"Brands have realized they need to create a compelling narrative that excites, surprises and inspires consumers, potentially through 'immersive' experiences" Bart Visser, Director of Brand Marketing Spark Networks SE

In preparation for the Brand Marketing Summit Europe, we are continuing with our interview series. Our previous interview featured Michal Szaniecki, Managing Director SEAT and CUPRA, Volkswagen Group. In this interview, we speak to Bart Visser to better understand what he sees as the biggest and most exciting marketing opportunities in 2019. To see the full range of incites from the speakers of the summit, take a look at Incite Group's exclusive whitepaper. Bart Visser is responsible for all global Brand Marketing efforts for Spark Networks SE, one of the global leaders in online dating. Among its top brands are EliteSingles, Christian Mingle, Jdate, eDarling, JSwipe and Attractive World. Operating in…

When an advertisement is specially curated for a specific audience segment based on their behaviors or needs, it is going to be more effective and incur a higher conversion rate

Just about every business is looking for better ways to connect with their customers. Customer engagement is the key to conversions and loyalty. According to one report by Super Office, businesses with higher engagement rates had an average retention rate of 89%. One of the best ways to capture your customer’s attention and build engagement is by connecting them with the content that matches their preferences. This is why targeted marketing campaigns work so well. When an advertisement is specially curated for a specific audience segment based on their behaviors or needs, it is going to be more effective and incur a higher conversion rate. [si_guide_block id="71497" title="Download our Free Resource – Google Analytics Fast…

UK government setting stricter social media rules for children, Twitter addressing abusive content, UK marketing budgets increased at the start of year, Ryanair offers ad space on boarding passes and Amazon fake reviews giving search boost

There has been some interesting news this week, including the fact that the UK government is suggesting banning the 'like' button on social media for children in a bid to stop companies collecting their data. This is part of 16 new standards it is currently consulting on. Twitter is finally seeking to tackle abusive content head-on with changes to the platform meaning users have a bit more control. The UK has seen a rise in marketing budgets, with greater spend being reported in the first quarter of the year. This follows on from stagnant spend in the final quarter of last year. In an interesting move, Irish airline Ryanair is offering advertisers the chance to bid on space…

Product launches are the perfect opportunity to develop multilayered marketing campaigns that deploy over extended periods of time.

For example, you could begin by crafting a few press releases and blog posts that announce the new product. Then, immediately after, you could post a handful of explainer videos that aim to inform consumers. All the while, you could be driving traffic to various landing pages across your website through promotional emails, webinars, and other forms of content. In other words: You can — and should — bring together resources and talent from multiple departments to create, publish, and distribute a wide variety of marketing assets that build excitement around your new product. [si_guide_block id="26333" title="Campaign timeline/project plan template and example" description="Create a schedule for your marketing campaigns and always-on activity with our easy-to-use campaign timeline and project plan template. Simply follow our prompts to complete your comprehensive timeline for your next campaign!"/] But for…

87% of marketers state that AI and machine learning are already vital to their organization’s success, yet this has the largest skills gap present in the data and marketing industry. Tim Bond, Head of Insight at the DMA discusses why these skills are essential to the future of intelligent marketing

Data and technology have already transformed the way businesses engage their customers in the 21st Century. The prospect of artificial/augmented intelligence (AI) and machine learning revolutionizes the speed with which we, as marketers, can take action on this insight to offer better, more relevant and engaging content to customers. Much has been said about AI in recent years, but one thing that continues to be overlooked is the need for marketers who are driven to explore and develop their own skills sets, as well as organizations that embrace a continuous learning environment. In the not-too-distant future, marketers will need to be equally proficient…

Push notifications that are sent at the right time and convey value to the subscriber lower cart abandonment and increase conversions for the e-commerce brand

Did you know that it costs five times more to attract a new customer than to retain an existing customer? Imagine all the money, time and effort you spend in attracting a new customer who’d visit your store once and then never return. Alternately, increasing the customer retention rate by as little as 5% can increase your profits by between 25% and 95%, according to research by Bain & Company. It's no wonder brands focus their efforts and funds on nurturing the relationships with existing customers who’re already buying their goods and services frequently. This in no way means that you shouldn’t market your brand to new customers, which is, of course, vital, but you should also seek to re-engage them. [si_guide_block id="125181" title="Download our…

"There is nothing more important than understanding the customer journey and delivering personalized experiences to your customer" Michal Szaniecki, Managing Director SEAT and CUPRA, Volkswagen Group

The future of marketing is personal. Brands are looking to create an in-depth understanding of the customer journey and how they can offer personalized interactions. Knowing your customer and their journey is down to effective use of data, and with more touchpoints and levers available to marketers than ever before the opportunities to engage are ample. As we get ready for the Brand Marketing Summit Europe, we spoke with three leaders and summit speakers to discuss how to successfully engage your customers and the innovations that will shake the way you work up. Incite Group has brought together key figures from Aon, Volkswagen and Spark Networks to discuss the key issues affecting brands marketing strategies and where they see the big, exciting opportunities…

Singapore proposes a new law to stop fake news, Mark Zuckerberg calls on government internet regulation, Amazon stops aggressively marketing its own brands and the ASA uses tracking technology to assess ads aimed at children

This week has seen Singapore suggest a new law that could ultimately fine tech giants for failing to stop the spread of fake news. If passed, companies could be fined up to SGD$1 million for breaking the regulations. While Singapore's suggest law has met with criticism, Mark Zuckerberg is calling for more regulation when it comes to the internet. The Facebook founder wants governments to be more involved with updating current rules in four key areas. Amazon has stopped aggressively marketing its own products following complaints, opting for a softer approach to showcasing its own brand items on its platform. Finally, the ASA has used tracking technology for the first time to see what ads are being served to…

A combination of data types allows marketers to identify and build out the segment of ideal and high-value customers

Segmentation helps boost the value that marketing teams bring to an organization. I am a big fan of the trusted segmentation toolkit, but for most companies, it can do with a much-needed upgrade. Growing your current database with high-value customer acquisition seems just the way to get there. A new form of segmentation and targeting can be found with the use of  Customer Data Platforms (CDP). A combination of data types allows marketers to identify and build out the segment of ideal, high-value customers.

Moving away from "blunderbuss marketing" from the start

Look at the Pillars of Segmentation marketing segmentation framework for a minute and you will realize that your data is at the heart of all segmentation efforts. Purchase data is a good starting point to identify interesting groups. What your a good…

Google's latest EU regulator fine, Facebook removing millions of videos showing New Zealand terrorist attack, NZ advertisers pulling Google and Facebook following shooting, Instagram's in-app checkout launches in the US and LinkedIn's new advertising features

Read more about some of the biggest and most important stories in the marketing and advertising industries with our latest news roundup. This week, we look at Google's latest fine from the European Commission, the backlash following videos of the shooting in New Zealand being uploaded to Facebook and other platforms, Instagram's latest shopping feature and how LinkedIn is aiming to make life easier for advertisers on the platform.

Google hit by €1.49 billion AdSense fine

Google has been fined €1.5 billion by European regulators for blocking other online search advertisers. The European Commission (EC) accused Google of stopping the placement of rival’s ads in certain spots, effectively breaking EU…