Seemingly on a weekly basis, a wave of fandom rises for the next stream-worthy show: Ted Lasso, Stranger Things, The Rings of Power, Yellowstone. Accolades abound for powerhouse streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus and even newcomers like Paramount Plus and Peacock. Countless headlines publicize that streaming viewership has outpaced cable television for the first time. While data supports this theory, it begs the question: is linear television advertising worth abandoning entirely?

We all know video is popular, we see it painted across our screens daily – on TVs, computers, smartphones, even digital billboards. And the statistics show us why. Video content drives conversions and engagement, and 85% of consumers say that it helps them connect with brands better. As a marketing tool, video allows us to pack a ton of information and personality into digestible bites. So, where did it all begin?

It took a pandemic, but the QR code is back. A couple of years ago that would have seemed unlikely. After all, in the early days of QR codes marketers splashed them across ads, billboards, vehicles, trees, people and any other surface they could imagine. It was a case study for enthusiasm over sound strategy, and predictably, the public wasn’t impressed.

What the latest change to Google’s search algorithm means and what you should do about it.

Google announced that this month Core Web Vitals will become part of their search ranking algorithm. This is a significant change that will have consequences for all websites and require attention to three performance metrics that make up Core Web Vitals. We’re ready to help our clients identify potential problems related to these changes and remediate them to ensure optimum site performance.

First-party data—if you’re not already reading about it, you soon will. As technology evolves to meet growing expectations regarding online privacy, first-party data will be an important factor in how successfully organizations can target their marketing messages. Unfortunately, many marketers aren’t prioritizing or directing the right resources to collecting first-party data.

As though it wasn’t tricky enough to develop engaging marketing content in an ever-changing digital landscape, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought even more challenges as consumer behaviors change radically. Our president, JG Wolfe, shared some helpful tips and insights with the Triad Business Journal for a recent feature on the Triad’s largest advertising, marketing and public relations firms. We’re happy to share what we’ve learned over the past year: