Consumer Insights

Back when the main marketing channel was television, advertisers had the luxury of their messages landing on the eyes and ears of captive audiences. Now in a world dominated by media—with the average consumer encountering up to 10,000 ads per day—creating messages with mass appeal means paying money just to

More and more, food brands are growing or pivoting their product offerings to meet new consumer trends (we hear mushrooms are all the rage). With a new product, you walk a fine line of maintaining the brand quality and values your current customers know and love AND delivering products new

The right meal can make you feel peace at the end of a stressful day. It can make you feel loved when you’re far from home. It can make you feel inspired and delighted when your mind is completely drained. And in a world where being healthy feels unattainable in

Marketers everywhere are scrambling to adjust their consumer targeting strategies ahead of the death of the cookie. Big brands are exploring D2C models, niche brands are opening proprietary pop-ups, and new retail media networks are being launched every month.  Retailers like Kroger and Walmart have long been players in the

2021 saw almost a third of consumers more likely to try new products over the year prior, and 2022 promises more of the same. From supply chain woes to social justice movements to family budget constraints, staple brands are now fighting with their emergent counterparts for coveted space in kitchens

If you’ve felt like your marketing communications in the last two years just aren’t landing like they used to, you’re not alone. Like it or not, the pandemic has had a permanent influence on how and where shoppers are purchasing the products they need to make it through the week.

Over 50% of all purchases are made spur of the moment, with no prior planning. It's a huge opportunity for emerging brands to capture those impulse purchases, but first, we need to understand what emotions trigger impulse buyers. The beverage category in particular is a great case study of the impulse moment. Research

While product innovation has always been a way to stir up interest, the last 18 months has seen an even greater demand for variety from food and beverage brands. 80% of consumers state they are craving something new from their favorite products, with millennials in particular looking to nostalgic brands

With all the recent changes in tracking consumer data, the conversation around marketing and advertising has changed drastically. While email and SMS are now considered table-stakes for any strategy, we believe the most effective direct marketing happens where and when people shop—and for food and beverage brands, this means shopping

Following a year where celebrations were intentionally small and largely took place at home, shoppers are looking to the 2022 holiday season as their “do-over.” With an estimated  7-9% increase in holiday spending this year, there’s plenty of opportunity for CPG brands to be part of this year’s fun.  Customers

Here’s the thing very few brokers or growth consultants will tell you: Scaling your distribution too fast can quickly ruin your entire brand. While the opportunity for growth is exciting, if you can’t advocate for good placement or stocking full product lines, your brand runs a high risk of being

Think about the last time you went out to eat with friends, or the last time you invited someone to your home to share a meal. If there were more than three people in your group, I’ll bet one of them had a dietary restriction or food regimen that limited

Sports teams straddle the line of brand and entertainer, with most of their success depending on the unpredictable rise and fall of the season. They can always depend on their core band of brand loyalists to show up rain or shine, but is there a way to appeal to fair-weather

As different delivery methods battle it out for who can grow the fastest, it’s no wonder about 20 percent of people in the US order food delivery at least once a week. Now, there’s no limit to what cuisine you can eat from the comfort of your own home any

Loyalty programs have been around forever, as has the question of whether we, as marketers, are making the most of this opportunity to retain our customers. The answer: Usually not. This week we take a look at restaurant loyalty programs with an eye on improving the customer experience and program

We're taking a quick look back at 2016 and helping marketers plan for the year ahead in today's episode of Branding Bites! Tune in to watch Shawn and Kacha share their insights into restaurant branding opportunities related to employee ambassadors, digital ordering, loyalty programs, and more. Rather read than watch?

We explore the world of food promotions in this week’s episode of Branding Bites! Stay tuned as Shawn and Kacha share strategies for creating successful stunts, ads, and unexpected extras. Click play for their answers to questions including: What types of promotions drive the most sales for QSR, fast casual,

In this episode of Branding Bites, our strategy director, Kacha Azema, and our design director, Shawn McConnell, sat down to share their insights on what's happening in restaurant marketing this week. Tune in to see Kacha and Shawn answer topical questions including: Is McDonald’s goal of 5,000 pieces of content

Millennials’ obsession with food is no mystery. You can see it on any and every social media channel, with photos tagged #foodporn and #onthetable and #nomnomnom. You can sense it in the rise of the term “foodie” (a term with which half of millennials identify1), and the barrage of new

Millennials do things differently than other generations. And travel is at the top of that list. How do millennials decide on a destination? How do they book a trip? What do they do once they’ve arrived? And how can brands take advantage? If you’ve ever wondered how a millennial vacations,

Cruises have a reputation for attracting “the newly wed and the nearly dead” – not exactly the millennial sweet spot. But with current audiences (ahem) aging out, this $39.6 billion1 industry has its eye on the 18- to 34-year-old set. Currently, millennials make up just 7 percent2 of the cruise industry’s 24 million passengers,

Let’s face it: There’s undeniable appeal in flying a broom in a Quidditch match and knocking back a cold Butterbeer. And there's no doubt many of us would endure long lines to experience Hans Solo-type g-forces while we pilot the Millennium Falcon through space and battle a swarm of TIE

Content on YouTube: funny cat videos, SNL clips, crazy humans doing OMG stunts. Advertising on YouTube: annoying pre-roll ads we can’t wait to skip.Or, if you’re a millennial, sometimes content and advertising are the same thing. YouTube is certainly killing it with millennials as an entertainment channel, reaching more 18-

On March 31st, Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the Model 3, and in an instant, he changed the world as we know it. That night, he transformed the automotive industry, disrupted the traditional sales experience, and challenged perceptions about the millennial consumer. It was a pretty good day for the

Thanks for your interest! Click to view and download the WHITE PAPER "Getting millennials to the game: How to mobilize a less interested, more budget-conscious generation of fans" Download

When we hear about millennials and smartphones, we hear a lot about video and social media. Audio, on the other hand, is repeatedly left out of the conversation even though 64 percent of young adults listen to music or podcasts on their mobile devices.1 In fact, millennials spend an average

Millennials, or young adults ages 18 to 34, have been (not-so-kindly) dubbed the “Enigma Generation” by older generations mystified by their behavior. This is especially true when it comes to buying behavior, so we’re tackling the topic with some facts on where, how, and why millennials shop. All in all,

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the 1980s are back. Full House, Ghostbusters, My Little Pony—it’s like we’re all on a collective trip down memory lane. We pine for a time that was happier, brighter, simpler, better. And for the late Gen X and early Gen Yers, the 1980s

This may surprise you: “Two-thirds of Americans between the ages of 20 and 35 have shopped at Walmart in the last month.” That’s according to Walmart Chief Merchant, Stephen Bratspies. On an investor phone call just two weeks ago, Bratspies also explained that millennials are more likely to shop at

I don't own a sports team, but if I did, I'd be very focused on attracting millennials. As the largest and most powerful consumer group of our time, it stands to reason that they would be an important target audience for teams, franchises, and ticket sellers. But millennials just aren’t

Millennial women grew up hearing that they could do anything they set their mind to. They weren’t told that their place was in the kitchen, or that they could never be in charge. While Gen Xers, Baby Boomers, and members of the Silent Generation waited decades to see a woman

This is the second of a two-part look at the unconventional candidates who’ve taken this year’s election by storm. Each has won a big portion of the much-coveted millennial vote, and – while miles apart ideologically – employ strategies that have been surprisingly effective with millennials. When you picture the crowd

This is the first of a two-part look at the unconventional candidates who’ve taken this year’s election by storm. Each has won a big portion of the much-coveted millennial vote, and – while miles apart ideologically – employ strategies that have been surprisingly effective with millennials. Despite Hillary Clinton’s victories on

Millennials are the largest generation in the US and the least interested in attending professional sporting events. So, what will get millennials to the game? Find out in our upcoming webinar Millennials + Sports: Getting millennials to the game Thursday, April 7 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT In this webinar,

Have you ever frantically looked for your car keys only to find them in your pocket? Or spent 30 minutes searching for glasses that were perched on your head the whole time? Just like your “lost” glasses, we’ve found that America’s 14.3 million millennial dads1 are hidden in plain sight. They’re

In the arena of sports marketing, is there anything larger than the NFL's annual Super Bowl? For the event’s 50th anniversary a few weeks ago, the NFL reported 112 million viewers worldwide and a $5 million price tag for a 30-second advertisement.1,2 Professional football must be the benchmark of the sports

Tavi Gevinson has been called the Queen of Millennials and the future of journalism.1,2 At just 19, she has posed for the groundbreaking Pirelli Calendar, published four books, taken the fashion world by storm, and solidified her creative chops as editor-in-chief of Rookie Magazine. These endeavors ­– combined with some

You know that voiceover in epic movie trailers? The deep, reverberating voice that begins: “In a world…” “In a world…of 150 million active monthly users.1 Where people engage with posts 10x more than on Facebook.2 Where the community is positive, funny, and even…nice.3 Where users spend 3-10 hours per week4

Thanks for your interest!

A few months back, we published Your 60-Second Guide to Millennials featuring 15 must-know facts about the ultra-powerful consumer group. Today we bring you a fresh batch of essential millennial knowledge, which takes a closer look at Gen Y’s relationship with brands.

We all need a little bit of straight talk from time to time. You know, one of those fierce conversations that avoids the correctness and politeness of most exchanges, and cuts directly to the core issue. I'm not talking about an inflammatory Donald Trump headline-grabbing rant. I mean an honest,

As millennials have become America's largest consumer group, everything about marketing has changed. The only thing that has remained constant is the success of Nike. Year after year, Nike ranks as a favorite brand among millennials.1 Like its customers, Nike’s marketing strategy has evolved. If you're a marketer clinging to

Ask millennials what they enjoy spending money on, and “travel” will likely be one of the first things you hear. More than 75 percent of millennials prefer to spend money on experiences rather than material things,1 and 35 percent of millennials said they plan to take one to two large

What gets millennials to the game? We were curious, so we surveyed more than 500 millennials ages 21-34 about their experience purchasing tickets for – and attending – professional sporting events1. And while we know there are all types of attendees, from the social viewer to the die-hard fan, we

Every day, we talk to industry leaders who admit that they don’t understand the millennial generation as well as they should. But how do you inspire an audience to go on a journey with you if you don't understand where they're coming from? Start off on the right path with millennial stats every marketer should know.

If you're a chief marketing officer trying to earn the attention and admiration of the millennial shopper — without inadvertently tripping the "red flag" of annoyance — you've got your work cut out for you. In an effort to locate the land mines and avoid missteps, Skidmore Studio recently conducted

Even though inboxes are overloaded and the average person receives 70 emails a day, millennials prefer to communicate with brands via email.1,2 This means that companies have a lot of competition when it comes to reaching their audience. And for entertainment and experience-based brands seeking to engage Generation Y, standing

Some things are great pairings. Mention one item, and your brain automatically adds the second. Try saying the words "peanut butter" and not thinking ______? Right? These natural fits also happen in the marketing world. When brand and audience form a natural connection, the job of the marketer is relatively