As brands continue to innovate their products and services to cater to the needs of modern consumers, it’s important to take a step back and understand the macro trends that are driving these changes. Lately, personalization is one such trend that is making its mark on a variety of industries. Whether it’s a playlist on Spotify that’s curated just for your ears or the use of A.I. technologies to make personalized recommendations in retail, brands across the spectrum are making a greater effort to market to consumers as individuals.
Mike Gabrielli recently joined the Inspira team as an Account Executive. To get to know the Duxbury, Massachusetts native better, read along in this edition of the Employee Spotlight!
A favorite among children and adults alike, Halloween provides everyone an opportunity to get dressed up, get together with friends and family, and bond over a shared love of sweets. In this infographic, we take a glimpse at the outlook for Halloween 2019 with a special focus on what consumers are spending on, their plans for the big day, the most popular candies, and what everyone (and their dog) is getting dressed up as.
According to CB Insights, the term ‘customer experience,’ as well as other variations of it, was mentioned a record 2,710 times during earnings calls in the third quarter of 2019. While this an abnormal statistic, to say the least, it speaks to the fact that brand executives are fully aware of the importance of experience in 2019. After all, the better experience you provide for the consumer, the more likely it is that you’ll retain their loyalty over the long run.
In recent years, much ink has been spilled over the ways in which Millennials are impacting a variety of industries. While many of those thought pieces have brought attention to the businesses that are struggling due to failure to win over this generation, too few have spent enough energy on understanding the reasons why. As you might expect, money has a lot to do with it.
Brands started to heavily invest in influencers about five years ago. At that time, it was all about the mega-influencer, the creator like Huda Kattan or Aimee Song who had millions of followers and could launch - and sell out - a product on Instagram in a matter of minutes. But, as influencer marketing has evolved, brands have learned that bigger isn’t always better. In the years that have followed, micro- and nano-influencers have played a key role in generating buzz for brands.
Back in July, Instagram shocked users in several countries (including Australia, Canada, and Ireland) by running a test that hid like counts from other users. Since then, testing has expanded and parent company, Facebook, has considered doing the same. However, in a world where likes have served as social currency and careers have been launched on “Instagram fame,” these tests have been met with mixed emotions. In fact, a Russian influencer reportedly threatened to sue the platform if they move forward with hiding likes. Meanwhile, other users took to Twitter to express their praise, voicing that it’s a step in the right direction that will preserve the mental health of younger generations, specifically.
Today's consumers are beginning to place a greater emphasis on experiences in lieu of possessions. This is due, in part, to their desire to interact with the world and disengage from the devices they hold so dear.
In last year's holiday season, sales increased 2.9% over the previous year. While year-over-year growth is encouraging for brands, it actually fell short of National Retail Federation projections (4.3 - 4.8%). Looking at the growth more closely, it's clear that consumers are starting their shopping earlier than ever before. Holiday sales grew at a 5.1% rate during the first half of the season, but gained only 0.9% in the second half. Which days does your brand need to capitalize on this holiday season? Let's take a look!