With the rise of the iPhone, our society has quickly shifted in many respects. The ways we interact, the ways we find information, the ways we work and the ways we occupy our time have all been impacted by not only the advancement of mobile technology but the introduction of apps into our everyday routines. Now entire businesses revolve around the model of customer interaction via phone applications. Mobile traffic has given the opportunity for hundreds of thousands of companies to reach their audiences with more ease and efficiency, making transactions, and communication in general much more streamlined. By 2020, the predicted number of apps to exist will be 5 million (Perez, 2017), and the possibilities don’t stop there.

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It’s hard to ignore just how much social media has taken the advertising and marketing world by storm. From the beginnings of a millennial-led movement to a full-blown industry changer, social media has transformed how we choose the products we buy, and more importantly how we connect with others to create communities around brands and people alike. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat are only some of the many content-centered sites that aim to reach their audiences directly through personalized targeted visual and written messaging.

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As a student at UT’s Moody College of Communication, I am exposed to many amazing opportunities and professionals with vast experience in the industries of journalism, media and public relations just to name a few. This past week, I had the privilege of attending a lecture by Christopher Ferrel, the Director of Digital Strategy at The Richards Group for one of my courses, Technology, Marketing, and Advertising. After listening to his presentation, I was mesmerized by his concept of a new era that is bound to change the course of digital advertising. The Skippable Era, as he classifies it, is characterized by a feature we all love and embrace; the skip button. To better understand how marketing trends and consumer engagement have shaped digital practices of our current era, Chris poses three essential questions for advertising gurus to consider.

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Today is #InternationalWomensDay, a day dedicated to celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women. In honor of this, we have compiled a list of inspiring, female-built brands that are changing the game. We recommend having Destiny’s Child or Rihanna playing in the background as you read.

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Marketing to Millennials all starts with understanding them as a consumer demographic. Millennials, also known as generation Y, consist of those who were born between the early 1980’s and early 2000’s. They are heavily influenced by digital technology, the information revolution, globalization and social media.

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Amazon. The company making big headlines last August when it officially acquired Whole Foods and made many customers question, what isn’t influenced by this all-encompassing tech and commerce business? Ranging from the invention of the Echo and Alexa to selling groceries in a cashier-less brick and mortar store coined Amazon Go, the future of our everyday experiences may sit in the hands of this company. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington with over 40,000 employees, Amazon is the largest employer in the city providing its economy with immeasurable value and its environment with multiple treasured amenities. So, what’s the next step for this booming business? Growth has brought CEO Jeff Bezos and the team to search for a second headquarters location amongst some of the most alluring spots in the US.

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As we look back on SXSW 2018, it is hard to ignore some of the most innovative and unique happenings brought to our backyard this March. Activations, celebrities and creators alike flocked to Austin for a week full of events surrounding the industries of technology, music, film, media, marketing and advertising, journalism and much more. Our very own Founder and Managing Partner, James Trumbly, was lucky enough to attend many of these sessions and could not help but gush about the amazing times he had this year. Can you blame him? Below are some of HMG’s favorite picks for SXSW’s most interesting and even impromptu events.

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It seems as though every day, there is a new headline about fake news, information security, and data breaches, but could we ever have imagined one of our most widely used social sites to be in the center of it all? This past month, Facebook has encountered some of its own roadblocks with these popular issues. But to fully understand why #DeleteFacebook is now one of the most trending topics, we must first unpack the purpose and influence of the company itself.

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What is Experiential Marketing?
Experiential Marketing is a growing trend that directly engages consumers with brands through the creation of experiences. Brands use this technique to market their products and services by creating an emotional response for the consumer. As traditional marketing methods such as TV advertising are becoming less effective, it’s easy to see why brands are turning towards experiential marketing to create more direct relationships with consumers.

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These #MondayMotivation quotes can serve as an inspiration for all types of businesses. We hope they gear you up for the working week ahead!

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