Digital Marketing Musings: Recent Episodes
Merkle
What’s happening with digital media right now? This podcast provides a casual pulse on industry developments and applicable strategies for staying relevant in a rapidly evolving landscape. Marketers get a boost from digital marketing experts that solve real-time problems and help brands thrive.
The gaming series continues as Gaia and Andreah interview Mike Liu, Head of Innovation at dentsu, and Kevin Villatoro, a Web 3.0 subject matter expert with Global Partnerships at dentsu. Listen to learn what a non-fungible token (NFT) is and why they matter. Highlights include: • Why should marketers and brands care about NFTs? • What is a smart contract? • How do you know how much an NFT is worth? • Why should brands use NFTs to reward loyal customers with exclusive opportunities? • How can brands use NFTs to bridge their physical and digital presence? Resources: • NFTs Beyond the Hype: How to Put Non-Fungible Tokens to Work for Your Brand (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/nfts-beyond-hype-how-put-non-fungible-tokens-work-your-brand) • What the Metaverse Means for B2B Companies (https://www.inc.com/sarah-dougherty/what-metaverse-means-for-b2b-companies.html) – Inc. • How Will the Metaverse Fortify Customer Journey Analytics? (https://advertisingweek.com/how-will-the-metaverse-fortify-customer-journey-analytics/) – Advertising Week • What Do Consumers Think About Personalized Experiences? (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/what-do-consumers-think-about-personalized-experiences) • Digital Marketing Musings: The Evolution of Web 3.0 & the Metaverse, Part 2 (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/podcasts/digital-marketing-musings/evolution-web-30-metaverse-part-2)
In part 2 of The Evolution of Web 3.0 & the Metaverse, Gaia Read and Andreah McCartney meet again with Sergio Barrientos, SVP Cultural Fluency, and Mike Liu, Head of Innovation at dentsu, to discuss how brands should approach digital transformation and the metaverse. Highlights include: • The principle of Web 3.0: new ways for us to connect • Why brands need to provide value to enter the space • The different levels of immersion in the metaverse • How brands should approach digital opportunities Resources: • What the Metaverse Means for B2B Companies (https://www.inc.com/sarah-dougherty/what-metaverse-means-for-b2b-companies.html)– Inc. • Engaging Gamified Experiences Begin with Emotions (https://advertisingweek.com/engaging-gamified-experiences-begins-with-emotion/) – Advertising Week • NFTs Beyond the Hype: How to Put Non-Fungible Tokens to Work for Your Brand (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/nfts-beyond-hype-how-put-non-fungible-tokens-work-your-brand) – Merkle • Digital Marketing Musings: The Evolution of Web 3.0 & the Metaverse, Part 1 (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/podcasts/digital-marketing-musings/evolution-web-30-metaverse-part-1)
In this episode, Sergio Barrientos, SVP Cultural Fluency at dentsu, and Michael Liu, Head of Innovation at dentsu, join Gaia Read and Andreah McCartney to discuss the evolution of Web 3.0 and what the future has in store. Highlights include: * User ownership in the Metaverse * The promises and goals of Web 3.0 * New ways of thinking for brands with Web 3.0 * Reshaping the current infrastructure of the internet * The value of NFTs * Blockchain and consumer privacy Resources: * Report: Q2 2022 Media Insights Report (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/white-papers/q2-2022-media-insights-report) * Articles: * Will the metaverse revolutionize customer experiences? (https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2022/03/18/will-the-metaverse-revolutionize-customer-experiences)– The Drum * How will the metaverse fortify customer journey analytics? (https://advertisingweek.com/how-will-the-metaverse-fortify-customer-journey-analytics/) – Advertising Week * Why B2B marketers must attack the metaverse right now (https://www.thedrum.com/news/2022/01/21/why-b2b-marketers-must-attack-the-metaverse-right-now) – The Drum
In this episode, Gaia and Andreah chat with Neal Pedersen, Director of Strategy, MKTG Canada and Alex Li, Strategist, MKTG about the ins and outs of brands’ place in esports from sponsorship to advertising. As experts in the union of esports and marketing, Neal and Alex will discuss: • The difference between esports and gaming • Why brands don’t have to be endemic to be powerful players • The power of the younger esports audience and the next generation of consumers • Why brands don’t have to improve gameplay with messaging • How esports leagues are created and function • The different ways brands can get involved with esports teams • How brands can build a deeper connection with esports fans
Gaia and Andreah are joined by Associate Director of Marketing Communications Melissa Reilly and Associate Director of Digital Strategy Rachel Monfre in this episode as they discuss Merkle’s Q4 Digital Marketing Report and Q2 Media Insights Report. Listen to learn more about navigating these insights and trends: • Year over year changes in holiday shopping, travel, and CPC and CPM • Growth in Q4 with Tik Tok and streaming • Supply chain challenges • Predictions for summer travel in 2022 • Personalization with third-party cookie deprecation • Influencer marketing Resources: • Whitepaper: Q4 2021 Digital Marketing Report (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/digital-marketing-report) • Blog: Why Didn’t CPC and CPM Growth in Digital Marketing Keep Pace in Q4? (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/why-didnt-cpc-and-cpm-growth-keep-pace-q4)
In this episode, Gaia and Andreah talk about the broad spectrum of gaming opportunities for brands with Sarah Stringer, EVP of US Media Partnerships at dentsu and Tommy Huthansel, Solutions Development Director with the newly launched dentsu gaming. From candy to toilet paper, listen for examples of how brands have done well breaking into the gaming sphere. This episode discusses: • Gaming across generations • Creating an authentic presence for your audience • Turnkey ways for brands to get involved • Brand safety and content suitability • Luxury and accessibility Resources: • Webpage: dentsu gaming (https://www.dentsu.com/gaming) • Podcast episode: Using Gamification to Drive User Engagement (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/podcasts/digital-marketing-musings/using-gamification-drive-user-engagement) • Article: What Advertisers Stepping Into the Gaming Arena Should Know (https://www.marketingdive.com/news/what-advertisers-stepping-into-the-gaming-arena-should-know/597207/)
In this episode, Gaia and Andreah chat with Merkle’s Michela Baxter, Senior Director of Experience & Commerce, to understand gamification and its essential role in customer loyalty strategies. This episode tackles questions that include: • What is gamification? • What elements drive engagement, and how can brands incorporate them? • How do game mechanics interact with engagement drivers to achieve positive outcomes? • Why is gamification important for brands facing the deprecation of third-party cookies? Resources: • Blog post: Two Key Elements of a Gamified Experience (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/two-key-elements-gamified-experience) • Whitepaper: Two Essential Elements of a Gamified Experience (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/white-papers/two-essential-elements-gamified-experience) • Podcast: Get Personal with Email Marketing Strategy (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/podcasts/get-personal-email-marketing-strategy)
In this episode, Gaia and Andreah meet with Carly French and Phil Marsalona from Merkle’s technology strategy team to dig into the impact of digital privacy changes in email on the entire marketing ecosystem. This episode tackles questions that include: • What are the “hide my email” and mail privacy protection updates? • How do these changes impact campaign measurement and optimization? • How can marketers adjust their email strategy to thrive in this new environment? Resources: • Blog post: What is Apple’s New “Hide My Email” Feature? (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/what-apples-new-hide-my-email-feature) • Blog post: Implications of Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/implications-apples-mail-privacy-protection-mpp) • Podcast: Get Personal with Email Marketing Strategy (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/podcasts/get-personal-email-marketing-strategy)
In this episode, Gaia and Andreah chat about the fundamentals of email marketing with Sara Caldwell, Senior Relationship Strategist for DEG Digital, a Merkle company. This episode tackles questions such as: * What is email marketing? * How can brands best manage their email programs? * What are the most important KPIs for email management? * Is email dead? * How can other channels successfully work alongside email?
In this can’t-miss episode, a panel of Merkle experts spoke with Gaia and Andreah to share predictions for what’s to come in digital marketing for 2022. Listen in to hear takes from Matt Mierzejewski, SVP Search Capability Lead; Alexis Sanders, Director of SEO; Ilon Weeldreyer, Director of Performance Media; and Eva Johnson, Senior Director of Marketing. Predictions in this episode touch on topics like: • How brands will build an infrastructure for success in SEO. • The impact of measurement changes on budget allocations in display and paid social. • How SEM practitioners will rework their account management approach with increased Google automation. • Impending identity crises for brands adjusting to new customer experience expectations. Resources: • Whitepaper: Q3 2021 Digital Marketing Report (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/digital-marketing-report/digital-marketing-report-q3-2021) • Podcast episode: Supply Chain Woes and How to Pivot in Digital (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/podcasts/digital-marketing-musings/supply-chain-woes-and-how-pivot-digital) NOTE: After recording this podcast, Peloton pulled the ad discussed on 12/16, days after it aired, due to allegations against an actor in the commercial.
Gaia and Andreah are back for season 2 of Digital Marketing Musings, with exciting shows planned on hot topics like TikTok, apps, privacy, and more. Hit subscribe to catch every episode of the new season!
As the year wraps up, we’re reflecting on last quarter and preparing for what’s to come in 2022. Kristina Venieri, Director of Media Strategy, and Melissa Reilly, Associate Director of Marketing Communications, joined Gaia and Andreah to recap digital performance from Q3 and discuss media trends marketers should consider for their Q1 2022 strategy. Topics in this episode include: • COVID-19’s continued impact on digital media KPIs. • Generation Alpha and its influence on household purchasing decisions. • The impact of digital privacy on media – both past and future. Resources: • Q3 2021 Digital Marketing Report (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/digital-marketing-report) • Q1 2022 Media Insights Report (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/media-insights-report)
Digital PR is a newer area of marketing that generates earned online coverage and, through that coverage, links from authoritative websites. Chloe Hutchinson and Ellie Hearn from denstu international’s digital PR team joined Gaia and Andreah to discuss the latest in the field and the benefits of a strong digital PR strategy. In this episode, you’ll learn: * How digital PR can elevate organic search rankings * The differences between digital PR, traditional PR, and link building * Considerations for what level of digital PR activity makes sense for a given brand Resources: * Podcast: Link Building for Success in SEO (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/podcasts/digital-marketing-musings/link-building-success-seo)
Privacy changes continue to be an important part of planning conversations across digital channels. Andreah and Gaia once again spoke with Merkle’s Ilon Weeldreyer, Director of Performance Media, to hear about the latest in digital privacy and discuss 2022 priorities for brands preparing for cookie deprecation. In this episode, you’ll learn about: • What’s changed since Ilon last joined the podcast in April • The impacts of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency on Facebook advertising • What advertisers should do to prepare for cookie deprecation Resources: • The first (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/podcasts/digital-marketing-musings/what-cookieless-future-changes-website) and second (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/podcasts/digital-marketing-musings/advertising-cookieless-world-changes-website) episodes of the cookieless future series • Blog: How Marketers Can Navigate Identity Resolution (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/how-marketers-can-navigate-identity-resolution) • Blog: What is Apple's New "Hide My Email" Feature? (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/what-apples-new-hide-my-email-feature) • Blog: Implications of Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/implications-apples-mail-privacy-protection-mpp)
Supply chain challenges are disrupting logistics and inventory for brands across retail. Andreah and Gaia spoke with Merkle’s Marion Gendron, Senior Manager of SEM, to understand how paid media fits into the puzzle and discuss opportunities for marketers to adapt. In this episode, you’ll learn about: • How supply chain issues affect paid media • Ways that brands can adjust their media approach for holiday • Strategies for turning these challenges into an opportunity
Historically, link building has been a much-maligned area of SEO due to sites buying links instead of earning them. However, when done correctly, link building is a great way to gain visibility for your site. Gaia and Andreah met with Merkle SEO managers Erik Beatty and Adam Gallegos to learn more about how link building works and strategies brands can employ. In this episode, you’ll learn about: • What link building is • The role that digital PR plays in link building • What types of content work best for link building
After spending much of 2020 away from others, Americans are eager to continue traveling through the holiday season. What travel trends should marketers expect to see through the end of 2021 and beyond? Gaia and Andreah spoke with Stacy Campbell from Kimpton Hotels and Merkle’s Vanessa Cooper and Alissa Lisi to discuss important digital marketing considerations for travel brands in Q4. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Where travelers are going for leisure trips • What travel options are top-of-mind for consumers • How COVID-19 is impacting customers’ approaches to bookings • The differences in trips across segments within business travel Resources: • Blog: The Travel Industry’s Reemergence (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/entering-spotlight-travel-industrys-reemergence-and-how-marketers-can-capitalize) • Podcast: Travel Trends on the Road to Recovery (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/podcasts/digital-marketing-musings/travel-marketing-new-normal-whats-trending)
As we enter the final quarter of 2021, marketers must monitor the evolving pandemic and how it continues to impact consumer behavior. What do customers care about most right now and how can marketers capitalize on those trends? Andreah and Gaia chat with experts Rachel Monfre and Jennifer Mandeville to discuss digital strategies to adapt to changing consumer needs and expectations. In this episode, you’ll learn about: • A consumer priority reset, with a greater focus on wellness and sustainability • The upcoming holiday season and what to expect for gifting, shopping, and travel • The TV streaming wars and new ways for brands to reach their audiences • Opportunities with apps and the nuances across different age groups Resources • Report: Q4 2021 Media Insights Report (https://www2.merkleinc.com/l/47252/2021-09-28/8r4ygj) • Webinar: Media Insights Report Q4 2021: Trends and Strategies for the Next Quarter (https://www.merkleinc.com/news-and-events/webinars/media-insights-report-q4-2021-trends-and-strategies-next-quarter)
Effective reporting is critical for gauging the success of digital marketing efforts. What tools exist for advertisers and how should companies use them? Andreah and Gaia chat with experts Mike Anderson and Colin Richard about the ins and outs of data visualization. In this episode, you’ll learn about: * The key components of effective reporting * Various data visualization platforms and their pros and cons * How to decide which platform is right for you * How you can improve your current reporting, regardless of what platform you use Resources: * Vlog: How to Measure Digital Audiences and Media in the Cookieless Future (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/how-measure-campaigns-cookieless-future) * On-demand webinar: Awesome Insights from Bad Data: How to Create the Right Reports (https://www.merkleinc.com/news-and-events/webinars/awesome-insights-bad-data-how-create-right-reports) * The Complete Customer Journey Analytics Handbook (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/white-papers/complete-customer-journey-analytics-handbook)
Every holiday season presents its own challenges for retailers, but this year is especially unpredictable. How will the continuing pandemic impact habits and routines during the holidays? What should retailers focus on to meet customers where they are? Jenn Horner from DEG joins Andreah and Gaia to discuss trends for this holiday season surrounding social commerce, loyalty, payment plans, and more, and what advertisers should think about to engage shoppers across the customer journey. Listeners will learn about: * The disruption of social commerce * COVID’s potential impact on the holiday season * Consumer behaviors, like growth in payment plans, that should inform retail strategies * Loyalty and audience targeting opportunities, knowing that third-party cookies are on their way out Resources * The 2021 Holiday Preparation Playbook (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/white-papers/2021-holiday-preparation-playbook) * Webinar on-demand: The Trends Driving Holiday 2021 Success (https://www.merkleinc.com/news-and-events/webinars/trends-driving-holiday-2021-success) * Cross-Channel Strategies to Prepare for the Holiday Season (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/preparing-holiday-2021-season)
What were the top digital media trends in Q2 of 2021? From paid search to Amazon and more, Gaia and Andreah connect with Merkle digital advertising expert Marion Gendron to learn more about these top trends and take a deeper dive into what organizations need to understand about these changes. Find out which areas for Google, Instagram, and others ramped up and what industries saw the most positive rebound. Listeners will learn about: • Year over year performance across channels • How Prime Day moving to June impacted Amazon performance • Industry-level insights in paid search and organic search • Spend shifts across paid social platforms Resources • Q2 2021 Digital Marketing Report (https://www2.merkleinc.com/l/47252/2021-08-19/8qnjq5)
Digital marketing within the financial services industry requires unique strategies for targeting consumers, complying with legal requirements, managing brand reputation, and more. Gaia and Andreah dive into these best practices with Merkle experts Chris Lawson, senior manager of paid search; Dan Kuzio, senior manager of media; and Libby Knowles, senior specialist of SEO. Topics of discussion include: • Differences in advertising between financial services and other verticals • Considerations for targeting consumers and combating competition • How to manage brand reputation in financial services • The pandemic’s effect on the industry
The topic of audience identification typically emphasizes paid media conversion. However, looking at SEO data can really be a benefit to solving the puzzle. Gaia and Andrea look at audience development through the SEO-first lens with Merkle guests Kacie Gaudiose, SEO strategy content lead; Jen DeGiovanni, senior director of client strategy; and Evan Nicholson, senior director of digital experience. Topics of discussion • How to conduct an SEO data analysis • The importance of looking at SEO data first • Search as a tool for audience intent and performance behavior • Applying SEO findings to other channels
Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) uses direct-to-patient outreach to guide diagnosed cancer patients and caregivers through the treatment journey. Gaia and Andrew welcome guests Ivan Stamenov, VP of marketing operations and technology, CTCA and Trevor Hadick, senior manager, media analytics at Merkle for a deep dive into the organization’s embrace of OTT and its benefits. Topics of discussion: • The measurability offered with OTT and analytics • Audience segmentation & addressability • Cookieless attribution • Optimization with tracking data • Exact reach and frequency • Limitations and recommendations
What is advanced TV? And, how does it differ from traditional TV buys? Andrea and Gaia welcome guest Andy Fisher, Head of Merkury Advanced TV at Merkle to dive into how high-quality data transforms planning, insights, activation, and measurement for audience-based linear, addressable, connected, premium online video and, you name it — television. Topics of discussion: o How person-based marketing and big data adoption works in television. o The shift in advertising budgets holding media spend accountable and the quest for ROI. o Incremental reach, and why there’s such massive growth in the media business through demand and inventory, following trends in audio. o Cross-channel planning and measurement. o How digital (SEM, SEO, paid social, display) supports advanced TV.
As life begins to return to some degree of normalcy, it’s important for marketers to understand pandemic-driven behaviors that will stick around post-pandemic, and what behaviors will revert to pre-pandemic levels, especially when planning for back to school season. Andreah and Gaia are joined by guests, Erin Spice, Senior Director of Digital Strategy and Rachel Monfre, Associate Director of Digital Strategy, who discuss the purpose of the Quarterly Media Insights Report and the value that the Q3 2021 Media Insight Report offers to brands that are seeking to jumpstart their planning efforts for the next quarter by gleaning insight into current digital trends. Topics discussed: COVID-19 recovery; half of the U.S. population has received their first vaccination Recognizing the different stages of recovery and meeting consumers with empathy Travel trends and revenge travel as people are eager to return to pre-pandemic behavior Back to School shopping priorities and the transition for students to return to schools Live audio’s rapid growth driven by the pandemic and ways for marketers to implement it into their marketing strategy Using text messaging to connect with consumers Managing awareness of health with wearables to diagnose health conditions, fitness tracking, etc.
In-store shopping, restaurants, live music, dance lessons… As physical locations and venues begin to open up, what should digital marketers be thinking about to make sure online programs can fully support offline locations for the coming surge of demand?
Now that over half of adults in the US have already received at least the first dose of a vaccine, what are some of the expectations around consumers’ willingness to travel? Andreah and Gaia welcome guests, Vanessa Cooper, Senior Director at Merkle and Alissa Lisi, SEO Account Manager at Merkle, who take a deep dive into the current trends in the travel industry, popular types of travel, what to expect over the summer, and the current state of domestic and international travel. Topics discussed are: • Brands are starting to recover; travel is actually beginning to gain momentum • Travel sentiment has shifted from “travel shaming” to over 60% of consumers now being willing to travel • The impact of vaccine rollouts and travel restrictions on marketing campaign performance • Revenge travel and business travel • How to use SEO marketing to amplify safety measures
What were the top digital media trends in Q1 of 2021? From paid search to SEO and more, Gaia and Andreah connect with Merkle digital advertising expert Marion Gendron to learn more about these top trends and take a deeper dive into what organizations need to understand about these changes. Find out which areas for Google, Amazon, and others ramped up and what industries saw the most positive rebound. Listeners will learn about: • How search on Google changed in Q1 • The latest trends and inventory changes with Amazon ads (Products, Sponsored Brands) • Updates observed within display and social ads • Bold predictions for the future Resources: Q1 2021 Digital Marketing Report (https://www2.merkleinc.com/l/47252/2021-04-30/8pgrg8) The Key Trends in Digital Marketing in Q1 2021 (https://www2.merkleinc.com/l/47252/2021-04-30/8pgrdx)
Creating unique loyalty experiences is important for delivering continual value to customers. What are the current trends in loyalty solutions, and how can loyalty programs help businesses prepare for the deprecation of third-party cookies? Gaia and Andreah spoke with Jayme Gehrke, Senior Director of Business Development, to learn more about loyalty program solutions and their critical role in building first-party data. Listeners will learn about: · What loyalty programs are and current trends in the space · The outcomes advertisers seek to achieve through loyalty programs · Loyalty in the context of the cookieless future · The interplay between performance media and loyalty programs Resources: · 2021 Loyalty Barometer Report (https://www2.merkleinc.com/l/47252/2021-03-22/8p2f2m) · 2021 Loyalty Barometer: A Guide to the Evolution of Consumer Loyalty (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/2021-loyalty-barometer-guide-evolution-consumer-loyalty) · How to Enrich Your First-Party Data to Build Better Experiences (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/how-enrich-your-first-party-data-build-better-experiences)
The marketing industry has been buzzing lately about the “cookieless future”, or the deprecation of the third-party cookie. But what does that actually mean for advertisers? In the second episode of this two-part series, Andreah and Gaia spoke with Ilon Weeldreyer to understand the impacts of a cookieless future on different channels and industries, and what advertisers should do to prepare. Other topics covered include: * Google Analytics GA4 for upgrade for modelled conversion behavior * Data and identity resolution partners * What programs will be relatively unaffected * Impacts on first-party data and remarketing lists Resources: * Podcast: What is the Cookieless Future? Changes in Website Tracking, Part 1 (https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/podcasts/digital-marketing-musings/what-cookieless-future-changes-website) * The “Death of the Cookie” Can Be Good for Advertisers, but the Time to Level Up is Now (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/death-cookie-can-be-good-advertisers-time-level-now)
After a tumultuous 2020, consumers are feeling more hopeful in 2021 thanks to steady vaccine rollouts across the country. Despite that optimism, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic and advertisers need to continue embracing that reality while preparing for the “next normal”. What behavioral trends from the pandemic will stick around, and which will fall by the wayside? Gaia and Andreah sat down with Erin Spice and Rachel Monfre, two authors of the Media Insights Report, to learn about key trends heading into Q2 and how advertisers should prepare accordingly. References: 1. Q2 Media Insights Report (https://www2.merkleinc.com/l/47252/2021-03-22/8p29yw) 2. Q2 Media Insights Webinar (https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/3075268/1BDC55D170A8CD225080A6B754E64DDC?partnerref=DMMpodcastEp8)
The marketing industry has been buzzing lately about the “cookieless future”, or the deprecation of the third-party cookie. But what does that actually mean for advertisers? In the first episode of this two-part series, Andreah and Gaia sat down with Ilon Weeldreyer to better understand what the cookieless future is, the reasons behind it, and how it will change the ways advertisers can use cookies moving forward. Resources: * The “Death of the Cookie” Can Be Good for Advertisers, but the Time to Level Up is Now (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/death-cookie-can-be-good-advertisers-time-level-now) * https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/podcasts/digital-marketing-musings
After a tumultuous year, the 4th quarter of 2020 brought some welcomed positive trends. Travel declines improved, retail continued to see strength, and there were signs of customers starting to venture back out to stores. Some unique conditions, like Prime Day in October, the presidential election, and increased COVID-19 cases, also led to some surprising trends. Andreah and Gaia sat down with Melissa Reilly to talk about Merkle’s Digital Marketing Report and learn how all of these factors influenced Q4 performance across search, paid social, and Amazon ads. Resources: 1. Access the Q4 2020 Digital Marketing Report (https://www2.merkleinc.com/l/47252/2021-02-18/8npnml) 2. How Did the Digital Marketing Industry Fare in Q4 2020? (Blog) (https://www2.merkleinc.com/l/47252/2021-02-18/8npnmn)
In addition to being the National Football League's championship game, the Super Bowl is also one of the biggest days for advertisers. It looked a little different this year, though. With many advertisers pulling back or not running commercials at all during the big game, it begs the question, "What did they do instead?" Andreah and Gaia sit down with Merkle's Katie Cottam to discuss and learn what strategies brands pivoted to instead of the typical TV spot. Read the referenced blog post here (https://www.merkleinc.com/blog/brands-turn-digital-super-bowl-lv).
What’s up next for SEO in 2021? Gaia and Andreah talk with Merkle’s Melody Petulla about her predictions for search this year and how you can prepare. Melody’s 2021 predictions for SEO: • Next evolution of complexity of Google’s methods for understanding scoring websites, such as core web vitals or E-A-T signals • Impacts to click-through-rate (CTR) will continue to be felt as Google continues to become a destination, not just a search engine Melody’s 2021 predictions for digital marketing: • Continued sophistication of digital marketing in terms of the overall landscape that will lead to more personalization of websites and targeting
What trends can marketers expect within display and paid social in 2021? How will these trends differ from 2020? Andreah and Gaia discuss marketing trends with Merkle’s Emily Roe and they get her thoughts on what’s up next for these channels. Emily’s 2021 predictions for display and paid social: • Expect to see a continuation of trends that started as big shifts in 2020 from the pandemic, but will see some reversions to pre-COVID-19 behavior in 2021 as vaccines become more widely available • Brands will lean into innovative ways to interact with their customers, such as social commerce and virtual reality • Going to see a continued increase in spend for display and paid social Emily’s 2021 predictions for digital marketing: • Privacy will transpire into targetability and measurement conversations and marketers will really start to feel the impact of these privacy changes *Please note that CCPA stands for California Consumer Privacy Act
What sort of trends can we expect within paid search in 2021? How will these trends be different from those in 2020? Gaia and Andreah sit down with Merkle’s Matt Mierzejewski to discuss, and get his thoughts on, what search marketers can expect in 2021. Matt’s 2021 predictions for SEM: • Privacy will be key as marketers learn how it will impact their channels. • Search practitioners need to adapt: o Time investment in non-Google engines o By working with different departments such as analytics and data science Matt’s 2021 predictions for digital marketing: • Expect to continue seeing a surge in visualized search • Apple will reveal formal plans to launch its own search engine
What is Digital Marketing Musings? Hosts Gaia Read and Andreah McCartney share their plans for this podcast and vlog series, which touches on all things digital marketing. This new podcast series is perfect for anyone interested in digital marketing ― from hobbyists, to someone looking to get into the field or already working in the industry.