Partner Content

The pandemic has raised the stakes and allure of click-and-collect. That’s because it’s a form of commerce offering more than just a convenience for routine weekly grocery shopping, but also a way to avoid stores altogether.

While many marketers currently find themselves in unexpected and challenging situations, they could benefit from using this moment as an opportunity to prepare for what’s next. Doing so will require data and the right technology to wield it. So what should brands do to harness the full effect of data in 2020 and beyond? Here are three ways marketers can put data to work.

By using the right data to identify differences between two outwardly identical groups, a brand can make better decisions which to reach and how. One key data point that can have major implications for a brand’s marketing ROI? Financial durability.

The disruption of TV and the decay of linear reach are here. Technology is giving consumers new ways to view TV content, but TV ad planning and measurement often live within legacy tools built for that time when TV was linear only. That’s changing.

For marketers, the primary benefit of keeping the data close is helping customers transform and adapt their marketing strategies to a rapidly changing landscape. Brands also need to benchmark themselves against macro trends and make data-driven decisions to better navigate the new terrain shaped by the pandemic.

A strategic, companywide approach to governing production spend is still a relatively new concept for many CMOs, but the approach can help marketers simplify and optimize complex processes by consolidating and standardizing data across all production activity. Here’s how to get started.

Before rushing to copy the offline marketing efforts of direct-to-consumer brands, it’s crucial for traditional brands to first understand the overall purpose driving the strategy. The timing, messaging, and medium also play a part in the broader scheme of the campaign.

Since the pandemic began, video consumption has grown across all categories. But most marketers struggle to take advantage of video because they are caught between traditional linear TV and digital video and they lack the tools to handle both at once.

As more and more people look to brands to affect positive social change, companies that demonstrate leadership, confidence, responsibility, and, above all, safety, are likely to be rewarded.

The long-held industry belief that TV, CTV, and digital video would eventually converge, as the adoption of streaming devices grew and cord-cutting and cord-stacking behavior accelerated, is happening much faster than originally anticipated. A new study from Innovid explores best practices for brands looking to optimize personalized CTV ads.

Uncertainty in the economy and tighter budgets mean marketers must make sure any talent hired is effectively skilled. Agencies and brands that find themselves in the position to hire can afford to be discerning, but that doesn’t mean all the skills they desire in recent grads will be available. Marketing organizations will need to ensure that they give their people the skills they need to thrive.

Being relevant only gets a brand into the consideration set and means competing on price with competitors. But brands with a cultural magnetism create their own gravity beyond the functional dynamics of their category, resulting in a far deeper customer advocacy. Here’s how brands like New Balance, Delta Air Lines, Michelob ULTRA, and Wendy’s use brand magnetism to build lasting connections with their customers.

Brands can be a proponent of self-worth and confidence by partnering with influencers who encourage teen girls to lean into their power.

The advertising industry is now coming together to move the system forward to support all players, address privacy issues, and fuel a renaissance in creativity.