Content Marketing

Last month, online retailer Zulily and Michelin-starred celebrity chef — and dad of two — Curtis Stone ("Iron Chef," "Top Chef Masters," "Top Chef Jr.") teamed up to take the stress out of back-to-school lunchbox planning. The back-to-school season puts a lot of pressure on parents’ wallets, especially at the grocery store, where food prices are increasing. Furthermore, time is…

In a crowded school supply marketplace where consumers shop in-store and online, brands are trying many approaches to stand out from the competition. The most successful brands recognize the potential of omnichannel experiences in maximizing back-to-school sales. By seamlessly integrating online and offline channels, these brands create a cohesive, personalized shopping journey that engages consumers…

Google’s Perspectives filter, which began rolling out in June this year, aims to point searchers to content from "real people" when it deems it helpful to their query. Searchers can click on the Perspectives tab in the search results to see relevant “long- and short-form videos, images, and written posts that people have shared on…

With recent headlines showing influencers are lying about products, to social platforms expanding their noninfluencer features, it’s clear consumer preferences are shifting and influencers no longer hold the power over consumer purchases as they once did a few years ago. Why is this the case? A lack of authenticity from influencers and sponsored content is…

Today’s retail environment demands ultra-relevant customer experiences (CX). Consumer needs change swiftly, inventory moves fast, and trends come and go. By creating content informed by evolving customer data, businesses can drive engagement, differentiate their brands, and deliver exceptional CX that keep customers returning for more. Most retailers aren’t there yet, however. A content gap stands…

In episode 410 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jeffery Fowler, CEO at Hodinkee, an influential editorial and e-commerce site for new and vintage wristwatches. Fowler provides an overview of the Hodinkee business, including its start as a blog (0:58), his professional background that led him to join the brand (7:00), and the drivers…

It’s estimated that 30 percent of apparel and shoes purchased online are returned. And per the National Retail Federation, the projected cumulative cost of returns last year was $761 billion (this equates to 17 percent of all purchases, an 11 percent increase from our previous year's research). Returns are an expensive proposition for retailers. As…

In a hyperconnected world, consumers are constantly being exposed to content from all angles. As a retailer, this can be an opportunity and a curse. On one hand, it’s easy to promote brand content across digital platforms, yet on the other, it can be incredibly difficult to stand out — especially as four in 10…

Since the moment Bulova watches debuted the first television ad during a baseball game in 1941, TV advertising has had a last-mile quandary: How do brands convert the desire to purchase into actual sales? With the dawn of digital advertising and its clear path to conversion, advertisers began shifting their dollars away from TV. Now,…

Have you ever wanted to buy out a billboard next door to Snoop Dogg’s mansion? While this may have just been a very specific pipedream a few years ago (and highly dependent on how close Snoop’s mansion is to Highway 101), it's now a very real possibility in the metaverse. Once a futuristic buzzword, the…