Forbes recently ran a story talking about 10 “things” we as consumers are still buying despite the economic slowdown. I call it a “slowdown” because, contrary to the 11 o’clock news, it hasn’t stopped. In fact, the Forbes article mentions that over $343 billion (with a “b”) was spent by consumers in December ‘08 - that’s a little more than zero!. Anyway, here’s the list. And feel free to check out their online slide show for more info.
- Smart Phones
- Video Games & Consoles
- Gym Memberships
- Personal Care
- Toy Building Sets
- Car Maintenance
- Dress Casual Shoes
- Movie Tickets
- Restaurants
- NetBooks (mini-laptops)
The Media Audit recently released a report profiling radio station website visitors. Of course there are differences from format to format but the report paints a very appealing portrait (from an advertiser perspective). It’s just another reminder that including radio’s digital assets in a marketing mix is a great idea.
In the study The Media Audit found that local radio station website visitors are…
- 41% more likely than the average adult to be purchasing video equipment such as video cameras, VCR and DVD players
- 45% more likely to be purchasing a personal computer in the next 12 months
- 24% more likely than the average adult to be frequent purchasers of men’s clothing
- 31% more likely to be frequent jewelry store purchasers
- 48% more likely to frequently shop at sporting goods stores
- 35% more likely to make frequent trips to the movie theatre
- 48% more likely to make frequent visits to bars and night clubs
- 16% eat out at a full service restaurant an average of two times a week, a figure that is 19% higher when compared to the average adult.
(Source: The Media Audit, 2009)
As Entercom Digital is poised to significantly add to its video content and advertising opportunities in 2009 (daily content, new players, widgets and even an in-house video studio), it seems fitting to share an Ad Age article showcasing the explosion of video content and advertising on the ‘net.
In the U.S., online video will continue to rise dramatically relative to other online advertising channels in the next few years, dwarfing growth in search, display ads and rich media. According to recent data from Mediamark Research & Intelligence, the number of U.S. consumers 18-plus who watched online videos in 2008 increased 35.5% from 2007, representing more than 23% of the study’s adult population. And research firm Emarketer estimates that online-video advertising will increase 44.9% to $850 million in 2009, a growth rate that promises to stay strong through 2013, when the market is expected to be $4.6 billion. Premium-content sites such as Hulu, ESPN.com and ABC.com (and local radio stations!) likely will benefit the most, as more Americans turn to PCs instead of TVs. Read more
Competition among manufacturing brands is fierce. Televisions, kitchen appliances, flooring, electronics, automotive — each category is a crowded market. And in a climate where it’s unclear whether there’s enough to go around, most manufacturers are missing out on a prime opportunity to get ahead in the game: the digital channel.
Digital marketing is the most powerful connector in the business-to-consumer toolkit. The sentiment is there. The conditions are right. In many cases, the money is being allocated. And yet, the branded manufacturing industry continues to lag behind retail and consumer packaged goods in connecting with the all-important web-empowered consumer.
In 2007 Resource Interactive published its findings in a year-long study of branded manufacturers online. Focused on those brands marketing high-ticket items to consumers (greater than $100), more than half of the sites audited made no attempt to establish their brand online. With 81% of web-goers using the internet to research a product before purchase, according to Pew Internet & American Life Project, and 71% of online shoppers reading reviews, according to Forrester, it’s more critical than ever a brand use the web to empower purchase decisions in its favor.
There are a few leading examples in the category, my favorite is WEBER GRILLS. Read more
Great news on the streaming front. In the coming weeks Entercom Sacramento’s 5 FM stations (98 Rock, 107.9 The End, 96.9 The Eagle, Smooth Jazz 94.7 and KWOD 106.5) will all be added to iTunes for those mac-heads (and others) who prefer it to Windows media players. Even more exciting is the launch of FlyCast, a free app that can be downloaded to iPhones and most Blackberry devices. It will allow you to easily listen to our streams at up to 3G/128k quality.
