As brands try to figure out how to navigate what’s before us, I can’t help but think about how differently brands need to act today versus what they’ve done during past struggles. People who worked with me through the Great Recession heard me refer often to the “upside of down.” At that time, much of what we thought of as the “upside” had to do with pricing strategy.

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Restaurant owners estimate they are losing between 20-50% in revenue due to missed opportunities with phone orders. Combine that with competitive labor markets, increased customer demand and the pandemic, and you have the “perfect storm” for brands to adopt advanced digital technology, including power assistants, to handle phone orders.

The television landscape has changed dramatically over the past few years. New terms are being used to describe the many ways we consume video these days. Streaming, Binge-Watching, On-Demand, Connected TV and OTT to name just a few. While the options are liberating, they can also be very confusing. You may be wondering, “What’s the difference?” and “Why does it matter?” Well it’s my job to know, so I’ll shed a little light on the subject.

If your restaurant hasn’t jumped on the digital train, what’s holding you back? Let me guess – you’re leery of losing control of the dining experience. Ordering by app, third party delivery, eating away from the restaurant. What are your touchpoints? Will your customer’s experience be compromised or diminished in some way? It’s easy to see the cause for concern. But fear not. Consumers are embracing the digital experience. And if you’re not, you are missing out on a growing segment.

Out of Home Media (OOH) is one of the oldest, most trusted, and most highly productive forms of advertising. But many marketers now see it as a second-class citizen when compared to “New Media” that is trackable, targetable and capable of on-the-fly adjustments. However, the rapid growth of Digital Out of Home (DOOH) networks and the rise of Programmatic Digital Out of Home (PDOOH) is changing those impressions.

Do your customers trust you? Do you understand their ever-changing wants and needs? These are tough questions. And, if you’re not sure, is it time to re-evaluate your brand strategy? We live in a time where the customer has more power than ever, and in a time when their lives are changing rapidly, even impacting their daily routines.

There are many different types of digital ads, each designed to help advertisers achieve specific goals. Some lead users to a website, others encourage immediate purchases, and most are strategically served based on a user’s profile, interests, or demographics. Digital advertising is highly valued because it enables brands to precisely target customers and influence purchase decisions when it matters most. According to Basis Technologies' media trends report released January 2025, digital advertising will account for over 80% of total ad spend in the U.S. in 2025, making it the dominant force in marketing strategies.

What was the last restaurant you visited? Think about the experience… your initial impressions and feelings. What made you go there? Maybe it was the atmosphere, the menu selection or that first big bite. What comes immediately to mind… good, bad, or maybe just… meh? How do those impressions fit with what you think of the BRAND? Or, did you think about the brand at all?

Creative people sometimes cringe at the “data” word. All we hear in marketing circles these days is data this, data that. But it’s much more than just a trendy marketing buzzword. It’s the foundational building block we use to create bigger, bolder, more effective ideas.

When people hear audio branding, they most often think of jingles – those magical musical earworms that burrow into your brain and never leave. It’s no wonder. Brand jingles have been around since the early days of advertising. One of the earliest on record was created in 1926 when a barbershop quartet sang the praises of Wheaties cereal on the radio.