Customer Acquisition

Demand for authenticity and representation from brands has caused the traditional influencer marketing model — which centered on brand-sponsored content from high-profile social media users — to decrease in its ability to engage and build trust amongst consumers. And with consumer spending starting to decrease as prices continue to climb, retail brands wanting to maintain customer loyalty…

Last year’s back-to-school shopping season was defined by two trends. The first: increased spending. Families with elementary and high school-aged students were on track to spend over $37 billion in 2021, up from the $33 billion they spent in 2020, while spending for college-aged students topped $70 billion. The second trend: consumers kicked off their…

Glossier, the eight-year-old direct-to-consumer (D-to-C) beauty unicorn, is entering its first-ever retailer partnership with LVMH-owned beauty giant Sephora in a high-profile shift in distribution. Starting in early 2023, Glossier products will be available in Sephora’s stores across the US and Canada, as well as via its e-commerce site and app, according to the brand. The…

Gen Z is bright, aware of the world around them, and mature beyond their years in many ways. Many view this generation as the most diverse in American history, and they're shaping up to be the most well-educated, according to Pew Charitable Trusts. More importantly, they have a lot of spending power. Gen Z already…

A recent Wall Street Journal article by Jaewon Kang points out the unintended brand switching and trial created by out-of-stocks related to the pandemic, and continuing due to the myriad supply chain issues. Basically, the increased incidence of a person buying brand X instead of their usual brand Y is because brand Y is out of stock. And similar…

Generation Z, or those born from 1997-2012, will be America’s largest generation by 2034, topping out at about 80 million. The oldest adult Gen Zers are already establishing potentially long-lasting earning and spending patterns, while the younger members of this demographic are still learning their first lessons about spending, saving and employer relations. To understand…

As digital ad costs continue to climb, it’s no surprise that direct-to-consumer (D-to-C) brands are looking for new ways to connect with customers. However, they cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach to customer engagement. Today’s shoppers are split on where they prefer to engage with brands. In fact, our recent Brand Authenticity Report found that nearly…

The NFT (non-fungible token) phenomenon has hit nearly every industry. For retailers, NFTs can be a unique offering that helps build customer loyalty and boost sales. But what are they, and how can retailers effectively use them to build brand affinity? NFTs are digital tokens for virtual items, and its key differentiator from other virtual…

As e-commerce has rapidly accelerated, so have consumer expectations surrounding online brand experiences. Shopping has become an extension of everyday life; every moment is now an opportunity for discovery and connection. As a result, consumers are being more spontaneous in their purchases, making brand loyalty suffer and competition rise. The average person is estimated to…

The rollercoaster of the past two years has resulted in important new dimensions of consumer sentiment that are essential to understand if you want to acquire and retain customers effectively. Basic demographic-driven targeting and messaging don’t account for a human’s unique experience of the world as it’s evolving. Today’s brands need to understand and address…