Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

Sobering news has settled on the carbonated beverage industry. After experiencing a 3% drop in 2008, sales of soda fell another 2.1% in 2009. Some of the drop may be attributable to consumer health concerns as medical reports have linked heavy soda consumption to a number of ills, including diabetes. And the recent recession may also have played a role in causing consumers to reach for tap water instead of a carbonated drink. But major beverage marketers aren’t about to watch sales keep sliding without a fight.

According to a recent survey by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, anti-aging procedures such as facelifts and blepharoplasty (eyelid lifts) are on the rise. So are botox and fillers. Baby boomers are aging but they don’t want their looks to do the same, therefore, many are turning to cosmetic surgery. Facelifts rose 44% from 2008 to 2009 in procedures by AACS members, totaling 34,455 in 2009. Blepharoplasty procedures went up 42%, from 42,602 to 60,507. Similarly, non-invasive anti-aging procedures such as Botox (up 157%) and fillers (up 245%) rose exponentially.

Sales in the paid recorded music industry continue to struggle
but many marketers believe in the connection between branding and sponsoring music festivals. Companies plan to spend $1.09 billion sponsoring musicians, festivals and tours this year.

Signals are emerging that the restaurant industry is poised for a turn toward recovery, according to The NPD Group. NPD’s SalesTrac Weekly restaurant market research report, which measures same store sales trends for 47 QSR and family-style chains, shows same store sales increases over year-ago in four of the past six weeks, a trend not seen in 11 months. In addition, consumers’ economic concerns and how these concerns influence their restaurant visit patterns are shifting. Less focused on controlled spending, price, and deals, fewer consumers are saying that they are trading down in restaurant selection based on price, fewer are searching for good deals more often, and fewer are sacrificing a restaurant visit so that they can do other things.

Ad-ology Research recently updated their Industry Marketing Insights report for E-mail Marketing Firms.

For some marketers, reaching specific demographic groups means sponsoring televised sporting events. The most recent analysis of sports advertisers, done annually by Sports Business Journal, shows that Anheuser-Busch was king in 2009 when it came to televised events. The company spent over $300 million last year on TV sporting events, which accounted for 75% of its total ad spending.