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.

The U.S. auto market is just now recovering from the disaster in Japan earlier this year which affected parts and vehicle availability. In an earlier blog post this month, I highlighted a report that predicted a jump in auto industry advertising in the 4th quarter of this year as Japanese vehicle become available again. Within the next year, U.S. auto makers will face competitors from a different region and the ad market is likely to experience changes as well.

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.

Ad-ology Research recently updated their Industry Marketing Insights report for Cleaning Services. The following are the predicted Top 3 Opportunities/Challenges from the report for this industry for the upcoming 12 months: