Loyalty Marketing

Budweiser's limited-edition red, white and blue cans and bottles have started arriving on store shelves just in time for Memorial Day. The packaging also marks the brand's commitment to assisting military families: Budweiser and its wholesaler family will donate more than $3 million to the Folds of Honor Foundation.

LeBron James has teamed up with Sprite to change the game off the court for four people via a social media contest.

New York – Macy’s Inc. beat Wall Street expectations with profits of $224 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2014, up 3.2% from $217 million in the same quarter the prior year.

Earnings rose even as sales fell 1.7% to $6.38 billion, from $6.39 billion. Same-store sales declined 0.8%. Increased operating income and decreased cost of sales helped boost net income, while severe winter weather took a toll on sales.

Westlake Village, Calif. - Senior retail marketers report that 38% of their total marketing spend is now devoted to digital. According to a research study released by Conversant, nearly 20% of retail marketers reported that digital accounts for 50% to 75% of their total marketing budget.

The new study found strong retailer interest in personalized marketing and advertising. Eighty-six percent of senior retail marketers said that individualized messages can be more effective than mass messages.

San Diego - While showrooming, the process of researching in-store before buying online, remains popular among 76% of consumers, the emerging trend of webrooming, or researching online before buying in-store, is even more common, representing 88% of shoppers. According to “The Rise of Webrooming: A Changing Consumer Landscape,” a report from Interactions, 75% of webroomers believe they can find the lowest in-store price, while 72% prefer online product comparisons and 71% prefer online product research.

Whirlpool is taking its latest campaign to social media, and encouraging people to take and share photos of the inside of their refrigerators using hashtag #fridgie — a play on “selfie.”

The concept was inspired by the design of the latest Whirlpool 4-Door French Door Refrigerator.

Irving, Texas - Michaels has launched its new “inspirational” arts and crafts site that offers 24-hour shopping on any computer, tablet or smartphone. The new site offers project ideas and one-click shopping lists for projects.

It also features "Favorite Pins" – projects and products that are trending on Pinterest from Michaels.com. During the launch period, Michaels.com will feature 21 days of hourly, daily and weekly online specials.

Michaels has enhanced its online presence with the launch of its new site that enables shoppers to make online purchases from any computer, tablet or smartphone.

The new site goes beyond the typical online shopping experience, according to the company, with project ideas and one-click shopping lists for projects all in one place. It also features "Favorite Pins" — projects and products that are trending on Pinterest from Michaels.com.