women consumers no matter what your business. After all, women don’t just compare your company to your competitors: they compare it to their favorite best-in-class retailers and ecommerce sites. And depending on what you sell, they may even compare your website and videos to their favorite magazines and television shows. That’s why forward-looking companies will invest in women’s insights research and look outside their own industries to benchmark themselves against best-in-class, female favorites like Anthropologie, IKEA and Amazon.com.

2. Creating retail innovations based on women’s cultural preferences.

Take product samples. They’re gold. Women know this. Their medicine cabinets and bathroom drawers are stuffed with this precious loot, which is usually obtained free of charge when they check out at beauty counters or attend parties with excellent goodie bags. Enter Birchbox, the successful ecommerce company built on the understanding that women would be willing to pay to receive product samples. The business features a subscription model in which women pay to be surprised and delighted by a box of beauty product samples every month. Men are in on the action too, through Birchbox Man, which was introduced after the initial success of the subscription service for women.

Then there’s Stitch Fix: an online women’s fashion retailer that offers personal styling services at a mass-market price point. The service fulfills a common fantasy of having a “stylist,” a phenomenon driven by celebrity fashion coverage and the emergence of stylists who have become celebrities in their own right. (See: Rachel Zoe). This is just the beginning of a new wave of retail businesses built around powerful female insights. Watch this space: there’s more to come in 2015.

3. Making selfies as natural to shopping as the cart.

We used to say that a picture is worth a thousand words. That was before Instagram. Now a picture is worth so much more. The irresistible allure of selfies fuels contests, sweepstakes and promotions of every conceivable kind, and will increasingly drive image-based search as well as function as a research tool for brands. Photos and visuals of all varieties will become even more prominent in the marketing toolbox in 2015, particularly for businesses with a large base of female buyers. Women have long been the photo album makers, scrapbook keepers and memory/milestone custodians for their households in the offline world, and in the past decade this behavior has shifted online.

So whether we’re talking about traditional retailers like Target mobilizing customers to take selfies in-store for sweepstakes prizes, or brands like American Express leveraging customer influencers for a campaign that drove 10 million Instagram impressions in just two weeks, the creativity in the visual web has just begun.

4. Catering to women consumers as a way to stay one step ahead of Millennials.

Many values that historically have been associated with women now apply to Millennials of both genders. Generally speaking, Millennials want what women consumers have always wanted from manufacturers and retailers. A partial list includes:

A high design aesthetic (in addition to functionality)
Brands/products that make the world a better place in some small way
Family-friendly amenities and service options
Great value
An engaging retail environment

Trader Joe’s, Starbucks, and Apple are just a few examples of brands beloved by women and Millennials (of both genders), because they provide high value products in inspiring environments. As Millennials grow into their prime earning years, brands will find that women provide a valuable roadmap to determining the wants and needs of younger consumers.

The world is changing fast. Yet women’s domination of consumer spending in both ecommerce and traditional retail remains constant. The tools of the trade may be changing, but women’s role as “chief purchasing officer” of the home hasn’t – nor have the fundamentals of female culture. It’s comforting to know that no matter how fast technology advances, no matter how frequently people shop on their mobile phones and laptops, one thing remains the same: women are the purchasers of this world, and understanding why she buys is the most valuable insurance policy there is, for 2015 and beyond.

Women Consumers Checking Online Reviews Before Checking Out

Importance of Online Reviews

Women Pay Attention to Online Reviews

A new study by Influence Central confirms the dramatic impact online reviews have on consumers this holiday season, with Amazon emerging as the top site that consumers rely on for checking reviews. According to the study, 85 percent of women consumers consider e-commerce reviews extremely or very important when making a purchase, with 90 percent of consumers saying that an online review is more important than input from a salesperson.

Additional findings include:

88 percent of consumers consider online reviews very influential when purchasing a new product from a brand with which they’re not familiar.

The three biggest reasons women seek out online reviews for holiday shopping are to 1) ensure quality; 2) gather more information when choosing between similar products; and 3) get the best deal.

For the 43 percent of consumers who check online reviews for items they’ve purchased before, they do so to see if others have had a similar experience and also to see if there is a better product option.

Consumers consider themselves savvy discerners of reviews, with 97 percent saying they can tell if a review is authentic.

87 percent of respondents post online reviews themselves either occasionally or often.

Consumers are also more mobile than ever, with 26 percent reading reviews from their phones and 18 percent from their tablets. The majority still rely on their laptops and desktops, though, with 88 percent checking reviews most often from their computers.

Outside of Amazon, the top sites in which consumers rely on online reviews as extremely or very important are Target (67 percent), Best Buy (64 percent) and Walmart (62 percent).

76 percent of shoppers plan to write online reviews of the products they either love or hate this holiday season.

So what does this all mean? For retailers and brand managers, it means taking note of the increasingly important role of online reviews– shoppers are getting savvy, and the tides are changing. Companies that understand the importance of reputation management and online reviews will be at a major advantage.

15 Digital Trends for 2015

PR and Marketing Experts Take Note: Here Are 15 Digital Trends for 2015

Brands that stay abreast of the latest digital trends will have the best PR and marketing results in 2015. Not every brand will be able to put every new piece of technology to use in its public relations or marketing strategies, but knowing about the latest advances in the way people communicate with each other and with their favorite brands is important in creating your marketing programs and strategies.

With 2015 fast approaching, Bell Pottinger Digital analyzed the most talked about digital trends of 2014 and ranked them in the infographic below in order of percentage increase throughout the year. Take a look for a preview of what technologies are expected to make the most impact next year.

Digital Trends in PR for 2015

Even Companies That Sell Tampons Are Run By Men

As Appeared In Huffington Post

Most women would rather not discuss the intricacies of their period with a man. Most men seem fine with that.

Yet, until just five years ago, it was up to a largely male-led team to figure out how to market tampons, maxi-pads and other feminine products at Kimberly-Clark, the company behind Kotex, Huggies and Kleenex.

That translated into ads featuring blue liquids dumped on sanitary napkins, and portraying ecstatic women clad in all-white dancing and frolicking, apparently while menstruating. That’s a scenario approximately no woman has ever related to. A compilation of awkward images from vintage Kotex commercials. The company recently poked fun at its old advertising tactics in a new “U By Kotex” campaign. Story continues after the photos.

The absurdity of the situation came to light about five years ago at Kimberly-Clark, when CEO Tom Falk brought the male executive in charge of Kotex to present a marketing strategy for the more than 90-year-old brand to the company’s board of directors

After the presentation, some board members politely asked Falk: “Don’t you think you can get a female to present the strategy to us?” (read more)

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