Disney

Regina (Reggie) Brady is president of her own e-marketing and direct marketing consultancy, Reggie Brady Marketing Solutions. She is a leading authority on Internet direct marketing and has held executive positions in Internet marketing at FloNetwork Inc. (subsequently acquired by DoubleClick), Acxiom/Direct Media and CompuServe.

J.C. Penney is gearing up for Disney's release of the live action "Cinderella" movie in theaters on March 13, hoping for another big hit like Disney's wildly popular animated feature film "Frozen." Stores are getting product for the movie, which stars Lily James as Cinderella and Cate Blanchett as the wicked stepmother. Richard Madden plays the prince. For J.C. Penney, Disney is the gift that keeps on giving, making its stores a destination for merchandise made exclusively for Penney by Disney vs. the licensed merchandise sold at other stores.

As we enter a new year in a slow-growth economy, it's worth considering which retailers may excel in this competitive environment and those which may fall behind. With limited opportunities for growth, it takes something extra to stand apart from the pack. In a word, it takes disruption.

For many years, Kohl's has struggled with its merchandise assortment. Until recently, management emphasized private labels like Sonoma and Croft & Barrow and Jumping Beans. Now Kohl's is moving away from private brands toward national brands like Nike, Adidas, Keds, Levi, Juicy Couture and Izod, Elie Tahari for DesigNation, Elle, Gloria Vanderbilt, Disney, Arrow, Dockers, Carters and many others. The emphasis on exclusive lines such as Vera Wang, Jennifer Lopez, Dana Buchman and others will continue. 

As the holiday season arrives, Banana Republic is rolling out 15-second, content-rich video advertisements through Instagram, connecting to the brand's female millennial customers. Instagram users can expect to see the short videos appear on their news feeds. Banana Republic is among the first of leading companies along with Lancome, Disney, Cosmopolitian and Activision to incorporate Instagram videos as a way to interact with consumers. Jonathan Anastas, head of digital and social media at Activision, stated, "Our audience is becoming increasingly mobile centric, and Instagram is a mobile-centric platform. So it's an important part of the marketing mix."

Are you ever at a loss for what to include in an upcoming email campaign? Calendars can be a very useful tool to keep your emails fresh, lively and timely. Let's examine what should be in your calendar and how detailed it should be for the short and long term.

Trying to finally master the internet the way it has theme parks or animated films, the Walt Disney Company has redesigned its website, Disney.com, for the third time in five years. The new site, introduced this month and promoted as "cleaner, simpler, more elegant," is one way Robert A. Iger, Disney's chief executive, hopes to turn around the company's gaming, mobile and internet division after 15 consecutive quarters of losses — some $977 million in total.

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