Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

Consumers have access to more free and low-cost digital entertainment options than ever before. Many of these options stem from online formats like movies, TV shows, and even social networking. Yet only 17% of consumers say these entertainment sources are ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’. This low level of appreciation presents an opportunity for marketers to position themselves as merchants of quality content.

Once considered the latest tech toy for the well-heeled literary set, e-readers continue to grow in popularity. The devices face stiff competition from multifunction tablets but analysts see a steady market for e-readers. As a result, manufacturers continue to upgrade, release and promote new models and this format is attracting the attention of advertisers who seek to influence consumers through yet another new media format.

As smartphone functionality continues to rapidly expand, consumers are making the devices a key part of their daily lives. A new survey shows that more consumers say “their smartphone is their life.” The popularity of many smartphone features is good news for some marketers, not so good news for others. And consumers also indicate they have a few concerns about this technology.

Online marketers that sell exclusively via the Internet may have good reason to spend more on social media than traditional marketers. After all, maintaining a strong online presence where customers are shopping should increase sales. But a newly released survey shows that pure-play online marketers lag when it comes to social network advertising. This year these retailers say they’re still in an experimentation mode with social media.

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

Earlier this year, The Nielsen Company released data showing that the average consumer spends over 5 hours a day in front of the TV screen. New information from Nielsen underscores significant differences between ethnic groups and their use of screens ranging from TVs to computers. Marketers should pay attention to these differences and place their ad campaigns with the media formats most likely to appeal to specific ethnic groups.