News and Analysis
BOOM & BUST: C-Stores Thrive While D-Stores Die
The C in this case stands for convenience store (C-Store), and the D stands for department store (D-Store) — both critical outlets in the MULO (multi-location) retail ecosystem. Brick-and-mortar locations in many categories are still alive and well despite consumers’ penchant for online shopping. Yet, some types of MULO brands are performing much better than […]
Seedtag Acquires JustEggs for ANZ Market Entry
When Seedtag acquired supply-side platform Beachfront in June, it did so to deepen its offering in TV and advertising video. One month later, Seedtag, a global leader in contextual advertising, acquired JustEggs to broaden its global footprint with entry into Australia and New Zealand. JustEggs is an Australian-owned creative intelligence business. Dal Gill, Vice President […]
Christena Garduno of Media Culture: The Marketing Agency’s Future
Marketing agencies used to be able to woo clients with unique and emotional ad campaigns. Then, as media options became more varied, knowing how and where to spend ad dollars (print, television, radio, and ultimately online) was a critical factor. Today, agencies must deliver a full range of strategies and solutions, and data analytics and […]
Commentary
The Challenge of Brand Alignment with Social Issues
Increasingly, brands with high public visibility must articulate their positions on issues the public cares about while avoiding the appearance of exploiting public sentiment for purposes of self-promotion. And whether or not a formal statement makes sense on every issue, companies should be prepared for the day when a consumer comes to them to ask a question or offer feedback about a brand’s actions or values, perhaps in the form of a social post that is there for all to see.
Three Best Practices to Reduce Acquisition Costs and Increase Lifetime Value
Retail media networks have a significant role to play in helping DTC brands engage with their audiences while bringing down customer acquisition costs. To reduce user acquisition costs while driving lifetime value, brands also need to figure out exactly what to measure and how to understand target customers.
Latest Posts
4 Reasons to Hesitate Before Using AI to Create Content
AI can’t build a differentiated brand. It can’t capture the expertise of your thought leaders. And your customers are discerning enough to tell the difference between automated and human-written content. For all three of these reasons, organizations should at least hesitate before using AI to create content.
Regulators Crack Down on Cookie Consent Designs That Manipulate Consumers
After winning their battle against Meta for forcing users to accept personalized ads, E.U. regulators are taking on a new challenge — cookie consent banners. Specifically, lawmakers are beginning to look at how cookie consent banners are designed and whether deliberate design tricks are being used to manipulate web users.
BrightLocal Survey Finds Businesses Still Offering Incentives for Reviews
Nearly half of consumers have been offered incentives in exchange for leaving a business review, despite widespread efforts throughout the online review industry to cut down on the practice. According to BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey, the practice of offering discounts or cash in exchange for reviews is on the rise.
What the Rise of Generative AI Means for Marketers
While these are still early days for OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, marketers have begun to pounce. From creative production and versioning to content generation and customer service, marketers are finding innovative ways to use AI chatbots to generate more reliable results for their clients.
Lessons from the 2022 Holiday Shopping Season
As 2023 gets into full gear, we should look at the key trends and factors persisting and fueling growth into the next holiday season peak, which will arrive before we know it. Retailers and brands planning for upcoming quarters should remember these lessons from the 2022 holiday e-commerce shopping season:
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