Marketing

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.

This week's top article of the week (as determined by readers’ clickthroughs) offers tips to help you personalize the in-store shopping experience, something that will be crucial to any future success in brick-and-mortar retail. Mark Elfenbein, chief business development officer for in-store media specialist Mood Media, delves into three specific areas in regards to personalizing the in-store shopping experience: design, including what consumers will see, hear, feel, smell and taste in your stores; integrating the in-store shopping experience with social media; and implementing a loyalty program that works for your brand. Check it Out for all the details!

Wal-Mart plans to double its multicultural ad spending as part of a sweeping initiative to move the company from a silo-like approach to making sure everyone takes responsibility for multicultural marketing. "One hundred percent of the growth [in sales] is going to come from multicultural customers," Tony Rogers, Wal-Mart's senior vice president of brand marketing and advertising, told the audience at the ANA's Multicultural Marketing and Diversity conference on Tuesday in Miami.

High-end department store Barneys is under fire for featuring a waifish Minnie Mouse in its holiday display rather than the beloved voluptuous, polka dot-sporting rodent of Disney lore. Advocates, plus-sized models and industry veterans alike have condemned Barneys' Minnie makeover into a character more reminiscent of Kate Moss than her full-figured, huggable former self for her debut in the store's Madison Avenue window display on Nov. 14. For the campaign, she's a slinky, sexier Minnie with toothpick legs, long eyelashes and shadowy lids who is draped in a too-short Lanvin mini dress and wearing stilettos thicker than her waist.

Recognizing the growing importance of online marketing during the holidays, more than 20 percent of retailers in the U.S. are set to significantly increase their spending in either mobile, social or email marketing channels this year. In fact, over 20 percent are allocating more than half of this year's holiday marketing budget to one or more of those three channels. These are highlights from 179 respondents to a recent retail survey, the majority of which report annual revenues from $51 million to $999 million, conducted by Retail Systems Research (RSR) late this summer.