Insights
News, culture & fun stuff
- January 18, 2016
- Skidmore Studio
Thanks for your interest!
- January 11, 2016
- Skidmore Studio
As consumer behaviors change and evolve so do those of brands and marketers. No longer do we live in a world of one-way promotional messaging, but one where consumers have the power to interact, change, and mold a brand. In our 60-second guide to millennials, we note that 62% of
- January 8, 2016
- Skidmore Studio
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.
- January 5, 2016
- Shawn McConnell
Welcome back from another holiday break. What better way to kick off the new year than by legitimizing your holiday binge-watching? Let’s take a closer look at a few classic films and see how you can use some of the most memorable scenes to your advantage. Home Alone “This is
- December 14, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
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,
- December 8, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
There’s one source of unquestioned authority on anything related to internet search: Google. So it’s worth paying attention when Google CEO Sundar Pichai drops some new insight, as he did in their last quarterly earnings call just over a month ago. Pichai announced that for the first time ever, there
- November 30, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
One of the most common questions we hear about connecting with millennials is how to do it without alienating other audiences. We say: alienate them. You can’t target any audience when you aren’t focused. Trying to connect with millennials while catering to other audiences is like playing darts while wearing
- November 17, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
The personal brand. It’s important to millennials, but what does it matter to corporate brands, and the people tasked with promoting them? As millennials are building their personal brands, they’re using products and companies to convey something about themselves. Tapping into this phenomenon could be an extremely successful and authentic
- November 9, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
We’ve all been there. A client or team member mentions making a viral video and we all slouch down and cringe. Not because the idea of making great video content is scary, but because the goal of creating something that will go viral is a risky one that is out
- November 3, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
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
- October 26, 2015
- Shawn McConnell
There are a million different ways to solve a design challenge. In every case, the approach you take should depend heavily on the goal. And I’m not talking about the “Increase awareness 35%” kind of goal. I’m talking about the mental goal. What do you want people to feel? Do
- October 20, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
People talk about the physical world and the digital world as two separate places – but they’re not. They’re one place, called the modern world. Consumers live in this world. And as marketers, we need to transcend bits and atoms, to create magical moments and meaningful conversations no matter where,
- October 13, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
There is no question: Taylor Swift knows what she’s doing. As an entertainer, a performer, and – most importantly – as a marketer, Swift is killing it. In only a few years, she has become one of the most beloved and buzzed about musicians in the country. With 50.5 million
- October 6, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
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
- September 29, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
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
- September 29, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
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.
- September 28, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
Six months ago I shared with you a manifesto of sorts, my personal credo to "Dare Mighty Things." This statement is based on a quote from Teddy Roosevelt and it is a daily reminder for me to be willing to risk much, even if it means failing more often. A
- September 22, 2015
- Shawn McConnell
In-store marketing can be the baptismal waters for immersion into your brand. Done wrong, it’ll be completely invisible – or even worse, an absolute annoyance. Done right, it’ll lead your customer to do exactly what you want. So how can you do in-store marketing the right way? Here are a
- September 15, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
If you’re like most companies, your sales are a quiet affair. Your customers move through the purchasing process privately, making decisions and buying products without broadcasting it to the world. Take Josie for example. She’s attracted by your latest ad campaign, explores what you have to offer, decides she wants
- September 11, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
Millennials are living in the digital world. They are fully immersed – communicating on social media, shopping online, streaming movies – and blurring the line between physical and digital more than ever before. While TV reigned supreme as the top advertising medium for decades, the cable cutting generation is in
- September 1, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
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
- August 25, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
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
- August 18, 2015
- Shawn McConnell
“Add a little more design” “Make this a bit more fun” “Make it sizzle” “Make it pop” When it comes to design feedback, I’ve heard these words and phrases more times in my career than I can count. Clients say them, account people say them, and whether they admit it
- August 11, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
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
- August 4, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
As the CMO of a top entertainment brand you’ve got a sharp eye on your metrics. Above all, I bet you’re tracking sales numbers carefully. Sales are important, sure, but they look backward instead of forward. By focusing only on sales, you’re missing an opportunity to drive numbers instead of
- July 28, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
The digital world moves quickly. Every day there’s a new trend or term popping up that requires us to determine its relevancy and figure out if and how it applies to our work. These terms change frequently, so we don’t expect our clients to know every current buzzword and be
- July 21, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
Anyone who's responsible for the communications and marketing efforts of their brand certainly understands the importance of having a meaningful presence on social media. But if your brand hopes to engage millennials, having a presence is not nearly enough. In a day and age where 81 percent of Twitter users
- July 14, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
For more than five decades, traditional TV commercials were king when it came to advertising, with marketers spending a combined $80 billion on TV ads each year.1 But with new technology emerging and people consuming content in new ways, there is a major shift happening as millennials, a group with
- July 6, 2015
- Shawn McConnell
Every company targeting millennials is asking the same question: How do you connect with a generation that is known to mistrust brands, a generation that refuses to be told what is cool? The smartest companies also want to know how to create visual relevance for a brand when trends seem
- June 25, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
If you’re anything like me, you consider a hotel stay the ultimate luxury. An opportunity to throw your bags at your feet, dive head first into a pillowy mattress, and have someone take care of you. The world is a tough place and sometimes we just want to throw our
- June 23, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
Imagine if you could double, triple, or even quadruple your branded content and simultaneously improve your brand’s reputation without spending a single dollar. That would be amazing, right? No, this isn’t a sleazy sales pitch for snake oil, and it’s not a fairy tale. There’s a ready gold mine of
- June 16, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
Millennials will spend money with brands that speak to them authentically. They will not spend money on brands that talk at them in tired, traditional, and overtly manipulative ways. Too many marketers focus on only the mechanics and wonder why the results don't follow. In order to drive sales among
- June 9, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
Many executives think of millennials as one big, homogeneous group. They speak about 18-34 year olds in broad terms and generalize their behaviors. But this generation of 80 million is full of segments worth getting to know. And one of the largest is millennial moms. With a considerable amount of purchasing
- May 21, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
If you are a Chief Marketing Officer attempting to reach millennials, the job you face is extraordinarily difficult. But if you are the CMO of an entertainment brand, and you are hoping to engage millennials with a meaningful experience, the challenge you face is monumental. Connecting with 18-34 year olds
- April 7, 2015
- Shawn McConnell
The best work coming from most studios and agencies will never leave their doors. It’ll live in a flat file in a long forgotten hallway or on a nameless server somewhere. When clients and creatives work together, however, this fate can be avoided. We celebrate this work because it represents
- March 24, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
It’s that time of year when tens of thousands of people from around the world descend on Austin, Texas for South by Southwest (SXSW), a nearly two-week long music, film and interactive festival. For many, it’s one huge party – but for brands, it’s the holy grail of marketing. Attendees
- March 16, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
I’ve recently noticed a rising trend around a precarious stereotype: millennials = hipsters. For example, in a meeting I attended about a city’s brand, an otherwise savvy client continually used the words “hipsters” and “young people” interchangeably. A few days later, I heard the CMO of a national brand lump
- February 25, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
Pinned to the wall, next to my phone, is a quote by Teddy Roosevelt. The first line reads, “Far better it is to dare mighty things.” This quotation is my daily reminder not to be afraid of failure. To be willing to take big risks – even if it means losing a
- February 16, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
Millennials are an increasingly hot topic with marketers – and for good reason. At 25 percent of the population, millennials hold the key to your brand’s success. If you’re a marketer in today’s age, you can’t afford to overlook them. Last week, I joined a group of the nation’s most
- February 6, 2015
- Skidmore Studio
The Super Bowl has always been a main event for advertisers and consumers. Sometimes there’s a love match, sometimes there’s not. This year we surveyed a group of consumers to understand what people really thought of the ads. While some recognize that other things happen during this time (apparently a sport is
- December 15, 2014
- Shawn McConnell
This is the third, in a three-part series on the “how” of Design Thinking. In the second of this three-part series, Strategy informed us we need bridge. A bridge so beautiful it will make you weep. So let's get started. Picture a large bridge spanning a body of water. Go ahead. Close
- December 1, 2014
- Skidmore Studio
This is the second, in a three-part series on the “how” of Design Thinking. In the first of this three-part series about Design Thinking, Tim Smith talked about Discovery and how Skidmore digs under every rock, heads outside to talk to customers and walks a mile in our client’s shoes
- November 17, 2014
- Skidmore Studio
This is the first, in a three-part series on the "how" of Design Thinking. This blog began as a question posed during a recent studio planning meeting: "Should we give away our secret sauce?" The idea on the table was to go deeper into Skidmore's Design Thinking process and share
- October 6, 2014
- Skidmore Studio
More quantifiable proof: Good Design is Good for Business. A recent study reported in Fast Company proves that companies that embrace Design Thinking outperform those that don’t by a whopping 228 percent.1 You read that right – 228 percent. The analysis, completed by the Design Management Institute, looked at companies
- September 29, 2014
- Skidmore Studio
Two events happened in Detroit this week that exemplified the mindsets which exist within two of Detroit’s very different worlds – the sports world and the business world. The first was an announcement by GM that the Cadillac brand is moving to New York. The second was when one of
- September 22, 2014
- Skidmore Studio
This month Skidmore unveiled the MerryMen Project, a new program that promotes a philosophy of designing for good. The goal of this effort is to support Detroit-based non-profits and small businesses by providing pro bono strategy and design services. While Skidmore has provided pro bono services to the non-profit community