Marketing

Zabar's Secret to Success? Bagels, Babka and Z-Peat
May 7, 2013

Zabar's, the world-renowned New York-based gourmet specialty food retailer, has replaced its homegrown subscription e-commerce program with a new autoship program called Z-Peat. Z-Peat offers customers the ability to subscribe to their favorite and/or frequently purchased Zabar’s items, everything from coffee and teas to babka, bagels and rugelach. Products are automatically shipped to customers who register online at zabars.com for the replenishment program.

Consumers Look to Pamper Mom With iPads, Jewelry This Mother’s Day, According to NRF
May 6, 2013

Working hard to support the family day in and day out, mom will be more than recognized for her devotion this Mother's Day. According to the National Retail Federation's Mother's Day spending survey conducted by BIGinsight, consumers will spend an average of $168.94 on mom, up 11 percent from last year's $152.52. Total spending is expected to reach $20.7 billion.

J.C. Penney Apologizes to Customers in New Ad
May 2, 2013

"It's no secret," begins a new J.C. Penney television ad, to a soft piano soundtrack and nostalgic images of old storefronts. "Recently, J.C. Penney changed." That's something of an understatement. In April, the clothing retailer booted CEO Ron Johnson, wooed from Apple with much fanfare, after he oversaw a $4 billion loss in revenue in his brief tenure. As former CEO Mike Ullman goes about stemming the bleeding, J.C. Penney is going on the offensive, apologizing to shoppers alienated by Johnson's controversial store revamps.

5 Tips to Optimize Your Video Marketing Efforts
May 1, 2013

Let's face it, video has taken the online world by storm over the last few years and we're really only just beginning to learn how to best harness its power. Furthermore, the technology, data and tools being made available to retailers with respect to video are changing at an even faster pace. So while it may be premature to discuss best practices at such an early stage, here are five imperatives for working with video:

Creating ‘Youphoria’ the Nordstrom Way
April 24, 2013

Nordstrom, the conservative, upscale Seattle-based retailer, is going after a younger, hipper customer with a new, quirky regional online brand campaign.The retailer — which traditionally has handled the creative work for its advertising in-house — has hired Mekanism to develop the new campaign, aimed at promoting the concept of "Youphoria." This includes videos featuring young adults involved in activities like chopping wood or riding a motorcycle while fashionably dressed.

How Kmart Used Social Listening (and Some Nerve) to Create a ‘Ship My Pants’ Viral Hit
April 23, 2013

You did what to your pants, exactly? Ooooh, ship! If you've been online at all in the last week or so, you've likely seen this amusing and suggestive play on words circulating via social media and traditional news outlets. Who can resist a double entendre that alludes to the gold standard of embarrassing situations? Surely not the internet. The fact that a clever one-line concept racked upwards of 13 million views on YouTube in one week is hardly surprising. The fact that it's a commercial for Kmart, however, is.

Kenneth Cole Draws Ire Over Gun Control Tweet
April 22, 2013

Perhaps fashion designer Kenneth Cole should stay off Twitter during sensitive political moments — or at least his social media manager should. After provoking harsh criticism for a February 2011 tweet, in which the designer used the protests in Cairo to promote his spring collection, Cole was at it again last Thursday. This time, the brand used the fact that the Senate voted down a mild gun control measure on background checks — one supported by 90 percent of Americans, according to polls — to make a joke about footwear.

Target’s ‘Show Don’t Sell’ Content Strategy
April 17, 2013

Social media has forced brands to be transparent because consumers now want to know more about the companies they patronize. That means the pressure is on for brands to develop a robust content strategy that tells their story. Eighteen months ago, Target quietly began "A Bullseye View," its "online magazine." The site is meant to tell the stories behind Target's products, events, partnerships and other happenings at the company. One thing it doesn't do: pitch products. 

J.C. Penney Brings Coupons Back From Johnson-Imposed Exile
April 16, 2013

Advertising featuring coupons, one of the first casualties of the Ron Johnson era at J.C. Penney, are returning. The retailer also won a $100 million reprieve in its legal fight with Macy's over its right to sell Martha Stewart housewares.

American Apparel Responds to Sexy Ad Bans
April 12, 2013

This week, yet another sexy American Apparel ad was banned by Britain's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). It's the third time this year, begging the question: Who is picking the fight here, the ASA or American Apparel? According to American Apparel, it ain't them. An anonymous source from AA's corporate team told us they think the ASA is looking for publicity by singling the brand out.