Chuck Kapelke

Christmas in July? Not quite. But the shopping season, previously relegated to the last several weeks of the year, is now in perpetual motion due to online shopping. What's more, amid a creaky economy and the potential for a recession later this year, consumers are gathering up their gifts earlier than ever.

Celebrity-run ad agencies continue to proliferate, offering brands an unorthodox approach to marketing and advertising strategies. But while celebrity shops run by the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade, and Tony Hawk bring a certain glow to the table, brand managers need to approach such agencies with eyes wide open and make sure they're in sync with the brand's goals and objectives.

As marketers’ roles expand to encompass customer experience, product innovation, content marketing, and data analytics, among other areas, how one manages their time will be increasingly important to keeping crucial goals on track. There are a handful of steps marketers can take to beat the clock, some of them hiding in plain sight.

Several major companies have embarked on rebranding efforts over the past several months, spurred in part by global events and shifting mores in society. The temptation to rebrand can be powerful for marketers, as it represents an opportunity to hit the reset button. However, for a rebrand to work, CMOs must have a deep understanding of their core audience.

With the pandemic starting to fade, this summer is expected to be quite different from the past two. Consumer-facing marketers will need to shift gears somewhat, from supplying an accelerating amount of digital content to ramping up efforts to reach people who will be clamoring for live events and spending a lot more time outdoors.

How brands have responded to the war in Ukraine provides valuable lessons for marketers navigating an increasingly unpredictable world. The crisis has reinforced the need to be nimble and responsive and ensure that every single part of a company’s operation is aligned on the brand’s values.

The pending "cookiepocalypse" combined with new privacy regulations may be a blessing in disguise, as they force B2B marketers to prioritize the cultivation of first-party data. However, a new study suggests that a majority of marketers are not taking the necessary steps to adapt their data approaches and operations accordingly.

Influencer marketing is expected to grow to more than $4 billion this year, according to a recent study, with micro influencers leading the charge. Finding micro influencers begins with identifying creators whose audiences align with a brand's target audience and who have a strong affinity for a company's product and services.

Many American consumers may be reluctant to buy stuff from Twitter, Facebook, and other social platforms. However, younger generations are among the biggest social shoppers, suggesting that adoption rates are poised to surge. Job one for marketers to join the fray is to meld their catalogs with their social media accounts and tag their products in posts and videos.

Deepfake technologies, or synthetic media, have advanced rapidly in the past few years, spawning a range of applications that could have profound implications for marketers. For all its potential, however, synthetic media presents thorny ethical and legal questions for brands and organizations.

To push back against the tide of the “Great Resignation,” agencies and brand-side marketers need to focus on building a people-first workplace. They have to be flexible when it comes to where people want to work and reassure current and prospective employees that their time is valued — inside and outside of the office. Companies demanding that people constantly be in the office are going to lose.