Marketing

American Apparel Email Margaret Bogenrief is a partner with ACM Partners. Recent Posts 3 Reasons Why Kohl's Is Sinking Black Friday Belies Darker Economy As we push into the final shopping week before that retail holy grail of Christmas, its time for...

The shift from analog to digitally influenced shopping at brick-and-mortar stores is the most important change in shopper behavior that marketers need to act on today. Ryan Partnership surveyed over 8,000 consumers this year to find out which digital tools they use, and which are really driving impulse purchases, increased spending and choice of retailer. Ryan's proprietary Impact Score uses that information to measure each tool's influence on shopping behavior. The results provide guidance on the best ways for retailers to use digital tools this holiday season. Here are five of those tips:

Target launched a new blend of entertainment and shopping this past October with a three-part series short film that simultaneously merchandises the complete outfit each actor is wearing. The user interface features the main target.com menu, a video player screen, the merchandised product list on the right side of the video and shopping cart favorites at the bottom of the video.

For some, it's the season of giving. For Bing, it's the season of attacking … Google that is. Bing has premiered a new TV commercial that calls out Google for recent changes it made to the Google Shopping section of its search engine, which essentially makes the section a pay-to-play zone. In the ad, a woman warns a friend who just bought a new pan he found on Google not to get "Scroogled."

Consumers rarely differentiate between devices when shopping online, but "laptops" rated as the No. 1 shopping query, followed by Nexus and Apple Mini. Variables in searches for electronics should clue in marketers on budget allocations and strategy. Traditional campaigns don't always work best during the holidays. Retailers approach the season with specific budgets in mind, but that doesn't always prove the best strategy. In fact, Google's Retail Head Brett Goffin calls the approach "shortsighted, because nonfluid" budgets could cause advertisers to leave sales on the table if they budget too low prior to the quarter.

Last Friday, a record number of shoppers hit retail stores. And even though most consumers were well aware of the Black Friday sales ahead of time, brands made sure that they put their advertising muscle behind the promotions to make sure that shoppers were running through the door early Friday morning. On the chart this week, we see evidence of that, with three Black Friday campaigns making the top 10.

Brands know that content is king. But the challenge is finding the right strategy for a constantly changing digital landscape. According to research by Econsultancy, 90 percent of marketers say that content marketing is going to be extremely important to them in 2013. But only 38 percent actually have a strategy in place. Digital agency 360i recently released a report that details what marketers can do to develop a strategic content marketing plan - covering everything from content development (creation and curation), to syndication and distribution, to optimization.

Too sexy for SoCo. That's what moms are saying about an American Apparel ad displaying a woman in tights and a nude bra. It catches your attention. The lady in the nude bra and black tights above the American Apparel store has caused a lot of people along South Congress to do a double take. Moms Greta Atkinson and Page Janeff say it has no place in their neighborhood. "I was really offended by it," Atkinson said.

If you buy a pair of socks from Betabrand and then lose one of those socks (within a year), the clothing company will replace the missing sock at no charge — provided you upload a funny photo to Betabrand's site and Facebook page. The campaign, or "sock insurance" as the brand calls it, is a way to interact with consumers on Facebook and a great customer service effort. In order to be eligible for sock replacement, consumers must buy a pair of Betabrand insured socks and have a Facebook account to upload the funny photo of their sock.

Exactly five years after its launch, Gilt.com is launching its first television campaign. The online flash-sales site grew rapidly in its early years, in part fueled by the recession. A combination of value-conscious consumers and brands with extra inventory helped the site quickly attract a loyal following. Referrals and word-of-mouth have been the brand's bread and butter, supplemented in more recent years by display advertising and search marketing. Now, the e-commerce brand is ready to take things offline.