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How to Answer “Are We in a Recession?” to Your Marketing Team [2022 Expert Insights]

Marketing Trends
January 11, 2023/by
How to Answer "Are We in a Recession?" to Your Marketing Team As we embark on the new year, marketing managers and project leads will determine their strategy for the first quarter based on the big question, "Are we in a recession?". Typically, a recession is considered two consecutive quarters of negative gross domestic product (GDP). The U.S. entered a recession in the Summer of 2022, but according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, GDP actually grew slightly at 2.6% in Q3. So while we can't fully confirm that we're going to be in one again, we know that your marketing team is looking to you for answers. In this article, we'll provide industry insight into the current state of the economy and best practices for marketing leaders to better address employee concerns. Are We in a Recession?: Marketing Leaders and Data Weigh In To see what brands think about the current economy, we used Glimpse to survey 300+ U.S. marketers to ask them if they think we’ve entered a recession in detail. 1. Do you think the U.S. economy is in a recession? Marketers overwhelmingly (78%) say the U.S. is currently in a recession. This comes as no surprise as many marketers are already adapting strategies in response to changing consumer spending habits. Let's go through some of the sentiments behind their answers. Reasons Why We Might Be in a Recession Consumers are spending less and exercising more caution and discretion. People...
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Viral Videos: A Guide to the Imperfect Art

Video Marketing, Youtube Marketing
January 11, 2023/by
Viral Videos: A Guide to the Imperfect Art Virality. Many brands want to go viral, but it’s more of a mystery to create viral content in a digital age where the most unpredictable content can reach millions of views overnight. There is no secret recipe for the perfect viral video, and yet there are videos that receive millions of views every year. What’s the secret? Unfortunately, virality is more of an art than a science. While there is no tried-and-true formula for virality, there are some elements that we consistently see — and knowing what that puts you one step closer to attaining that viral glory. So let's identify some of the commonalities that can make them internet-famous. The Science of Virality From the latest trending Twitter or TikTok moment to some of the oldest viral moments to come from YouTube, like “Keyboard Cat” or “Charlie Bit My Finger,” the science of a viral video is an ever-changing imperfect formula. How do videos go viral? While for YouTubers of today, it may take a lot of luck, some common elements of viral videos can set you up for success. According to HubSpot research in the 2022 Video Marketing Report, these are the most prevalent characteristics: Title length: Videos had short titles (3 words or less) Run-time: Videos had shorter run times (3 minutes or less). Captures viewer's attention in first few seconds: Videos featured the element of surprise (defined as seeing or hearing...
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Tito’s Vodka Enlists Martha Stewart for DIY January

Marketing News
January 11, 2023/by
Tito's Vodka Enlists Martha Stewart for DIY January Welcome to HubSpot Marketing News! Tap in for campaign deep dives, the latest marketing industry news, and tried-and-true insights from HubSpot’s media team.  Participating in Dry January? Martha Stewart has a few suggestions for how to use your Tito’s Vodka if you aren’t drinking it. The vodka company and lifestyle maven partnered to create “DIY January,” a campaign showing the various ways the Tito's DIY January kit can be used around the house, served with a splash of humor. Though the ad spot is clearly a joke it underscores an emerging trend in mindful alcohol consumption. Drizly reported a noticeable increase in non-alcoholic beverage sales in January 2022 — a 48% jump from the prior year’s non-alcoholic beverage sales. In the same report, Drizly also noted products that were perceived as “lighter” such as clean wine and hard seltzer were some of the top-selling products last January. According to Gallup, alcohol consumption for American adults is on the decline and Gen Z’s drinking patterns may be influencing the shift.  Compared to Millennials, older Gen Z’s spend 40% less money on alcohol and are less likely to consume alcohol regularly. A survey by Numerator found Gen Z’s alcohol consumption and purchasing habits are influenced by concerns about how it affects their mood, behavior, and social media presence.  These same themes may ring true for younger members of Gen Z as well, as there...
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What Marketing Leaders Think About Quiet Quitting [Executive Leadership Data]

Work Life Balance
January 10, 2023/by
What Marketing Leaders Think About Quiet Quitting Back in September, we covered quiet quitting: Specifically, what it is, how the term got popular, and ways to address it. Now, we’re hearing directly from marketing leaders and getting their thoughts on the phenomenon, courtesy of our Executive Leadership survey of 500+ leaders. In this article, you’ll find out what they think about quiet quitters (Spoiler alert: It’s not pretty), why they think it’s happening and how they plan to address it. What Marketing Leaders Know about Quiet Quitting To start things off, most of the marketing leaders we surveyed (73%) say they’re familiar with the term “quiet quitting.”’ In fact, 57% agree that quiet quitting is happening to some degree within their organization. To what extent? Well, marketing leaders think only 17% of their employees are quiet quitting. However, our consumer trends data suggests otherwise. In our survey, 33% of full-time employees reported that they are quiet quitting their current job. Since this data is self-reported, this figure is likely higher. Yet, 80% of leaders surveyed say they would know if an employee on their team was quiet quitting. This suggests that two things could be happening: Employees are great at hiding the fact that they’re quiet quitting or leaders are a bit out of touch with their employees. Regardless of where the true number lies, 57% of marketing leaders are concerned about this phenomenon and 66% have explicitly discussed how to address it with their leadership team....
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10+ Ways to Increase Your Productivity At Work & At Home

Productivity
January 7, 2023/by
10+ Ways to Increase Your Productivity At Work & At Home When you’re trying to meet personal and/or professional goals, one of the first things you evaluate is your productivity. Are you managing your time well? Are you checking off items on your to-do list? Or do you find yourself falling behind? If so, this article’s for you. Discover low-effort ways to boost your productivity – whether you’re working from home or heading to the office. How to Increase Productivity at Work Figure out your productivity patterns. Don’t multitask. Be accountable. Break up large tasks. Block off your calendar. Use productivity apps. Ways to Increase Productivity at Home Limit distractions. Stick to a routine. Prioritize breaks. Set up your environment. Have a designated workspace. How to Increase Productivity at Work 1. Figure out your productivity patterns. Just because the average work day is between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. doesn’t mean those are the hours in which you do your best work. Some of us focus best in the early morning before the sun is even up and some of us are night owls. The first thing you should do when working on your productivity is first to...
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Employer Branding: What It Is and How To Build It for Your Business

Recruiting Tips
January 7, 2023/by
Employer Branding: What It Is and How To Build It for Your Business A company's reputation matters more than ever during a job seeker's search, as 86% of workers would not apply for, or continue to work for, a company with a bad reputation with former employees or the general public. Ultimately, you spend plenty of time creating a compelling brand story surrounding your products or services, but how do you build a strong employer brand that attracts top talent? Here, we'll explore what employer branding means, examples of good employer branding, and how you can implement your employer branding strategy today. Table of Contents:  What Is Employer Branding? Why Is Employer Branding Important? Employer Branding Strategy Employer Branding Examples What Is Employer Branding? Employer branding is the reputation you have as an employer among your employees and the workforce. It’s also how you market your company to job seekers and internal employees.  The better you are at employer branding, the more likely you are to retain and attract your top talent, as 69% of surveyed employees think it’s extremely/very important that their employer has a brand they’re proud to support. Let's say you've done a phenomenal job building up a strong brand with your products or services. Unfortunately, that alone won't convince someone to work at, or stay at, your company. You need to implement the same branding strategy when communicating your company's leadership, values, and culture. If a job seeker...
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How to be a Great Coworker: 16 Tips and Tricks from HubSpot Insiders

Office Politics
January 7, 2023/by
How to be a Great Coworker: 16 Tips and Tricks from HubSpot Insiders If you work 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, that's over 2,000 hours a year spent with the same coworkers (give or take a vacation or two, of course). Therefore, if it isn’t already your top priority, being a great coworker definitely should be. Strong relationships are the foundation of a positive work environment and set the tone for nearly your entire work life. Even if you hate how Jim blows his nose at his desk, or you cringe every time Stacy brings up her cats, these people greatly influence your work day-to-day. The bottom line is that collaboration and connection will get you much farther than you may think. (Trust us! Hubspot has been named #1 for happiest employees and #2 for best place to work.) For our exclusive insider tips, keep reading. 1. Appreciate and acknowledge. When people feel unappreciated in the workplace, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to see the benefit of going that extra mile. With no recognition, there's little motivation to continue. That's where you come in. Whether you're a manager or just a grateful peer, make an effort to give credit. Taking time in a meeting to give kudos, writing an email, or sending a Slack message takes minutes. However, this gesture can make someone’s entire day. “As an intern, I assumed I would mostly go unnoticed and fly under the radar in my day-to-day...
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Equinox Champions the Anti-Resolution

Marketing News
January 6, 2023/by
Equinox Champions the Anti-Resolution Welcome to HubSpot Marketing News! Tap in for campaign deep dives, the latest marketing industry news, and tried-and-true insights from HubSpot’s media team.  The beginning of January is like the Superbowl for fitness and wellness brands. Year after year consumers set goals to form healthier habits in the new year and 2023 is no exception. According to Statista’s Top New Year's Resolutions Survey, 52% of American adults want to exercise more, 50% hope to eat healthier, and 40% are looking to lose weight this year.  You would think fitness brands would be going all-in to capitalize on this momentum, right? Well, upscale fitness chain Equinox had other plans. On January 1, Equinox updated the company website and shared controversial social posts claiming the company “Doesn’t Speak January” and isn’t allowing new members to join during the month to prioritize those who are dedicated to fitness year-round. It's not you, it's January. #ItsNotFitnessItsLife pic.twitter.com/Bg6lBnSUR2— Equinox (@Equinox) January 1, 2023 The statement has been controversial, with some consumers criticizing the brand for shaming those at the beginning of their wellness journey and being exclusionary. I'm an all access + @AskAmex platinum member, and I don't want to support a gym that shames people for setting fitness goals during ANY month of the year— it can have a large public health impact for a gym to support their members...
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How to Write an Effective Communications Plan [+ Template]

Public Relations
January 6, 2023/by
How to Write an Effective Communications Plan Remember the "Tide Pod Challenge?" That horrendous time at the beginning of 2018 when adolescents filmed themselves ingesting laundry detergent? While it was a funny (albeit dangerous) start to the new year, this small boost of infamy was a PR mess for the detergent brand in question, Tide, whose crisis communication team had to figure out how to respond to America's teens swallowing their toxic product. Tide's parent company, Procter & Gamble, was swift in their response, thanks in large part to their communication plan. In this post, you'll learn how to create an effective communication plan that prepares you and your company for any situation. Communication plans can help you clarify the purpose of a product launch or new initiative and officially determine the messages you want to deliver to your intended audience(s). Additionally, a communication plan can help your business during a time of crisis if a previous marketing message or business decision damages your reputation with internal stakeholders or customers. If companies don't have a communication plan, they'll be unprepared when disaster strikes. It may be unlikely that your company will find teenagers eating your product for internet fame, but not so unlikely that you'll never find yourself needing a procedure to effectively handle difficult situations. Need a free, easy-to-use communication plan template? HubSpot has 12. Check out this toolkit for everything you need to build your own. This is part of a template offered in the...
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