News and Analysis
Report: Retail Is Robust Again
The fickle finger of fast fashion just got longer in the U.S. market. According to findings from the Consumer Edge Insight Center fast fashion, defined as the reproduction of high-end fashion designs cheaply and selling them at retail for the masses, is even holding its own against luxury fashion. Retailers such as Shein, Temu, The Gap, Zara, Uniqlo, Topshop, […]
The MULO Dozen: December Brands in Review
As MULO (multi-location) brands prepare for the new year, they make bold moves — from new leadership to hot consumer trends we look at December brands in review. Here’s what we saw this month. Have news for 2024? Please e-mail me. Love’s names two new executives. The C-store “experience” is now officially a trend. (LEADERSHIP) 50 […]
Do You Have One of the Most Stressful Jobs?
You may think that managing marketing, business operations, or technology gives you daily headaches. But there are other more stressful jobs. This new “Top 10” report is one that MULO (multi-location) retailers would probably not want to hear about. According to new data from the U.S. Department of Labor, front-line retail management ranks high as […]
Commentary
5 Reasons Direct-to-Consumer Marketers Should Invest in CTV and OTT
There’s never been a better time to make the move to CTV/OTT. Regardless of the path you choose, as audiences increasingly turn their attention to streaming media, DTC brands can’t afford to get left behind. Allocating some budget for CTV/OTT in the coming year is a smart investment that will put your brand ahead of the competition and in front of active, engaged audiences.
3 Cutting-Edge Trends in Digital Advertising
Many firms claim to propose an ad model that no other company can replicate, but trends are emerging among the “next-generation” advertising technologies. Three of those trends include context becoming a layer of all advertising, real-time updates to messaging, and interactivity driving engagement.
Latest Posts
How Do the “Other” Search Engines Handle Local Search?
I wanted to look in particular at search engines other than Google and their treatment of local search. I was intrigued by the recent announcements that Bing was making forays into product inventory as a component of local search as well as the launch of Bing Travel, a Google Travel competitor but with a very different approach to destination-based search and discovery. Similarly, recent news about the exponential growth of Brave and DuckDuckGo in our era of privacy impelled me to find out more about their handling of local results.
Location-Based Marketing Association: Indoor Maps as a Service
In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association discusses Catalina partnering with Place IQ, Japanese dating agency Matching Advisor Press using vending machines to find matches, Seattle launching an NFT Museum, and Here Technologies launching Indoor Map as a service.
TV Advertising Versus Social and Search
TV ads are delivered to consumers in a clutter-free environment, where the consumer is usually in a “leaned back,” focused state of being. TV ads are often delivered via 60″+ TV screens with full surround-sound audio, creating an immersive “sight, sound, motion” impact like no other medium. Of course TV drives better recall! And if TV ads drive better recall, basic logic would conclude that TV ads also drive better consumer response.
6 Contactless Shopping Solutions for In-Store Retail
The retail industry took notice when Merkle debuted its newest contactless shopping solution at CES 2022 this month, but the company’s Scan & Know product isn’t the only touchless retail solution on the market. Thanks to the continued adoption of augmented reality and virtual reality among consumers, more technology providers are developing in-store retail experiences that keep physical contact to a minimum.
6 Contextual Video Advertising Platforms
Advertisers are leaning into contextual targeting as a way to connect with consumers in brand-suitable environments. They’re also investing more heavily in video advertising, upping ad spend on video by 12% in 2021 to a record $81.9 billion for the year. As we move further into 2022, the real magic looks to be in the combination of contextual advertising with video advertising, as more brands discover the power that comes with being able to reach audiences interested in their messages with video content that’s designed to engage.
2021 Lessons That Should Inform Your 2022 E-Commerce Marketplace Strategy
This digital-first mindset applies more pressure than ever on brands to create a holistic online experience in 2022, one that combines tried and true business strategies with creative new methods for enhanced visibility and customer experience. Success will come down to three critical elements in the year ahead: brand discoverability, compelling offers, and seamless customer experiences.
Real-Time Data Will Enhance the Customer Experience in 2022
Digital intelligence platforms like Scuba Analytics and FullStory are expanding rapidly — with funding rounds led by some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley. Big data analytics is expected to grow to $100 billion in the next five years, driven in large part by demand from retail brands for real-time insights and accurate customer engagement data.
5 Ways Data Privacy Will Evolve in 2022
But the glut of new solutions does not mean that martech, much less the private sector as a whole, has figured out how to prepare for the future of data privacy. Here are five privacy predictions to keep an eye on in 2022. It would be in your best interest to determine how you and your company are affected.
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