Marketing Tactics

San Francisco – EBay Inc. reportedly plans to begin running advertisements within its mobile app during fourth quarter 2014. According to Reuters, the Geico insurance company will be one of the first advertisers.

Anheuser-Busch has teamed up with Gratafy to launch a mobile gifting pilot on Facebook designed to enable real-time connections between the beer brand and its customers.

A series of Anheuser-Busch campaigns will target consumers nationwide in their Facebook News Feeds, giving them the ability to send friends a Budweiser (budweiser.com/budsforbuds) or Bud Light (budlight.com/birthday) in select cities, beginning with Chicago and Denver.

L'Oréal USA's seventh annual "Fore the Children" charity event to benefit Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation attracted more than 850 people and raised $625,000, bringing the total amount raised by L'Oreal USA since 2008 to $3.2 million.

Five Below’s profit more than doubled to $8.3 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2014, from $4.1 million in the same period last year. Its results beat expectations. The chain issued a third-quarter earnings estimate slightly below Wall Street views, while increasing its full-year sales and earnings guidance.

Revenue in the quarter increased 30% to $152.5 million. Same-store sales increased by 3.2%.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. – Teen retailer The Wet Seal reported a new loss of $22 million for its second quarter, up from $1 million to $22 million in the year-ago period. Lower merchandise margins, higher occupancy costs, costs related to exiting its Arden B business, and non-cash asset impairment charges all helped increase Wet Seal’s net loss.

Net sales decreased 11.6% to $121.2 million, from $137.2 million. One bright spot was e-commerce, where sales rose 25%.

CATOOSA, Okla. — Cherokee Nation Businesses has partnered with commercial real estate developer Woodmont Outlets, an affiliate of The Woodmont Company, to potentially locate a new upscale retail development at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.

CNB has agreed to lease property west of the casino to Woodmont Outlets, which plans to invest $80 million into premium outlet shops to be called “Cherokee Outlets.”
 

Seattle – Starbucks Corp. is reportedly considering changing its policy that forbids visible tattoos on baristas. According to CNNMoney, more than 21,000 employees have signed an online petition asking Starbucks to allow baristas in its stores to display visible, non-offensive tattoos.

Walmart released its top toy list for 2014 the same day Toys “R” Us unveiled holiday strategies at its flagship store in New York.