Giving the gift of a Sears or Kmart gift card has gone social as the retailers announced the introduction of eGifting on Facebook. “We’re making gift giving easier than ever this holiday season by offering our fans the opportunity to purchase gifts directly on Facebook from any computer or mobile device,” said Susan Ehrlich, president,… Read More
As location-based services report impressive user growth and big brand partnerships, and major players like Facebook and Google enter the space, marketers are ramping up their location-based efforts ahead of the holiday season. Most will use these applications, such as Google Maps, to locate stores. See the article about location-based services… Read More
Last month, Arby’s kicked off a Foursquare promotion in which mayors of 37 locations from Evansville, Ind., to Huntsville, Ala., get reserved seats at “Mayor’s tables” and 50% off meals. “This represents the intersection of the social-media conversation we want to be a part of and the real-world targetability that larger retail operations desire,” says… Read More
In 2010, we’ve seen the rise of so-called “social shopping” services. They rely heavily on technologies such as social networking, crowdsourcing and smart phone scanners. Here we present five of the main social shopping developments of 2010. See the article about top trends of 2010… Read More
“In today’s crowded marketplace, creating loyal, engaged customers is more important—and more challenging—than ever,” says Mark Johnson, CEO of Cincinnati-based Loyalty 360. “That is why we are going to see a number of key trends unfold over the next year.” Johnson predicts the following 11 key trends will dominate the loyalty marketing industry in 2011.… Read More
As one of the earliest practitioners of one-to-one marketing (as a consultant for Don Peppers and Martha Rogers) I’ve been able to observe the good, bad and ugly about loyalty programs for nearly a generation. While there’s been incremental shifts away from bad & ugly, most companies still haven’t even come close to good. Yes,… Read More
I’m always surprised at how few retail spaces take advantage of Twitter and Facebook (yes, there are exceptions). The costs are low, the risks are manageable and your customers are already using the platforms. See the article about driving traffic to your retail shop… Read More
There is no denying that social media has become an important means of communication. The big argument going on now is whether social media can be used as an effective marketing tool for business. Can actively participating in social media translate into sales for your brand? See the article about social media and retail… Read More
Customer loyalty shows up in greater share of the customer’s wallet and higher frequency of purchase. Loyal customers spend more per average transaction, and they send referrals to you through the enthusiastic stories they tell, based on doing business with you. You can market all you want, but in the end, customers believe and talk… Read More
While consumer-branded businesses are abuzz with social media’s potential, no one yet really understands the medium’s potential to affect financial performance. We found four good bets that retailers—of almost any size and from any segment—can employ to both maximize customer loyalty benefits and minimize brand risk. See the article about customer loyalty and social media… Read More