Category: Consumer
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New Study: Cord-Cutting is accelerating in 2017
Cord-cutting is growing rapidly. After years of relatively small number of consumers ditching their cable and satellite connections, the number of people opting for going it alone or smaller video bundles has grown dramatically in the last year. According to a Magid Broadcast study of consumers this April (reporter by…
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Game Changer: Google confirms built-in ad blocker coming to its Chrome browser
It’s been rumored for a while, but now Google confirms it will update its Chrome browser to include an ad blocker. If your site has what Google terms “unacceptable ads,” it’s going to block all the advertisements on your site. The list of what is unacceptable will include pop-ups, videos…
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A virtual explosion of internet-connected devices in homes
If you believe the new study from Parks Associates, there is a virtual explosion of connected devices going into consumer’s homes over the next few years. Analysts predict more than 442 million connected consumer devices will be sold in the U.S. in 2020. These sales totals include connected entertainment, mobile,…
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Disconnect between what ad agencies think and what real people do
What percentage of average people in the U.S. watch video content on their TV set (versus other devices)? 250 advertising executives were asked that question. They said 25%. Umm. The number is actually 82%. Research Now did the study on behalf of the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB). They surveyed 250…
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Despite what you hear, 92% of all video viewing happens on a TV set
The Nielsen analysis looked at the total time spent watching video on TVs, connected TVs, connected devices, smartphone, tablets, and desktop computers. “All adult consumers still rely on the TV screen for the lion’s share of their overall viewing.” – Nielsen It isn’t just a little bit more TV viewing,…
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FCC takes first step towards repealing net neutrality
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took a big first step in overturning net neutrality rules. In a 2-to-1 vote, the Commission began the rule-making process. That’s the first step in replacing the Open Internet Order adopted in 2015. The net neutrality rules prevent ISPs (Internet Service Providers) from giving preferential…
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It’s over: Mobile has won
We passed the tipping point in 2014. Since then, the use of mobile has exploded. If you’re still focusing on your desktop website first, you’re way behind. 71% of web traffic in the United States is mobile, according to ComScore. Mobile usage is larger than desktop in almost every country.…
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My (failed) attempt to subscribe to the local newspaper
You’d think in this era of declining circulation a newspaper would jump the chance to add a print subscriber. Apparently not. I’m a bonafide news junkie. I watch TV News primarily and I’m online every day. But I still like to sit down and read the Sunday paper. There’s something about…
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FTC cracks down on Zombie Cookies that track your online behavior even after you opt-out
The Federal Trade Commission has finalized a settlement with Turn over its use of Supercookies (also called Zombie Cookies). The FTC has accused Turn of deception by tracking consumers for ads even after people tried to opt out. While not admitting any wrongdoing, the settlement will prohibit Turn from misrepresenting…
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If you want customers, you’ve got to invite them to buy
Before you can make a sale, you’ve got to get people in your store. Before you do that, they’ve got to know about you, what you offer, and what makes your business different. Imagine this: You’re a salesperson and you walk into a business for the first time to make…
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Least Intrusive Video Ads with the Best Recall: Pre-Rolls
It’s the eternal questions for advertisers: What works? Just when you think you’ve figured it out, the world shifts again. One day you hear, it’s all about “snackable” content – short clips that can be viewed in less than a minute. The next day, it’s all about long-form video ads. …
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Congress talking about taxing online sales
I always like how they stick a name on a bill to make it obscure what it really is. Like this year’s “Marketplace Fairness Act” in the Senate and the “Remote Transactions Parity Act” in the House. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Shouldn’t it really be named the “Tax Online Purchases” bill? If passed,…
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Will people still read long-form content when it’s on a tiny cell phone screen?
With more and more traffic going to mobile, specifically smart phones, every day, is there a future for long form journalism on line? That’s one of the questions a Pew Research Center study tried to answer. Researchers looked at 125 million cellphone sessions accessing 74,840 articles encompassing 30 news websites…
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Would you rather pay for content or put up with advertising?
85% say give us ads. 75% say they would drastically reduce their online activities if they had to pay. In fact, Americans assigned a value of nearly $1,200 per year to the array of free, ad-supported services and content currently available to them on computers and mobile devices, according to…
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Ranking in Local Search: Location is the top factor
What’s that saying about real estate? Location, location, location. It appears the same can be said about what it takes to be listed in the local listings on Google. With the big shift to mobile occurring over the past year, it’s no surprise that the biggest signal Google looks for…
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Is Google getting ready to launch its own ad blocker?
The Wall Street Journal reports that Google is readying its own ad-blocker as part of its Chrome browser. Chrome is the undisputed most used browser in the world with a market share north of 41%. The ad blocker would be added to both mobile and desktop versions, per the report,…
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Despite new tech chips in credit cards, fraud jumps 33%
I got that call on the weekend. Somebody had used our credit card to try to book an Uber ride. Since we hadn’t left the house that morning, I knew it wasn’t a legitimate charge. I’m happy the folks at Chase knew it wasn’t right and called. One of the things…
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Overall news consumption is up 18%
Overwhelming majority of consumption happens on TV Adults in the US spend more than 72.5 BILLION MINUTES consuming news during an average week. The Nielsen folks say total new consumption across platforms was up 18% last year. Broadcast TV (local and national) accounted for the biggest chunk of viewing (29.4…
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175 TV stations sell off spectrum, nearly 1,000 will move to new channels
A bunch TV stations got a windfall from the FCC’s spectrum auction. Some got so much they opted to go off the air forever and take the money and run. Altogether, 987 TV stations must change channels. [ FULL LIST AFTER THE JUMP ]
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The IRS Tax Scam continues to take people’s money
Consumers filed more than 30,000 reports of scams with the Better Business Bureau in 2016. For the second year in a row, the top scam goes to… the IRS tax scam. In fact, the top three were the same as 2015’s list. New in 2016 were phishing scams and…
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The marketing trick of the century
Until now, I called it a tie between coffee and water. I mean, really, how did coffee end up costing $4 a cup and water $2 a bottle? New data though ends the tie. It’s over. The winner is water. Compared to tap water, it’s 2,000 times more expensive, less…
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I love my cable / satellite / streaming / internet provider (said nobody ever)
Nobody, it seems, is happy with their cable, satellite, or streaming provider. Overall cost, hardware problems, streaming issues, and quality – take your pick. When you’re paying that much money, you just want to watch something of quality and have it work right without issues. When it doesn’t, people get…
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A huge number of Millennial Men aren’t watching any TV on any device
How big a deal is this cord-cutting thing for TV? It may depend on who you ask. The number of people cutting out cable has slowed, but it’s still a growing number. But when you slice and dice those dropping (cord-cutters) or never subscribing (cord-nevers), this new report shows…
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Cable company hit with $25 million penalty, $8 million legal bill for not cracking down on music piracy
Known fact: people pirate music online. It’s hard to track down each offender, and even taking individuals to task, it’s like the little boy sticking his finger in the dam only to have another leak pop up. Music publishers have tried to put the burden on internet service providers (ISP’s)…
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Majority of millennials say they don’t think pirating video is illegal
There’s more evidence that this Millennial generation is really different than Boomers. Taking a look at two studies, one done by YouGuv commissioned by Irdeto and the other by Anatomy Media, shows than more than half of millennials watch content illegally. The survey also asked if they felt any guilt or…
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Everytime there’s new technology, someone figures out a way to hack it, exploit, or infect it
Doesn’t it seems everytime there’s new technology, someone figures out a way to hack it, exploit, or infect it? 16 million homes have had a serious virus problem in the past two years. The conflicker virus alone has infected nearly 9 million computers. Even cars are being hacked. And there’s…
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Auto sales off to a slow start in 2017, but projections show another record year for auto industry
Following a strong close to 2016, January’s retail new-vehicle seasonally adjusted annualized sales rate (SAAR) is expected to slow to 13.9 million units in 2017, down 200,000 units from last year, according to a forecast developed jointly by J.D. Power and LMC Automotive. U.S new-vehicle retail sales in January are…
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Facebook testing targeted ads in Messenger app
A test in Australia and Thailand this week may lead to more ads from the folks at Facebook. This time, they’re testing adding advertisements to its Messenger app. “This means that a business is able to place an ad in an area of Messenger below your recent conversations, similar to…
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75 million U.S. homes now have internet connected TV
Nearly three-quarters of broadband-connected homes now have a TV connected to the internet. The adoption of internet-connected TVs has mirrored the adoption of broadband in the US, but has slowed recently as more homes were connected. According to new research from The Diffusion Group (TDG), the penetration of Internet-connected TVs…
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Broadband Only homes rising, 15% get TV without cable or satellite
In 2013, just 9% of US residents did not subscribe to pay-TV (cable or satellite) to get television. By the third quarter of 2016, that number had risen to 15%. That equates to 17 million broadband-only homes, according to TDG (The Diffusion Group) as reported in MediaPost. Park Associates…
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Cord Cutting and Skinny Bundles: More hype than hope?
Cord cutting is real and it’s gaining traction, but not as quickly as predicted. Nielsen’s latest report shows homes that subscribe to pay-TV (cable or satellite) is down 1.7% from last January. That’s hardly a tidal wave of cord cutters. At the same time, the number of TV households actually…
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Paul Dughi named as one of 16 “Media Influencers” by Local Media Today
I was honored to be included in the list of 16 “media influencers” as named in the 2017 monthly edition of Local Media Today, by the Local Media Association (an industry trade association of more than 2,400 newspaper, TV, radio, pure plays and other media partners). It’s a pretty impressive group to be…
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Virtual advertising on windshields aimed at the driver?
I’ve started to wonder if we’re putting too much tech in front of drivers. As they navigate down the road, there are an awful lot of things that can add to your distracted driving. My new car has a screen that shows current radar and weather forecasts. I’ve found the…
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Bipartisan investigation demands answers on cable TV’s “misleading fees and sales practices”
In a bi-partisan effort, Senators from both parties are calling on Charter Communications (which also acquired Time Warner) and Comcast to stop what they call “misleading placement of fees on customers’ bills, and inadequate advertising disclosure for service promotions.” They’ve asked before and say they’ve never got an answer to…
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Are restaurants that don’t accept cash the next trend?
Sweetgreen restaurant chain is in the “fast casual” category, serving up healthy food choices. What won’t be on the menu in 2017 is… cash. Starting mid-January, they will stop taking cash at 64 locations. The company says it will speed up transactions by as much as 15%. Employees touching cash…
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At what point does new technology become mainstream?
Commercial mobile telephones were actually invented in 1949 by AT&T, but it wasn’t until the early 70’s that phones were truly mobile – not tethered to vehicles. I remember when neighbor kids would want to ride in my car so they could call Mom at home and tell her where…
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Four times people were threatened or sued for leaving bad reviews on Yelp… and won
Put a bad review on line and you risk not just making the business mad, but maybe lawsuits and fines. You may not even know you’re doing something that could get you in trouble, but buried in the TOS (term of service agreements) you never read, or buried in some…
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Cord cutters are cutting cable AND broadband internet at home
First it was cutting landline phones for mobile. Next, cord cutters dropped cable TV and opted for streaming devices. Now, in what Ovum researchers call “triple cord cutting,” we’re seeing people start to trim their broadband connections at home and use cell phones to do their online viewing. “Cord-cutting started…
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Talking cars could help make roads safer, help the environment
If you’ve bought a new car lately, you know there’s an incredible amount of tech going on that has nothing to do with driving. My new car has weather radar maps, sports scores, movie times, and even Open Table available on the touchscreen. But a proposed rule from NHTSA (National…
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Bah humbug. Almost nobody likes holiday store shopping
Holiday sales this year are expected to increase 3.6% from last year with a retail spend of $655.8 billion dollars in retail stores and another $117 billion on line, according to the National Retail Federation. So what do shoppers like about doing their holiday gift buying in stores?
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The dirty little secret of digital ad networks
In the rush to move to digital advertising, there’s been an awful lot of ad dollars wasted because people didn’t really know what they were buying. Remember the early days of the world wide web? People reported “hits” – which we then learned equated to server calls and could be…
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If you spend $1 on advertising, how much ROI would you expect? Assessing ROI on advertising consumer products
Are you familiar with what’s called FMCG brands? I had to look it up. It means “Fast Moving Consumer Goods.” These are the type of products you reach for on the store shelves at the grocery or drug store. Think Kimberly-Clark, Unilever, Lindt, or Pfizer. Typically, they are long-standing brands…
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Millennials are now the majority in the U.S.
You may have missed the official announcement this year, but Millennials have overtaken Baby Boomers as the country’s largest generation. US Census Bureau population estimates put Millennials (age 18–34) at 75.4 million in the U.S. while Baby Boomers (age 51–69) at 74.9 million. It’s kind of a natural progression. As populations…
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Brand loyalty is not dead, even for Millennials and new parents
Brand loyalty dead? It makes for a catchy headline and fits the narrative new-age brand marketers are selling: 90% of the leading household goods brands are losing market share on consistently low-growth categories – Study by Catalina The story goes that in the post-media age (whatever that is), consumers –…
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The Nausea rule of advertising
Think of your brain as a giant hard drive. It can hold a lot of information, but it does have a limit. And, like a hard drive, the limit is reached frequently. So when new information comes in and there’s no room left, it often pushes out the other information…
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Should internet providers be held liable when its users illegally download content?
“In this copyright action, the putative owners of more than 1,400 musical composition copyrights seek to hold Cox Communications, Inc. and Cox Com, LLC (collectively, “Cox”) contributorily and vicariously liable for alleged copyright infringement taking place over its high-speed internet service.” With those words, the court’s opinion in the case…
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How a cracked fish tank created a chain reaction
My fish tank leaked. Forget about the dead fish for a minute, but this cracked glass case caused a chain reaction in our house. Sure, the tank was easy enough to replace, and dead fish aside, so were the occupants. But the carpet was stained (and you don’t want to know about…
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How Advertising Works
The first time a man looks at an advertisement, he does not see it. The second time, he does not notice it. The third time, he is conscious of its existence. The fourth time, he faintly remembers having seen it before. The fifth time, he reads it. The sixth time,…
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Bulls-eye marketing: Finding the sweet spot
To maximize the effectiveness of your advertising, you have to place it squarely in the target for consumers. You already know it’s not enough to have a great product. It’s not enough to assemble your unique selling proposition – what I call your Weapon of Mass Distinction. It’s not…
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If you want customers, you’ve got to invite them to buy
Before you can make a sale, you’ve got to get people in your store. Before you do that, they’ve got to know about you, what you offer, and what makes your business different. Imagine this: You’re a salesperson and you walk into a business for the first time to make…
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It’s Really About Thinking “Inside the Box”
In the mid-90’s, I used to teach a seminar called “Thinking Outside the Box.” But that was way back when “thinking outside the box” really was a new way of thinking. It’s not so new now. In fact, it’s a cliché. I realized that it’s really about thinking “inside” the…
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If you’re blaming poor performance on the economy, read this
A friend of mine owns a one-location mattress retail store and provides outstanding customer service and inspires customer loyalty. She’s one of those “always positive” types. Well, I was on the phone with her the other and asked how business was going. “We’re down 8 percent year-to-year,” she said. I…
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Comcast gets caught charging customers for stuff they never ordered and hit with largest FCC fine ever given
Comcast hit with the largest civil penalty ever given to a cable operator about consumer complaints and ordered to put in place a compliance plan “In some complaints, subscribers claimed that they were billed despite specifically declining service or equipment upgrades offered by Comcast. In others, customers claimed that they…
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Majority don’t trust media, but one source does better than all the others
We’ve all heard that people don’t trust the media anymore. Heck, I’m in the media and I view everything through a skeptic’s lens these days. Through it all though, one media source continues to do better than all the others:
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The incredible number of people making $100,000 or more a year that have nothing in the bank
40% of Americans earning $100,000-$149,000 a year say they have less than $1,000 in savings! 18% say they have NOTHING saved. How much money do you have in the bank right now? If you answered more than $1,000, you’re in the minority. That’s both crazy and sad. It’s true though,…
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Are DVRs going the way of VCRs?
The DVR is a wonderful device. Digital Video Recorders let you record all the TV shows you want and watch them on your schedule. It’s kind of like Netflix… before Netflix existed. But new research shows that DVR use is down dramatically.
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Washington Attorney General sues Comcast over 1.8 million violations of Consumer Protection Act
Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson says Comcast isn’t playing fair with its customers. In fact, he says Comcast committed more than 1.8 million violations of the state’s Consumer Protection Act, citing improper credit screening practices and charging fees for service calls. In addition, Ferguson says Comcast deceived customers for…
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Initiative focuses on wireless speeds that are 100x faster
The Advanced Wireless Research Initiative, led by the National Science Foundation (NSF), will attempt to advance the next generation of mobile technology. It’s backed by the US government, a consortium of private companies, and a $400 million dollar war chest to start. 5G on the way This news comes on the heels of…
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GfK Study: 25% of homes are without cable or satellite TV
In recent years, it’s been typical to find cable and satellite penetration numbers reaching into the low-to-mid 90% range in most metro areas. That’s changing. According to a study released today from GfK, this cord-cutting thing is real. I know, people have been talking about this for a while, but…
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Music industry continues to change dramatically
The mid-year report on the music industry by the folks at Nielsen has some shocking numbers and shows just how much consumer consumption continues to change. Vinyl is back on the rise. Digital sales are down (way down). More people are consuming music than last year, but all the growth…
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Connected TVs: Streaming first, live TV second
Whether it’s a Smart TV with the internet and some services baked in, a Blue-Ray player, Roku, Google, FireTV, AppleTV or one of the dozen other internet-connected devices, US households continue to connect their television sets to the Internet at a rapid pace. A study from Frank N. Magid Associates…
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Next generation of Smart TVs could spell trouble for Local TV stations
This has been coming for some time, but it should send chills down the spines of local TV execs everywhere: a TV screen that when you turn it on doesn’t start on a channel, but gives you a listing of everything available. If you’re local, you’ll probably be tucked inside…
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What really drove the sale? When metrics lie
Let me take you back a few years, then we’ll jump ahead to the digital advertising world we live in now. Several years ago, I was talking to the owner of a small business one day about what drove customers to their store. She told me it was simple: the…
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A tidal change in demographics is happening now – unprecedented in human history
How’s that for a headline? But the stats in a recently released report from Bank of America and Merrill Lynch have been called “mind blowing” because of its unprecedented nature. “We are living in the midst of the most remarkable demographic transition in history” – Bank of America / Merrill…
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How long will people wait for your site to load? We put sites to the test
We all know that the faster your site loads, the better it is. With the huge shift of traffic to mobile, it’s even more important that your site is both mobile-friendly and fast loading. How long will consumers wait for a page to load while shopping for your products? Turns…
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Marketing to teens on social
Want to reach teens with your marketing? You better be prepared to be nimble. We all know tastes change quickly with teenagers. What’s hot one day is ice cold the next. It’s the same with social media. Just about the time you figure out where they are on-line, they move. …
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