Post-Pandemic Retail, Gen Z Mobile Advertising, & More | Weekly Marketing News

5 Min Read

There has been a lot of marketing news to keep track of this week, so we’ve compiled some of the headlines that caught our eye. Here are some of the articles every marketer should be paying attention to in order to stay on top of industry trends.

In digital marketing news, many retailers are seeking information on how to best meet their new online sales goals now that the pandemic is nearing an end. Luckily, Adweek has some ideas for these brands, starting with adopting a mindset of customer obsession. They suggest that marketers create coordinated cross-functional workflows by revamping their digital channels in order to develop a customer-facing mindset across their organization. Adweek also recommends that brands spend more time discovering where their customers spend the majority of their time online, noting that 22% of online shoppers use social media sites, and 21% take advantage of online search functions. Ultimately, advertising to the right consumer at the right time is a complex process that can involve a lot of trial and error, but following articles like this can help ensure the effectiveness of marketers’ digital marketing strategies. 

And in mobile marketing news, mobile advertising and app-monetization company Tapjoy has just released their latest Modern Mobile Gamer report, which provides some insight into the much analyzed behavior and attitudes of Gen Z. This generation is a mobile-first audience – around three-fourths of this group even got their first smartphones before they reached adulthood. Because of this, they tend to interact with their devices in ways that are unique to their age-group. In fact, 68% shop on mobile up to 4x weekly, and 57% make frequent retail purchases on mobile and through Instagram ads. They are also more likely to convert through humorous brand content, and show a strong preference for short video content. Utilizing information like this can help marketers better understand and advertise to this new generation of consumers.

Here are the rest of the headlines that made an impact this week.

DIGITAL

10 Top Digital Marketing Trends to Watch Through 2021 – The future trends you were using to guide your digital marketing strategy previously may now be outdated. Learn what new trends matter today.

How Can Brands and Retailers Prepare for the 2021 Holiday Season? – The holidays aren’t yet top of mind for most consumers, but brands and retailers know that planning for these make-or-break moments starts now.  

Digital Marketing Measurement Demands a New ‘Plan A’ – If you’re planning for the impending death of the cookie, that’s a productive focus – but also, think bigger. Those keen on planning for what’s next should start preparing for the end of digital marketing measurement as we know it.

Ways to Upgrade Your Digital Marketing Efforts in 2021 – These days, the task of marketing your business must include a huge digital component as the world increasingly transitions to online from real interactions.

The Future of QR Codes in Marketing – Suddenly, the decades-old digital channel of QR codes — once deemed a dying fad — is gaining traction with consumers. And marketers are rushing in.

The Key to Pivoting From Pandemic Recovery to Profitable Growth – So, how can retailers meet, and even exceed, challenging online sales targets head-on? Which performance marketing channels will yield their greatest return on ad spend (ROAS)? Let’s find out the answers to these questions and more.

CONNECTED TV & STREAMING

How Nielsen Got It Wrong – and Performance TV Gets it Right – Earlier this year, long-standing tension between media companies and Nielsen boiled over amidst inaccurate reporting – and has led to media companies abandoning the platform and pursuing new platforms better suited for modern times.

Cookieless Tech Test Gives Procter & Gamble Hope — and TV Networks Worries – Chief Brand Officer Marc Pritchard announces cross-platform measurement test, discusses minority media data sharing and concerns about Google, Facebook and Nielsen.

Netflix Should Consider An Ad-Supported TV Service – Premium non-advertising services – like Netflix – might need to find a good ad-supported TV or streaming platform in the future.

Roku, Starz Execs Break Down the New World of Distribution – With the profusion of many new digital distribution platforms, and even more digital networks, both sides are having to build new kinds of relationships, tapping new kinds of tools, while also providing more flexibility in relationships than were seen on legacy platforms.

Nielsen to Release Monthly Snapshot of Total TV Time – Nielsen’s ongoing quest to measure the fast-changing television landscape will now include a monthly snapshot into how consumers around the country are spending their TV screen time. 

MOBILE

A Smart Social Strategy Is Essential To Winning Prime Day – For a long time, preparing for Prime Day was limited to what brands and advertisers should do on Amazon alone. While ramping up and polishing efforts on Amazon is crucial ahead of this peak time period, there’s more to it than that.

How Social Listening Speaks to Brands and Improves Consumer Targeting – The goal is to learn firsthand about trends, habits and sentiment related to a business or category. Those thousands of conversations are analyzed and the results drive business decisions on messaging, product development and package design in an effort to grow sales. 

Gen Z – Why This Mobile-First Generation Is Different – Known as the mobile-first generation, Generation Z got their first smartphones much earlier than other generations. In fact, three-quarters got a smartphone before turning 18, compared to less than half of Millennials.

The Power of Mobile Advertising in the Covid Era – In an era where people are becoming more reliant on internet technology to stay connected with friends and family, and their employers and employees, they are spending significantly more time online, making mobile technology a huge opportunity for marketers and brands.

Instagram Reels Ads Roll Out Globally – Instagram Reels ads rolled out Thursday in all 80-plus countries where the TikTok-like short video feature is available.

• Related: Learn more about CTV advertising.

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.

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