Media Sales Today

We all just assume that consumers pick up generic or store brands to save money these days. Right?
Wrong. We all know that private labels have been giving national brands a run for their money at the grocery store. But it’s not necessarily because people are cutting costs.

The recession continues to affect consumer behavior, and changing consumer habits mean businesses may need to revisit their target audiences and adjust their advertising.

You’ve heard this complaint before, or even made it yourself: Businesses – and marketers – are rushing the holiday season. Some stores put out their holiday displays right after Labor Day, sometimes just down the aisle from the Halloween candy. The reality is many consumers start their shopping before the chaos of Black Friday, but when should holiday shopping ads begin?

In a recent MediaPost column, Matt Thornhill discusses the problem with Baby Boomers and advertising. Baby Boomers – consumers born between 1946 and 1964 are a huge market, 79 million strong and responsible for over $2 trillion in annual spending on consumer goods and services. But advertisers tend to think the advertising ‘sweet spot’ is consumers 25 to 54.

The big game is right around the corner, with kickoff scheduled for 6:28 EST on Sunday. CBS is hoping for a record number of viewers, and as always, there’s a lot more going on than just a football game. There are the ads, of course, which this year include a new entry from GoDaddy and the return of the Budweiser Clydesdales, and the half-time spectacle featuring The Who.

Whether you’re in it for the ads or the game, here are some game day tidbits to get you through the party, courtesy of Media Life Magazine:

Nearly a quarter of American consumers say newspaper and magazine ads are the best place to find bargains, compared to 18% who say they find the best deals in online ads.

How do we spend our money? This interesting chart shows ‘average’ consumer spending based on the Department of Labor’s survey of U.S. Consumer Unit Expenditures.