Youth culture no longer belongs to Millennials. There’s a new demographic on the block, and brands need to take note – and quickly. A growing blindspot in the marketplace is the continued association of Millennials with the youth lifestyle, but it’s time to the face the facts…
Soft drink brand Sprite has launched a new ad featuring a teen who doesn’t appear to be a Millennial. So who is this mystery shopper and what makes him tick? J. Walker Smith, executive chairman at The Futures Company, reveals all. Although popular opinion across…
With the global travel retail market tipped to reach $85bn by 2020 (Source: Generation Research), there is no better time for brands to explore original and innovative ways to engage with passengers by combining the best of experiential marketing and point of sale promotions with…
It’s the subject that just won’t go away, and it has been in the media again over the past week. First, Three became the first mobile network to reveal it was planning to introduce ad-blocking across its network, with EE and O2 reportedly considering similar…
By obsessing over creating increasingly tailored experiences for consumers, are we overlooking people’s basic need to belong, asks J. Walker Smith (pictured below), executive chairman at The Futures Company. We live in turbulent times. From the constant threat of terrorism pervading countries across the globe…
What a genius David Bowie was. Not only was he arguably one of the most original and creative songwriters, musicians and performers, it turns out he was an incredible media futurologist. One of the most fascinating recent TV tributes was his interview with Jeremy Paxman…
This year’s Super Bowl was one of the most ad-heavy ever. J. Walker Smith, Executive Chairman of The Futures Company argues that one campaign stood out head and shoulders above the mass of mediocrity. Here’s why… All in all, Super Bowl 50 was probably not…
From an advertiser perspective, simply using programmatic technology to place your ads is a great way to get more for your money. It can automatically set spending limits, optimise advertising bids and help to prevent overspending. But making the most of your programmatic investment isn’t…
The ‘Berlin Wall’ of sport governance is crumbling…how long before other brands follow Adidas and make a break for the exit? Following Adidas ending its IAAF sponsorship deal early in the wake of the doping crisis, John Owrid, Chairman at Sporting Mouth, looks at the…
Brand ambassadors are increasingly being used for more than just promotional work. Sarah Abdelghani, Account Manager at Blackjack explains how and why. Although you might not believe it, experiential activity is no longer only about running live promotions to drive sales or brand experiences to…