Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

It’s getting close to that holiday time of the year – the season when marketers press emotional buttons to get consumers to purchase goods and services. Historically, retailers have prompted consumer spending by emphasizing traditional holiday themes. But that strategy may not be enough this year.

Despite ever increasing gas prices, buyers still aren’t changing their automotive preferences when it comes to choosing a new car. According to AutoPacific’s new “Fuel Price Impact Survey,” many consumers still want trucks or SUVs, even in the face of higher gas prices than in summer 2010. While small cars promise high fuel economy, only 16% of respondents said they plan to purchase one for their next vehicle.

Ecommerce is a constantly evolving business and therefore it is important for marketers to stay on top of the latest changes in order to succeed in a challenging market. Several key trends in ecommerce in 2011 are taking shape that marketers should be aware of. As part of their ecommerce strategy, marketers should determine the best tools for monitoring and measuring social media outreach and online campaigns.

AAA forecasts 31.5 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Labor Day holiday weekend, a slight decrease from 2010. Automobile travel will remain the dominant mode of holiday transportation. Median spending is expected to be $702, largely unchanged from $697 last year. Interestingly, 71% of intended Labor Day holiday travelers said gasoline prices would not impact their travel plans.

Some banks are beginning to test alternative financial services products and reevaluate their product offerings in order to reach the population of underbanked and unbanked Americans, according to new research by Packaged Facts. According to the FDIC, 9 million households are unbanked (8% of all U.S. households.) These are households that may buy money orders or remit funds to families abroad, but use financial services marketers sparingly and resist efforts to deepen their relationships with traditional banks.

U.S. online spending hit $37.5 billion in the second quarter of this year, up 14% from the same quarter in 2010, reports comScore. The Internet marketing research company said the growth rate represents the seventh consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth and third consecutive quarter of double-digit growth rates. Analysts say the third quarter will be an important indicator of which direction this economy is really headed.