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Marketing Trends
by Tara Rosenzweig
When it comes to marketing and advertising, you need to know what consumers are responding to today, not a couple years ago. The market can change quickly, especially with today's technology. Here are the latest trends according to thewisemarketer.com.
GOING GREEN
According to a recent survey of the Marketing Executives Network Group, "green marketing" is an important concept in 2008. In fact, the group has deemed it the trendiest marketing buzzword of the year.
Having a "green" plan is becoming more of a necessity as consumers demand eco-friendly products and businesses. Green marketing includes promoting a company's eco-friendliness as well as modifying products and packaging.
ONLINE AND MOBILE MARKETING
Another big trend is spending more on online and mobile advertising. Alternative ad spending is expected to grow more than 23 percent from 2006 to 2011.
Businesses not already exploring cyber marketing need to start soon: The marketing firm SmartReply predicts that by 2012, 90 percent of the most active retail consumers simply won't be reachable via radio, TV, or newsprint ads.
The multimedia capabilities of mobile phones, such as Black-Berries and iPhones, have created many new advertising opportunities. Ads on mobile phones and web videos that can be viewed on mobile devices are expected to triple over the next three years.
D.I.Y. ADVERTISING
More self-service, web-based solutions are becoming available. Voice-marketing programs such as VoiceBlast help small businesses use the same technology that national retailers are using.
It allows businesses to upload their contact lists and personalized messages to create their own campaigns with customizable start times and message frequency.
The program is designed for businesses interested in delivering 100 to 250,000 voice marketing calls per month.
| Where the Ads Are |
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| Listed here are changes in advertising spending in different media categories from November 2006 to November 2007 (the most recent data available). AD SPENDING UP Internet up 12.1% Cable TV up 12.0% Syndication up 6.3% Consumer magazine up 5.7% Spanish media up 4.9% AD SPENDING DOWN Network TV down 0.1% Newspapers down 2.8% Radio down 8.1% Spot TV down 19.1% |
MARKETING AS CUSTOMER SERVICE
Marketers need to support their customers on an ongoing basis and provide value in every communication. The current trend is to truly understand consumers' needs and desires, and to glean that information through meaningful dialogue at every point of contact, whether via phone, web, or face to face. EB
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