Industry Insights

ANA events bring together some of the smartest and most-talented marketers in the industry to share insights and best practices that help ANA members get the most out of their own marketing efforts.

Black History Month as we know it was first conceived in 1969 when Black educators and students proposed the idea at Kent State University. The following year, the event was celebrated at the school in a slightly more elongated form than we know it today, from January 2 to February 28.

What is the best method for compensating advertising agency partners?

As speed increased, it became good practice to look back as we propelled ourselves forward. As we look in the rear-view mirror of 2021 and developments that shaped advertiser and agency relationships, we can get a glimpse as what’s coming ahead and best prepare ourselves. What were last year’s major drivers that made a significant difference in how advertisers and agencies collaborate with each other?

The Super Bowl and its run-up represent the premier advertising event in our industry. According to Nielsen, 19 of the 20 all-time most-watched single network broadcast spots were an NFL Championship Game.

Over the past three years, I’ve conducted over 50 ANA workshops with leading marketers across many categories. This experience has reinforced my belief that it can take years to acquire the skills necessary to manage agencies and decades to learn how to truly inspire them.

In 2022, U.S. marketers are expected to spend nearly $240 billion on digital advertising, up 57 percent since 2020. At the same time, a recent survey showed that 76 percent of advertising executives are dissatisfied with the level of transparency in the digital supply chain.

In July, Double Verify announced CTV ad fraud had dropped to 1 percent. At the end of 2021, IAS came out with their Industry Pulse report. In it they reported that buyers perceived vulnerability to CTV ad fraud dropped from 26 percent last year to 10 percent for 2022. This softly translates to buyers spending more in 2022 in this channel with confidence.

In 2021, the ANA’s Multicultural Excellence Awards added a new category, recognizing important work in marketing to “Rising Multicultural Segments.” The inaugural winners in the category highlighted the power of marketing to reach a wide variety of communities, elevating representations of their members and even contributing to their bodily safety.

Streaming TV’s meteoric rise has taken the marketing world by storm. From jaw dropping shifts in consumer behavior, huge investments from technology firms and media sellers, to streaming TV inventory has become the hot ticket item for advertisers and agencies alike.

What is it about the relationships we need most that are sometimes the most difficult? Your agency partners are critical to driving your business, so why is it so hard to work together?

For modern marketing teams, the key to success lies within the ability to rapidly adapt to change. The past two years have put the agility of the marketing team to the test with the constant evolution of technology and the warp-speed pivots incited by the endemic era.

After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, the first few months of the new year can be a challenging time for retail marketers. You’ve just spent significant time and effort getting customers to buy, and hopefully your strategies have paid off with strong sales.

Today's employees are seeking positions that allow them to not only work remotely but also work efficiently. That is where automation comes into play.

This is a pivotal moment in marketing. Today’s consumers have an increasingly sophisticated relationship with brands and digital content. They don’t take what companies say at face value, instead evaluating their behavior across multiple channels — and they have a nuanced understanding of the tradeoffs they face. For example, they may want personalized offers but may be loath to share their data unless they have complete control.

Imagine watching the NBA Finals – Game 5. LeBron James is on the court driving to score mid-air with seconds left. He shoots and is fouled. Moments later, millions of eyes are on LeBron’s face as he stands on the line with a chance to score for the Lakers and win the game. Time slows to the pace of anticipation. His focus is our focus, his vision is our vision.

Financial analysts are hopeful the economy will reach near or full recovery by the end of this year. Such news is music to the ears of retail, restaurant, grocery and gasoline marketers, who will be looking to not only lift sales but also increasingly adapt to a privacy-led world.

With the pandemic cresting yet another wave, I spent the 2021 holiday season mostly at home in my Brooklyn apartment, avoiding people and resuming many of the habits that got me through the early days of COVID-19 when we were all locked down.

The new kids on the block are generation Alpha, kids born after 2010 to predominantly millennial parents. Following their gen Z predecessor’s footsteps, they are already heavily immersed within the digital world and were born with screens all around them. The resources here discuss some of the ways CX will evolve in 2022.

This ethics update focuses on the pitfalls to avoid when marketing to children as well as provides you with key tips for how to do so in an effective, respectful, and safe manner.