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We did it — we made it to the last quarter of 2020. This year, Q1 was full of wide-eyed optimism, Q2 lasted an entire year, and Q3 was over in the blink of an eye. Our Q4 planners have been through a lot of adjustments and are approaching 2021 with more caution and care. But, most importantly, they’re putting themselves ahead of the competition.
Strategic brand planning may seem impossible given what we’ve dealt with the last year. Yet, as the old adage goes, fail to plan and plan to fail. Now, businesses that take the time to assess their current advertising channels, agency relationships, and marketing wins (and losses) have a stronger internal foundation than those who ignore these processes.
Above all, it’s important for agencies to know the planning periods of their ideal brand clients. Media planning is too often a reactive strategy, with agencies chasing after campaigns that are already live. Now is the time to evaluate their needs, determine if your audience matches up with their target, and offer up inventory that will be an attractive safe bet.
Stand out with a hyper-focused communication strategy:
- Know their demographic targets inside and out.
- Review and evaluate their current campaigns. What works? What doesn’t?
- Highlight how you will compliment (or elevate) their existing strategy.
- Speak to decision-makers in the manner in which they’re most likely to respond. (Read about how here.)
Here are insider details/predictions for three companies on our list of 100+ brands planning in Q4. Keep scrolling to access and download the complete PDF:
1) 1-800-Contacts positions itself as pandemic proof
Today, the contact lens retailer is focusing (get it?) on its customer relationship management strategy. With everyone trapped at home during quarantine, 1-800-Contacts connected with a whole new audience this year, so much so, that they teamed up with tech platform, Redpoint Marketing PR to enhance campaign management. The company responded to the coronavirus by simplifying shipping and personalization tools for their customers, becoming a key healthcare resource for thousands of Americans looking for affordability and reliability in eye care.
- Agency and martech readers: Most of 2020’s spend went toward YouTube videos and programmatic ads, getting in front of a wide target demographic ranging from Gen-X to Gen-X.
2) Align Technology goes all in on digital
InvisAlign, a subsidiary of Align Technology, restructured its marketing team in July 2020, building out a team with a strong focus on digital marketing. The company has spent the last year spending almost all of their ad dollars (96% according to Adbeat) on digital on YouTube, twitch.tv, dentaltown.com, and patriots.com.
- Seller readers: InvisAlign primarily targets Gen-Z and millennial parents with slight female skew. Even though the company raised digital spending, it has not reduced the TV ad budget, so there are plenty of dollars available.
3) Anheuser-Busch has big plans for craft beer
This year, the beer company’s online sales grew by strong double digits. Even though these numbers are from Q1, Anheuser-Busch’s marketplace platform allows consumers to place online orders, offering flexibility and convenience as we all drank our quarantine troubles away.
Today, the company remains focused on its global brands and regional craft brands, too, with spend here expected to pick up (especially in local advertising). Anheuser-Busch also utilizes print, OOH, radio, sponsorship, experiential and social. These craft beer and brewery brands will be especially popular among Gen-X and millennials.
- Agency and martech readers: There’s serious opportunity to secure work specific to the craft brew and brewery business. In fact, the company has a history of working with creative agencies on brand-oriented and/or project bases, too.
Click here to download our list of 100+ brands planning in Q4 2020.
These opportunities are designed to fill your pipeline with qualified leads. We’ve included key decision-maker contact information to connect you with the right people at the right time.