In 2024, an astonishing 40% of all consumer goods will be sold on Amazon, and an even more impressive 56% of shoppers will start their product searches there. If you’re selling products that could shine on Amazon but aren’t showing up in a meaningful way, you’re missing out—big time.

In this edition of Plain Talk, we’re diving into how to use Amazon Seller Central. Yes, the learning curve is steep, but as a full-service marketing agency that’s waded through the depths of this e-commerce ocean, we’ve uncovered some pearls of wisdom. Whether you’re a seasoned seller or just starting out, this guide will break down Amazon’s unique (and occasionally frustrating) algorithm to help you make it work for you.

Over a decade ago, I attended a lunch and learn with RocketFuel to understand programmatic digital advertising. Promising precise ad placement in milliseconds, RocketFuel and MediaMath introduced AI-driven real-time bidding, revolutionizing digital ad buying. Today, there are countless DSPs offering similar capabilities. The question now is not whether to buy media programmatically, but which DSP is right for your needs.

In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll explore demand-side platforms, their selection process, and the best providers for your business.

In the dynamic world of digital marketing, platforms continually evolve. With over 140 million monthly active users, Twitch has emerged as a powerhouse for brands seeking to engage with diverse audiences under the age of 45. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll explore Twitch marketing in depth and help you decide if it’s right for your brand.

You may be as surprised as I was to find out that the infomercial industry is said to have generated nearly $250 billion in sales globally in 2022. Why are brands still resorting to decades-old sales tactics when there are so many options to promote their products online and through social? And why is this throwback approach still working for some brands? In this Plain Talk, we’ll look at old-school infomercials and how you can leverage the benefits of using infomercials for your brand.

In this issue of Plain Talk, we’ll build on past articles and discuss how the convergence of digital and traditional media and the increase in on-screen time have evolved media expectations, particularly for young people. We’ll then discuss how technological advancements and generational preferences have evolved to better support this digital marketing dinosaur. In doing so, we’ll argue that in this blended digital world we live in, YouTube banner ads should be viewed as online billboards, and thus they should be bought and measured primarily as top-of-funnel awareness tools… just like roadside billboards.

When you think of Gen Z (age group 11-26) and media, a litany of words come to mind: social media, influencer, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, video games, Netflix, podcast, livestream, etc. But as far back as early 2017, research by Kantar Millward Brown found that 55% of Generation Z respondents view out-of-home (OOH) positively. This is consistent with their view of all traditional media (cinema 53%, magazines 51%). It’s also a whole 20 points higher than any online option (desktop display 32%, search 32%, and mobile display 30%). In 2018, AdAge/UNiDAYS affirmed this when they found “84 percent of Gen Zers surveyed said they pay attention to digital out-of-home ads in familiar media placements such as trains, malls, airports and taxis.” In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll discuss why out-of-home (OOH) media is one of the most surprising Gen Z media trends and how to leverage it to reach this audience.

Gen Zers will decide, almost immediately, whether or not they are interested in something. This includes which brands they love and which businesses they hate. In a world where skippable ads and subscription services are the norms—where ads are optional and only require a quick swipe or click of the skip button to get rid of them—how can you use your marketing dollars to reach and influence this massive consumer segment? In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll look at Gen Z media consumption. We’ll also offer three insights on using your media budget to reach, influence, and convert this audience.

Brands spend a ton of money getting the word out, driving engagement and generating sales, but fraudulent practices are costing advertisers billions every year. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll talk about ad fraud practices separating you from your hard-earned ad dollars and costing you sales.

Have you ever been to a webpage that wasn’t optimized for your phone properly, and the ads blocked the content? How about waiting so long for an ad to disappear that you clicked on the ad, then clicked the back arrow just to see if it would end sooner? Well, you’re not alone; 90% of those surveyed find digital ads annoying. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll look at problems with programmatic advertising and the damage targeting top-of-funnel metrics, like impressions and clicks using broad ad networks, can have on your brand.