Mobile Marketing

Minneapolis – Target Corp. is working with content discovery app Shazam to make print and TV ads shoppable through customer phones. The retailer is participating in the initial launch of Shazam’s new visual recognition functionality, which extends its mobile engagement platform allowing everything from packaged goods to print media and more are transformed from static images into dynamic pieces of content.

Los Angeles - Forever 21 Inc.’s social strategy has always been to mix compelling and creative branding with the ability to directly purchase items. Working with Philadelphia-based visual social media marketing company Curalate, the fast-fashion retailer has taken that strategy to new heights by allowing customers to buy goods from its Instagram page.

“Curalate helped us turn what was a purely branding tool into a revenue driver,” said Mario Moreno, global social media manager marketing, Forever 21, Los Angeles.

New York - Digital ad spending in the U.S. will total $58.61 billion this year, and retailers' ad outlays will comprise 22% of that figure, or $12.91 billion, by far outpacing all other U.S. industries. According to new figures from eMarketer.

Retailers will spend nearly twice as much as any other industry on mobile advertising in 2015, and the sector's $6.65 billion will represent 23.2% of the $28.72 billion that advertisers in the U.S. will spend to reach consumers on mobile devices this year.

Camp Hill, Pa. - Rite Aid Corp. has launched a new integrated marketing campaign in support of its wellness+ loyalty program with the new Plenti coalition program from American Express. As a part of Plenti, The new campaign features a 30-second TV spot and includes direct mail, in-store signage, circular and multi-platform digital activation with six online videos, email, search, display, pre-roll and social media strategies.

Google Inc. is reportedly planning to start providing users with “Buy” buttons in their search results within the next few weeks.

New York -- Mother’s Day is turning into a goldmine for online retailers. Overall U.S. retail online sales for the week leading up to Mother's Day rose more than 15% compared to the same period last year, according to IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark. Mobile traffic accounted for 46.3% all online traffic, up more than 21% compared to last year. Mobile sales saw strong growth, up more than 43%, reaching over 24.4% of all online sales.
 

By Gitte Amstrup Sandlykke, chief marketing Officer, Targit

The success or failure of any business in this crowded and complex marketplace comes down to whether business goals are met – maintaining customer loyalty is chief among them. However, many retailers are beginning to confuse loyalty with promotions, loyalty cards and awards, undermining brand equity rather than building stronger ties with their customers.

New York - Macy's will once again run its "American Icons” omnichannel promotion, from May 13 – July 4. The campaign will kick off with #AmericanSelfie, a social media initiative inspiring customers to share photos of what America means to them.

Tyler, Texas – Millennials are gaining buying power, and a substantial shift to Millennials in the retail marketplace will occur by 2020. For 152-store supermarket retailer Brookshire Grocery Co., the time to start reacting to this developing change is now.

“We needed to figure out how to market to this customer base and make it relevant to them,” said John D’Anna, senior VP and CIO of Brookshire Grocery.

Kay Jewelers is leveraging the visual power of Pinterest and Instagram by running an innovative social media promotion for Mother’s Day.

The retailer said that visitors to its Instagram and Pinterest accounts will have an opportunity to interact with the brand through eye-catching visuals that showcase the company's jewelry in unique and creative ways, as well as win huge prizes.