Marketing Tactics

San Bruno, Calif. -- YouTube is reportedly challenging the Vine video app from Twitter and Instagram video app from Facebook with its own new video app called MixBit. As reported by the New York Times, MixBit allows users to record up to 16 seconds of video (compared to 15 seconds for Instagram and six seconds for Vine) on their smartphones.

New York City -- Fashion retailer Marc Jacobs will enter the beauty category with his first store dedicated to cosmetics and beauty items.

The nearly 500-sq.-ft. store has opened at 385 Bleecker Street in Manhattan and, according to a Women’s Wear Daily report, will showcase the designer’s 121-SKU color cosmetics collection, as well as his fragrances with Coty Prestige. 


Forget about hosting America’s Got Talent or being married to Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon is living the dream at Office Depot where the retailing is promoting a line of back-to-school supplies designed in collaboration with the rapper, actor, comedian.

Transaction marketing firm Affinity Solutions said it hired Richard Bravman as COO and Gary Starr as CFO to capitalize on new opportunities in the growing world of transaction informed marketing solutions.

San Bruno, Calif. -- Walmart.com is giving fans of its Facebook page early access to a "Back to Class Cyber Monday" event being held Monday, Aug. 12. Customers will receive online discounts of up to 60% on close to 300 back-to-school items ranging as high as almost 60%, while supplies last. Fans of Wal-Mart’s Facebook page can gain early access to the sale by visiting the page on Sunday, Aug. 11 and clicking a special link.

Doubling sales in any category within a four year time span would be an audacious goal for any retailer, but that was the objective Walmart set for itself in the beer category last fall, according to Bloomberg.

Menlo Park, Calif. – Facebook will reportedly soon begin testing a new feature called “Trending Topics” with some U.S. mobile users. As reported by All Things D, Trending Topics will display a banner highlighting a specific topic. If the user clicks the banner, they will see related comments and posts from friends and other Facebook users they don’t know.

AT&T has transformed its store in LaGrange, Ill., to a new look that the company is rolling out at new and redesigned stores nationwide. Focused on the customer experience, the store is designed to create a more interactive and inviting store environment. Many of the elements (design and merchandising) were introduced at AT&T’s flagship on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago.