Media Sales Today

The peak time for toy sales remains the holiday season but consumers purchase these products at other times during the year. Not surprisingly, digital marketing is becoming increasingly important for parents as they research what their children ask for. And, new data indicates that marketers could boost results by shifting their ad strategies.

Traditionally, consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers have used coupons to get shoppers to try new products or services. During the recession, coupon distributions rose significantly but analysts reported that these numbers dropped in 2011. And, in 2012, marketers may be making some changes to their coupon strategies.

The healthcare and financial services industries have come under closer consumer scrutiny this year. The healthcare industry is about to undergo a transformation with the upcoming national reforms becoming more apparent in 2012. And, the financial services industry is still struggling to redeem itself after the recent economic collapse. Some analysts believe both of these industries will be rolling out image campaigns in the next year.

Newspaper publishers plan to promote their value of their media platform to consumers. The industry is looking to connect with readers through a multi-level ad campaign. Using the tagline “Smart is the new sexy”, industry operators also hope to solidify their brand identity and show marketers they can deliver a dependable audience.

Despite the largely negative outlooks most analysts have for traditional media formats like newspapers and magazines, at least one group in the industry has a slightly more optimistic projection for 2012. The owners of small daily and weekly publications believe ad revenues will be flat in 2012. The newspaper owners participating in the Fall 2011 Cribbe, Greene Publishers Confidence Survey also expressed a positive outlook for their industry in general.

New research shows most Americans still rely on traditional media for local information, turning most often to television for local news and weather, and to newspapers for a wider range of local information.

Personal relevance of the cause is the top factor that influences U.S. consumer brand preference when choosing between companies that benefit a cause. New data from the Integer Group also shows women like brands that donate to a cause with each purchase.