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New York City, famously known as the Big Apple, is a vibrant and bustling metropolis that attracts millions of residents and visitors each year. From its iconic skyline to its thriving cultural scene, NYC has a lot to offer. However, as with any major city, air quality can be a concern. In this blog post, we will delve into the air quality of NYC and explore whether it presents a marketing challenge or opportunity for businesses.   Understanding the Air Quality in NYC: To accurately assess the air quality in NYC, it is essential to rely on reliable sources of information. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a reputable organization that monitors air quality nationwide. According to the EPA’s Air Quality Index (AQI), which measures pollutants such as particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and ground-level ozone (O3), NYC generally falls within the moderate to unhealthy range.   Factors Influencing Air Quality: Several factors contribute to the air quality in NYC, including vehicular emissions, industrial activities, and the sheer density of the population. The city’s geographical location, surrounded by water bodies and characterized by a high concentration of buildings, can also impact air circulation and pollutant dispersal.   Implications for Marketing: The air quality in a city like NYC can influence marketing strategies in various ways. Let’s explore both the potential challenges and opportunities it presents:   Challenges: a.     Health Concerns: Poor air quality may raise concerns among health-conscious consumers, particularly those with respiratory issues or sensitivities. Businesses operating in industries related to wellness, outdoor activities, or health-focused products may need to address these concerns proactively.   b.     Reputation Management: Companies that prioritize sustainability and environmental responsibility might face challenges in positioning themselves positively if the city’s air quality remains a topic of concern. It becomes crucial for such businesses to demonstrate their commitment to mitigating pollution or support organizations actively working towards improving the air quality.    Opportunities: a.     Environmental Advocacy: Businesses that champion eco-friendly practices, promote sustainable products or services, and actively participate in environmental initiatives can leverage the air quality issue to strengthen their brand reputation. By aligning with organizations dedicated to improving air quality, businesses can demonstrate their commitment to the local community and engage with environmentally conscious consumers.   b.     Indoor Experiences: Given the occasional air quality challenges in NYC, businesses providing indoor experiences, such as museums, theaters, or wellness centers, can emphasize the safety and comfort they offer. Highlighting clean air filtration systems or indoor activities can attract customers who seek enjoyable experiences while minimizing exposure to outdoor pollutants.   While the air quality in NYC may present challenges for marketers, it also offers opportunities for businesses to differentiate themselves by addressing concerns and engaging with environmentally conscious consumers. By monitoring air quality reports, staying informed about ongoing initiatives, and adopting sustainable practices, companies can position themselves positively while contributing to the collective effort of improving the air quality in the city.   About the Author: James Fields is the founder of Solutions Advocates, a New York City-based public relations firm specializing in social media marketing and strategic planning. To learn more about James and Solutions Advocates, please contact us at (718) 374-6697 or email info@soladvocates.com.   Sources: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): https://www.epa.gov/ New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/index.page  

In a matter of minutes on Monday, the face of cable news changed dramatically. First, Fox News reported that it had “parted ways” with Tucker Carlson, the host of the conservative cable news network’s hit 8 p.m. show Tucker Carlson Tonight. Then, just as the Succession memes started flowing, longtime CNN host Don Lemon posted a note on Twitter informing followers that he’d just heard, via his agent, that the network was firing him. (CNN has since disputed that characterization, tweeting that Lemon “was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”)It’s tempting to lump together these two departures, considering that they were announced almost simultaneously. (Lemon was open about his termination, whereas Carlson’s exit was publicly framed as a mutual decision. A source at Fox confirmed to TIME that the decision was not a financial one and suggested that Carlson was likely surprised by the decision, given his signoff on Friday’s show, but would not provide further comment.) Carlson and Lemon have something else in common, too: both men are controversial, and have faced backlash from the media and the public as well as their co-workers. The Fox News star leans into his role as a provocateur, promoting a right-wing agenda that barely bothers to conceal its grounding in racism, sexism, xenophobia, conspiracy thinking, religious intolerance, and hatred of the LGBTQ community. His less inflammatory CNN counterpart, meanwhile, has been mired in accusations of misogyny and bad behavior on set. But it would be a mistake to read their tandem dismissals as some righteous act on the part of cable news media writ large to purge itself of toxic men. The cases have important differences, though both will surely impact how TV covers the 2024 presidential election.Of the two, Lemon was the much more obvious candidate for replacement. As he put it on Twitter on Monday morning: “It is clear that there are some larger issues in play.” As anyone who’s been following his career recently will remember, one salient issue is Lemon himself. This past February, the CNN This Morning co-anchor came under fire for calling 51-year-old Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley over the hill. “Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime, sorry,” Lemon told his female co-hosts. “When a woman is considered to be in her prime—in her 20s, 30s, and maybe her 40s.” Further reporting turned up allegations that Lemon had a long history of behavior that Variety characterized as painting “a picture of a journalist who flouted rules and cozied up to power all while displaying open hostility to many female co-workers.”Financial concerns might also have played a role in Lemon’s firing. As Forbes reported in March, cable news viewership is way down in 2023. CNN, which has a smaller audience than either Fox News or MSNBC, has seen a 34% decrease in year-over-year viewership—a much larger drop than MSNBC experienced in a year that saw the latter network’s flagship host, Rachel Maddow, transition away from nightly broadcasts. The same article notes that “CNN’s biggest programming change to date has been moving Don Lemon, the anchor of the 10 p.m. ET program Don Lemon Tonight, to co-anchor a morning show CNN This Morning.” Regardless of whether Lemon’s Haley comments and the subsequent revelations had a material effect on the morning show’s audience, it’s difficult to justify a big salary when times are tough and ratings low.Carlson’s story is different. Consistently the most popular solo host (Tucker Carlson Tonight doesn’t always beat Fox News panel show The Five in the ratings) on what is consistently the most popular cable news network, he seemed pretty untouchable. In a 2021 profile, TIME’s Charlotte Alter ventured that “Carlson may be the most powerful conservative in America.” Then came the court filings—and Fox’s widely publicized legal woes. Even after Dominion Voting Systems’ lawsuit against the network revealed disparaging comments the host had made against both Donald Trump and the network’s own higher-ups, it’s possible Carlson would’ve survived to issue red-faced primetime rants and print money for Murdoch world.The thing is, he’s also named in a lawsuit from Abby Grossberg, his former head of booking, that includes allegations that male producers on his show created a toxic work environment, replete with antisemitic jokes and demeaning behavior towards women. The New York Times reported that one of Grossberg’s lawyers, Tanvir Rahman, released a statement Monday framing Carlson’s departure as, “in part, an admission of the systemic lying, bullying and conspiracy mongering claimed by our client.” If the accusations against both men are true, then they have much more in common than CNN loyalists and Fox News fans might want to admit. In Lemon’s case, the writing was on the wall. For Carlson, it was buried in legal documents.Both stories are still developing; the headlines keep changing as reporters scramble to uncover what really happened behind the scenes at Fox News and CNN. It could take days, weeks, or months for all the details to come out. In the meantime, there’s one major takeaway for not just cable news viewers, but also the American electorate at large: While Carlson’s political influence dwarfs that of Lemon, a less prominent host on a less popular network, both of these high-profile personnel shifts are sure to impact how we understand a 2024 presidential election that is already beginning to take shape.On CNN, we’ll have one less voice applying sexist double standards to female candidates who’ve been fighting them for generations, from Shirley Chisholm and Geraldine Ferraro to Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris. It’s hard to imagine Fox News turning away from its reactionary stances with Carlson gone, but the network has its work cut out for it in replacing a (covertly anti-Trump) host popular enough to help set the national conservative agenda. And, of course, much of Carlson’s devoted audience is likely to follow him to wherever he lands, whether it’s TV or a podcast or a Substack or a best-selling book. Presidential election cycles are always moments of change on cable news; Maddow made her career as MSNBC’s big 2008 hire. With Carlson and Lemon both out in April 2023, it looks like next year’s inevitable upheavals have arrived a few months early. —with reporting by Charlotte Alter

Artificial intelligence (AI) has started transforming every aspect of our professional and personal lives. The marketing industry is not immune to this digital transformation, with leading brands starting to embrace the opportunities the technology brings. Gaining a better understanding of customer behavior is one of the core benefits of AI in marketing.For years, marketers have gathered and analyzed data about customer behavior. Their goal has remained largely unchanged — extrapolate patterns and predict which products and services will be most popular with a certain audience. From that basis, marketers would then identify the channels to reach their target customers.AI is giving marketing professionals an essential advantage in this quest. This fast-evolving digital technology can analyze more data more accurately than humans can. AI and its subfields, such as machine learning (ML), also identify existing behavioral patterns and predict future behavior based on that. The growing role of AI in marketing In 2020, the market for artificial intelligence technologies in marketing was valued at just over $12 billion. While that may seem impressive, it pales in comparison with the global AI market, which was valued at over $325 in 2021. However, the current market size does not reveal the true potential of marketing-related AI. That only becomes clear by considering growth predictions.According to experts, the market for AI in marketing will exceed $35 billion next year, nearly tripling in size in only four years. Another four years later, in 2028, industry insiders believe that this area of the marketing industry will have tripled once again. Statisticians expect that marketers will utilize AI to a value of nearly $108 million before the end of this decade. How marketers are using AI today How realistic are those expectations? Consider this: as of last year, four of five marketing industry experts said they had already included some form of AI technology in their work. When asked to identify the areas in which AI and ML were already enhancing campaigns, marketing professionals named benefits in several areas: Automation of repetitive tasks Analysis of large quantities of data Personalization of campaigns Predicting conversion rates Optimizing the timing of email marketing Most of those areas benefit the current leading application of AI technology in marketing — programmatic advertising. A recent survey found that 50% of participating marketing professionals named more targeted advertising as one of the main advantages of integrating AI and ML in their approach. How AI enhances programmatic advertising Placing the right adverts in front of the right customers at a time when they were receptive to this content used to be a painstaking process. Machine learning algorithms have allowed marketers to automate buying and selling digital advertising space.Once programmed, the ML algorithms are not static. They mimic human behaviors, including learning. In practice, the algorithm ‘understands’ whether an advert has missed or exceeded expectations and learns from this outcome. There is no need for additional human intervention. The algorithm, or the machine, learns without additional input simply by analyzing results and iterating its approach.Marketers and the brands they represent benefit from improved targeting of specific audiences with customized messages. As a result, conversions grow, and advertising spends more efficiently. Programmatic advertising platforms work by analyzing quantities of data that would overwhelm humans.These platforms cannot only compute data about user behavior, website analytics, and demographic information. They also see trends and patterns before humans can. Marketing professionals can then use those insights to make their content more relevant, increasing the likelihood of customer engagement. Plus, marketing algorithms can optimize ad placement and bid pricing Understanding AI-related concerns in marketing Like most powerful technological developments, AI has raised some concerns in the industry. In addition, marketers starting to invest in AI technology are dealing with unanswered questions as the technology continues evolving at great speed. Two of the main concerns relate to customers and marketers themselves. These concerns are privacy, data protection and job security in the industry.Protecting privacy — AI and ML rely on access to large quantities of customer data to recognize patterns and predict potential behavior. Despite their far-reaching capabilities, these technologies cannot self-police. They will analyze any data fed to them. Marketers need to ensure that their data collection and usage practices are not only ethical. They must also comply with current privacy and data protection legislation, such as the European Union’s GDPR or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).Job security for marketers — Job security for marketers is another concern about the growth of AI-based applications. Most recently, these concerns have been discussed in connection with OpenAI’s ChatGPT software. Granted, it is not possible to predict entirely where the marketing industry is headed, but most experts believe that AI and ML will change existing jobs rather than replace them. Marketers can work more efficiently and effectively to benefit the brands they represent. Their daily routine may change, but it is unlikely that robots will replace human marketers anytime soon. Final thoughts While AI has the potential to transform the marketing industry as we know it almost beyond recognition, the technology is not here to replace human marketers. Instead, AI and ML can optimize and streamline current marketing approaches.Both technologies can also take care of repetitive tasks, allowing their human team members to focus on what they are best at and develop creative campaigns that engage more customers than ever before.

It’s tricky being a nonprofit marketer. You’re often left wondering if it’s okay to spend part of the money on marketing your fundraisers, or if you should just spend it all on the cause itself.However, marketing — especially for nonprofits — couldn’t be more vital for the betterment of your beneficiaries. By raising awareness and engagement, nonprofits can achieve their goals and make a real difference in the world.Use these nonprofit marketing statistics to inform your marketing strategy and maximize your budget in 2023 and beyond. Why Marketing Matters for Nonprofit Nonprofits that invest in marketing can have more of an impact. They’re able to get their nonprofit organization in front of more people.“Nonprofits have to use marketing tools and tactics to tell their stories, spread their impacts, and garner support from the greater community,” says Joshua Fields, co-founder of the nonprofit The Next Step Programs.”The more connected we are with the community, the more families we reach, the more services we provide, and the more resources we can generate.”Setting aside a budget for marketing can increase the impact of your message, the money your raise, and the number of volunteers you have. Other benefits include: Raising awareness for your mission. Attracting new donors and supporters. Building relationships with current donors and encouraging donor retention. To effectively build your strategy, you’ll need to understand the landscape of nonprofit marketing. We’ll explore essential trends in the next section. Nonprofit Marketing Statistics The State of Philanthropy In 2021, giving grew by 4%, even with challenging economic conditions. Memberships still matter. Cultural nonprofits generated 53% of their online revenue from memberships, while Public Media generated 100% from memberships. 45% of donors are donating to crowdfunding campaigns that benefit nonprofits. 56% also donate through online stores that benefit NPOs. Consider creating an online store for your nonprofit if you don’t already have one. NFTs are taking off as a way to raise money for your nonprofit. Unsilenced Voices sets up NFT art competitions for the girls in their program to draw/paint pictures. The nonprofit mints and sells them to fund school tuition, supplies, and lunch for the girls. Nonprofits raised $78 for every 1,000 fundraising messages sent. Partnerships, social media challenges, and user-generated content remain some of the most effective ways to gain funds. Use your social media channels to amplify people already supporting your organization. Which Nonprofit Marketing Channels Generate Results Most donors are more inspired to give when email marketing or social media is the communication medium (26% and 25% respectively). Meanwhile, other media generate 12% of donations. On average, nonprofits increased digital advertising budgets by 19% in 2021 to reach new and existing audiences. Nonprofit email list growth is on the rise. Email list sizes increased by 7% in 2021, compared with 4% and 2% in the previous two years. Image Source If you haven’t already, dive into events. Events with peer-to-peer fundraising converted at 47%. This is the highest rate of all campaign types, according to research from Classy. Nonprofits invested 19% more in digital advertising in 2021 compared to 2020. Search ads (Google ads for example) deliver the biggest return on ad spend ($3.72) while display and social media generated $0.59 and $0.57, respectively. The average cost per click sits at $2.99 for social media ads, up to $3.68 for video, and $3.72 for search advertising. Image Source Nonprofits Social Media Statistics Donors between the ages of 18 and 29 increased the amount they donated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of these donors, one in four wants social media communication from nonprofits. 48% of social media platform donors give on Facebook. That’s double the impact of Instagram (24%), and other platforms at less than 10% each. Mobile apps, Facebook, social media, and text messages are the most popular ways for Gen Z and Gen X to donate. Donors like to give through social media fundraising tools too. 32% have donated through Facebook Fundraising Tools and 89% of those say they’ll do it again. Pay attention to TikTok. The platform directly contributed $7 million in donations to nonprofits using the app. Social media and constant communication won’t work for every age group. Boomers and Gen Xers prefer quarterly or yearly communication to monthly or weekly. Image Source How Users Want to Make Donations Users on desktop devices donate 76% of total revenue and perform 65% of total transactions. 55% prefer to donate online using their credit or debit cards — a cue that digital marketing is important. Make sure you have multiple ways to donate on your website. The average one-time donation was nearly 1.5x more when nonprofits offered ACH, PayPal, and digital wallet payments. HubSpot found that Gen Z prefers to donate via Facebook, social media, texting, or mobile apps. Meanwhile, millennials prefer texting or app-based donations. The number one reason Gen X may choose not to donate to an org is an outdated website. Making the Most of Your Strategy One thing remains constant with these stats: Data-based decisions are more important than ever.Invest in a nonprofit technology that tracks and provides visibility for all your data. Be sure to stay up-to-date with the nonprofit marketing world and trends shift.