INSIGHTS
TRENDING…. Purposeful Gaming: A Winning Combination for Brands and Players…
Gaming and Purpose may not immediately seem to go hand in hand, but the combination is making a difference to many categories of business, from consumer goods to nonprofits. In 2022, during an interview with the forward-thinking Pete Blackshaw, while CEO of the Cincinnati-based Cintrifuse, he foresaw the convergence of “Green and Gaming.” Pete, a veteran of […]
Clarifying Purpose Amid Increased Uncertainty
Notions of purpose, like so many other concepts and ideals, have evolved over the past year. Currently, we are at a significant crossroads as our research points to a more sophisticated approach to adopting purpose. According to 89% of those surveyed, the challenge of getting purpose right lies in doing it meaningfully, systematically, and authentically. The […]
Alignment at the Surface, but Many Concerns Run Deep
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of CLIENT-AGENCY-MARKETING PROCUREMENT Relationships Without question, the relationships among marketers, marketing procurement, and advertising agencies are crucial to the effectiveness of contemporary marketing initiatives. Each entity plays a distinct yet complementary role in achieving strategic business success. Simply said, marketers drive strategy, procurement ensures efficiency, and agencies deliver […]
Marketers Admit to AI’s CAPABILITY-MATURITY PARADOX
INSIGHTS Survey Results: AI implementation Success Depends More on Human and Organizational Factors than on Technological Capabilities From the ANA’s “Marketing Word of the Year,” to CES® to the World Economic Forum, businesses now recognize that the rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence have reached a critical juncture in our relationship with technology. Yet, success in […]
Reassessing Purpose as Society’s Expectations for Business Rise
TODAY’S MARKETERS both appreciate and understand the ideals of brand purpose and the purpose-led organization. However, the complexity of global events, the acceleration of technology, and the need for profitable results amid economic uncertainty affect how marketing’s role makes a difference to both business and society. Some of the survey results were entirely unexpected. DOWNLOAD THE […]
What’s on the Minds of Marketers in 2024?
A Year of Complexity Ahead, but a Year that Will Demonstrate the Essentiality of Marketing’s Role in Both Business and Society. Yes, TODAY’S MARKETERS face a long list of urgent priorities… However, 2024 is shaping up to be a very different year. Marketing leaders are now tasked with expanded responsibilities of extraordinary complexity and greater accountability— from external concerns to internal aspirations, from accelerating technological developments to shifting consumer mindsets. And while many marketers admittedly feel a sense of overwhelm at the pace of change and the need to become expert on so many new subjects, smart marketing executives are now recognizing their time has come.
What Role Should Brands Play in a Global Crisis?
Is Marketing’s Role in Society Equally Important as its Role in Business?
Once upon a time, brands and politics didn’t mix… or at least some topics were considered taboo by most organizations. The rise of social media, the constant expression of personal opinions, the speed at which misinformation flows, corporate interest in customer values, and even commitments to purpose, have changed how many brands communicate in a post-COVID world. Yet, when complex geopolitical issues intensify and combine with entrenched and often fiery viewpoints, it can become challenging for many products, services, or companies to serve the best interests of all their stakeholders.
Is Marketing at an Inflection Point?
Are we now facing a time that dramatically changes marketing’s role in both business and society? According to The Internationalist‘s recent Insights Survey, 68% of respondents agreed that Yes– Marketing is at an Inflection Point. One savvy respondent offered a comment that sets the tone for many CMOs: “Yes, we are at an inflection point, but marketing has two directional shifts to […]
Purpose and Profits– Does the Balance Shift with Economic Uncertainty?
IN A MARKETING WORLD where expressing brand purpose is now de riguer, The Internationalist asked its global audience if it is possible to balance purpose and profits amid economic uncertainty. In many ways, the survey answers were surprising. While respondents clearly had a strong understanding of the fundamentals of purpose-driven marketing, they were increasingly skeptical of not only “purpose washing,” […]
What’s on the Minds of Marketers 2023?
Marketers Shift Priorities to the Immediate and the Practical
TODAY’S MARKETERS face a long list of urgent priorities. However, this year, the order of those priorities is changing. And while the word of the moment at Davos was arguably “resilience” or more specifically “a CEO’s preparedness to build resilience and navigate the impending turbulence to create economic growth,” 83% of CMOs cite ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS as their leading current concern— particularly relating to new messaging and adjusted budgets. Whether or not we use the “r” word— that’s recession rather than resilience— marketers, as well as investors, understand that the global layoffs of thousands at social media platforms and AdTech firms are largely due to drops in advertising revenue (along with earlier over-hiring).