ProQuo AI

If there’s one thing political ads can teach us about brand marketing, it’s that leading with what makes you unique is almost always a winning strategy. And in Donald Trump’s case, his brand proved to resonate and motivate his base in the 2024 presidential election. Trump’s campaign announcement was a success. It reinforced his appeal as a leader and successfully energized his base by highlighting media clips that criticized and attacked him. It’s no surprise that his promise to run for president again resonated with viewers. However, Trump’s attack ads didn’t improve his voter perception. One ad painted Kamala Harris as a “radical leftist,” calling out her policies around defunding the police, gun confiscation, and immigration reform. Trump’s brand is dependent on his base seeing him as an anti-establishment choice. He’s not a politician. Instead of making him look bold and different, the attack ad made him look like just another politician. The unique, “outsider” vibe that usually makes him stand out? It took a hit. The takeaway? Attack ads may be tempting, but they risk diluting a brand’s core appeal if they don’t stay on message. #uselection #brandstrategy #marketing #donaldtrump

Often in marketing, we find that campaigns resonate best when they lean into what makes your brand unique. A recent lesson from the US presidential election shows just how critical this is. For Kamala Harris, her campaign announcement worked particularly well, boosting perceptions of her emotional appeal, transparency, and attractiveness as a leader. It tapped into her strengths, building a foundation of what voters could expect from her as a presidential candidate. Responses to her attack ads were mixed. Messaging that cast Trump as a dictator and focused on Project 2025 detracted from her popularity and her image as a forward-thinking leader; it tarnished her campaign with negativity and darkness. On the other hand, a lighter-toned attack ad featuring Barack Obama struck a positive chord. It effectively reinforced her integrity and strengthened her connection to economic improvement—a critical issue for many voters. The takeaway for marketers? Leading with your unique strengths often drives better results. Although attack ads are a key component of traditional political campaigns, in Harris’ case, they just didn’t work. #campaignstrategy #advertising #marketinginsights #kamalaharris #uselection

Election Day is nearly here! As polls remain the closest that they've ever been, we decided to take a different approach in analyzing this year's presidential campaigns. We're not political pollsters, but we do know brands! In this webinar on-demand, our marketing experts offer a deep dive into the brand strength of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. ? Watch to learn more about... ?? The key Drivers that are leading Americans to the polls in 2024 ?? How campaign ads launched by Trump and Harris impacted voter perception of each candidate ??? Which candidate has built the stronger brand going in the lead up to Election Day Watch the webinar here: https://lnkd.in/e4NN6dvm #electionday #brandstrategy #campaigneffectiveness #uselection

Happy Halloween from ProQuo AI! ?? What are Americans giving out to trick-or-treaters this year? We talked to snacks & candy users across the U.S. to learn more about their 2024 candy choices. ?? ?? With the global cocoa bean shortage driving up the price of cocoa, price-conscious consumers are buying less—and chocolate brands are struggling to meet sales expectations. 57% of shoppers are planning to spend the same amount as they did last year on Halloween candy. We wanted to know: how will their decision making be impacted should their budgets not stretch as far this year? You can read our full report on our blog: https://lnkd.in/eBciMqbu #consumerinsights #halloween2024 #halloweencandy #brandstrategy #marketing

Bold and innovative marketing makes an impact. With the launch of their new Lux Balm, Fenty Skin showcased how innovation can propel brands to break through the crowded beauty category. Their “Born to Steal” campaign, filmed in an Old-Hollywood noir style, featured scenes of Rihanna repeatedly stealing from A$AP Rocky—snatching up both his heart and his stuff. The one thing he won’t let her steal? His Fenty Skin Lux Balm. With the saturation of new beauty launches on social media, brands are having to be BIGGER and BOLDER in their activations to cut through the noise and win customers. The “Born to Steal” campaign did just that: perceptions of Fenty’s Innovation among Non-users rose by 11% between January and March, significantly increasing their customer recruitment power in the beauty space. What made the campaign a success? ?? The decision to lead with a male protagonist ?? The aesthetic of Old Hollywood glamour ?? The product’s efficacy and hydration claims Curious how other top brands are winning with bold ideas? Read the full report for the insights that will inspire your next move: https://lnkd.in/eQVCvvTW #consumerinsights #brandinnovation #beautyinnovation #beautytrends #skincare?

Halloween is just 1 week away! ?? Halloween is one of the biggest seasons for candy and chocolate sales in the U.S. We wanted to know what type of candy trick-or-treaters should expect to find this year. 58% of Americans plan to give out fun-sized chocolate bars— which is no surprise considering the favorite candy brands across the US. ???? However, other types of candy are popular this year as well: from full-sized chocolate bars to gummy and chewy candies. Check out our 2024 trick-or-treating guide to see which regions in the US are most likely to give out your favorite type of candy! #marketresearch #consumerinsights #halloween #chocolate

In 2024, brands are no longer just competing on products or price, but on the ability to stand out through Innovation. The brands that succeed in doing so excel at becoming more familiar to their audience while tapping into the emotional motivations that drive consumer behavior. Read more in our Impact of Innovation Report: https://lnkd.in/eQVCvvTW #marketing #innovation #consumerinsights #brandperception

With AI becoming an essential part of modern business, many organizations still struggle to unlock its full potential. Despite 80% of decision-makers acknowledging AI's growing importance, only 22% are using it effectively. ProQuo’s Head of Data Science Carl Sandrock recently shared his advice on how to maximize AI's impact with WARC readers. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/eYaZ5nt8 #marketing #artificialintelligence #datascience

Election season is heating up! Danielle Wiseman and John Curran are headed to #TMRE2024 next week to share how measuring voter feelings can result in a more accurate read on voter behavior. Too often people struggle to articulate why they feel the way they do about candidates. Polls can give us insight into voter intent, but their responses are limited. In this presentation, we'll uncover the hidden emotions that drive voter decisions and answer key questions like... ?? How persuasive are campaign events (debates, ads) in shifting voter opinion? ?? Has one party been more effective in winning over undecided voters? ?? Is one candidate doing it better? And if so, how? ?? How important are running mates and celebrity endorsements in persuading votes? #brandstrategy #marketresearch #voterbehavior #2024election

We’re excited to announce that ProQuo AI has partnered with the Little Grey Cells Club as their Exclusive Research Partner! Little Grey Cells is a space where top marketing leaders come together to?challenge,?support, and?discover. We’re proud to collaborate with this dynamic community as they push boundaries and elevate their strategies. At ProQuo AI, our goal is to empower brand and insight managers by not only showing what’s happening in their marketing but also uncovering?why?it’s happening—and guiding them on what steps to take next. Through this partnership, we’ll provide members with research before each event to help inform the discussion of the day. Last week, our CEO, Jim Brennan, presented key insights from our?Impact of Innovation?report to members of Little Grey Cells. You can read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eQVCvvTW A big thanks to Tim Healey and this month's panel for a hosting a fantastic discussion around Innovation. Cecilia Weckstrom Mélina Kacherou-Carage Mark Earls Alex Collins Harry Lane #ResearchPartner #MarketingInsights #Innovation