MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK DIGEST #26

Monday Morning Quarterback Marketing Digest. Did you miss me? I missed a week and now I am a day late. As they say, it is hard to get good help. Here’s some marketing and research thoughts for the week. Email me (Mark@dennettgroup.com) if you need more info on any subject.

TIME FOR PLANNING AND RETREATS – Our calendar is filling up t help others with essential future planning in the 4th quarter. Do you need an independent SWOT analysis? Do you need a survey or an experienced meeting facilitator? Contact us and let’s get you on the calendar.

EMMY TAKEAWAY: IT IS NOT YOUR PARENT’S TV WORLD – If you use TV advertising, then you better be an advertiser on cable and on streaming too. Why? Because that is where your audience is going. HBO and Netflix tied for Emmy statuettes (23 each) for hits such as “Game of Thrones” (HBO) and “The Crown” (Netflix). Meanwhile, Amazon became the first streaming service to win the outstanding comedy series award, for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and ended the night with eight awards. Broadcast networks? Pretty much a no-show.

NEW ONLINE DMO STUDY STARTS IN OCTOBER – Our 5th Annual Destination Website Research Study will end this month. Ten different DMOs have participated in our study since launching it in 2011. We are now recruiting partners for our 6th Study that will begin next month. Interested? Contact me… the cost is only $1,800 for a year-long, in-depth study.

DON’T WORRY, KIDS ARE HERE TO STAY – Yes, the nation’s fertility rate is at an all-time low. Yes, the number of births has fallen to levels not seen in 30 years. Nevertheless, most Americans will have children. In fact, most women aged 25 or older and most men aged 30 or older are parents, according to the National Center for Health Statistics (Fertility of Men and Women Aged 15-44 in the United States: National Survey of Family Growth, 2011-2015). Overall, 44% of men and 55% of women aged 15 to 44 have had a biological child.

SOME PEOPLE CAN’T SHOP ONLINE – As reported here, if you are not getting sales via your website, you are falling behind your competitors. Everyone is shopping online, right? Well, not if you live in a rural area (like I do). One out of four (24%) rural adults say access to high-speed internet is a major problem. An additional 34% of rural residents say it is a minor problem. So, the majority of rural Americans (58%) have a challenge with online access. By contrast, few people living in urban areas (13%) or the suburbs (9%) view high-speed internet access a major problem. This digital divide is very important in planning your online marketing. Where do your customers live? It matters.

WHERE IS WALTER CRONKITE WHEN WE NEED HIM? – As a college journalism major, I am fascinated that most people now get their news from social media, even if they don’t believe it. Thank President Trump for another accomplishment. About two-thirds of adults (68%) say they get news from social media occasionally. However, a majority (57%) say they expect the news they see on social media to be largely inaccurate. Social media news consumers say getting news via social media has made little difference in their understanding of current events (15%), and more say it has helped confused them (36%). Gee, I am confused now.

Until next week, have a great day.