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Sustainable Packaging Materials

admin
July 13, 2023

Brands have a responsibility to adopt sustainable packaging materials, not only for the environment but also to increase customer loyalty. 

Reports show that adopting sustainable packaging materials is imperative for brands to remain their customers’ first choice. An article published by the Global Banking and Finance Report mentioned that more than half of the consumers surveyed have said they are willing to pay more for eco-friendly packaging.  

It is important to note that implementing sustainable packaging materials may come with challenges, such as finding suppliers and educating customers. However, these challenges can be overcome with proper planning and communication.

As the demand for sustainable packaging solutions grows, various eco-friendly materials emerge as viable alternatives to traditional packaging options. These sustainable packaging materials offer unique characteristics that suit different applications. 

This blog post will explore some of the most popular sustainable packaging materials and discuss their best uses, enabling consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands to make informed choices for their packaging designs.

Bioplastics:

Bioplastics are derived from renewable sources such as cornstarch, sugarcane, or cellulose. They offer several advantages over conventional plastics, including reduced carbon emissions and biodegradability. Bioplastics can be divided into two categories:

PLA (Polylactic Acid): PLA is a popular bioplastic made from fermented plant sugars. It is commonly used for packaging applications such as food containers, disposable cutlery, and transparent film wraps. PLA is compostable under specific conditions and is suitable for items with a short shelf life.

PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoates): PHA is a versatile bioplastic derived from various organic materials. It possesses excellent barrier properties and is used in packaging applications where moisture resistance is crucial, such as food packaging, personal care products, and medical devices.

Recycled Paper and Cardboard:

Recycled paper and cardboard are widely used sustainable packaging materials due to their recyclability, biodegradability, and renewable nature. They can be used in various forms, including boxes, bags, and wrapping materials. Recycled paper and cardboard are suitable for packaging products across multiple industries, including e-commerce, food and beverages, and cosmetics.

Corrugated Cardboard: Corrugated cardboard offers excellent strength and cushioning properties, making it ideal for shipping boxes and protective packaging. It is lightweight, recyclable, and often made from high percentages of post-consumer recycled content.

Molded Pulp: Molded pulp, also known as pulp packaging or pulp paper, is made from recycled paper fibers. It is commonly used for egg cartons, food trays, and protective packaging for fragile items. Molded pulp is compostable and can be an excellent alternative to plastic foam packaging materials.

Glass:

Glass is an infinitely recyclable material that offers exceptional durability and impermeability. It is commonly used for packaging food and beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products. 

Glass containers preserve the product’s quality, are non-toxic, and can be recycled indefinitely without losing quality. Moreover, glass has a premium look and feel that can enhance a product’s branding and perceived value.

Plant-based or Compostable Films:

Plant-based films, often made from cellulose or polylactic acid, are designed to be compostable or biodegradable. These films offer barrier properties and can be used for food packaging, wrapping, and labels. They are especially beneficial for products with a short shelf life, as they can break down naturally and reduce waste.

Metal:

Metal packaging, primarily aluminum, and steel, is highly recyclable and can be used repeatedly without losing quality. Aluminum cans are widely used for beverages, while steel cans are common in food packaging. Metal packaging provides excellent protection against light, moisture, and oxygen, making it ideal for products that require a long shelf life.

Be a part of the movement toward sustainability and contribute to the betterment of our planet!

The use of materials like these offers diverse options for CPG brands to embrace eco-friendly practices. Bioplastics, recycled paper and cardboard, glass, plant-based films, and metal packaging all present unique characteristics and suitability for different packaging applications. 

By carefully considering the specific needs of their products, brands can choose the most appropriate sustainable packaging material, reduce their environmental impact, and meet the growing consumer demand for greener alternatives. 

In addition to these efforts, having a clear communication strategy for your sustainability plan can give your brand visibility among customers. Practices like having a clear message in your packaging copy, developing metrics to measure the effectiveness of your sustainability efforts, and constantly reviewing and improving your actions.

Customers are becoming more aware of their purchases’ impact on the planet and are more likely to choose businesses that align with their values. 

In conclusion, it is time for businesses to take a stand and adopt sustainable practices, such as changing their packaging materials. Doing so can protect our planet and create a better future for future generations. Let’s take action and make a difference together.

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Building a Sustainable Future: Sustainability and DEI

admin
June 28, 2023

In today’s rapidly changing world, businesses recognize the importance of sustainability and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. These two pillars are not isolated but interconnected, creating a powerful opportunity for companies to impact society and the environment positively. 

By aligning sustainability and DEI efforts, businesses can foster a more inclusive and equitable world while driving innovation, strengthening their brand reputation, and attracting conscious consumers. Today we will explore the correlation between sustainability and DEI and share practical steps for companies to become more sustainable.

Foster an inclusive company culture:

One of the fundamental steps toward building a sustainable company is fostering an inclusive company culture that values diversity and equality—making sure that DEI is embedded in your organization’s core values and reflected in hiring practices, employee policies, and leadership opportunities. 

 According to an article by Masterclass, fostering an inclusive culture in your company will give your employees greater satisfaction, improve retention, and increase awareness for future employees.

By creating a diverse and inclusive workforce, you can leverage your employees’ collective experiences, perspectives, and ideas, leading to innovation, better decision-making, and increased employee satisfaction.

Conduct a sustainability audit:

According to an article by Thompson Reuters, an audit allows companies to identify where improvement is needed in their strategies and compare them to others in the industry. 

A comprehensive sustainability audit is crucial to identify areas where your company can reduce environmental impact. Assess your energy consumption, waste generation, and supply chain practices. Identify opportunities to reduce carbon emissions, implement energy-efficient technologies, and adopt sustainable procurement practices. 

Consider partnering with third-party organizations specializing in sustainability audits to gain expert insights and recommendations tailored to your industry.

Set measurable sustainability goals:

Establishing clear and measurable sustainability and inclusive goals is essential for tracking progress and holding your company accountable. These sustainability goals include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy efficiency, minimizing waste, and promoting sustainable sourcing and manufacturing practices. 

Your sustainability goals need to be SMART: Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based. According to an article by Exponent, making your goals SMART can help companies focus on their targets and work towards meeting them. Make sure your goals are ambitious yet achievable, and communicate them transparently to stakeholders, employees, and customers.

Empower employees:

Employees play a vital role in driving sustainability and DEI initiatives within a company. Encourage and empower your workforce to embrace practices of sustainability and inclusion at work and in their personal lives. 

Offer training and education programs to raise awareness and provide resources to help employees make more conscious choices. Establish internal sustainability committees or employee resource groups to foster collaboration and generate new ideas for sustainable initiatives.

Collaborate with suppliers and partners:

Extend your sustainability efforts beyond your organization by collaborating with suppliers and partners to maximize your impact. Engage with your supply chain to promote sustainable sourcing practices, encourage the use of renewable energy, and reduce waste generation. Consider partnerships with organizations that align with your sustainability goals, leveraging their expertise and resources to drive collective change.

Communicate and engage with stakeholders:

Effective communication is key to showcasing your company’s sustainability and DEI efforts. Share your progress, achievements, and challenges transparently with customers, investors, employees, and the broader community. 

Leverage various communication channels such as social media, blogs, and sustainability reports to engage with your audience, raise awareness about your initiatives, and inspire others to take action.

Becoming a more sustainable company requires a holistic approach encompassing sustainability and DEI efforts. By integrating these two pillars, businesses can positively impact the environment and society while fostering innovation and building a resilient and inclusive culture. 

Embracing sustainability and DEI makes good business sense and aligns with the growing expectations of conscious consumers. Start your journey towards a more sustainable future today, and be a catalyst for change in your industry.

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The Art of Marketing: How to Make Customers Fall in Love with Your Products

admin
February 22, 2023

Marketing is an art that can make customers fall in love with your products. Whether it’s through design, trends, or digital content, there are several ways to engage customers and foster strong relationships. Creating an emotional connection between customers and your products is vital as a business. In this blog post, we will explore how marketing can help you make customers fall in love with your products.

Design: Create an Aesthetic That Appeals to Your Target Customer

Design is a powerful tool for marketing, as it helps to create an emotional connection between your product and potential customers. It can also differentiate your product from competitors and attract the right audience.

Good design should be tailored to appeal to your target customer. Think carefully about who you’re trying to reach and what aesthetic they would respond to. For example, if your target customer is young, you may consider using vibrant colors and modern font styles that are popular with this demographic. 

In an article by Penji.co, balance in design is described as the careful distribution of visual weight. Make sure you don’t go overboard with design – try to balance simplicity and complexity. Aim for eye-catching, memorable visuals but not too busy or overwhelming. The goal is to create a design that resonates with your target customer and encourages them to take action. 

It’s also important to consider how the design will look across different mediums. For example, your composition must look good on both web and print, so consider how it will appear on different platforms. 

Design is a powerful way to build an emotional connection between your product and your customers, so make sure you create an aesthetic that appeals to your target customer. Remember their needs when designing visuals; you’ll be one step closer to achieving success.

Trends: Follow the Latest Trends to Stay Relevant

Marketing is an ever-changing field that requires staying updated with the latest trends. Following the trends allows companies to remain relevant and attractive to customers. In addition, trends in marketing can create a unique brand identity and reach potential customers through more effective marketing campaigns.

It’s essential to keep up with current marketing trends, as they can significantly impact how successful your products or services will be. For example, if you’re marketing fashion items, you should pay attention to the latest clothing trends so that your designs are attractive to potential customers. Similarly, if you’re marketing technology products, you should stay informed about the latest developments in the tech industry.

According to Business, success in marketing involves trying new techniques and strategies. Following the latest trends ensures your products remain relevant and attractive to your target audience. Additionally, staying informed about new trends can help you develop creative ideas for your marketing campaigns. 

To stay updated with the latest trends, it’s important to watch industry publications, social media conversations, and competitor activities. Choose a few of your favorite brands, and examine their strategies. Regularly researching new trends ensures that your marketing strategies remain up-to-date and effective.

Digital Content: Use Digital Content to Engage with Your Customers

The success of any business lies in its ability to connect and engage with customers, and digital content is a key tool for accomplishing this. By leveraging digital content in your marketing efforts, you can create a powerful connection with your customers, encouraging them to fall in love with your product.

According to an article by HubSpot, digital marketing works because it is measurable and flexible. Having the ability to change your strategy to make it appeal to your customers is the best way to introduce them to your brand and convert them into loyal customers. 

Digital content comes in many forms, including video, audio, text, images, and interactive experiences. The type of digital content you use may vary depending on the product you’re promoting and the target customer you want to reach. For example, video might be an ideal medium for creating engaging digital content targeting tech-savvy millennials. On the other hand, if you’re targeting a more mature audience, text-based content could be more effective.

Focusing on quality is important regardless of the type of content. Poorly made or generic content will have a different impact than engaging and well-crafted content. So if you’re creating digital content, take the time to ensure it’s of the highest quality. Otherwise, consider partnering with a professional who can help you produce high-quality content that will resonate with your target audience.

Finally, don’t forget to track the performance of your digital content. You can better understand what works and doesn’t by monitoring metrics such as views, likes, and shares. This will allow you to refine your approach and create more effective digital content that resonates with your customers and helps you build stronger relationships.

Using digital content effectively can help you create a powerful connection with your customers and convince them to fall in love with your products. 

From creating an aesthetically pleasing design to following trends to producing high-quality digital content, there are many ways you can leverage marketing to make customers fall in love with your products. These are only a few of the many ways you can achieve this, have any of these strategies worked out for your brand? Or perhaps other strategies have worked for your brand; let us know in the comments. 

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Alternative Payment Options

admin
December 7, 2022

While consumers still carry credit cards, they’re increasingly looking for other ways to pay. As a result, digital wallets such as PayPal and Venmo are growing in popularity. Moreover, these digital payment methods aren’t just for online shopping; they are increasingly accepted in many physical locations.

Some reasons for this include safety, security, and convenience. In addition, customers are looking for the most convenient way to spend their money, and having alternative payment options will remove constraints for either traditional or trendier clients.

You must know your customer’s preferred payment options. Then you must consider new payment methods like Apple Pay, Venmo, or PayPal. If you don’t offer these options, your business will lose sales and revenue. 

On the other hand, opening your business to alternative payment options can increase success rates. Furthermore, we are not discussing replacing your current options but enriching your customer experience.

Research by Checkout.com, in partnership with Oxford Economics, concluded that consumers are more likely to avoid shopping on a site that wouldn’t allow them to use their payment method.

Consumers are looking for safety and convenience when they shop online. Adopting these APMs can provide ease to your customers.

Some of the most common alternative payment methods (APMs) include brands like PayPal, Stripe, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, CashApp, AliPay, Klarna, Grabpay, and even newer cryptocurrency ones, Bitso and Binance.

Adaptability is vital for business success. Adapting to new trends can help the business show that you care for your consumer’s preferences. If you want to take advantage of this growing opportunity and increase your sales by adding more payment options for your customers, the first step is determining the best choice for your business. 

As with any change, you need to evaluate what will help improve your business. Influencer Marketing Hub says, “To find the best APMs for your business, think about your target market, the nature of your transactions, and your budget.” 

There are many perks of having APMs available for your consumers. The following are a few ways they can increase your business reach.

Make money on the go with mobile payments.

Mobile payment technology offers you fast and secure ways to make money on the go. Whether at a busy grocery store or waiting for your flight at an airport, you can easily use your smartphone to complete financial transactions.

It’s also suitable for business owners who want to accept credit card payments from their customers but don’t have a traditional point-of-sale (POS) system installed in their stores. 

Another option for mobile payments is to accept payments through social media.

Social media payments are a great way to accept payments without building a business page. 

Social media payment apps like Venmo and PayPal allow users to send money directly from one person’s bank account to another’s in minutes. This can be useful if your customer doesn’t have access or is uncomfortable with traditional payment methods such as credit cards or e-checks.

You can also allow consumers to go cashless with digital wallets.

Digital wallets are an alternative to cash, checks, and credit cards that enable customers to pay for purchases through their phone or computer. 

With digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, you can instantly accept payment using a unique QR code that customers scan with their phones. This payment method is gaining traction among merchants because it’s fast, easy, and convenient for both parties.

However, before you jump right in, you should take some essential security measures to protect your business against fraud:

  • First, ensure that your customer’s data is encrypted during all transactions.
  • Make sure the transaction meets all legal requirements to comply with regulations set by governments or financial institutions.
  • Use two-factor authentication (2FA) or Touch ID fingerprint scanning to protect against unauthorized access to customers’ personal information.

Alternative payment options can help your business reach new markets and even make you money by following the trends of your customers. By making sure these payment methods are available where customers shop for goods and services, you’ll be able to help them get what they want without having any problems.

To recap, alternative payment options are available. Of course, cash and credit card payments are still the most common ways for customers to pay, but there is room to grow into new alternative payment options and prepare for the upcoming consumer trends.

Adding these options will allow all generations to feel comfortable making payments in your business. The shift to these alternative options can take a while to assimilate, but it is possible. Make sure to provide your consumers with the best choices using data to verify your decision. 

Data-driven decision-making can provide your company with feedback from consumers that will allow you to understand them better. As mentioned in an article by Tech Vice, studying data is the best way to receive your customer’s feedback and learn from it.

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CQ: A Powerful Tool for Leaders

admin
November 7, 2022

For the longest time, we have heard of the importance of intelligence. The term IQ started to gain relevance in 1912. Research by psychologist William Stern yielded the idea that we can measure intelligence.

Globally relevant people had high IQ scores. But a high IQ doesn’t mean automatic success, and a low IQ doesn’t mean failure. According to a blog post in Degree Choices, the way IQ is tested should be challenged and modeled to the Now Generation. 

Circa 1990, we started looking at emotional intelligence, or EQ (emotional quotient). This is the ability to understand, use, and manage your emotions.

Emotional intelligence and mental health have become more critical than ever in recent years.

An article published by Help Guide mentioned four essential skills to build your EQ: self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship management. However, knowing these skills is not as important as applying them daily.

Although IQ and EQ are relevant skills that a good leader must have, there has been recent talk about another “quotient” that is just as important. The Curiosity Quotient.

When you become a leader, understanding and being able to spot the potential in your team is critical. One of the best ways to do this is by cultivating curiosity within yourself and your team. Curiosity helps with learning, problem-solving, and innovation.

This skill can help make people more engaged at work and increase their productivity, as they are more likely to be involved in tasks when they find them interesting or challenging. 

Let’s put it this way, CQ is your ability to understand and learn. It’s the fuel for innovation and growth, but it’s also about asking questions and seeking answers. Looking at things from different angles, you can see what others may not be able to see.

In an article published by Forbes, curiosity is called the key to opening new doors as a leader. Curiosity is a powerful tool. It helps you to understand and connect with people, be more creative, be more empathetic and open-minded, and last but not least, it allows you to be flexible.

A leader is not born but made. The way to become a great leader is by acquiring relevant skills like IQ, EQ, and CQ. Combining the three and other soft skills will contribute to becoming a great leader in any industry.

In the marketing industry, these skills are fundamental and can make your business achieve extraordinary results. Intelligence can help you create amazing campaigns that will wow your audience and clients. 

Adding the emotional quotient can elevate your empathy with your customers. According to an article by Kaizo, empathy can make your connection with your consumers grow. 

Curiosity helps you understand your customers and the market, allows you to learn more about the people you work with, and lets you know more about your company. You will be their best option by understanding their feelings and creating solutions to their needs. 

Combined, IQ, EQ, and CQ are about curiosity, asking questions, and listening to your audience. It’s a mindset that can help you be an effective leader and marketer. It can transform your business if you choose to adopt it.

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Data Analysis is the Key to Marketing Success

admin
October 10, 2022

Data analysis and marketing go hand in hand. The use of data leads to better-informed decisions and helps shape your marketing strategy. Data analysis can help you understand how to get more value from your marketing data by analyzing statistics such as averages, percentiles, or ratios. Understanding statistics can also help you get more value from your client’s feedback to develop a successful campaign without wasting time or money on ineffective strategies.

Marketing is a dynamic field. You can’t just use the same strategies that worked for you last year and expect them to work this year. Instead, you should be using new tactics every day.

One of the challenges marketers face today is creating content that resonates with their target audience. This becomes even more difficult when so many channels are available for reaching consumers—and it’s hard to know where your audience will be! 

Plus, consumer feedback changes quickly. According to “The History of Analytics” by Unsupervised, agile marketing requires real-time insights that match the customers’ changing expectations. Therefore, an immediate analysis is needed to keep up with how fast consumers and data change. 

Marketing is all about data. Data is the foundation of marketing, and it’s how you make decisions, identify your target audience, understand your audience and develop a marketing strategy.

You need data to understand what people are looking for and how you can reach them with your product or service. You need to know who they are and what they want because then you can sell them something that will make their lives easier or better.

The use of data leads to better decision making

Data analysis is the process of taking a large amount of information and drawing conclusions from it. This can be anything from market research to news reports, but in this case, we’ll focus on how it relates to marketing. Without data analysis, brands will be with untested guesses and assumptions about your target audience—you wouldn’t know if they preferred one product over another or which channels are working best for your campaigns. Instead, data analysis helps you understand what people want and need so that you can create better products and services for them.

The article “Importance of Data Analytics in Marketing and How it Helps with Your Reach” by smith.ai mentions that the most crucial part of a marketing strategy is the customer. A practical understanding of your consumers’ needs should be a priority for your marketing strategy. Catering to their needs can save your brand time and money. 

For example, let’s say that your company has developed two different flavors of ice cream—vanilla bean and hazelnut fudge swirl—and is looking to expand into new markets internationally or domestically. You could use data from previous years’ sales figures (i.e., how many gallons were sold) and consumer feedback surveys about the flavors (i.e., which ones people liked most). With this information, we can see whether either flavor would do better in areas where other similar products have been successful before; based on those results alone, we might decide against making any changes!

Data Analysis is Crucial for a Successful Marketing Campaign

As mentioned above, data analysis collects, organizes, and interprets raw data into meaningful information. It’s a crucial part of any marketing campaign because it helps you to understand your audience better.

If you don’t understand how customers view your products or services, how can you expect them to see value in your offer? Data analysis can help you make better decisions about your marketing campaigns and tools based on user behavior.

Feedback plays a crucial role in developing successful marketing campaigns. Feedback can help you understand how your audience responds to your marketing campaign and adjust accordingly. 

Understanding statistics can help you get more value out of your marketing data

Analyzing data can help you understand how to get more value from your marketing efforts. But it’s not just about having a data scientist on hand and knowing how to use Excel. You also need to understand how statistics work to interpret the numbers correctly and make decisions based on what they tell you.

Understanding statistics is essential for marketers because they see hundreds of thousands of pieces of data every day and need to be able to take this information and translate it into something meaningful for their business. However, suppose they don’t understand the fundamentals behind statistics. In that case, they might end up basing business decisions on inaccurate information—which could lead them down a dead-end road with no way back.

Pestle Analysis mentions in the article: “4 Reasons Why Marketing Data Analysis Is Important” that having the data and doing nothing about it is pointless. If your company already has this valuable information, use it for your benefit. Gather the data, analyze it, and develop solutions and improvement ideas. 

The downline is: data analysis is essential for creating an effective marketing strategy that helps you connect with your audience. It enables you to understand who they are, how best to reach them, and what messages resonate with them most.

Data analysis also plays a vital role in identifying opportunities for improvement in your campaigns and what steps to take next. Therefore, your team should always analyze your data to see where there’s room for improvement, whether in terms of better targeting or more effective messaging.

Marketers, you should not sleep on data analysis. It will help you understand your audience better so you can deliver content they want to consume. It will also enable you to make more effective decisions about how best to reach them with your product or service offerings.

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This is Why Brands are Using NFTs

admin
August 24, 2022

By now, the amount of talk about non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has reached almost everyone on the internet. There are some things to note about NFTs; today, we will cover some of the things that make them relevant.

Let’s begin by mentioning that NFTs are invaluable; however, at the same time can be purchased and sold. They are unique like diamonds in that no two NFTs, or diamonds, are exactly alike. This is what makes them desirable: uniqueness and scarcity.

A big plus of NFTs is their transparency. Not only are they transparent because they are literally digital, but there are traceable. No matter how many times whoever purchases it, the original owner will be able to track it because of their smart contracts.

An article by The Art Newspaper stated that these smart contracts in NFTs ensure their uniqueness and that the digital assets remain undivided and non-replicable.

It wasn’t long until relevant brands started to use NFTs, which is simple: this is the future they are creating. We are currently moving from an experimental to a more mainstream approach.

According to an article from Zeno Fine Art, “2021 became the year of the NFT, and there was a huge explosion and surge in NFT supply and demand.” This journey began in 2012 with the creation of the first tokens, and big brands started to get involved in the last couple of years.

So, what can we expect from NFTs in the future? First of all, they are here to stay. As we mentioned in our last blog about the Metaverse, they are the future of the internet experience as we know it. 

And this is because the NOW Generation is involved in real and digital experiences. NFTs play a big part in this because they allow consumers to purchase a digital representation of an original asset. In other words, they can represent art, audio, video, virtual real estate, virtual worlds, fashion, and so much more, making NFTs important to brands.

Consumers worldwide seek the best experiences, from instant gratification to exciting assets. NFTs are a great way to give consumers a unique experience that will put your brand ahead of the competition. Also, brands must stick to NFTs that are akin to them. 

Using NFTs to increase brand awareness needs to be specifically curated for the consumer community of the brand. This means that to continue to bring awareness, brands need to know how their fans perceive them and use NFTs to grow this recognition. 

As Web3 settles in, the interaction between consumers and brands will shift. NFTs are essential to maintain and improve these relationships. This innovative aspect of the virtual world can open opportunities to connect with consumers. It is not just about digital items, a digital community for a brand’s biggest fans. 

NFTs are relevant to the NOW Gen. Thus, brands will continue incorporating them into their digital marketing strategies. They are a new connection bridge between high-value customers and the brand products and services.

The expectations for the NFTs are still developing. We can’t be a hundred percent sure of what the future holds for these virtual tokens. However, how we virtually connect is changing, and brands must stand on the leading edge of these trends to remain relevant. 

Is your brand looking into the future of NFTs? What is your strategy to be part of this trend? 

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Globalization, New Challenges for Brands

admin
July 28, 2022

Globalization is not a new trend, but it remains relevant because of its impact on the way businesses and consumers interact with each other. Globalization has been present around the globe for a long time, and many brands strive to use it to their advantage. 

Making your brand global is not an easy task. While many successful brands have been able to become globally recognized, the process is not easy, and it doesn’t come without challenges. 

Besides these challenges, the new globalization is here. The fourth industrial revolution, geopolitics, and the escalating effects of climate change are the three primary forces propelling a new chapter in the history of globalization. 

According to an expert panel held by The Drum, these three things have all happened in the past, just not at the same time. As a result, companies are now figuring out strategies, markets, and how they position themselves. 

With the new globalization comes the need for speed. This makes sense because the NOW generation is all for instant gratification, and when it comes to growing a brand in a global market, how fast can it approach new consumers on a local scale.

Digitalization is also taking a big part in this new era of globalization. With the numerous products available to your market, brand culture, lifestyle, and behavior habits are the most helpful in reaching your consumers.

From a consumer point of view, depending on where they live,  people worldwide consume the same products. However, through social and mass media, people find similarities between their consumption habits and those of people on the other side of the globe. This is called glocalization. 

Glocalization is the ability to penetrate various global markets while meeting the needs of each local geography. Even though it is not a new concept, not all businesses with global aspirations have mastered the art of glocalization. Therefore, companies must excel at integrating local resources, modifying procedures, and implementing global technologies to create effective glocalization strategies.

Entrepreneur India shared in an article the importance of acclimating brands to global growth. According to their article, success at glocalization comes from being sensitive to local culture, social norms, and consumer habits. Basically adapting to the area where your brand is arriving.

Even major brands have struggled to bring their business to a new location. “One size fits all” doesn’t apply in globalization. Brands need to consider that the need for their product in different places may not be the same. 

This may be accomplished; many companies have successfully arrived in new markets and tropicalized their brand to the local market. For example, big food chain brands have noticed that just bringing products they already sell and not incorporating anything local to their menus is not as successful as adding an item with a local taste for the consumer. This is how you can glocalize your business.

Another way businesses can adapt to a new culture is by hiring local professionals. Local associations within your company will help your brand access specific insight on a microeconomic scale while remaining globally relevant. This is a big step because once you know the culture, you can find better ways to approach the consumer and provide them with what they need.

Globalization is not about completely changing your brand but about being flexible and willing to adapt to your consumer’s culture. The need to grow is a constant in the current global business environment. However, growth in a globalized world would not be possible without learning from the NOW generation.

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The New Brick-and-Mortar: Social Commerce

admin
June 22, 2022

As a society, we constantly look for more convenient ways to cover our need for speed. During the COVID pandemic, formulated marketing strategies to supply consumers’ need for instant gratification were established, like e-commerce and its successor, social commerce. 

Social Commerce started appearing in the U.S. a couple of years ago on popular social media platforms. Although social commerce can be new and confusing for many marketers and brands out there, social commerce has come into existence quite seamlessly in the past years. 

Social commerce, stemming from eCommerce, refers to the shopping experience that occurs directly on a social media platform like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even TikTok. This trend relates directly to the time consumers spend on social media platforms. 

According to Forbes’ article “The Future Of Selling Is Social: Social Commerce Vs. E-Commerce,” consumers spend more time on mobile apps than web browsers. Making social media platforms a most powerful advertising tool than any search engine. “Given that consumers spend more time on mobile apps than on their mobile web browsers, wishful thinking may imply an indirect paradigm shift away from Google, as the world’s most powerful advertising platform, to Facebook.”  

The NOW Gen is all about using social media for entertainment, communication, staying in the loop of news and trends, learning, and even commerce. This instant-gratification-looking generation has made the swift move from traditional e-commerce to social commerce because it feels natural to instantly shop what you are discovering in your social media timelines. The seamless addition of social commerce to the consumer’s routine of social media usage will allow its growth and fulfillment.

In the past couple of years, various social media platforms, from Facebook to Twitter, have invested in features to facilitate selling products. These people-connecting platforms are now integrating live stream events, digital stores, and more to become a selling point to its users. 

Social commerce for the U.S. is still in its early stages, but it is expected to be just as big as in the Asian markets. On the other side of the globe, specifically in China, social commerce is a popular trend amongst social media users. “About 51.5% … of social media users have or continue to purchase via a social media channel.” It is no surprise, since China is also the global eCommerce market’s leader, that they are also leading this social commerce trend globally. “China continues to lead the global e-commerce market, accounting for 52.1% of all retail e-commerce sales worldwide, with total online sales just over the $2 trillion mark in 2021. It also has the world’s most digital buyers, 824.5 million, representing 38.5% of the global total.”

Many brands are getting on social commerce because the consumer is asking for it. As mentioned above, the NOW generation is known for its need for instant gratification. Therefore, the paramount convenience of social commerce is immediacy. 

Consumers are also looking for “mouth-to-mouth” product recommendations, and social commerce allows them to hear directly from brand ambassadors. The social shopping experience is richer than a regular shopping experience. With added social factors, consumers can seamlessly complement their social interactions with the brands they know, trust, and hear from new products or brands.  

As Ad Age has mentioned in their article, “Shopping Trends Every Marketer Should Embrace In 2022”, getting on board with the social commerce experience will give consumers the convenience and engagement they are looking for. “Expanding virtual shopping experiences appearing on social platforms will entice consumers who want a more engaging and convenient way to shop online. The in-store experience will never look the same as everything from easing curbside pickup to concierge services to enhanced AR/VR visualizations will become normal features. Moving forward, brands that engage directly with consumers via content and creator-influenced experiences that come enabled with commerce functionality will capture significant market share.”

Brands are learning from China to implement social commerce strategies. Some trends you can look out for include: video, live stream shopping, live chat, and social influencers. The consumer is looking for these things to be convinced that your product, and brand, is the best option. If you are looking to join the social commerce movement, consider the following ideas:

Choose the right platform and format to showcase your business. It is critical to understand what social platform is used more by your consumer segment. Also, evaluate how you will present your products on social media, now your newest storefront.

Prioritize quality visuals. The social media consumer is constantly flooded with thousands of videos on social media. Your business needs to stand out from the rest to make an impactful shopping experience. Take your time to tailor these assets for your brand and product.

Finally, although this new way of commerce is significantly increasing in our markets, don’t forget to constantly evaluate and adjust your strategy. With the NOW generation, speed and change are crucial to success. Social commerce is here to stay; take advantage of it. 

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Beating Stereotypes: Diversity and Inclusion for the NOW Gen

admin
June 8, 2022

There is a lot of talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion going on globally. This isn’t about fitting the global trend to our companies but joining the NOW generation in this matter. 

In previous blog posts, we have addressed this global issue, and it continues to be an essential topic for the NOW generation. NOW Gen brands are in the middle of this conversation and are focusing on making a real change.

“NOW Gen brands have a unique opportunity to change history with respect to diversity, equity, inclusion, systemic discrimination and racism, just like they are changing history by moving us into the digital age, but without DEI transformation, digital transformation won’t be any transformation at all.” 

In a recent SXSW panel titled “Beyond Black Stereotypes: Redefining Black Fatherhood,” Kendricks Thacker shared some insights about what needs to be done to incorporate better DEI practices. He said that brands couldn’t just start talking when convenient, especially when they wade into topics they never previously championed. 

“Don’t say nothing, if you haven’t said anything before,” Thacker said. “In those cases, the best a brand can do is listen, and donate their platforms to voices that understand the issues.” 

As Thacker mentioned in this panel, to overcome the stereotypes of adapting DEI practices incorrectly, we must first learn to listen to those in the middle of the issue and understand their movements. We must not act before we think because DEI is not a vane issue and its impact on our society goes beyond participating as a brand or not.

With change comes trial and error; it will be utopic to believe that just making one change will forever change the global conversation. However, making this kind of amendment will often make us face errors. For example, DE&I has been one of the main focuses for many global companies for a while now. And although inclusion is vital to this global change, the mistake we are making is stereotyping that inclusivity. So from being stereotypical in the ways we present our DEI to making inclusion a stereotype. 

In the case of DEI, stereotypes are fogging our judgment and blinding our inclusion. We are so used to boxing people according to their race, gender, religion, and even their jobs that we see individuals as groups of people. Stereotypes have been known to humans for a long time now, and much work has been done to eradicate them in society, but the truth is that stereotyping is more natural to our minds than we can imagine. We could blame heuristics for this, but the truth is we can all do better. 

Heuristics, where stereotyping begins, are useful mental shortcuts that help us navigate life. These rule-of-thumb strategies help us shorten decision-making time and allow us to function without constantly wondering what needs to happen next. Overall, heuristics is a fantastic tool called “common sense,” but the downside is that it can lead to inaccurate judgments or biases, like stereotypes.

Theoretically, we should replace stereotypes with actual knowledge. Realistically, stereotypes are seldom challenged unless something creates a reason to change them. But this current DEI issue is a practical reason to make an effort to break from assumptions and demolish stereotypes. As Now gen brands encounter these roadblocks, they must stick to their DEI efforts and strive to make changes happen. 

“The past year has shed light on what many people already knew: Much of the onus (obligations) of diversity, equity and inclusion was on the appointed DE&I leader, who historically often worked in isolation to carry out these objectives.”

In short, as companies, we must find ways to set objectives to beat stereotypes and be more inclusive. Still, we must learn to hear those affected by the situation and work together to impact how they are perceived in society positively. In the eyes of The NOW Generation, being inclusive speaks volumes, and as the saying goes: actions say more than words.

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