Retailer Campaigns

Merrimack, N.H. – Brookstone has named Blue Wolf Communications as an agency for public relations, social media and event marketing.

The relationship launches with major initiatives for the 2014 holiday season, the announcement of high-profile spokespeople, the introduction of many new products, and high-impact events for fall and winter.

Warren, Mich. – Art Van Furniture is launching an omnichannel promotion in Detroit on Sept. 12 to celebrate the release of its 2014 fall catalog. Customers can take selfies or have a photo taken by celebrity photographer Nigel Barker on one of 55 sofas that will be placed outside the Art Van Furniture store on Woodward Avenue.

Toronto -- Visual search platform Slyce Inc. and action sports retailer Tilly's announced the upcoming launch of "Tilly's Snap Shop." The service enables Tilly's shoppers to open the mobile website on their smartphone, snap photos of desired items within any of Tilly's seasonal collection catalogs, and purchase the item directly at the moment of impulse.

Tilly's Snap Shop will be accessible to customers viewing the company’s fall catalog which is due for circulation early next month.

Observant shoppers will have noticed something ominous in recent weeks: the arrival of fall and winter products and holiday marketing/promotions in many stores. As unbelievable as it might seem, considering the fact that much of the country is still experiencing 90-degree heat and a glance at the calendar shows that it is barely September as I write this, the holiday hullabaloo is already underway.

Rakuten has confirmed that it is in the process of acquiring Ebates, a provider of the largest cash-back shopping website in North America, for a total consideration of $1 billion in cash and will hold 100% of Ebates’ outstanding voting stock.

Tilly’s, a leading specialty retailer in the action sports industry selling clothing, shoes, and accessories, has enlisted visual search platform Slyce to assist it in the creation of Tilly's Snap Shop.

The service leverages Slyce visual search technology to enable users to access the retailer’s mobile website on their smartphones, snap photos of desired items within any of Tilly's seasonal collection catalogs and purchase the item directly at the moment of impulse.

Maxwell House has launched a sponsored digital content series called "Made Right Here," that showcases “made-in-America” stories as part of its efforts to rejuvenate the brand and tap into a new generation of coffee drinkers.

Produced in partnership with Coolfire Studios and Mr. Here Productions, "Made Right Here" features the people behind products manufactured all across the country, from the small sheds and workshops of artists to large gleaming factories run by assembly lines.

New York -- Panera Bread would like its customers to leave their guns at home. The bakery-cafe chain joined a handful of other high-profile retailers, including Starbucks, Chipotle, and Target, to make the request.  

ECRM compared retail circular advertising in August 2013 versus August 2014 and noted trends occurring across top retail chains. Back-to-school season was in full swing, yet the drug retailers took opposite approaches to their promotions. Walgreens featured multiple BTS promotions on each of its front pages both this year and last. On the other hand, CVS’s front pages did not feature any traditional school/office supplies, instead focusing on the cosmetics category in three of its four August 2014 circulars.

Instagram has become a mainstream social media tool for retailers. However, while most retailers limit their Instagram usage to maintaining an official page or encouraging customers to post photos with Instagram hashtags as part of promotional campaigns, some retailers are more forward-thinking in their Instagram approach.

Here are three retailers showing real insight in how they are leveraging Instagram to its fullest potential: