Advertising is a commitment. It can also be expensive. And while we know that brands are prioritizing their brand awareness efforts in the coming year, there isn’t a marketer on the planet who’s not focused on the tangible returns that their spend delivers. And given that focus, it’s not uncommon for brands to pull back when the returns aren’t there. Somewhat counterintuitively, however, that’s usually not a good strategy.  The knee-jerk reaction to reign in spending when returns are lackluster is logical. Why continue—or even increase—spending if it’s not generating positive results? As ..read more

Almost 15 million years. Approximately 5 billion days. Or 1.3 x 1011 hours.  That’s the quantity of entertainment programming Americans collectively watched on streaming services in 2021, according to Nielsen. Driven by broad interest in drama, reality and kid’s programming, streaming viewing hours extended to the 11th power during our last trip around the sun. What’s behind this mind-boggling number? For one, an ongoing shift in how people regularly access programming. During the final week of 2021, consumers spent 33% of total TV viewing minutes on streaming platforms. Per Nielsen me ..read more

In late May, the U.S. military airlifted 70,000 pounds of baby formula from Europe to the U.S. to help with the national shortage.  It was another troubling development in what has become a national supply-chain crisis that’s still affecting everything from cars to semiconductors to lumber. And that’s a problem for marketers focused on lower-funnel initiatives when products may not be available anytime soon. Should they continue executing conversion-oriented tactics when supply is low, they risk losing trust when consumers realize the brand can’t deliver on what’s been advertised.  ..read more

Social media platforms have experienced impressive user and engagement growth the past few years, and many brands are spending big on social, turning to influencers to make more personal (and profitable) connections with consumers. In fact, global marketers say they plan to increase their spend on social media by 53% in the next year, more than any other channel. While social media influencers are engaging audiences across all platforms, their presence has gained traction relatively quickly on relative newcomer TikTok. According to Nielsen InfluenceScope, which measures social media influencer ..read more

Global attitudes about the LGBTQ+ community have evolved dramatically over the past decade or so, and with more choices for content than ever before, LGBTQ+ audiences are flocking to content providers—and advertisers—offering authenticity and inclusion. Consumers surveyed for our international LGBTQ+ inclusive media perceptions study find the most advertising inclusion on emerging media channels. Social media and influencers lead the way when it comes to perceptions of inclusivity, while LGBTQ+ people view newspapers and radio as least inclusive. Social media and influencers are especially pop ..read more

There is no shortage of news and research about the effect that streaming is having on TV viewing behaviors. Most recently, U.S. streaming usage hit a new high in April, capturing more than 30% of audiences’ total TV time. For advertisers, this time of massive viewership fragmentation has considerable implications, yet many have remained focused on traditional TV, steadily increasing their ad spend since their COVID-driven pullbacks in the middle of 2020. Streaming boom aside, the upside of traditional TV remains very high. In fact, audiences still spend twice the time with live TV than they d ..read more

Global attitudes about the LGBTQ+ community have evolved dramatically over the past decade or so, and the community is acutely aware of this. These changing attitudes vary by country, which means perceptions about the community can vary as well. While this has fostered a greater sense of optimism about what lies ahead for this community, the increased visibility has also sparked rising discrimination against the LGBTQ+ people and a fear that hard-won human rights, like marriage equality, could be rolled back. LGBTQ+ people’s perceptions of how inclusion in media and advertising has evolved dif ..read more

Much like many activities, television viewing has historical norms, many of which are driven by the calendar. The growth of streaming, however, continues to change history, as streaming viewership hit yet another new high in May, claiming 31.9% of total TV time. May is historically the month when TV viewership is at its lowest, and this year fell in line with that trend, as total time with TV fell 2.7%. Compared with broadcast and cable viewing, however, streaming usage increased by 2%, amplified by the release of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+ and season 4 of Stranger Things on Netflix. The appeti ..read more

It’s no secret that brands have shifted their efforts to create personalized messages and offerings to earn consumers’ attention and wallets. However, personalization tactics alone won’t be enough to foster more meaningful, long-term relationships with their customers. According to Nielsen’s fifth Annual Marketing Report, which surveyed marketers from around the world, 36% of consumers are increasingly looking for more than just products or services from their favorite brands, and they want to buy from companies that prioritize social causes, diversity and corporate social responsibility (C ..read more

In what was arguably the most anticipated weekend ever in streaming, the first seven episodes of Netflix’s Stranger Things Season 4 squared off against the latest release from the Star Wars canon, episodes 1 and 2 of Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi. To better understand the impact of these new streaming releases, we dove into the viewing data for both series during May 23-May 29, 2022, using Nielsen Streaming Content Ratings, which provides syndicated measurement of programs and episodes by streaming service.  Despite the slightly earlier release of Obi-Wan when compared with the new Strang ..read more