The new year is upon us. And you know what that means. Resolution talk is at fever pitch. I’m guessing your inbox and social feeds are overflowing with new year advice on how to turn over a new leaf, whether for personal or professional ambitions.
To cut through the clutter, we’ve compiled a handy list of some of the best bits of marketing wisdom featured on Think with Google from across the globe.
Maybe you’ll find a marketing idea that makes you nod your head, or one that you want to talk about in a team meeting as you pitch a new idea you’ve been mulling over. Maybe you’ll even find one that’s print-worthy and deserves a spot on the bulletin board near your desk. (OK, I know. Printing is so five years ago. But at least share it with a co-worker.)
Read on and think about the part you play in building the brand you work on. Maybe one of these will be the spark you need to kick off the new year right.
1. On representation and inclusivity in creative
“Stereotypes are the fastest way to show users you don’t understand them. ... And it goes beyond casting. We need to consider every element of creative. Authentic characters matter. But so does music, family dynamics, food, wardrobe, and how products are portrayed.”
From Think with Google U.S., “4 lessons we’ve learned, sometimes the hard way, about inclusive marketing”
2. On building a data-driven culture at your brand
“Be curious. Don’t accept the way things have always been done. Be open to change — and make change itself a competency.”
From Think with Google Canada, “The Home Depot Canada’s VP of Marketing and e-Commerce on curiosity and building a data-driven culture”
3. On the creative process for programmatic campaigns
“Programmatic doesn’t change the entire creative process; the most effective campaigns are still centred on genuine insights and stories. Programmatic is making it easier for advertisers to tell their stories with relevant messages to the right audiences at the right time.”
From Think with Google Australia, “How Aussie advertisers are making the most of programmatic”
4. On adjusting the ad industry’s view of diversity
“There’s more ‘talk’ about diversity and inclusion, however the hard line action to widen pipelines and increase retention efforts is somewhat underwhelming. Our industry has far too long looked at diversity as a charity initiative instead of a business imperative.”
From Think with Google U.S., “What marketers can learn from those on the front lines of the industry’s diversity initiatives”
5. On rising consumer expectations for shopping
“Shoppers can organize themselves as much (or as little) as they like because they know their smartphone is there for them. And they expect brands to respond by understanding their shopping needs and addressing them immediately. That means retailers should be there with frictionless experiences that make it easy to close the sale.”
From Think with Google U.S., “How to reach today’s impatient shoppers — whether they’re shopping online, by voice, or in store”
6. On how to put your video ad performance data to good use
“Gone are the days when brands could wait for campaigns to end before acting on results. ... While it may be counterintuitive, our best creative outcomes have been achieved by applying the power of process.”
From Think with Google U.S., “Brand marketers: Just sitting on your video performance metrics won’t get you far”
7. On breaking through in more traditional categories
“To make way for innovation, you have to be ruthless about disrupting yourself.”
From Think with Google Canada, “Michele Romanow on fintech and how digital ad spend can predict a startup's success”
8. On how to build a data-driven, audience-first brand
“When we started this journey, we weren’t just data poor; we were data broke. We actually knew very little about our customers. … While data has revolutionized our business, it’s not enough to just have data. … You need a vision for how to use that data.”
From Think with Google U.S., “Lights! Camera! Data! How insights help 20th Century Fox Film reach the right audiences”
9. On mapping the path to digital maturity
“Aligning on the steps to digital marketing maturity — both organisationally and technically — is crucial to setting your company and campaigns up for success.”
From Think with Google Australia, “The CMO of 2020: Navigating the journey towards digital marketing maturity in Australia and New Zealand”
10. On the rise of more personalized storytelling
“From the earliest newspaper print ads to modern digital media, the story makes the connection — and the connection makes the sale. … The question that keeps advertisers up at night has gone from ‘what’s a good story to tell?’ to ‘what’s the right story for the right person at the right moment?’”
From Think with Google India, “What brands can learn from India on personalized storytelling”
