Marketing News Digest: August 2017

Every month, we bring you a concise summary of the marketing headlines that matter. From branding and advertising news to expert views on how to make your business more memorable, you'll find plenty here to chew on.

If you missed our July edition, you can get a recap right here. If you're here for everything that happened in August, read on!

Marketing News: August 2017

For anyone who spent more time on holidays than headlines last month, these are some of the important marketing stories that you might have missed:

Marketing With the Lights Out: A total solar eclipse hit much of the United States, driving a lot of social media chatter and online attention. This article takes a look at not only the eclipse but other ways that business owners can use special events to find a common connection with potential customers.

Google Explains the Importance of "Right Now" Marketing Moments: Business owners know that search visibility is important, but too few think about how it is changing over time -- and how a company's online presence needs to adjust accordingly. The notion that three-quarters of us turn to search to fill immediate needs isn't all that complex, but understanding how people search is critical to connecting when the moment is right.

Nonprofits Know the Value of Vanity Numbers: Most charitable organizations understand that a memorable number brings more supporters to the cause, though even the National Suicide Prevention Hotline was taken aback by this response. A hit song's use of their number drove double-digit call volume growth, particularly after it was featured on a high-profile music awards show. Okay Drake, it's time to up your game...

Facebook Connects IRL (In Retail Life): Google and Facebook have a lock on tracking and reaching digital visitors for their advertising customers, but the real world remains a little more elusive. Now Facebook hopes to gain an edge in this potentially lucrative retargeting sphere, by allowing retailers to create custom audiences of people who have visited their stores. Wonder why that pair of sneakers you looked at a few hours followed you home to your Facebook news feed? You heard it here first!

Microsoft & Amazon Are Ready to Talk: With so many home hub systems in development, it's hard to know which works best. Amazon's Alexa and Microsoft's Cortana are trying to get a jump on the likes of Apple and Google with their announcement that the two systems will soon talk to each other. Why does this matter to marketers? Voice commerce is set to become a brave new frontier for online retailers and businesses who want to show up in spoken searches.

Think Print is Dead? Think Again!: Marketing with printed materials has fallen out of the limelight in recent years, but that doesn't mean it's no longer effective. While others are chasing the shiniest new online tools and platforms, companies of all sizes are exploiting the unique benefits of print marketing, as Vistaprint explains in this compelling inforgraphic.

Are Algorithms the Future of Marketing?: Just as artificial intelligence revolutionized Wall St. and stock exchanges around the world, experts believe marketing is on the cusp of a paradigm shift driven by algorithms. Bill Carmody, CEO of Trepoint, offers insight from the world of finance and how the marketing sector could follow a similar path.

YouTube Visualizes a Brand Strategy: It wasn't just a new logo and app on display for the world's most popular video streaming site last week. No, YouTube also added a new VP of Brand, Media & Experiences, in the form of ad industry veteran Tom Blessington. The newly created position is a first for the company, which hasn't had a comprehensive brand refresh for more than a decade... could the same be said for your business?

All of which brings us up to speed for another month. 

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