Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

The restaurant industry suffered more than others during the Great Recession. And the business outlook for fine dining operators may not be all that positive until consumers feel more confident about their personal financial situation. Restaurants can improve their competitive position by offering the foods and services that consumers say they are looking for. Zagat recently published its latest findings on this sector.

After a prolonged stretch of dour forecasts, more small and medium-size business (SMBs) owners are saying conditions have improved. According to the Office Depot Small Business Index, confidence among small business owners is rising when they consider the next 6 months. This confidence encompasses sales, profits, and capital spending.

News reports of an improved economy have been showing up more frequently in the 4th quarter of 2010. Just last week, CBRE Econometric Advisors released upbeat figures about the state of commercial real estate. After dropping for over 3 years, the office vacancy rate across the country has improved. At the same time, demand has increased for apartments. These trends show that both businesses and consumers have an improved sentiment about the future of the economy.

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

In an economy where consumers are trying to watch their budgets, marketers must come up with novel ways to promote their products. Even the best media mix might not move the revenue meter unless the marketer can develop a unique pitch. These days, one angle might be a Made in America label.

With all the buzz about online marketing and the importance of social networking, it’s easy for other media formats to be overlooked. But marketers are paying attention to what consumers do when they aren’t in front of their computers or playing with their mobile phones. For many marketers, an investment in place-based video is becoming a standard part of the media mix in order to reach consumers in new places. New statistics reported by GfK MRI shows that the strategy may be paying off.