The State of Digital Advertising in 2018 – Adobe Report

[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Last month Adobe released one of the most comprehensive and accurate reports in the advertising industry. The statistics are sourced from a staggering number of sources and highlight some very interesting statistics. Overall, it’s no surprise that mobile is still on the rise.

As handheld devices continue to dominate how people consume information, share stories and entertain themselves, it’s becoming even more important for advertisers to double down on a mobile-first approach. Here are some key takeaways from the report.

Keep it relevant

Technical advances in advertising platforms are allowing advertisers more flexibility in how and when they share a message with their audiences. Even the message itself can be tailored to a potential customer making offers more irresistible than ever.

Social media is the most relevant channel for Millennials and Gen Z. Half of Generation Z (50%) and 42% of Millenials identify social media as the most relevant channel, while Baby Boomers and older prefer TV.

TV is becoming more connected

As TV emerges as a connected digital device, advertisers are preparing to leverage this new platform. The reports show more audiences are using their TV to browse the internet.

Nearly two-thirds (60%) of Gen Z consider “watching TV” as using a streaming service such as Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime. The line distinguishing the TV from a one-way to a two-way connected device is beginning to blur.

Social for new customer acquisition

We all know that social media is a great platform for connecting with existing customers and audiences who are familiar with your brand. According to this report, social media is also the preferred marketing channel for customer acquisition. The demographic data at our disposal (love it or hate it) allows advertisers to send relevant messages to new audiences.

Social media drives 3x more traffic for non-customers than customers. Non-customers are 3 times more likely to visit retailers from social media than existing customers. Considering younger audiences prefer to use social media as a relevant channel, this number is only going to increase.

Marketers think they know their audiences

Working with hundreds of small businesses, this one comes as no surprise. When faced with producing a call to action or message tailored to key audiences, marketers tend to think they know what customers want.

More than 70% of advertisers see their ads as relevant to the audience they are targeting. Yet, only 8% of people think the ads they see online are always relevant. Only 27% of people think the ads they see online are at least often relevant. It seems most marketers are less relevant than they think they are.

It’s important to point out that highly relevant ads often feel invasive. In light of recent data breaches where personal information was leaked, this needs to be addressed for relevance to be successful.

These are just a few of the highlights I found important enough to share. The report is packed with graphs, statistics and details information that support emerging trends in advertising. Click here to download the full report.

As always, thanks for reading![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

2018 Design Trends

[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]I like where things are headed. Overall there are some really nice design trends shaping up for 2018. One of my favorite letterform and logo artists, Will Patterson suggests the number one trend of 2018 will be the use of creative typography. He also mentions the use of bright colors and gradients which will replace the use of pastels and muted tones we are seeing now. I like that.

Double exposure images can be a wonderful way to express both a story and an emotion. While I have never personally used them in my work, I certainly intend to explore this idea on future projects.

Where I disagree with Will is the use of VR in 2018. VR struggles with the same problem that killed off the 3D TV. The technology asks you to wear something on your face. I don’t know what it is, but I have no intention of sitting down with a hefty (and pricey) pair of VR goggles for hours on end. Yes, the experience will be amazing, but I think the headset is a deal breaker for most.

Here are Will Patterson’s 2018 predictions.[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”40″][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/xp8qApChEcM”][vc_column_text]Coastal Creative put together this infographic with several more design trends to look out for in 2018. I have been steadily using gradients in my designs and enjoy exploring duo-tone image applications.

There isn’t an emphasis on typography or unique letterforms which, as Will states above, will probably make a big push in 2018. The use of creative type is greatly underused and can have a ton of applications which make a project so much more interesting.

If you have design predictions you would like to share please leave them in the comments section below. Stay creative![/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”40″][image_with_animation image_url=”11625″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” img_link_large=”yes” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Does Your Business Have a Mobile Friendly Website?

[vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Considering the rapid advancements in mobile technology and usage over the years you should make it a priority to find out if your business has a mobile friendly website. If your current website was designed in the past two years, chances are it is mobile-friendly already. If not, don’t worry, there are always ways to optimize for the mobile experience. See below for a quick way to find out if your site makes the grade.

“As of 2013, worldwide mobile phone internet user penetration was 73.4 percent. In 2017, figures suggest that more than 90 percent of internet users will access online content through their phones.” – statista.com

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This statistic gives information on the global mobile data traffic from 2014 to 2019. In 2014, global mobile data traffic amounted to 2.5 exabytes per month. In 2019, mobile data traffic worldwide is expected to reach 24.3 exabytes per month at a compound annual growth rate of 57 percent. In short, mobile is not a trend, it’s a reality.

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Our research at Kitzmiller Media indicates a large number of our client’s subscribers viewing emails on mobile devices. In most cases mobile is the number one platform for viewing email – and this number keeps climbing. It’s not a desktop world anymore.

When they click through from email to view your offer or read your blog, is your site mobile-friendly? If it isn’t, you may lose an opportunity to tell your story.

So how can I tell if my website is mobile-friendly?

The easiest way to tell if your website is mobile-friendly is to simply pull it up on your device. Use a phone and a tablet. How does it look? How does it behave? If it seems like a tiny version of what you would see on a desktop screen, then it’s not responsive. You might have to pinch and zoom and swipe to see all of your content. Even if it looks halfway decent on your device, it may still need some work.

The easiest way to tell is to this tool created by Google. This will give you an instant answer. Simply plug in your website’s URL and click analyze. If you pass, that’s awesome. Focus on adding remarkable content. If not, be sure to contact us for a mobile-friendly review. We will be delighted to provide you with some advice to get your business up to speed.

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