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Local Advertising, vMVPD Adoption, & CTV Education | Weekly Marketing News

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Local Advertising, vMVPD Adoption, & CTV Education | Weekly Marketing News

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This week has seen plenty of news updates in the world of digital, Connected TV, and mobile marketing. Here’s what’s been making headlines. 

One of the best ways for marketers to utilize digital marketing these days is to implement a local advertising strategy into their plans. With people spending more time at home due to safety-restrictions, consumers are looking for businesses close to them to provide their products. According to a new article from Business 2 Community, 70-80% of customers or potential customers are looking for immediate solutions to their purchasing decisions. And more than that, consumers want solutions that are nearby––no one likes spending extra time waiting in order to make and receive a purchase. Business 2 Community recommends that marketers develop four skills to improve their digital advertising strategies: listing management, local SEO, seamless website performance on mobile, and local advertising. Ultimately, advertising locally will improve any business’s visibility and ensure that sales are not going to competitors. 

In Connected TV news, many consumers will be making the switch from traditional pay TV to virtual multichannel video programming distributors (vMVPD) in the next 12 months. According to a recently released report from Parks Associates, 43% of U.S. households are likely to make the switch. With the previous absence of live sports and performances during the pandemic, many consumers turned to services like Hulu+ and Youtube TV in order to find content to watch. And with the return of sports, these same viewers are finding it possible to watch live sports on these same services. As viewers continue to become increasingly price sensitive, it is no wonder that they are seeking more flexible streaming solutions on which to watch their favorite shows.

Also making headlines in Connected TV news is a new report from Xandr. The Advertising’s Creative Canvas 2021 report revealed that while CTV advertising offers many opportunities for brands to capitalize on a growing audience of consumers, there are a few barriers in increasing its adoption among marketers. The main hurdle is educating marketers on how to best utilize this channel––41% of digital video advertisers that were surveyed for this report conveyed that lack of understanding was preventing them from adding Connected TV to their marketing mixes.

These topics and more are making waves in the marketing world this week. Here are the top headlines that caught our eye.

DIGITAL

How to Leapfrog Competition With Local Digital Marketing – Local digital marketing is the cost of entry for today’s small businesses. But, if you want to get ahead, you should master four important skills.

Video Marketing Will Be Even More Exciting: Trends 2021 – Video marketing is gaining popularity today and becomes one of the most effective brand promotion strategies. Here is a short overview of the most engaging video marketing trends for 2021.

How to Steer Your Adtech Ship Through the Coming Storm – In 2021, for digital marketers, the weather forecast is strong and changeable winds for the foreseeable future. We need to become competent sailors pretty rapidly in order to avoid being blown off course.

Consumer Safety—Physical, Mental, Emotional and Digital—Matters More Than Ever – Here are some of the themes that will have the greatest long-term impact on culture and the ways brands engage. First, identify those macro cultural shifts that will evolve with the consumer.

CONNECTED TV & STREAMING

HBO Max Reaches 37.7M, Including 17.2M “Activated,” Subscribers – The final few weeks of 2020 proved invaluable for WarnerMedia’s HBO Max. The streaming service ended the year with 17.17 million activated users, twice as many as at the start of the fourth quarter, AT&T disclosed Wednesday.

Poor Understanding Inhibits Adoption of Connected TV – Digital video ad spend is growing rapidly and Connected TV is a channel that offers many opportunities for brands, yet a new survey of 900 senior video marketers has revealed a series of hurdles to its greater adoption. 

Roku Expectations: Big Ad Revs Mean More Opportunity For Brands In Connected TV – Now in more than 50 million homes, Roku looks to effectively replace two key parts of the distribution TV ecosystem: Distributors that cater to TV app-based platforms and traditional, live TV networks providers.

Cross-Promotion For Streamers Benefits TV Universe – Streaming wars continue to unfold, but one major question remains for legacy media owners when it comes to marketing: What is the value of traditional media companies’ media platforms when it comes to cross-promotion?

43% of US Broadband Households are Likely to Switch to a vMVPD  – Just released research from Parks Associates reveals 43% of US broadband households with traditional pay TV are likely to switch to a virtual multichannel video programming distributor (vMVPD) in the next 12 months.

MOBILE

Social Media Ad and Video Spend Skyrocketed in Q4 2020 – It’s no secret that brands have directed more dollars toward digital and social media advertising since the health crisis delivered a blow to traditional media last March, with people increasingly gravitating toward their smartphones to stay connected and entertained. 

Nike Store Plots Virtual Outdoor Adventure With Mobile Tech – Nike and retail experience agency Hovercraft Studio developed an in-store activation that simulates an outdoor expedition while keeping COVID-19 safety protocols in mind.

Does Your Website Still Matter in a Mobile World? – Has the pandemic swung the pendulum from mobile back to desktop? Or, should marketers be focused on building out their presence on both?

WE’LL KEEP YOU UP-TO-DATE

That’s it for the roundup this week, next week we’ll be back with another list of what’s making news in marketing.