Let’s see what this week’s numbers say about online advertising, shall we?
- 6 in 10 adults around the world consider social media influencers to be useful sources of information about Travel, according to survey results from YouGov. A majority of respondents also feel that social media influencers are very or somewhat useful sources of information for Fitness/Exercise (59%), Tech (58%), Clothing/Fashion (58%), Home Repair/DIY (57%), Media (57%), and Food/Drink (56%), among others. Previous research suggests that reviews are perceived to be the most valuable type of influencer content, ahead of how-to videos. By contrast, respondents were more likely to consider social media influencers not useful than useful for the following topics: News (48% vs. 44%), Finance (49% vs. 40%), Politics (58% vs. 31%), and Religion/Spirituality (55% vs. 14%).
- A plurality – 48% – of Baby Boomers prefer to shop in stores as opposed to via other means, according to research from Morning Consult. However, their preference for online shopping is rising, leading the analysts to argue that it’s a mistake for marketers to overlook this demographic in e-commerce research. In fact, a recent study found that Baby Boomers are frequent online shoppers and present a lucrative market. This data indicates that while it might be harder for brands to break through to Baby Boomers, securing them as customers could be quite a win. That’s because they report being more brand loyal than the average US adult across several product types. Within the Groceries and Household Goods category, 76% of Baby Boomer respondents noted that they’re brand loyal, compared to 66% of the overall average. As a result, they were less likely to say that they try new brands (21% and 29%, respectively). The same pattern was apparent in the Beauty and Personal Care category, where almost three-quarters (73%) of Baby Boomers reported being brand loyal, against 62% of the overall sample. And whereas more than one-quarter (27%) of US adults on average said they make an effort to try new Beauty and Personal Care brands, only around 1 in 5 (19% of) Baby Boomers said the same.
- A recent study by Magna and LinkedIn explored the impact of creativity on B2B advertising effectiveness, finding that ads perceived as “creative” led to a 40% increase in purchase consideration among business decision-makers compared to non-creative ads. The study involved controlled testing of 67 Sponsored Content Ads on LinkedIn, including Single Image Ads and Video Ads, with a sample of 1,773 business decision-makers. Participants were surveyed to measure brand metrics like brand favorability, research intent, and purchase consideration. Among these, the study found that there was a 34% lift in research intent when ads were perceived as creative. Creative B2B ads were also associated with a 23% increase in the perception of the brand as a preferred choice and a 15% increase in the feeling of connection to the brand. The trouble is that B2B decision-makers aren’t being exposed to creativity in advertising at a frequent rate. Only slightly more than one-third said that they very often see ads for B2B products/services that are humorous (36%) or have emotional appeal (36%). Likewise, fewer than half report seeing memorable ads (44%) or ads with strong storytelling (44%) very often. The only characteristic of ads that a majority of B2B decision-makers surveyed said they see very often is a clear message (55%).
- Content volume has been expected to rise this year, but C-Level execs may not be so convinced of that need. Indeed, the higher the seniority of the executive, the less likely they are to agree that demand for content will grow this year, according to a report from WordPress VIP, which cautions that “this leads to a content strategy breakdown where resources are unnecessarily diverted to creating quantity when the expectation from higher up is on quality.” In surveying more than 1,000 marketing and media leaders, including 193 C-level executives at organizations that write, edit, or produce content, the report found 87% of individual contributors agreeing that an increase in demand for their content from their audience is anticipated this year. However, that figure dropped to 85% of Managers, 77% of VP/Director-level respondents, and 63% of C-Level executives. Moreover, whereas a majority (54%) of respondents overall indicated that pressure to use content to drive revenue has increased compared to the same time a year ago, only 42% of C-level executives concurred. With regards to content, C-level executives cite the creation of high-quality content as their top challenge this year, followed by keeping up with trends and staying up-to-date with technology.
