Loyalty Marketing

GRAPEVINE, Texas — GameStop has launched its GameStock 2012 campaign, which will offer customers six weeks of deals, instant win prizes and VIP grand prizes.

With any purchase or trade throughout the duration of GameStock, customers will receive a game piece containing a unique code. By entering that code at www.GameStop.com/GameStock, customers get the chance to win weekly grand prizes including:

•     Custom Painted Sleeping Dogs Motorcycle

The Promenade Shops at Centerra – located in Loveland, Colo. – is featuring a repeat of its “Promenade Kid Days” this summer.

The 2012 iteration offers a lineup of educational and entertaining events for children of all ages, held every other Tuesday through Aug. 14.

Each day features themes with corresponding activities such as horse-drawn wagon rides, mini train rides, face painting, balloon art, painting classes and emergency vehicle tours.

All activities are free and open to the public.

You can learn a lot by monitoring consumer conversations in social media. It can predict political elections, the Oscars and even the next reality show winner. If you are a CPG marketer, social media can also be a real-time predictor of your new product’s success.

Armonk, N.Y. -- A survey released Thursday by IBM found that chief marketing officers and chief information officers must join forces in order to connect with today’s consumer across new channels including mobile devices and social networks.

Retailers are always looking for new ways to reach customers, and the race to get onto Facebook walls and news feeds to increase brand exposure has never been greater.

But instead of shelling out dollars to pay for traditional Facebook ads and online banners, many companies are allowing shoppers to do the grunt work for them in an organic way. One of the latest trends is combining social sharing with gift giving, so consumers can send presents — from gift cards to apparel — to others via Facebook.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Stein Mart shareholders have re-elected the following people to the company's board of directors:

Jay Stein, Ralph Alexander, Alvin R. Carpenter, Irwin Cohen, Susan Falk, Linda M. Farthing, Mitchell W. Legler, Robert L. Mettler, Richard L. Sisisky, Martin E. Stein, Jr. and John H. Williams, Jr. Each will serve one year terms

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif — Struggling specialty retailer PacSun is hoping a new campaign and some re-branding will help turn things around. To rebuild its image, the company has enlisted Juxt Interactive to create an immersive brand experience designed to coincide with the formal unveiling of the retailer’s new “Golden State of Mind” positioning, which includes the website GSOM.com, and is supposed to reflect the fluid, relaxed nature of the Golden State.

NEW YORK — Macy's has launched its annual summer fundraising campaign for children's literacy. Starting June 22, customers can give $3 to help provide a book for a child in their local communities. Through the program, customers will receive a coupon for $10 off an in-store purchase of $50 or more (certain exclusions apply), and Macy’s will donate 100% of every $3 to Reading Is Fundamental. The five-week fundraising effort ends July 31.

New York -- School is just ending in some areas of the Northeast, and already the first back-to-school shopping survey has been released. The survey, by online shopping site PriceGrabber, reveals that nearly half (46%) of consumers are planning to spend more this back-to-school shopping season than in 2011. In comparison, only 13% of shoppers planned to spend more last year, and this data was reflected in an overall disappointing back-to-school season for retailers in 2011.

Homebuyers who factor resale value into their purchase decision may want to consider proximity to Walmart before completing their deal, according to new research out this week showing it helps to be near a Walmart.