Streaming services won five of the 11 television categories during the 2018 Golden Globe awards. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and the list goes on of the streaming services available today. As traditional cable moves to the back burner or perhaps becomes extinct, it is imperative that marketers take a look at how this shift effects advertising.

Since it's birth, Netflix has avoided advertising like a child avoids broccoli. Competitor Hulu Plus offers a comparable price but includes advertisements within their streaming content. Youtube also leans on ads as a major source of revenue. So the question for users becomes, are you willing to pay more to avoid interruption during the new episode of your favorite show? Or do you prefer a lower cost option, advertisements included?

Paying more money to see fewer ads could potentially destroy the younger generations ad tolerance. The solution? Quality content and a pleasant consumer experience. Rather than disrupting the user's frame of mind, advertisers must aim to enhance the user experience, offering relative content and adding value. Movie trailers are a great example of getting it right. Audiences at a movie theater sit through roughly twenty minutes of commercials and previews before their feature presentation. Capturing viewers attention with movies of similar genres.

If you hand a child an iPad to watch their favorite show of the moment and it buffers for a couple of minutes, they will promptly hand it back to you and move on to something else or throw a slight tantrum. Viewers anxiously awaiting the newest episode of Stranger Things will balk if they have to watch 2 minutes of an orthopedic shoe commercial. It's all about the user experience. Be intentional and make it enjoyable. Thoughts? Drop us a line in the comments section below.

We are officially in holiday mode and it's no time for your social media accounts to be willy-nilly. With gift guides galore, now is the time for retailers to tighten their game with a solid strategy. You definitely need the Corpsumers on board. Time spent on social media starts increasing in early October and reaches its peak around New Year’s Eve. Consumers look to their newsfeeds for gift ideas before and during the holidays so this is an opportunity for you to grow your business, drive product awareness and, above all, reach your audience.

Corpsumer by definition

Barney's for example, the retailer hosted a series of gift giveaways on its social media channels, with the hashtag “Barneys Unwrapped.” For 5 days, Barneys gave away items from its holiday gift collection from brands like Gucci and Sidney Garber. Each day during the giveaways, Barneys posted a video, created by the photographer to the stars, Mason Poole, to its Instagram account. Those who follow Barneys on Instagram and left comments for a chance to win. The randomly chosen winner was announced with a second post, as well as the gift unboxing, at the end of the day. The holidays are a critical period for department stores that are losing market share to luxury marketplaces like Net-a-Porter, specialty online stores and of course Amazon. Overall, Barneys’ holiday season strategy is based on creating a more direct relationship with customers — something that Corpsumers have been seeking — as well as offering exclusive items that can’t be found on every corner. Most of the gifts that were chosen for the giveaways are exclusive to Barneys.

The end of the year is also a great time to offer more than just discounts. Just as Bass Pro Shops does in conjunction with their Santas Wonderland campaign. Every year Santa’s Wonderland transforms Bass Pro Shops into a festive holiday experience with rustic Christmas cabins and live elves set amongst snowy hills and sparkly Christmas trees. Have your picture taken with the big guy himself (for free with the Bass Pass) and tag #SantasWonderland. Santa's arrival at the shop coincides with Veterans Day, the start of a holiday "round up" program where customers can help support service members, military families and veterans through a donation program benefitting the United Service Organizations (USO) and AMVETS. From November 11 through Christmas Eve, customers can round up their purchase and donate the balance. Bass Pro Shops will donate 100% of customer contributions in support of these organizations. The season of giving is a perfect time to for them to show their significant commitment to supporting active duty military, veterans and their families including employing thousands of veterans and offering a monthly military/veteran discount.

Whether your goal is to up your sales or tell your story, make sure it's on point. Tighten up your social game and cheers to the holidays!

It’s already November. Can you believe it? We’re starting the month off right with a new series of newsletters that will deliver theme-based content all month long. We’ll feature a different topic monthly capturing useful knowledge of the ad world.  Gems of information if you will.  Sprinkled with fun facts and lovely content. All to help you visualize, conceptualize and cultivate your brand.  Suspense killing you?  We'll give you an idea of what to look forward to:

Corpsumer: Have you heard this term being thrown into the buzzword mix? It's a thing. A Corpsumer is a brand activist that thinks a company’s actions and reputation are just as important as the product it makes. They tend to be employed full time, well educated, highly compensated, Millenials and Gen-Xers. This group of shoppers cares about company reputation or ethical stance equally as much as the product quality or value.  They account for one-third of the U.S. population; approximately 100 million people, so you better listen up.  Like Toms in the early 2000's many companies are putting their money where their mouth is, giving back to a cause and turning casual shoppers into loyal patrons.

Streaming World: Interactive filters such as Snapchat's Stranger Things premiere lens just doesn't happen on cable. Users are able to virtually lounge around Joyce Byers' living room or find your way to the dark, cold "upside down". Intrigued by TextVoice by Apple or haven't heard of it?  You'll have to stay tuned.

Brand Equity: The general population's valuation of a brand. It is imperative that you understand the power of consumer's emotions and shape how they think and feel about your product.  CoverGirl is reinventing itself to tell the story of all the beautiful people they portray, emphasizing beauty as their core identity.

Sports Marketing: What your company can learn from Steph Curry. Like Kevin Durrant, Kobe Bryant and even LeBron in the past, Stephen Curry has established himself an athletic endorsement megastar.

Buckle up! It will be a fun ride.  Comments?  Let’r rip.

How to Capitalize on Disappearance

Advertisements are constantly being thrown in the consumer’s face. After infiltrating social media and attempting to master a more natural approach, marketers now have an advantage: the value of disappearance.

Companies can use tools like Instagram and Snapchat stories to reach consumers and vanish just as quickly as they came, providing the perfect opportunity to offer special promotions, showcase new products, and reveal teasers of future campaigns. When it comes to clothing lines, stories are the ideal location to spread the word about sales. Considering they are only available for a 24-hour time span, corporations can reach their audience without broadcasting discounts.

Nordstrom for example, noted the looks they loved from #LFW highlighting the Tommy Hilfiger x Gigi Hadid fall '17 collaboration, subtitledTommy Now: Rock Circus.  Using the "swipe up" feature to read a review of the show on their blog, The Thread.  (Nordstrom Rack slated to open in Poplar Commons, at the corner of Poplar Ave and Perkins Extd, in October, hands up!).  Gigi thanked both her Fashion Fairy Godmother and all her models who rocked out all their new fall looks.

But fashion labels aren't the only industry taking advantage of this magic trick.  Whole Foods share lifestyle shots of their favorite weekly sale items via Instagram's Stories feature with the hashtag #WholeFoodsFaves.  McDonald's storied their Uber Eats campaign, letting viewers know that their savory salty fries can be delivered to your doorstep 24/7. Conde Nast features city-specific restaurant guides again, using the "swipe up" option directing followers back to their website to view on their blog.

Additionally, it is the perfect platform to show your creative process. It is an opportunity to reveal a behind the scenes, before the scenes glimpse into product creation. This makes the consumer feel included and takes the edge off of the “big bad company” image some businesses may have by adding an element of informality.

Because it lasts a day, the time-frame is ideal for take-overs. If you're collaborating with another brand, these take-overs can serve as a connecting piece between corporations. Actress/Model Jamie King, took over Harper's Bazaar's Instagram giving viewers a glimpse into her preparation for Dior's fashion show.  From hair to makeup and of course, a front seat view of the runway. And if not collaboration, use the take-over to guide the consumer through a company event. There is nothing like an inside look to attract an outside consumer.

The aspect of disappearance is useful. Although the timeframe may seem short, it allows for a lot of marketing possibilities, so next time you open up the app, considering allocating your brand some personalized face time.  Instagram stories shine with their ability to include links and mention other users.  Inclusion, unlike Snapchat's exclusion/secret factor, creates a feeling of community. Tell us what stories you find enchanting in the comments below.

Advertising is dependent on creativity, duh, but it is equally dependent on analytics.

You can’t know if an idea is worth anything without proof. Campaigns rely on numbers for the foundation. They are the evidence that a pitch is capable, deserving of those big advertising bills, and most importantly explains to a client that their investment guarantees a return. Analytics is an easy way to describe the systematic computational analysis of data or statistics. It covers all mediums of data that need to be sifted through in order to create an entirely sound campaign.

This includes various charts that help to track a business's progress, do a quick background check on the desired target audience, and, in short, fully explain why you’re doing whatever it is that you’re doing. Additionally, it’s important to utilize all of the visual ways a researcher interprets her data, thus giving your company multiple perspectives. Be smart. Value data. Amplify the success of your company with numbers 😉

Still confused? Take these seven steps to numerical heaven.

The 7-step business analytics process doesn't have to be overwhelming, let us help break it down for ya...

Step 1: Define the business needs.

Step 2: Explore the data.

Step 3: Analyze the data.

Step 4: Predict what is likely to happen.

Step 5: Optimize or find the best solution.

Step 6: Make a decision and measure the outcome.

Step 7: Update the system with the results of the decision.

Most people are already doing this. If you’re good at your job, which you are, it comes more naturally than second nature. It’s first nature. But mapping them out makes it easy to see, and furthermore, execute without worry.

The analytic scientists in this business risk it to get the money, honey. They have to document the correct data, in the right format, at the right time and give it to the perfect people. If you find yourself wondering whether these people are researchers, bots or internet spies, sources have not yet determined the answer. Data is important. Anything and everything.  The comment section is all yours, go ahead and analyze away.