David Ward

David Ward is a journalist specializing in business, marketing, and tech-themed stories. He lives with his family in Chapel Hill, N.C., and is an avid movie and sports fan.

Recent content by this author:

  • The Ongoing Appeal of the Household TV

    Forward   May 23, 2023  

    While consumer views of what TV is are evolving, the dominance of the largest screen in viewers' homes is not. Here's what it means for advertisers.

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  • Do Marketers Have an Emerging Ally in the C-Suite?

    ANA Magazine   June 24, 2022  

    A growing number of brands, including Edelman, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Volkswagen, are hiring chief experience officers. The moves come as tolerance for a bad or mediocre consumer experience continues to plummet, with more than half of brands reporting that those who are dissatisfied with the company will switch brands, per a recent survey.

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  • Exhausted by the Pandemic, Consumers Want Simple

    ANA Magazine   April 1, 2022  

    With their lives turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers are leaning toward brands that can deliver simple experiences and talk about their products and services in a straightforward manner. But making things easier for people and explaining brand value in everyday terms does not mean companies have to dumb down the message.

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  • Marketing in the Metaverse

    Forward   March 1, 2022  

    Brands are cautiously circling the metaverse, wondering how they’ll eventually engage consumers in these vast, virtual spaces. They’re factoring in the possibility that the metaverse could change everything, from their approach to creative and consumer engagement to how they measure and analyze campaigns. The metaverse will not exclusively take place with virtual reality headsets, but marketers will have to embrace 3D to participate.

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  • New Recipe for the B2B Marketing Table?

    B2B Marketer   February 23, 2022  

    A recent study reveals that priorities among B2B buyers have shifted dramatically amid the pandemic. No longer satisfied with companies that simply save them time or boost their productivity, decision-makers are now looking for companies that can help them stay on top of the marketplace and deliver their products and services quickly.

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  • Keeping Things Real with Virtual Technologies

    ANA Magazine   January 21, 2022  

    Consumers may think of augmented reality and similar platforms as just more digital accessories, but marketers who develop ad campaigns that combine the online and physical worlds must take care to not get carried away by the technology.

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  • Nostalgia Marketing in the Age of COVID-19

    Forward   January 18, 2022  

    One of the ironies of the past two years is that while the pandemic accelerated the arrival of what were once thought to be future trends — including marketing automation, contactless retail, and virtual reality as a collaborative productivity tool — it's also triggered an increased fondness for the past.

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  • Brands Set the Stage for Awards Season

    ANA Magazine   December 3, 2021  

    With awards season around the corner, consumer brands have to make sure their real-time marketing operations are up to speed and not in any danger of missing something that suddenly goes viral.

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  • Media Choices Have Started to Change As a Result of COVID-19

    ANA Magazine   October 29, 2021  

    The pandemic has accelerated major changes in media consumption and revealed sharp differences among the various generations when it comes to the type of content they like — and where they find it. But while traditional media vehicles such as broadcast TV may be on the wane, they still command the biggest audiences.

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  • Streaming in the Aisles

    ANA Magazine   August 13, 2021  

    As the pandemic ebbs and consumers return to physical retail outlets, brands are looking to give consumers the best of both worlds: A better in-store experience combined with conveniences typically found only online. How do brands strike the right balance?

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  • The Pot Market Is Blazing New Trails

    ANA Magazine   May 28, 2021  

    A growing number of states are moving toward legalizing recreational use of marijuana and publishers are getting more accepting of cannabis-themed advertising. Nevertheless, achieving scale will likely be a long slog for brands that want to join the fray. For clues as to how cannabis might eventually emerge as an everyday product, marketers should take a closer look at the CBD space.

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