Industry Focus for Friday, August 12, 2022
An important part of our approach at iFocus Marketing is absorbing global business trends and understanding how they affect the marketing strategies we develop for our clients. Staying relevant, being able to pivot in an ever-changing world, and developing innovative ways to support your business’ marketing needs is at the heart of all we do.
But we don’t stop there – strategy is only an idea without the tools to bring it to life. That’s why we’re constantly learning the best tech tools to turn strategy into success. These five articles for this week’s Industry Focus represent exactly who we are: a digital marketing agency with its finger on the pulse of business and its intersection with marketing strategy and technology.
“Marketers Who Cut Spend Risk Losing 15% of Their Revenue During a Recession,” by WIT Strategy in EIN Presswire
Although speculation continues about whether the U.S. is officially in a recession, market volatility and inflation are a reality for all businesses. While it may seem like the right move to go lean on your marketing spend during uncertain economic times, this article suggests a more counterintuitive approach, and has the research to back it up. Brands that increased paid advertising, says Analytic Partners, experienced “a 17 percent rise in incremental sales.” This question, then, is not whether to slash your business’ marketing budget, but how to find effective ways to “recession-proof” your marketing with an aggressive approach that will outpace competitors.
-Submitted by Ryann Rinker, Director of Agency Partnerships
“Marketers Focus on Low Prices and Value in Back-to-School Ads,” by Jenn Brice in Marketing Brew
It’s not only businesses that are concerned about prices – it’s consumers, too; namely, parents. As students return to school, Marketing Brew highlights key metrics from a recent Morning Consult survey: 36 percent of parents said they could afford school supplies, compared with 52 percent last year. Brands who sell back-to-school products have taken note of this data, and are developing marketing strategies to meet parents where they are. From Kathryn Hahn’s tongue-in-cheek Amazon ad about kids being “expensive,” to American Eagle’s “dual-shopper strategy,” which divides its content marketing into two strands for platforms relevant to kids (TikTok) and parents (Google), businesses are recognizing economic conditions in ways that benefit them and the consumers they serve.
-Submitted by Meagan Sanchez, Account Coordinator
“Amazon is Bucking the Online Ad Trend and Just Beat Out Google and Meta,” by Jonathan Vanian in CNBC Tech
This headline boasts a major accomplishment for Amazon, especially when compared to the formidable competitors they’ve beat out. Developing an exceptionally robust online paid advertising division has helped Amazon overshadow Facebook, Google, and other major companies’ growth percentages from ad revenue in Q2. CNBC attributes this success to Apple’s tight privacy restrictions on how ad websites track users’ data, which affects companies like Meta and Snap that are more highly dependent on iOS. Amazon’s demonstration of a measurable return on investment for paid advertising is attractive to business, particularly in these recession-like conditions. This article, then, presents a significant case study for the way businesses can maximize returns – even in times of uncertainty – by making the right marketing decisions.
-Submitted by Kelsey Whittle, Account Manager
“Google Ads Editor & API Now Support Discovery Ads, Plus New Audience Insights,” by Barry Schwartz in Search Engine Roundtable
Speaking of Google ads, the company just announced new tools for Google Discover Ads that will prove exceptionally useful and efficient for marketers working on Discovery campaigns. For businesses looking to better understand their audiences and connect with them more effectively, Google has included its Insights page to work with Discovery ads, along with more dynamic ad creation by supporting images with text overlays, and, perhaps most significantly, the ability to pair Ads Editor with Discovery as a major efficiency upgrade. Our first three articles suggest a marketing strategy based on economic conditions, or, the why. This article provides an example of the how – the tools you’ll need to make your strategy work. At iFocus, that’s where we’ll meet you: with a depth of knowledge and experience that fuses both strategy and implementation.
-Submitted by Brandon Davis, Director of Paid Media
“Layer on the Automation: How to Combine Automation Options for PPC Success,” by Christine Zernheld in Search Engine Land
While there are benefits to Google’s automation practices for digital marketing – after all, this is how they set bids and get the right ads in front of customers – you don’t want to rely on Google’s automation tools rashly. In this article, Zernheld suggests a “layering” approach which gives a business control in leveraging automation features effectively, and without relying on machine learning wholesale. The concept of guiding automated features puts the power back in advertisers’ hands. For example, Google Ads allows you to set conversion goals when you’re in campaign mode. You can then teach Google Ads to optimize each individual campaign for specific conversion interactions with your business – and perfect example of where strategy meets its perfect tool.
-Submitted by Alex Mead, Paid Media Coordinator
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