Category: Insights

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Insights Real Estate
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LasVegas scaled

We found out everything you wanted to know about the makes the Sin City so great to live in from the people that call it home. Download our Las Vegas, NV Research Report to review all of the details.

Las Vegas, NV: Fast Facts

Las Vegas is the 25th largest city in the United States.

Las Vegas is currently growing at a rate of 1.21% annually.

Las Vegas is number 16 for large cities with the highest growth.

The current metro area population of Las Vegas in 2021 is 2,772,000.

It is also the third most visited city in the US

Las Vegas is located in south Nevada, east of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

The median age for those who live in Las Vegas is 38.

25% of Las Vegas residents have at least a Bachelor’s degree.

A variety of industries thrive in the Las Vegas area. The first being Leisure and hospitality, followed by trade, transportation, and utilities.

The tourism, gaming, and entertainment industry provide more than 315,000 jobs in the state of Nevada.

Residents are known as Las Vegans and the city is also known as Sin City.

“It is a very colorful city, but there are so many things to do outside of the strip. There are so many food places to try, so if you like to try new food, this is the place for you. The nightlife here is mainly for adults, but the strip is very visually friendly for families.”

Current Resident

Las Vegas Neighborhoods

Downtown Las Vegas – This is where Las Vegas got its start. Walk along Fremont Street, filled with casinos, souvenir shops, trendy bars and more. Take a ride on the 12-story SlotZilla Zipline across Fremont Street. Downtown Las Vegas is full of coffee shops, tattoo parlors, and the best local restaurants. In the Art District, First Friday is a monthly event that showcases local artists, live music, food trucks, and more. The Downtown Container Park is the perfect spot for families. It is built out of 44 repurposed shipping containers, has a lawn for picnics, and play structures for kids.

Summerlin – From apartments in Downtown Summerlin, to luxury homes in the Kings Canyon neighborhood, Summerlin has a home for every type of buyer/renter. Summerlin is known for its expansive outdoor recreational amenities. Hike, walk, run, or bike in more than 150 miles of trails. Being right against the Red Rock Canyon, Summerlin has beautiful views and the perfect place for an outdoor lover. Downtown Summerlin has a weekly Farmers Market, yearly Festival of Arts, plenty of shopping, dining, and entertainment opportunities. Summerlin is also home to the Las Vegas Ballpark where the Las Vegas Aviators play.

Paradise – Paradise is home to The Strip, the part that Las Vegas is known for. Walk along the 4 mile strip to discover luxury resorts and extravagant casinos. Snap a picture with a Las Vegas ShowGirl or the famous Welcome to Las Vegas Sign. Feed sharks at the Mandalay Bay Shark Reef Aquarium where there are over 30 different sharks and over 2,000 animals. Paradise has endless options for dining, including celebrity chef restaurants, shopping, and much more. Catch a view of The Strip from the High Roller observation wheel, a 550 foot tall ferris wheel.

Whitney – Whitney is located east of Paradise. This is the perfect area for families. It is quiet, has a slow paced suburban feel, a sense of community, and has scenic views. Whitney is home to Wetlands Park, the largest park in Las Vegas. There are trails for walking and hiking.

Henderson– Henderson is one of the oldest suburbs in Las Vegas that remains one of the best areas to live in today. Located right above Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, Henderson has easy access to hiking trails where you can spot nearly 1,700 designs representing native cultures from Archaic to historic era. Though the residential areas are on the quiet side, there is an up and coming downtown area. This area has been coined the Booze District, home to local breweries and distilleries. For those with a need for speed, at Speed Vegas you can drive super cars, like Lamborghini and Ferrari, on their outdoor track.

North Las Vegas – North Las Vegas is the northmost area of the Las Vegas Valley. There are many outdoor recreational activities here. Lake Mead National Recreation Area is a short drive to the east. Mount Charleston is just west of North Las Vegas. Aliante Nature Discovery Park is a 20 acre park with a playground,
lake, waterfall, and walking trails. Head out to Las Vegas Motor Speedway to watch a drag race. The Speedway is also the HQ of Exotic racing, where you can drive supercars. North Las Vegas has their fair share of casinos, such as Texas Station Hotel and Casino.

Doing Business in Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada was named 49th on Forbes’ list of “Best Places for Business and Careers” for Job Growth. The major industries are tourism and gambling. Las Vegas has coined itself “The Entertainment Capital of the World”.

Key Industries: Tourism, Gaming, Conventions, Health and Medicine, Information Technology, Aerospace and Defense, Manufacturing, Mining, and Natural Resource Technologies

Major Employers: Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel, MGM Grand, Johnson Electric, Scientific Games, Diamond Resorts International, Golden Entertainment.

Cost of Living in Las Vegas

Cost of living in Las Vegas is 3% higher than the national average

Utility prices are 10% lower than the national average.

Transportation expenses like bus fares and gas prices are 14% higher than the national average.

Las Vegas has grocery prices that are 4% higher than the national average.

Healthcare in Las Vegas is 3% higher than the national average.

Median Household Income of $59,853

“I used to live in Virginia and moving here was a great experience. The people are so kind and you never run out of things to do here.’’

Current Resident

Arts, Recreation, and Entertainment in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is famous for The Strip, a 4.2 mile stretch lined by casinos, luxury resorts, hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, and more.

The luxury hotels on The Strip are known for their extravagant architecture and entertainment. Gondola rides are available at The Venetian Resort. Caesars Palace replicates ancient Rome and hosts celebrity entertainment often. Flamingo is
the oldest resort on The Strip. The Bellagio is famous for its elegance and the Fountains of Bellagio, a large dancing water fountain synchronized to music.

Las Vegas is home to over 130 casinos, 51 being located on The Strip.

Shopping centers such as Las Vegas Premium Outlets is one of the more famous malls in Las Vegas. For luxury brands, there are shopping centers inside the Venetian, the Grand Canal Shoppes, and the Bellagio, the Bellagio Shops.

Las Vegas’s Sport Teams:

Las Vegas Raiders (Football)

Vegas Golden Knights (Hockey)

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 

Las Vegas Lights (Soccer)

Read the full research report: Las Vegas, NV. We interviewed the people that live there to find out what makes their city special. Stay tuned for more city research.

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Audience Branding Insights Strategy & Positioning
BrandStorytelling 2 scaled
BrandStorytelling 2 scaled

Marketers have an easy time finding examples of high-quality brand storytelling. For instance, consider the best and most memorable Superbowl ads. Newsweek reported that 30-second advertising spots during the big game cost $6.5 million just for the airtime. 

Despite the price, those ad slots sell out fast. Besides costing sponsors an incredible amount of money, the most successful and memorable Superbowl ads share the common tactics of using engaging, relatable stories to market brands, connect with a vast audience and tell people what they stand for. 

What makes brand storytelling successful?

Why do the biggest businesses spend so much money airing their stories during popular programs, like the Superbowl? Brand storytelling can connect with and entertain viewers and evoke empathy. Most importantly, they encourage people to discuss both the advertisements and the brand the next day at work and sometimes, long after the audience forgets the details of the game. This word-of-mouth buzz makes successful stories priceless, even if they’re expensive. 

Harvard Business Review observed that stories attract and engage people because of humanity’s social nature and desire to connect. Stories that connect emotionally actually impact our brains neurologically by releasing feel-good hormones that can help dull other concerns and help us remember these stories positively. 

Of course, not everybody connects with every story, and no organization wants to invest in a good story only to have it fail to promote the brand. Thus, the best DTC brand story should support the values and interests of its audience. The story should also integrate the brand identity in fundamental ways and not just as an afterthought. 

For instance, almost everybody has grandparents. Sadly, most people have lost loved ones during their lives. Google’s “Loretta” advertisement told the story of an older man who wanted to remember his deceased wife. He turned to Google Search and Google Assistant to help. This 90-second advertisement manages to conjure tears, mention Google brands, and demonstrate ways to use some of the company’s core products. 

How does your brand sound?

Most discussion around branding centers around visuals. At the same time, Harvard Business Review asked an important question: What does your brand sound like? HBR referred to audio branding as a potential competitive differentiator for many businesses because it’s frequently overlooked and undervalued by their competitors. 

Sometimes referred to as sonic or sound branding, audio branding can influence consumers on several levels. Think of the sound that a Harley makes when it revs, a champagne cork makes when it pops, or a Mac computer’s chime as it boots. These sounds conjure up visual images and in some cases, memories. 

Research also supports the idea that some sounds can improve the listener’s satisfaction with an experience. People respond to sounds faster than visuals, so branding audio works well for sending a quick, evocative message. This nonverbal form of communication resonates deeply. Also, businesses can spread it across many platforms, like their apps, advertisements, and in some cases, products. Audio branding can grow as pervasive and work as quickly and effectively as a well-considered graphic logo. 

As part of a DTC strategy for brand recognition, audio branding can offer direct sellers a competitive advantage because even in a crowded marketplace, most competitors don’t employ it. In particular, for audio-only formats, audio branding can make up for the lack of logos and other brand images. 

For instance, the French railroad line SNCF faced competition from other railroads and airlines. SNCF developed a distinctive, upbeat tune to associate with the brand in response. The railroad enjoyed positive results when it used this music to begin TV ads. SNCF also started prefacing in-station announcements with the tune because passengers found it soothing. 

Who’s doing brand storytelling well?

These examples of some of the brightest brand storytelling successes can help provide some inspiration. 

Reddit 

Last year, Reddit didn’t cough up enough money for a 90-, 60-, or even 30-second Superbowl ad. Instead, they grabbed just five seconds. What appeared like random images of an auto race, then a Reddit post, and finally, a horse race turned into a bonanza. 

Undoubtedly, Reddit’s brand story agency took a gamble with the advertisement. The ad felt jarring. Still, the social site knows its audience, and it worked. Hundreds of thousands of people turned to another screen, besides the one on their TV, for help interpreting what flashed across their TV screen so quickly. View the advertisement and conversation on Twitter. 

Dove

Consumer product brands like Dove soap face stiff competition and need to earn their standing as recognizable brand names. Dove’s “Reverse Selfie” ad only displayed the brand’s name and logo at the beginning. The rest of the story showed a girl glamming up to post a selfie on social media. At first, the audience only saw the enhanced images of the girl, making her appear like a sophisticated young adult. 

Finally, the camera closes in on an adorable young girl without any artificial enhancements and a message that pressure from social media harms self-esteem. The story resonated with plenty of social media users and their parents. It gave Dove a chance to connect with its audience by demonstrating that the brand represents authenticity and natural beauty. View the advertisement on YouTube. 

The future of storytelling for marketing 

According to a Think With Google discussion, the future will include brands increasingly using storytelling to communicate their values and purpose. Businesses will strive to connect with customers by understanding them and even incorporating customers’ stories to demonstrate authenticity. In the past, businesses sought to tell customers what they should want, but in the future, companies need to tell their audience who they are and what they can offer. 

Even businesses that can’t yet afford a Superbowl spot can benefit from storytelling ads on multiple platforms. These companies can use storytelling on podcasts, Youtube, blogs, social networks, and TV and radio. The media can include text, sounds, images, and videos. 

As a brand story agency, we’re excited to help tell your story. Find out more about brand storytelling in this interview with Miri Rodreguez, the author of “Brand Storytelling.”

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Insights Real Estate
Adrain PressRelease
Adrain PressRelease

Bigeye, a strategy-led, full-service creative agency building brands for clients globally, has announced the promotion of Adrian Tennant to Chief Strategy Officer as part of a long-term planning initiative. 

Since joining Bigeye in 2019 as VP of Insights, Adrian has grown and led the agency’s audience development practice, responsible for all quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method studies to inform media planning and inspire creative campaigns. In his new role as Chief Strategy Officer, he will continue to leverage his more than two decades of professional experience in advertising planning and strategy to deepen the agency’s strategic approach. 

“Adrian has been instrumental in advancing Bigeye’s unique approach to achieving our clients’ marketing objectives through strategic thinking backed by consumer insights,” said President Justin Ramb. “Under Adrian’s leadership, he will continue to build our consumer research and strategy services that provide actionable insights for our partners.” 

Bigeye serves clients in a wide range of markets from its headquarters in Orlando, FL. Its award-winning teams have expertise in the full spectrum of marketing and advertising disciplines, including research, strategy, and campaign management and optimization. Bigeye’s research methodologies go beyond simple demographics to build effective strategies that excite, engage, and empower consumers. 

“Our strategy enables the leading companies we work with to cut through the noise and make powerful, profitable connections with their target market,” added Ramb. “I’m excited about how Adrian will continue to further lead Bigeye’s strategy team and what solutions he can bring to our clients.” 

About Bigeye

Located in Orlando, Florida, Bigeye is a strategy-led, full-service creative agency that crafts deeply compelling brand experiences and the strategies that ensure they reach the right people, in the right place, at the right time. The Bigeye team of experts works closely with clients to better understand the needs of their consumers and deliver measurable results.

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Branding Consumer Insights Creative & Production Direct-To-Consumer Insights
BrandStrategyManagement scaled
BrandStrategyManagement scaled

Regardless of the size of your organization, as a brand manager or marketer, you’ve likely had to make some difficult choices in the face of constantly evolving consumer behaviors and elevated expectations during the pandemic. E-commerce adoption and price inflation have both grown exponentially, while supply chain issues continue to be a persistent headache for brands, negatively impacting revenues and endangering long-term growth. In this guide, we’ll explain how combining datasets can answer questions about your brand’s health and where to steer your brand strategy.

Introducing The Four S’s of Brand Strategy Measurement

Researchers and strategists intuitively seek to triangulate data sources whenever possible because reviewing different sources of customer and business data reveals anomalies and inconsistencies that are not apparent when relying on a single set of study results. When you combine datasets, you also see opportunities to treat some measures as proxies for data that has historically been harder to obtain or unreliable in present market conditions. 

For a holistic, real-time view of your brand strategy, tap into the 4 S’s of brand measurement: sentiment, search, social, and sales.

1. Consumer Sentiment

Brand lift measures advertising effectiveness, comparing pre-and post-ad campaign results, usually with some control markets to ensure that lift is attributable to advertising rather than external factors. If you have not run a brand lift study before, there are several ways of doing so, including a digital programmatic solution that continuously measures brand lift using A/B testing with in-market respondents. This enables the continuous optimization of campaigns to focus on brand key performance indicators. 

Brand trackers measure brand-specific KPIs longitudinally. If you currently run a tracker, consider adding new questions to ongoing surveys to start tracking consumer attitudes toward issues such as price sensitivity, product availability, delivery, collection options, and any others that are applicable to your brand. If you don’t have a brand tracker, consider establishing one. If you don’t want to commit to a set cadence, many agile research solutions exist that enable data collection from statistically significant samples of consumers within a matter of hours. 

2. Share of Search

In the past couple of years, measuring a brand’s share of search has emerged as a practical alternative to the long-established concept of share of voice, or SOV. Share of search as a brand measure was developed concurrently by two leading strategists in the UK, Les Binet, and James Hankins. This metric is equally accessible to brand managers, marketers, and agencies like Bigeye thanks to tools including Google Trends. 

What makes share of search so useful is that it’s proven to be highly correlated with market share, valuable not only in assessing ongoing brand health but also in predicting demand. As an alternative to manually searching Google Trends for volume data on your own brand as well as your competitors, the online platform MyTelescope combines searches, news, and social media, presenting data in a user-friendly visual dashboard.

3. Social Listening

Over the past decade, social networks have emerged as places where consumers connect and chat about all aspects of their lives – including sharing (and comparing) their experiences with products and services. For marketers, social media has grown in importance as both an organic and paid channel, with the newest platform, TikTok, seeing a massive rise in popularity during the pandemic. You may already be using social listening software to cut through the noise and identify meaningful signals in the firehose of social data, but if you’re not using a listening tool already, this is as good a time as any to consider doing so. 

Today’s tools typically incorporate some type of natural language processing and artificial intelligence. The value to brand marketers is that conversations taking place in social media reflect real-time perceptions and can provide a steady stream of insights around consumer sentiments toward your brand as well as the competition. This combination of qualitative and quantitative data is especially useful when triangulating data sources to reveal the “why” behind a spike in search volume, for example, as well as yielding insights unavailable elsewhere.

4. Sales Data 

If you’re working with a direct-to-consumer brand, you most likely have direct access to your sales performance and revenue data. But this is not the case for everyone. Maybe you sell to distributors and rely on syndicated sales from Nielsen or IRI. Brands that are distributed to unmeasured channels – those not tracked by a third party – may experience lengthy delays between the data collection and reporting.

Where sales data is hard or impossible to obtain, an alternative source can act as a proxy. We’ve already highlighted the correlation between share of search and market share, but you may also use historic campaign lead-to-conversion ratios to predict future sales. Consumers’ purchase intent can also be measured in longitudinal brand trackers as well as in brand lift studies, voice-of-the-customer data, ad hoc consumer surveys or in omnibus studies, where several non-competing brands can ask panelists questions.

Final Thoughts

A strategy focused on delivering long-term brand growth requires a corresponding commitment to brand building. Depending on the category, the impact of long-term initiatives can take up to 24 months to appear in market share metrics. CFOs – and markets – are impatient. The reality for most of us is that we have to balance performance marketing’s focus on short-term goals with long-term brand building.

The 4 S’s framework provides an agile analytics methodology to leverage consumer insights and brand measures, balancing long-term brand strategy and short-term performance marketing tactics.

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Insights Real Estate
shutterstock 195653522
shutterstock 195653522

We found out everything you wanted to know about the makes the Rocket City so great to live in from the people that call it home. Download our Huntsville, AL Research Report to review all of the details.

Huntsville, Alabama: Fast Facts

Huntsville was ranked 3rd out of 25 best places to live in the U.S. for 2021-2022. It is home to one of the nation’s oldest existing railroad depots, complete with Civil War-era graffiti on the walls.

Huntsville is located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama. It spans through Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County. It’s the second largest city in Alabama. It is growing at a rate of 1.21% annually and the population has increased by 14.08% since the previous census (from 180,105 to 205,472.)

The median age is 36.9 years. In the Huntsville area, 44.1% of people have at least a Bachelor’s Degree. It has become the third  most technical workforce in the country, according to a Bloomberg analysis. Nearly 17 percent of the workforce is in a STEM job. The median tech salary for someone in the middle of their career is $96,400.

The leading employers in Huntsville include the U.S. Army, Huntsville Hospital, and the Marshall Space Flight Center. Huntsville is also known as Rocket City. It is home to the Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Huntsville became a critical support line for the U.S. Army before helping to launch the Space Race.

US Census estimates from last year indicate that 61% of the population is white, 30% is Black, 6% is Hispanic or Latino, and 2% is Asian. 

According to the US Census Reporter, the population of Huntsville by age group is: 

0-9: 11%

10-19: 12%

20-29: 17%

30-39: 15%

40-49: 9%

50-59: 12%

60-69: 12%

70+:12%

Huntsville is without a doubt one of the most safe, fast-growing, and friendly cities in the country. Corporations like engineer-generating NASA and security-enforcing Redstone Arsenal are located right here in Huntsville, promoting impressive technological advancements and safety being of the upmost importance, not to mention the often “Hello!” and friendly wave!

Current Resident

Huntsville Neighborhoods

Downtown Huntsville: This area of Huntsville serves as an epicenter for property owners, business owners, tourists, businesses and more. Downtown Huntsville is located near the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum and the Huntsville Museum of Art, providing the perfect balance between business and pleasure. Downtown Huntsville also has the Big Spring International Park, providing a picture-perfect place for picnics.

Monte Sano: Monte Sano is an outdoor adventurer’s dream. The area boasts 22 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, dozens of campground sites and rustic cabins, 18-hole disc golf course, and the Von Braun Astronomical Society’s observatory and planetarium. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, the Monte Sano State Park holds a historic plaque where Hotel Monte Sano used to stand as a health resort.

Lowe Mill: Dubbed as Huntsville’s creative epicenter, Lowe Mill is located in the southwest part of Huntsville. It is home to the South’s latest privately-owned arts facility. Places to visit in Lowe Mill include comic shops, restaurants, art galleries, and the Campus No. 805 brewery.

Hampton Cove: One of the largest suburbs in the Huntsville metropolitan area. Home to the Hays Nature Preserve, there are special events for kids to explore the great outdoors and even more hiking and biking trails. Hampton Cove is seen as a desirable place to live with every amenity you could want: pharmacies, restaurants, recreation, and supermarkets.

Lincoln Mill: Recently added to the National Register of Historic Places, Lincoln Mill is home of the Lowry House which dates back to 1832. While it is also a historic area, Lincoln Mill is also the home of numerous start-ups and entrepreneurial ventures like Zero Point Frontiers, Ozone Joe’s, Bangham Engineering, Carina Technologies, and more. Lincoln Mill is a mixture of business, neighborhoods, and culture.

Merrimack: Inspired by New England architecture homes, it has earned the title of “old-house neighborhood”. The Merrimack Performing Arts Center serves as the enrichment center for the neighborhood, home of ornate productions in a 300 seat performance hall and 3,000 square foot dance studio. Merrimack is also home to the Merrimack Soccer Complex complete with 10 soccer fields. 

Research Park: Labeled as North Alabama’s Premiere Lifestyle Center, it houses the Bridge Street Town Center, filled with shops, restaurants, jewelers, and more. In addition to leisure options, the research park has technology firms, research facilities, educational institutions, and cultural hotspots.

Doing Business in Huntsville

Miami, Florida was named 56th on Forbes’ list of “Best Places for Business and Careers” for Job Growth. Financial services and tourism flourish here. Miami was also named Top City for Small Business growth by Forbes.

Key Industries: professional, scientific, and technical services, manufacturing, health care and social assistance, retail, and educational services.

Major Employers: Dynetics, Lockheed Martin, SAIC, ADTRAN, Northrop Grumman, Hexagon, U.S. Army, Boeing

Companies who won ‘Best Places to Work’ in Huntsville: IronMountain Solutions, Simulation Technologies, INC., QTEC Aerospace, KODA Technologies, and Boecore

Major Tech Companies with Offices in Huntsville: Radiance Technologies, Dynetics, Yulista Holding, Collazo Enterprises, and MadCoSchools

Awards: 

  • Google eCity 2013 — Google Inc.
  • A Top 50 Best Place to Live — CNN Money Magazine
  • #2 Best Place In The United States To Grow Up — U.S. News & World Report
  • Best Cities For Young Families In Alabama — NerdWallet
  • First in affordability by U.S. News

Cost of Living in Huntsville

Cost of living in Hunstville is 5 percent lower than the national average and the housing expenses are 26% lower than the national average. However, utility prices are 10 percent higher. Huntsville was named 1st in the 25 best affordable places to live by U.S. News and World Report

Median Household Income of $55,305

Huntsville Apartment Living

Huntsville’s rent has seen a 19 percent rent growth since March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic is upending the US’s rental market, with prices dropping in large, expensive cities but rising in typically more affordable locations, a report from Apartment List found. 

The median rent in Huntsville for a 1-bedroom apartment is $967 and the median rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $1,204.

Renters will find more reasonable prices in Huntsville than most large cities. For example, Los Angeles has a median 2BR rent of $4,596, which is over twice the rent in Huntsville.

What Huntsville Renters Want

Here are the top things tenants report looking for in a property.

  • Work from home spaces
  • High-speed internet 
  • Walk-in closet  
  • Soundproof walls
  • Private parking
  • Fitness Center
  • Washer/Dryer
  • Roof decks and gardens

Huntsville is a great city for government employees and people of all walks of life. With NASA in town as well as a military arsenal, there’s plenty of employment opportunities. For leisure, there’s plenty of restaurants and entertainment at Bridge Street!’

Current Resident

Arts, Recreation, and Entertainment in Huntsville

Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment is the largest, privately-owned arts facility in the south. The historic factory building has been redeveloped into a space with more than 150 working studios for over 200 artists, makers, and independent businesses, 7 art galleries, a multi-use theater, 4 performance venues, restaurants, a foundry, a chocolate shop, and a community garden.

The arts activities to engage in include the Huntsville Museum of Art, the Spaces Sculpture Trail, Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, and the Huntsville Ballet. 

In addition to the arts, there are various outdoor activities that people can participate in. Go on a boat ride on Ditto Landing or get your exercise in at Monte Sano State Park on one of the various hiking or biking trails.

Rocket City is the home of the latest space museum in the world: the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. This space center helped put a man on the moon and has history behind it. The museum has exhibits that include The Science of Guinness World Records, Apollo 11 VR, Shuttle Experience, Flight Simulator Experience, and Space Camp.

Annually, the city of Huntsville puts on a Galaxy of Lights event during the holidays.

Alabama is home to multiple sports teams:

  • Alabama Crimson Tide (College football)
  • Auburn Tigers (College football)
  • Birmingham Barons (Baseball)
  • South Alabama Jaguars (Professional football)

Read the full research report: Huntsville, AL. We interviewed the people that live there to find out what makes their city special. Stay tuned for more city research.

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Audience Branding Insights Strategy & Positioning
BrandAudit scaled
BrandAudit scaled

January is the ideal month to identify what worked last year and determine which tactics and channels to prioritize in 2022. A brand audit can be the first step toward developing your annual marketing strategy.

Marketers must first understand what makes their offering stand out. After that, they need to make certain that consumers also associate those beneficial qualities with their brand. Businesses can work with a brand strategy agency to conduct a brand audit to gain perspective on both of these critical questions.

Why start the new year with a brand audit?

 

As discussed in an earlier Bigeye article, brand differentiation stands out as an essential marketing tactic for most businesses. A well-positioned brand makes it easy for consumers to quickly identify a company’s strengths and make instant and even unconscious decisions to patronize them instead of competitors. 

Brand audits offer businesses an opportunity to learn how a brand stands, how it has progressed, and how well it’s likely to keep performing in the future. From this perspective, marketers can strengthen their marketing strategies to react to such changes as an evolving business, new competitors, evolving technologies, or disruptive market conditions. 

The new year offers an excellent opportunity to perform a brand audit because the information uncovered will help update marketing plans for the first quarter and through the rest of 2022.

What Is a Brand Audit?

An audit typically captures and evaluates the brand across three dimensions to understand what’s happening internally, externally, and with your customers.

  1. Internal branding includes your brand mission, vision, values, and internal communication strategies. 
  2. External branding includes your distinctive assets including logos, print and marketing materials, PR, your website, social media presence, all your digital platforms, and the content you create for owned, earned, and paid channels.
  3. Customer experience includes the sales process, conversion optimization, customer service, and retention tactics.

How do you conduct a brand audit?

 

As a brand manager or owner, the audit process provides you with an opportunity to review marketing activity and evaluate whether it’s been working or not. Be honest about the current strategy you have – or don’t have – and seek alignment with your team on the way that you have been working.

  • What does the brand management team inside your organization look like? 
  • What projects did you work on in 2021? 
  • How have you been measuring the success of those efforts? 
  • What do you know about your customers? Have they changed since before COVID-19? 
  • What do you know about the performance of your communications tactics? 

Sometimes the answers to these questions can be embarrassing, even painful. That’s okay. Being responsible for managing a brand means being comfortable with ambiguity and admitting when there are failures – because they can unlock the greatest opportunities.

Sometimes, it’s hard for businesses to gain objectively from their position on the inside of a growing operation. A brand strategy agency like Bigeye can help you conduct a comprehensive brand audit.

Download the Bigeye Brand Audit Guide

 

 

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Insights Real Estate
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Miami Blog scaled

We found out everything you wanted to know about the makes the Magic City so great to live in from the people that call it home. Download our Miami, Fl Research Report to review all of the details.

Miami, Florida: Fast Facts

Miami is located to the east of Miami International Airport, on the coast of Biscayne Bay. It’s the 42nd largest city in the United States. Miami is number 4 for large cities with the highest growth. It is also the second most visited state in the US.

Miami is currently growing at a rate of 1.09% annually. The current metro area population of Miami in 2021 is 6,211,790.

More fast facts: 

  • The median age for those who live in Miami is around 40.7. 
  • 30% of Miami residents have at least a Bachelor’s degree.
  • A variety of industries thrive in the Miami area. The first being Leisure and hospitality, followed by professional and business services.  
  • The tourism industry contributes to the culture of the booming hospitality industry, as Miami outperforms hotels across the country with high occupancy rates.
  • Residents are known as Miamians and the city is also known as The Magic City.
  • Miami is racially diverse. 73% is Hispanic, 13% is Black, and 13% is White. 

I have grown up in Miami and living here has given me an exceptional educational and professional experience while also providing me with the opportunities for an engaging social life.

Current Resident
miami

Miami Neighborhoods

Wynwood – This area used to be a working class residential neighborhood that was connected to the garment districts, with warehouses everywhere. A slow transformation began that brought Wynwood to an area filled with eclectic restaurants, bars, and shops after the first commercial gallery, Dorsch Gallery, opened in 2000. Visitors can walk the streets and see art at every corner, as a part of the Wynwood Walls. In addition to street art, there are more than 70 galleries where you can purchase contemporary art or simply browse.

Brickell – Home of the DuPont Building (Miami’s only Art Deco skyscraper) and The Freedom Tower (where Cuban refugees were processed for U.S. entry), this area is a hub for living, dining, the arts, and entertainment. Brickell is along the Miami River. Brickell City Centre provides the shopping for this area with its ultra contemporary look and luxury stores. Dubbed one of the fastest growing destinations in the United States by AMG International Realty, job opportunities here include finance, insurance, and real estate.

Coral Gables – This is where you go if you want more Spanish inspired architecture. There are a variety of hot spots to go to when there is down time. Visit the historic Biltmore Hotel, go to the shops on Miracle Mile,  or watch a local production at the Actors’ Playhouse at Miracle Theatre. In addition, one can spend time outdoors by going to the Venetian Pool  or Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden. “The City Beautiful” is an international city as it is a hub for more than 20 consulates and more than 140 multinational corporations.

Little Havana: This neighborhood is centered around Calle Ocho, a long street where you can find Latin restaurants, bakeries, fruit stands, cigar shops, art allergies and more. The tight knit community boasts their portraits of Cuban legends along its walls. Domino Park is a highlight where one can play dominoes and connect with neighbors. The entertainment scene here includes their Calle Ocho Music Festival and their own live music venue CubaOcho Museum & Performing Arts Center. 

Design District:  Home to shopping and arts, this 18 block area in Miami draws people in with the variety of things it has to offer. Luxury window shopping is a favorite pastime here as you walk past the long standing sculptures. The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami is a hot stop for both tourists and locals to visit. 

Coconut Grove: Coconut Grove is seen as Miami’s most historic neighborhood. It is a bayside neighborhood with tropical trees and plants at every corner. It’s roots date back to the 1870s. Activities include sailing, going to beautiful restaurants and visiting historical sites. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens provides the best photo opportunities and draws tourists in. Farmer’s markets and arts festivals are hosted regularly.

I lived in Miami for seven consecutive years and in my opinion, it’s a place where you can have peace, enjoy shopping, go out with friends and family, enjoy a variety of restaurants and places to visit, and participate in any of the community events.

Current Resident
miami

Doing Business in Miami

Miami, Florida was named 56th on Forbes’ list of “Best Places for Business and Careers” for Job Growth. Financial services and tourism flourish here. Miami was also named Top City for Small Business growth by Forbes.

Key Industries: Financial services, tourism, media, agriculture, international trade, aerospace and aviation, and life sciences.

Major Employers: Miami-Dade County Public Schools, University of Miami, Baptist Health, American Airlines, Jackson Health System, Florida International University, Carnival Cruiselines. 

miami

Cost of Living in Miami

Cost of living in Miami is 14% higher than the national average. While healthcare and utilities in Miami is lower than the national average, transportation and grocery prices are 12% and 5% higher respectively.

Median Household Income of $53,045

Miami Apartment Living

Average rent in Miami is $1,915 with an average apartment size of 887 square feet. The neighborhoods that are the most expensive are Miami Design District ($2,321) and Brickell ($2,393). 

The average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment decreased by -2% to $1,390 and for a 2-bedroom apartment decreased by -3% to $1,940.

What Miami Renters Want

Here are the top things tenants report looking for in a property.

  • Work from home spaces
  • High-speed internet 
  • Walk-in closet  
  • Private parking
  • Fitness Center
  • Washer/Dryer

Miami is a warm big city with a lot of great fun outdoor activities, you can always stay active and eat delicious food everywhere you go. The weather is to die for! The beaches are beautiful, the people are great! You could never find yourself bored in this city.

Current Resident
miami

Arts, Recreation, and Entertainment in Miami

Miami is seen as a South Florida hub of arts and culture.

Every year in December, Art Basel Miami Beach occurs which brings thousands of artists and tourists to the area. Galleries can be found all throughout the Design District leading up to the event almost always held at the Miami Convention Center. Year-round, tourists and locals can visit the Pérez Art Museum Miami to get their fix of the arts.

Downtown Miami hosts performing arts events as well. The Adrienne Arsht Center hosts tours and their own resident companies which include the Miami City Ballet, Florida Grand Opera, and the New World Symphony. 

Greater Miami also has science and history museums that appeal to adults and also kids. The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Downtown Miami has a large planetarium and a 500,000 gallon aquarium. 

The Freedom Tower serves as a reminder of Miami’s Cuban diaspora which is also home to the Museum of Art and Design for Miami Dade College. 

Miami is home to eight professional sports teams. 

  • Miami Heat (basketball)
  • Miami Dolphins (Football)
  • Miami Marlins (Baseball)
  • Miami F.C. (Soccer)
  • Miami United F.C. (Soccer)
  • Inter Miami C.F. (Soccer)
  • Miami Hurricanes (College Football)
  • Florida Panthers (Hockey)

Miami is also the hub for architectural gems like the Ancient Spanish Monastery. The monastery was originally built in Spain before being dismantled and shipped to be rebuilt in Miami. 

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens  is also another historical gem found in Miami. It is named after a shoreline found on the Spanish coast. It is now a place where one can visit and take pictures either in the home or of its beautiful gardens.

Read the full research report: Miami, Fl. We interviewed the people that live there to find out what makes their city special. Stay tuned for more city research.

miami
Categories
Insights Real Estate
WashingtonDC Blog
WashingtonDC Blog

We found out everything you wanted to know about the makes the Nation’s Capital so great to live in from the people that call it home. Download our Washington, D.C. Research Report to review all of the details.

Washington, D.C.: Fast Facts

The District of Columbia, located on the north bank of the Potomac River, is the capital city of the United States. The centers of all three branches of the U.S. federal government are located in the city, as are many of the nation’s monuments and museums. 

According to the US Census, the population of Washington, D.C. by age group is:

  • 0-9: 11%
  • 10-19: 10%
  • 20-29: 19%
  • 30-39: 20%
  • 40-49: 12%
  • 50-69: 10%
  • 60-69: 9%
  • 70-79: 5%
  • 80+: 3%With

It’s hard to find a place with this many interesting people – I mean by interesting not just weird or freaky but people with truly interesting knowledge, stories, and personalities. I’m talking about people who can blow you away with their knowledge of their particular subject, and yet be remarkably humble about it.

Clay P.

Washington, D.C. Neighborhoods

Adams Morgan/Mount Pleasant/Columbia Heights – This neighborhood is affectionately known as the Liquorridor due to its high density of bars and nightclubs. It’s still possible to find fairly affordable apartments here, but rents are always rising. Of the three neighborhoods, Mount Pleasant holds the distinction of having a small town feel.

Dupont Circle – Arguably the trendiest neighborhood in the city, Dupont Circle is also the beating heart of the gay community here. Rents and home values tend to be on the higher end of the scale, but the trade-off is living within easy walking distance of an eclectic array of art galleries, bistros, cafes, shops and other trendy places. Dupont Circle is also centrally located, and it’s easy to get to many parts of the city from here.

Shaw – Compared with many neighborhoods in North Central D.C., Shaw is largely overlooked. For many years, it served as the heart of the city’s African American community. Vestiges of that past remain; for example, Shaw is widely known for its excellent live jazz scene. Along the U Street corridor, you can partake in a variety of cuisines. Little Ethiopia, for instance, offers some of the best Ethiopian food on the eastern seaboard. In recent years, gentrification has prompted the development of many upscale condos and apartment buildings, so there are plenty of luxury dwellings for those who want them. In general, however, the neighborhood is dotted with fairly affordable housing options. Just make sure you’re okay with living in a part of town that is fairly restless late into the night.

Anacostia – Due to its high crime rate and, in many cases, abject poverty, this isn’t usually high on the lists of those who are relocating to Washington, D.C. Housing prices and rents tend to be on the lower end of the scale, of course, so living here is one way to save money. Its strangely rural feel makes it seem completely set apart from the rest of the city.

Capitol Hill – You don’t have to be a congressperson to hang out on Capitol Hill. Having a healthy annual income certainly helps, though. This stunning neighborhood, which is located just to the east of the Capitol Building, boasts gorgeous row houses from the 18th and 19th centuries. A variety of architectural styles lends the neighborhood a vibrant ambiance. Eastern Market is located here, so it’s a great place to be if you’re a foodie.

Northeast – This large, peaceful section of town lies just to the east of Rock Creek Park. It’s also due east of Capital Hill and Adams Morgan. Brookland, one of the oldest and stateliest neighborhoods in D.C., is located here. If you’d like to live in a part of town that is packed with restaurants, bars and other amenities, this isn’t the place for you. Unlike most parts of the city, it’s something of a no man’s land when it comes to those kinds of things. The one exception is the Atlas District, which has recently exploded with all kinds of nightlife attractions. Thanks to its proximity to livelier places like Adams Morgan, this is a nice area for families who want peaceful surroundings but don’t want to be too cut off from the world.

Upper Northwest – D.C.’s Upper Northwest neighborhood routinely appears on lists of the country’s wealthiest communities, so you can rest assured that home prices here are out of this world. A significant portion of the neighborhood is made up of stunning neighborhoods and exclusive enclaves. As the home of the National Cathedral, National Zoo and other attractions, it is usually teeming with tourists as well. There are nice commercial zones as well; notable examples exist in Tenley Park, Van Ness and Cleveland Park. Some of the most expensive homes are located in the Palisades district, and Friendship Heights is home to some of the city’s wealthiest and most powerful residents.

Georgetown – Unlike the Upper Northwest neighborhood, Georgetown features a mix of residential and commercial developments. With its cobblestone streets and steep inclines, it stands apart from the rest of the city in an exciting way. The neighborhood overlooks the Potomac, and it is also home to Georgetown University, so there are usually plenty of rowdy college students milling around. Georgetown is a great place to live if you want to enjoy some of the most exclusive homes in the city with a backdrop of excitement and fun.

West End – This neighborhood is dominated by K Street, which is widely regarded as where the city’s movers and shakers hang out by day. It’s not really known as a residential area, but there are a few apartment buildings and condos here. If you want more housing options in the West End, you can take your pick from relatively affordable options like Foggy Bottom and McPherson Square, which are both centrally located. This part of town is where you’ll find George Washington University, the Kennedy Center and the waterfront, which is where the Watergate Building is also located.

Waterfront – With its location directly south of the National Mall, the Waterfront, which is also known as Southwest, is a popular place to live. For decades, it was cut off from the rest of the city by a large, smelly canal. Those days are over, and the neighborhood has been revitalized thanks to the construction of a new baseball stadium and all kinds of restaurants, bars and other hot spots. It’s still easy to find affordable places to live, but that won’t be the case forever.

East End – This neighborhood is ground zero for tourist attractions, so steer clear of it if you want peace and quiet. With a mix of luxury apartments and office buildings, it is an interesting and convenient place to call home. Neighborhoods here include Chinatown, Penn Quarter and Judiciary Square.

The aesthetics are great. It has beautiful architecture, loads of history and a vast amount of forest. The people are friendly, well meaning and generally very non judgmental. Cultural diversity is everywhere. Bookstores thrive here, so does independent film. Job opportunities are many. There are so many excellent choices when it comes to restaurants, cocktails, concerts, lectures, book signings, etc.

Rachel S.

Doing Business in Washington, D.C.

You won’t only find government jobs in the District. You’ll also find many opportunities in the healthcare, education, and technology sectors.

Key Industries:  Federal government, professional and technical services, healthcare, and education

Major Employers: George Washington University, US Department of Commerce, George Washington University Alumni House, Naval Research Laboratory, MedStar Washington Hospital Center

Cost of Living in Washington, D.C.

Cost of living in Washington, D.C. is 39% higher than the national average and Per Capita Personal Income in 2019 was $74,385 

Median Household Income of $85,203

Washington D.C. Apartment Living

The median rents in Washington, D.C. stand at $1,550 for a one bedroom apartment and $1,570 for a two bedroom apartment.

D.C. rents have decreased 2.0% over the past month, and have decreased by 14.4% in comparison to the same time last year.

Renters will generally find less expensive rent prices in Washington, D.C. compared to most similar cities. The median rent in San Francisco for a two bedroom apartment is $2,310, about one and a half times that of Washington, D.C. 

What D.C. Renters Want

Here are the top things tenants report looking for in a property:

  • Work from home spaces
  • Air-conditioning
  • Dishwasher
  • Furnished apartment
  • Balcony
  • Pool
  • Parking 
  • Garage
  • Stainless steel appliances

Amazing things happen here everyday. I will never tire of having the ability to literally walk to the Capitol, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress and so much more. It’s an incredible thing to be in a place where history is made. For better or worse, I love being in a place where important things happen.

Stacy R.

Arts, Recreation, and Entertainment in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. is a city of monuments and memorials. Most are open around the clock, though lines or crowds may form during peak periods. D.C. is one of the country’s finest destinations for frugal culture buffs. Visitors should save a boatload on museum admission fees. Washington State is known for its natural beauty and historic past. 

There are 14 National Parks to Explore In & Around Washington, DC. D.C. also offers Washington, D.C. Explorer Pass (Go Card). Includes discounted, paid-up admission to your choice of three or five attractions from a list of more than a dozen.

Washington, D.C. also has a number of professional sports teams that are worth watching, and attending a game offers a welcoming environment among ‘’Washingtonians’’. These are some of the teams:

  • The Nationals, affectionately nicknamed the Nats, are a member of the Eastern Division of the MLB’s National League.
  • Redskins Washington Football
  • In hockey we have the Capitals who have won nine division titles and one championship. 

Washington offers over 30 broadcast outlets. The city’s daily newspaper, the Washington Post, offers an entertainment guide for visitors who want to enjoy Washington, D.C. 

Washington, DC is a very international city, home to more than 175 embassies and international cultural centers. Fifteen percent of DC residents speak a language other than English.

Read the full research report: Washington, D.C.. We interviewed the people that live there to find out what makes their city special. Stay tuned for more city research.


Categories
Audience Direct-To-Consumer Insights
2022Trends Blog
2022Trends Blog

A couple of years ago, marketers assumed innovation within the digital landscape had started to mature and slow. Cue the disruption of the global pandemic and the way retailers needed to pivot to adapt to rapidly changing behavior. Vaccines now offer some relief, and most economic sectors appear to have started healing. At the same time, innovative tech keeps surprising the market, plus some changes to consumer preferences seem permanent.

As always, marketers need to make plans. As a top Florida marketing agency, we’ve based our plans upon these likely forecasts for 2022 marketing trends. 

1. A resurgence of Out-of-home and direct mail advertising

Social media platforms may not retain their place as the hottest topics in marketing as some renovated versions of traditional advertising begin to enjoy more attention. For instance: 

  • Outdoor signs might exist as one of the oldest forms of advertising in the entire world, but new digital signs have emerged to give new life to this effective form of outdoor advertising. 
  • As marketers respond to pandemic-related mail slowdowns, they’re not giving up on direct mail. Instead, businesses have turned to technology for automation and optimization as part of an omnichannel marketing strategy. 

2. Changing viewer preferences

More people now subscribe to various streaming services than subscribe to cable packages. Marketers also enjoy connected TV because the advertising platforms offer them better analytics and more precision when targeting audiences.

3. A greater focus on packaging design 

Packaging design will gain importance as businesses strive to gain attention from consumers on retail shelves and in eCommerce photos. Marketers understand that their packaging often offers a consumer’s first exposure to a product, so they will continue to create bolder designs that evoke emotion and tell a story. Also, expect more companies to turn to eco-friendly packaging to attract customers and meet sustainability goals. 

Both packaging and product designers will court customers with trending colors. For instance, Benjamin Moore Paints declared October Mist, a silver-gray color, their Color of the Year for 2022. Behr and Sherwin Williams offer very similar colors, supposedly evoking nature and peace. As a complementary color, they suggested a green-gray color, sometimes called Sage. 

5. An overall focus on nature and sustainability 

As part of continuing marketing trends for 2022, products will emphasize nature for relaxation, health, and sustainability. As a consumer insights agency, we worked with a DTC brand called Luma & Leaf to raise awareness of their plant-powered, gentle, and effective beauty products. Our Luma & Leaf case study describes our continuing work with this brand. 

6. An appeal to the next generation of pet parents 

The ASPCA reported a record of 25 million pet adoptions during the coronavirus pandemic. Even better, the ASPCA said that 90 percent of dogs and 85 percent of cats still live in these adopted homes. More than that, most of these new pet parents strive to incorporate their pets into their lifestyles, and they’re treating their furry new family members a lot more like family than people used to consider normal. 

As an example, PetCo has operated a national chain of pet stores since 1965. The company recently rebranded itself as “Petco: A Heath + Wellness Co.” As part of this effort, the company announced that it would no longer sell shock collars. The company’s CEO, Ron Coughlin, said that studies have demonstrated that these collars increase stress in pets, and training with positive reinforcement works better. 

7. Awareness of intelligent, thoughtful consumers 

Websites, social networks, and other internet platforms offer consumers the tools to learn more about brands and how they conduct business. In turn, these savvy consumers want to give money to companies that support goals in alignment with their values. Today’s consumers don’t care to hear typical sales talk and want facts to back up assertions.

Almost everybody has endured experiences that made them more aware of ways the environment will impact their health, well-being, and pocketbooks, so they expect businesses to minimize or even eliminate their product’s negative environmental impacts. 

8. Exploration of socially distanced brand experiences

First, the pandemic closed retail stores. After they reopened, many consumers still felt reluctant to mingle in crowds. Others grew used to the convenience of online shopping experiences. In turn, marketers have explored creating connections and meaningful brand experiences with low- and high-tech methods. 

For instance: 

  • For a low-tech experience, restaurants and grocery stores have held take-out parties and drive-up demos in their parking lots. 
  • For medium-tech, eCommerce sites have doubled down on the quality and quality of images and videos on product pages. 
  • Emerging technology introduced both augmented reality and virtual reality to let customers better imagine their experiences. For example, some businesses have employed AR in their apps to allow customers to upload a photo of their living room to see how a new sofa might look in real life. According to The Verge, companies have also started testing ads in VR apps for devices like the Oculus Quest. 

Work with us to navigate marketing in 2022 

As a Florida marketing agency, we make it our business to stay on top of the latest marketing trends. Contact us at Bigeye by phone or email to tell us about your business ideas, and we’ll explain how we will help.

Categories
Direct-To-Consumer Insights
Holiday Sales 1
Holiday Sales 1

Most retailers rely on the holiday season to bring in peak sales numbers. This year, supply chain problems, invigorated consumer demand, and new shopping behaviors have already impacted holiday shopping. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up, online and offline retail outlets will experience a challenging holiday sales season this year. Find out what to expect for 2021 holiday shopping and how to turn this gift-buying period into the merriest holiday sales season yet. 

Naturally, each retailer’s experience with holiday sales may depend upon their market niche or location. Still, these overall consumer trends should impact most local and online sellers. 

Pent-up demand from consumers 

On the plus side, the National Retail Foundation predicted a record sales season in 2021. The NRF’s Retail trend forecast takes into account an enormous pent-up demand from consumers. Many people budgeted carefully during the pandemic because of uncertainty about the future. 

Today, vaccines, labor demand, and stimulus checks should reinvigorate shopping. The NRF expects holiday sales to total between $843 and $859 billion, and these figures represent growth between 8.5 and 10.5 percent since the holiday season of 2020. 

Start sales early

Traditionally, the day after Thanksgiving, called Black Friday, marked the start of holiday deals in physical stores. Cyber Monday would fall after Thanksgiving weekend, and it gave online retailers a chance to gain more attention. Lately, the lines between Black Friday and Cyber Monday have begun to blur as more large retailers aligned online and offline sales to pursue an omnichannel marketing approach. 

This year, Black Friday and Cyber Monday may mean even less. Just about every large retailer started their sales early. For instance, Target has a Holiday Savings Event that runs through Thanksgiving, Amazon will have Epic Daily Deals, Walmart calls their sale Black Friday Deals for Days, and so on. 

Why do stores want to encourage early shopping? These retailers expect a significantly increased demand but fear that they may experience supply chain issues that keep them from satisfying all customers. Thus, offline and online stores want to hold early sales to help encourage shoppers to get a head start. Also, the post office has posted warnings about delivery delays, so consumers should order early to make sure gifts arrive on time. 

Expect more conscious consumers

Even though many consumers have their balance sheets in good order, they will still exercise more caution about the way they spend money. To support this observation, Forbes reporting on the PwC’s 2021 Consumer Insights survey uncovered that today’s consumers base buying decisions on more than convenience and price. 

For some examples: 

  • Plant-based food sales increased 27 percent, organic food sales by 12 percent, and nutritional supplements by 35 percent in 2020. 
  • Two-thirds of Americans say they will pay more for sustainable products. Over three-quarters say they will feel more inclined to purchase eco-friendly products if they’re clearly labeled. 

On the theme of increased sustainability, more people find regifting acceptable, just so the re-giver follows some commonsense rules. For instance, a crafty friend might consider a regifted craft store gift card thoughtful so long as the card still retains the original balance and not some odd amount. Similarly, unless they’re sentimental treasures or antiques, only offer new, packaged products as gifts.

Anyway, retailers should not mind this thrifty practice so long as it reduces the number of cumbersome returns. Some businesses even promote services that make regifting gift cards easy. 

How can retailers make the most of holiday marketing this year?

Increased demand can help retailers thrive and may look like a great problem to have. On the other hand, supply chain issues can generate issues because even the biggest retail sites and stores fear they can’t satisfy all of their potential customers. Maybe even worse, shipping delays will probably result in plenty of late gift deliveries. 

Leaving customers dissatisfied or disgruntled can detract from hard-won brand images and encourage people to shop elsewhere the next time. Few customers will feel satisfied if their Christmas gifts don’t arrive by December 25 if the store had promised an earlier delivery. More than a few of them will probably vent their dissatisfaction on social media or review sites. 

Communicate honestly and promote early holiday shopping. 

Stores need to confront this common issue by letting customers know about possible shortages and encouraging them to shop early. For example: 

  • Communicate transparently: By now, almost all consumers have already experienced some supply chain issues. As an example, few people have entirely forgotten last year’s panic over toilet paper shortages. Retailers should encourage customers to shop early and, more than that, tell customers about the possibility of delays or low inventories. 
  • Promote early shopping: Heavily promote special sales and create a genuine sense of urgency by telling people about a limited stock. To better encourage quicker purchases of big-ticket items, consider buy-now-pay-later options. For example, Shopify offers a product called Shop Pay that can allow customers to split the bill into four payments without impacting credit scores. Shopify says that this alternative has increased store conversions by as much as 50 percent. 

Work with a retail marketing agency to maximize your holiday profits.

As a retail marketing agency, Bigeye merges genuine consumer insights with creativity to reach more customers right when they’re ready to hear your business story. Contact Bigeye for a chance to view your marketplace in a new light.