The CoronaVirus pandemic demands changes in how businesses execute plans to reopen and operate safely. For many, this involves careful consideration, implementation, and communication of a phased reopening strategy.

One of the first things a marketer needs to figure out is who in the world they are marketing to. And as much as you’d like to believe it, “everyone” is not a target audience — not to mention, no company can afford to market to everyone.

The shift to digital events has made “virtual event marketing” a new buzzword. It's become so prevalent that 51% of marketing professionals think that virtual event marketing will become a norm post-pandemic. But event organizers, sponsors, and exhibitors are challenged by a unique differentiator of live events: the increased level of commitment.

True to its name, a teaser marketing campaign is designed to share just enough information to build anticipation around a product launch, future event, new feature, or recent company update. Also known as a pre-launch campaign, a teaser campaign offers up a series of clues that leaves consumers eager to learn more. It’s equivalent to a “coming soon” page on a website.

Today’s mobile ads are far more diverse than static banner ads of earlier years. From new trends in augmented reality (AR) to more flexible design formats, mobile ads will have more influence than ever before.

If you’re a media buyer, it’s time to take advantage of the rich data points that mobile marketing can offer in terms of targeting, ROI, and a better ad experience.

While communication apps like Slack have been called “email killers,” email isn’t going away anytime soon. In 2019, global email users amounted to 3.9 million -- a figure that is predicted to grow to 4.3 million by 2023. And while social media marketing has been increasingly successful as well, there oftentimes is less competition for your message in your audience’s inbox than on their Facebook news feed.

As a consumer, you are surely bombarded with several emails a day. From marketing promotion to newsletters, from password resets to bill statements, it’s a lot of content to sift through.

And as the presence of email marketing for brands continues to grow, it is imperative that marketers master the art of writing compelling subject lines.

Original budgets have been flip-flopped, and planned campaigns have been scrapped for more time-sensitive ones. What’s more, marketers are hard at work staying ahead of consumer behaviors brought on by months of quarantine and social distancing guidelines. Still, more than half of advertisers plan to ramp up ad spending for this quarter.

Nothing screams summer and fun in the sun like the greatest holiday in American history — you may know it as Independence Day, the Fourth of the July, or the largest fireworks celebration of the year.

And while your 2020 celebration may not include crowded firework shows, neighborhood pool parties, and big family BBQs, people will nonetheless take this day to celebrate our great country’s independence.

How do you imitate the convenience of browsing vast aisles of inventory without a physical presence? Or the experience of seeing, feeling, and smelling various products to make a purchasing decision? Due to the coronavirus pandemic, these are questions brands have had to navigate over the past couple of months.

Shared experiences are a fundamental element of our economy. Over the last few years, new experiential business models have emerged that all revolve around getting people together. With the experience economy at a sudden halt, how can event marketers prepare for the world that awaits them post-pandemic?

While it seems like Mother’s Day just passed, brands are actively preparing for a virtual Father’s Day. And with a near-record $17 billion at stake for Father’s Day weekend 2020, marketers aren’t taking any chances.

As men reexamine their role in the home, brands reassess their portrayal in advertising. Today’s fathers want to be shown as cuddly caregivers who contribute just as much to parenting duties as the mother as the household.

And many forward-thinking brands have taken note of this.

With the world on lockdown, attention is turning to how familiar brands are responding to the coronavirus crisis. The sentimental commercials. Ads promoting togetherness. Brands going the extra mile to help those in need.

And as purpose is put to a test, we’ve seen which companies have stepped up and which ones have missed the mark.

Consider a restaurant filled with happy customers, a nightclub with a line out the door, and a viral video with millions of views. What do they all have in common?

They're living examples of social proof. Human beings are tribal by nature — we take cues from those around us to guide our actions, decisions, and purchases. Hence why the restaurant, nightclub, and video gain more popularity due to the fact that they are well-liked by society.

The digital transformation has allowed companies to supply instantaneous communication, seamless cross-channel support, and unique customer journeys. On top of that, innovative forms of marketing have elevated digital content to a whole new level. Why, then, are some marketers still missing the mark?

Whether you’re a startup or a Fortune 500 company, the time to rebrand inevitably rolls around.

Rebranding is equal parts a risk and an opportunity. On the risk side, you face launching a brand that completely misfires. On the opportunity side, your brand has potential to strengthen its presence, reputation, and image in the eyes of your customers.

Overall, a rebrand conveys a declaration to your company’s overall commitment to growth.

You know the meme, viral video, or inside joke you texted to your friend? There’s actually a name for this phenomenon: dark social.

Messaging apps are now bigger than social networks — which means more people are sharing content through private channels including messaging apps, text messages, and emails. Sharing content privately is referred to as “dark” social — dark being the challenge that marketers face trying to measure the ROI and traffic of these private messages.

Do you ever see an ad, commercial, or social post and think, “How did they read my mind?”

While reading people’s minds is a questionable superpower, it’s likely that the brand that produced that content engages in social listening — the practice of monitoring online channels to understand what people are saying about your brand. Through social listening, brands gain a holistic snapshot of how consumers perceive their brands.

Today, Memorial Day is synonymous with bbqs, picnics, and pool floats — but the historical significance of the holiday stretches far beyond a three-day weekend.

Trying to stand out on a platform with 1 billion active monthly users is a difficult task — and that’s where the value of hashtags come to play. Hashtags are ingenious. They function as a way to label your content and make it discoverable for people everywhere. The right hashtag can connect you with your audience on social media, help leverage your digital identity, and create a ton of user-generated content.

But hashtag marketing is not as simple as slapping a “#” on just any word or phrase. Instead, it requires taking careful consideration of how you want to categorize and brand your content.