Word of mouth marketing—which long held the #1 spot for influencing consumers—has dropped to #2 for brand discovery. Search engine marketing is now in first place. That’s just one of the fascinating findings from Globalwebindex.
Virtually across the board, consumers think digital marketing is more effective for finding new brands than traditional media. TV, historically the strongest, broadest reaching media, has already been eclipsed by search engine marketing. It will soon be surpassed by online ads as well, based on the current trend among 18-24 year olds.
Even the more novel forms of digital marketing are becoming dominant. Consumers under 55 years old are more likely to find a new brand via an ad in an app than from a radio commercial. Pre-roll ads in online videos drive more brand discovery than real world billboards.
Amazon continues to grow its consumer influence. Experts differ about just how powerful it is—some say it has more impact than search engines, others disagree. Regardless, it is an increasingly effective way for brands to introduce themselves to new consumers.
Sources: Globalwebindex 2017, Marketing Charts 2016, Search Engine Land 2017
So please…You’re creative. That’s why you considered the name “Brandology.” Use those creative juices to come up with another name that’s not already trademarked. Even though it will take some time, it will be fun, happy time — a stunning contrast to the time you’ll spend with Brandon if you try to use “Brandology.” Really. (It’s probably a little tacky to mention, but if you want our help naming your business, that’s something we do too.)