Marketing

A year that has seen a pandemic, social unrest, natural disasters and political turmoil has left consumers stressed out and uncertain about their futures. In this context, the aggressive sales and marketing tactics of previous holiday seasons will not only be less effective in 2020, but can make a brand seem tone deaf. Instead, brands…

The holiday season can certainly be a demanding time for retailers. Juggling the unpredictability of supply and demand, an increased volume of shoppers, and maintaining a competitive edge are tough. Throw in a global pandemic, and it becomes a whole different "nightmare before Christmas." This year, retailers need to be even more meticulous in their…

The resilience of retailers, both big and small, has been on full display this year. Faced with stay-at-home orders that limited shopping in physical stores, retailers upgraded their websites and mobile apps to handle more traffic. In addition, they launched new services like curbside pickup. While we’ve unfortunately heard numerous reports of businesses having to…

In part one of this series, we explored some of the nuanced factors related to the pandemic that have been driving the growth of commerce advertising. In addition, we offered key takeaways for advertisers to successfully navigate this period of change to manage their programs better. As advertisers better understand the impacts of these unique…

Fall is here, and for some that means pumpkin spice lattes, knit sweaters and a family trip to the apple orchard. For us in the retail industry, it’s prep time for the holiday shopping season craze.  And with 2020 having its fair share of uncertainties and surprises, many are questioning what’s in store for the…

As COVID-19 disrupted world economies, consumer buying behavior began to change. The pandemic has led to an increased shift in buying everyday items online, with some experts stating this crisis pushed e-commerce ahead by nearly four years. Already the fastest-growing channel in digital marketing, commerce advertising hasn’t slowed during the global crisis. Even as many…

In episode 270 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jeanne Anderson, senior vice president and general manager of Saatchi Art, the world’s leading online art marketplace, connecting people with art and artists they love. Listen in as Anderson discusses the company's history and mission, how Saatchi Art has evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic,…

There’s no question that the upcoming holiday shopping season, and Black Friday in particular, promises to be the strongest on record. With major retailers such as Walmart planning to remain closed on Thanksgiving — the modern start of the holiday shopping season — both brick-and-mortar and online retailers alike are gearing up to maximize their…

Santa Claus won't be visiting any Macy's stores in 2020, ending a 159-year holiday season tradition. The department store's tradition started in 1861, but Santa meet-and-greets won't be happening this year because of concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, Macy's is creating an interactive virtual experience. "To replicate the magical experience of visiting Macy's Santaland for…

In a matter of months, COVID-19 has changed the way retailers think about and execute their businesses. Retailers are being challenged now to evaluate the experience they’re delivering to shoppers. On top of that, the pandemic has caused a major shift in consumer behavior that stretches beyond the shopping experience alone. Everything from how people…