ROI January/February 2013
4 Mobile Marketing Best Practices for 2013
As we begin a new year it's tempting to think it's time to look for new technologies when planning your mobile marketing efforts. In fact, it's more important now than ever to stay focused on the fundamentals of creating smart, successful mobile campaigns. Here are some of the fundamentals that stand the test of time:
Happy Returns!
Returned goods are the hangover retailers endure following their blistering holiday sales runs. Customers dissatisfied with gifts they've received or purchases they've made will begin returning those items to retailers in droves as the sales surge winds down.
Retailing for Dummies
This helpful guide offers cross-channel retailers the opportunity to learn from experts in their space on a variety of topics critical to running a successful (i.e., profitable) business, including mobile marketing, operations and fulfillment, search engine marketing, and much more!
Ritani Weds Something Old and Something New to Create Retail Success
For about a decade, the debate over retailing methods has been a heated one. On one hand, e-commerce has dominated, with the so-called "internet age" providing shoppers convenience, 24-hour service and typically the lowest prices. These advantages will almost always trump a physical storefront. But recently consumers have responded to back-to-basic techniques such as personalization and knowledgeable in-store customer service. So what happened when one retailer married both old brick-and-mortar techniques with the new virtual and online channels? Click-and-bricks retailing.
The Integrated Shopper
The sign of a great brand isn't only name recognition, but the image you get in your head when you hear the name. You should immediately feel something when the name is mentioned. The best brands allow you to see something as well. Distinct visual images should pop into your head at the mere mention of the name. Crate & Barrel, Dean & DeLuca and Williams-Sonoma are masters at this — three very recognizable names, each with a distinct brand positioning and an identifiable visual aesthetic. Because they're so good at what they do, it made it difficult to find weaknesses in their execution, but there are some. Let's take a close look to see how these three popular brands deliver across multiple sales channels.
Tips for Marketing Following a Disaster or Tragedy
"We have have many catalog customers located in the Newtown, Connecticut area. We posted some condolences on Facebook, but what are some best practices about marketing to people in this area going forward? Should we hold off on sending catalogs there for a while? Is a direct mailing appropriate?"
USPS Transitions to Digital Agency in Hopes to Survive
The U.S. Postal Service is dipping its toes into the digital waters, recently announcing plans to embark on several digital initiatives, starting with the formation of a new Digital Solutions Group (DSG) within its organization.
Virtual Fitting Technology Drives Repeat Purchases for SoccerPro.com
One of the pain points consumers typically associate with shopping for apparel and shoes online is the inability to try products on for size. The luxury of being able to try on a product before making a purchase decision used to be the exclusive domain of brick-and-mortar retailers, but that's no longer the case.
Welcome to 2013, Retailers!
Good news all around in both the online and offline retail worlds. With these kinds of statistics, retailers have a lot to be optimistic about in 2013. To give you a little help to ensure your 2013 is the best it can be, check out our cover story, where you'll find our second annual how-to guide to being a successful cross-channel retailer. We've assembled a top-notch group of cross-channel retail experts to offer you their best advice for the year ahead on a variety of topics, from warehouse labor management to mobile marketing to best practices for integrating social media into your marketing mix.
