Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

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

* Retailers are focusing on niche markets, such as outdoor perimeter protection, remote control solutions and home solutions, to stay competitive.
* There is opportunity for retailers of gun safes to increase revenue: Gun sales in 2009 increased 10% over 2008.
* Home surveillance retailers are facing major competition from general retailers, such as electronics stores. Industry professionals attribute stores’ growing market share to live in-store demos and lower prices.

U.S. consumers have been making big changes when selecting their beverage of choice. Over the past decade, more consumers have shifted their purchases away from carbonated soft drinks (CSD), which once commanded 85% of the non-alcoholic RTD beverage market, to options such as ready-to-drink (RTD) teas and energy drinks. In addition, beverage manufacturers have experienced profit pressures because of the recession. These market forces have resulted in what Rabobank analysts call convergence.

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

* After falling from their peak of 10,000 in the 1980s, the number of arcades has risen to approximately 5,000 across the country. Industry professionals believe part of the fueled popularity is due to members of Generations X and Y introducing their children to games they used to play, such as Pac-Man and Tron.
* Many family entertainment centers are adding private-party areas to attract those celebrating birthdays and other events. In particular, “tween” and teen parties are increasingly in demand, during which traditional games are replaced with go-karts and other activities geared toward older consumers. For some locations, these types of parties account for 30% of birthday-party business.
* An emerging trend is adding live events to family entertainment centers (FEC). More of these businesses are showcasing family-friendly DJs or live music, which they believe not only encourages repeat visitors but also attracts consumers that might not normally visit an FEC.

Technology marketers are sensing that the economy is improving. But B2B operators, who have traditionally used tradeshows and conferences to find new leads, may not yet be spending on travel again. So how can these operators obtain good leads – the top marketing priority for 68% of operators? Nearly 4 in 10 respondents to a Unisfair survey said that virtual events may become a source of new leads.

After widely publicized cases regarding disgruntled consumers, banks and overdraft fees, Congress passed new legislation designed to prevent abuse by financial services providers. The only problem is many consumers are not aware of the new laws. Or, if they are, consumers don’t understand the details. Findings by HarrisInteractive suggest that more banks should be engaging in marketing campaigns to educate customers.

If there’s one statistic that many economist find sobering, it’s the high unemployment rate among students who have failed to complete their high school education. Once students drop out of school, many fail to pursue further education. And this trend leads to a lifelong earnings gap when these consumers are compared to those who possess higher educations.