WJR Business Beat

Consumer Predictions for 2025 Holiday Shopping Season Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

While the actual overall savings on the Thanksgiving dinner might amount to just a few dollars, the reality is that the psychology behind knowing that you are buying this year's dinner for less is something that just really feels good, especially amidst all the other rising prices we're experiencing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our co...

Chief Marketing Officer at Constant Contact noted that small businesses are under pressure to deliver positive marketing results, but feel they are doing more without getting more in return. They're working harder than ever, but without the time, expertise, or data to guide them, many are still guessing about what will resonate with their customers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See ht...

Influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing involving endorsements and product placement from influencers, individuals, and organizations who have expert level of knowledge or social influence in their field. Influencers are those that can affect the buying habits of potential buyers by uploading some form of original content to social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, or TikTo...

In order to be competitive in courting businesses to locate in the state of Michigan as opposed to other states, something critical to our state's economy. Of course, one of the major factors is how Michigan ranks versus the others with respect to how taxation impacts both residents personally as well as at the business level. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com f...

One of the biggest industry sectors in the advertising business is the auto industry and new data provides insight into just what the auto industry is up to with their advertising spend these days. Where are they spending their ad dollars? What can we learn from the data? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...

Want to keep from getting replaced at your job by AI? Well, to do that, remember that AI can't replace creativity, and that may be the biggest differentiator when it comes to whether or not your job's really in jeopardy. No one knows that more acutely today than chief marketing officers CMOs, who are hoping to keep their jobs rather than lose them to AI. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. S...

Morning Consult is out with their annual report on the fastest growing brands 2025. DoorDash topped the list of fastest growing brands with a 6.39 percentage point increase in purchasing consideration from Q1 to Q3 of this year. In part by growing its consumer base among Gen X, baby boomers and middle income households. The delivery service ranked number one with men and consumers from households...

As consumers across the economy segments of the population are increasingly dealing with tighter financial conditions, and while that's certainly true for federal workers, for example, and people dependent on food assistance from the federal government, the reality is that it's also now likely increasingly true for middle income Americans as well, and that is certainly impacting how we feel as con...

Elizabeth Renter, senior Economist at Consumer Finance site, NerdWallet, has this to say about the survey's results and about how Americans are feeling these days. As consumers across the economy segments of the population are increasingly dealing with tighter financial conditions, and while that's certainly true for federal workers, for example, and people dependent on food assistance from the fe...

Mascots are proving to have high value at little cost when it comes to establishing brand traction. How about all the insurance brands clearly benefiting from having a brand mascot like Liberty Mutual's, limu, imu, and Doug, which dominated in ad breakthrough messaging and branding in a market cast study. While All State, Mayhem, ranked first in likability and memorability, Progressives, Flo, exce...

What is amazingly working for many brands these days? Getting a mascot. That's right, a mascot. Duolingo's Unhinged Owl has 16.8 million TikTok followers and turns language into a social phenomenon without spending a dollar on traditional advertising and it's not an unusual one-off outcome. Mascots are proving to have high value at little cost when it comes to establishing brand traction. Hosted b...

If you're a retailer, make sure you're optimizing for discovery, not only for traditional search, and for AI search optimization as well. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Marketers often idealize loyalty as a form of emotional devotion, but research shows it's driven by far more practical factors, like providing that level of convenience, product performance, and situational needs. Says Nick Chidiac, chief Strategy Officer at Razorfish. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal dat...

Millennials and Gen Z shoppers are leading the way in using AI to support their shopping this holiday season with 44% of millennials and 42% of Gen Z respondents saying they are likely to use chatbots and other AI tools for holiday purchase inspiration That compared to 23% of the overall population. How are they using AI? 72% said they plan to use AI for gift discovery ideas, followed by price com...

A holy grail in business is to secure repeat business from loyal customers. And while nearly two thirds of marketers still believe that brand love motivates these repeat purchases, the reality is that more pragmatic considerations, like convenience for example, has a bigger impact on driving those repeat purchases. Marketers often idealize loyalty as a form of emotional devotion, but research show...

Gen Xers appreciate product and services that enhance convenience. For example, 80% use self-checkout kiosks regularly, and two thirds rely on mobile apps and social platforms to discover and purchase products. Now we tend to view apps and social media as platforms, as those utilized by younger demographics, but as a result, this very powerful purchasing demo can easily be overlooked and beyond ru...

The small business holiday Outlook study says this, 77% of small business owners are confident that they will meet their targets this year and that certainly welcome news given all the economic challenges both consumers and retailers are facing these days. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adverti...

Consumers born between 1965 - 1980 generate the highest revenue per shopper across almost every category at just 19% of the US population. They drive 31% of all in-store and online spending. Gen Xers appreciate product and services that enhance convenience for example, 80% use self-checkout kiosks regularly, and 2/3 rely on mobile apps and social platforms to discover and purchase products. 92% of...

Report from Constant Contact: The small business holiday Outlook study says this, 77% of small business owners are confident that they will meet their targets this year and certainly welcome news given all the economic challenges both consumers and retailers are facing these days. The report cites that 60% of small business owners attribute half of their annual sales to this period, and a third of...

Shoppers won't just be chasing discounts this year. They're making strategic financial decisions with respect to their purchases. Even though many Americans are facing higher living costs, credit card debt, and tighter budgets, they're choosing to lean into sales this year, in particular, black Friday and Cyber Monday, as the best time to make their money go further. What's driving the spend this...

Shoppers are expected to spend more during Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year, but based on the data, we'll be doing so in a more strategic way than last year. It's anticipated that the average person will spend around $340 on Black Friday, that's an increase of $90 year over year, and expected to spend $300 on Cyber Monday, approximately a $60 hike over the 2024 numbers. Overall, 40% of shop...

Recently on the Business Beat, I offered commentary relating to the decay and confidence of the media and how that reality is such a negative for society in broad in various ways. Now, this week at the National Association of Broadcasters Annual Conference in New York, NAB CEO, Curtis Ligate said this, on the subject of AI and its potential impact to further decay, confidence in media in particula...

On-Message Inc, reveals widespread consumer anxiety about how AI is affecting news content. 76% are concerned AI stealing or reproducing journalism and local news stories. 51% say they are very concerned about this. 77% support and 59% strongly support Congress passing a law that would make it illegal for AI to steal or reproduce journalism and local news stories that are published online without...

The next wave of retail disruption will be driven by the ever evolving habits of the mobile shopper. Today, mobile shoppers aren't just buying on the mobile platform. They're actually using the mobile platform more and more as a point of discovery, as window shoppers, if you will, virtual window shoppers at that. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information...