Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

If you listen to marketers and advertisers, the key to success these days is targeting. “The right ad to the right person at the right time” is the common mantra.

Nope, says a new survey from brand expert network Experticity, the 2015 Marketing Mix Survey. The key driver in making a sale is the trust possessed by a source of product information.

Conducted by ReRez Research, the survey finds that 83 percent of marketers think advertising — online, broadcast, and print — is effective in influencing buyer decisions. But less than half of consumers — 47 percent — trust or believe advertising....

What needs and priorities define the contemporary American consumer? The Future Foundation took a look as at some key trends shaping modern life, and using its findings, selected four startups the research firm feels will appeal to these consumer needs and desires.

“They all skirt the boundary between the real world and virtual world in ways that suggest that very boundary is breaking down. They all help people take control of their lives and its objectives, and they all propel real trends. That’s why we’re watching them with keen interest,” said Meabh Quorin, managing director of the Future Foundation. “When a startup addresses actual changes in consumer behavior, it’s not just an innovation; it’s a solution.”...