After eight years as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Advertising Research, Dr. John B. Ford is succeeded by Dr. Colin Campbell, Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of San Diego’s Knauss School of Business, effective September 1st. Read more »
New research insights are available in a report in the Journal of Advertising Research’s Insights Studio and on the Digital First section of its website. Read more »
At this Insights Studio, authors from India, Hong Kong and the U.S. showcased their work published in the Journal of Advertising Research on why consumers follow influencers, why people tune out of advertising, what triggers memory and recognition of brands that co-appear in ads, and whether brands are overspending on sport sponsorships. In the concluding Q&A, talking points included parallels of engagement and context effects between the different themes, KPIs in attention and sales outcomes, influencers’ roles as media and creative, and risks for strong brand personalities in sports sponsorships.
Member Only AccessAs influencer marketing becomes increasingly popular, marketers and influencers both need research-based insights to optimize the creative and the messaging in videos. For example, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires that influencers acknowledge sponsorships, but when and how the brand appears is likely to affect consumer response. With the exponential growth of influencer marketing on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, research that explores how elements of such videos (across text, audio and images) are related to outcomes that influencers and marketers care about, is becoming increasingly important. The Marketing Science Institute (MSI, now part of the ARF) and the Journal of Advertising Research (JAR) have both published new research insights on this topic. A few takeaways:
Influencer advertising is on the rise, yet we know little about what prompts consumers to engage with the “star of the show”. A new study identifies six particular consumer segments that follow influencers, uncovering why they do so and how they react to influencer content—insights that serve as a guide to managing influencer/endorser relationships.
“The Latino Podcast Listener Report” shows that both Spanish- and English-dominant Hispanics in the US are becoming an important podcast audience. Edison Research finds that 36% of US Latinos age 18+ (16 million people) have listened to a podcast in the last month, a 44% increase from 2020. This is narrowing the gap with the overall 18+ U.S. population, of whom 40% are monthly podcast listeners. New research shows that this dramatic increase comes from both English-dominant and Spanish-dominant listeners.
One important issue facing the entertainment industry today is assessing which changes in viewers’ behaviors during the pandemic will remain and which will change. The ARF will continue to address this topic in upcoming events. Here is a summary of one new study. It’s no question that the pandemic changed the ways and the amount of time consumers engaged with content. But will any of those habits stick, now that those same consumers are emerging from an extended period of isolation? That’s the focus of a new study released today by United Talent Agency (UTA) IQ—the data and analytics division of the prominent, Hollywood agency. UTA represents artists and professionals in the entertainment industry. The survey (among ages 18-54) find that 84% report they spent more time with entertainment during the pandemic than in the previous year and 67% intend to spend more time-consuming entertainment in a post-COVID-19 world. Seven out of 10 consumers reported using multiple streaming platforms during the pandemic and the same number said they will continue to spread the wealth in the future. One in three respondents said that they plan to subscribe to or use more platforms; one in four plan to consume more genres and one in three plan to consume more international content and/or stories by diverse voices. One in five respondents reported that they are more willing to pay for exclusive content from celebrities/influencers now than they were before the pandemic. Meanwhile, half of consumers said that their fandom was strengthened during the pandemic. Joe Kessler, global head of UTA IQ explains, “What consumers are telling us is that now that they have formed many new habits, they won’t let them go.” Source: Gardner, C. (2021, June 4). Most People Say They Plan to Spend More Time Consuming Entertainment Post-Pandemic. The Hollywood Reporter.
Member Only AccessInfluencer Marketing: The National Association of Marketers (ANA) has announced a new Influencer Marketing Advisory Board. The goal, increase “trust and transparency in influencer marketing“ by reducing fraud, improving measurement and spearheading industry commitments to advancing and improving the discipline.” Source: Oscar, Mitch (2020, December 14). Hocus Focus. OTT Subscriptions/Churn: Park Associates projects that the overall annual churn rate of OTT services in the US was 38% in Q3/2020, down from 46% a year ago. vMVPD churn dropped even more – from 84% last year to 49% in 2020. Source: Oscar, Mitch (2020, December 14). Hocus Focus. Think Before You Sell: If you are in B2B, you are not selling to everyone. You are selling to people with very SPECIFIC needs who want clear ROI — so the question becomes, is your content and programs SPECIFIC enough? Source: Sangram Vajre, co-founder, Terminus (LinkedIn) Finally: Something Good about 2020 (from Think with Google US): “If there’s one positive thing that can be said about 2020, it’s that it forced us all to think differently. What worked before simply didn’t work this year. We’ve seen whole categories shift as people adapted — sometimes rapidly. Spending patterns, shopping behaviors, and digital habits all changed dramatically as a result.” Source: Zmuda, N., & Coe, M. (2020, December 14). The Update: Connect with new customers by tapping into intent. Think with Google.
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During the 2020 AUDIENCExSCIENCE conference, the ARF Social Council hosted a workshop that, in part, focused on social media influencer measurement. This virtual event built on that workshop to provide a deeper understanding of best practices for leveraging data and research to produce effective influencer campaigns. The Council presented perspectives and methodologies of a research company, media company and agency. Note: The full summary is available to members only.
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As the use of social-media influencers gains traction, marketers face a daunting task of choosing the best-suited ones to promote their brands. Researchers in Germany found that an influencer’s fit with the brand will affect his or her credibility and persuasiveness, but social interactions with fans may tip the balance.
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