Social Media

User data from Pinterest shows that more than one-in-three of its 100 million global users are millennials. In addition, 79% of millennial Pinterest users say the platform is a “guide to life and is a place to teach me how to do things,” compared with 71% of all Pinterest monthly users.

Other notable millennial-related findings include:

The generation born between the early 1980s and the year 2000 — labeled millennials — has captured the collective attention of retail marketers. And not just because there are more than 80 million of them, although that’s a factor. This group craves access, not necessarily ownership, and they have a real affinity for technology, which is shaping the retail space.

Fully interactive, cloud-based digital displays help enhance the customer experience and give businesses a boost at TurnStyle, the new retail/dining center at the Columbus Circle subway station in Manhattan.

The installation marks the first retail application of the On Smart Media platform, from Outfront Media. The platform allows retailers and advertising partners to deliver contextual messages in real-time.

One of my favorite times of the year is teaching at the ICSC University of Shopping Centers. I co-teach “Marketing & Social Media: Shopping Centers in the Digital Age” with Tim O’Connell, assistant VP, director of digital marketing and communications, at RPAI. While we present stats, trends and case studies, what energizes me most are the collaborative class discussions on how other shopping centers owners are progressing with their social media efforts.

There are a lot of options in decorating a home, and Los Angeles-based Z Gallerie wants to match its offerings to customer tastes.

“We’ve been known for one particular style, which our customers love and that we’ve done quite well with,” said Chris Nicklo, VP customer and chief marketing officer of Z Gallerie. “But to grow, we knew we would need to appeal to a broader spectrum of customers.”

Retailers who can get consumers to generate social and online content about them have a decided competitive edge.

According to the new “CGC Index” from social marketing technology provider Bazaarvoice, consumer-generated content (CGC), or digital content that people create about a product or service they have experienced, used, purchased, or considered, can have a significant impact on retailer performance.

The J.C. Penney Co. Inc. is teaming up with a well-known social network to help draw traffic and sales at select mall-based locations.

According to Advertising Age, Penney will display digital Pinterest boards in 10 malls around the country as part of a Mothers’ Day promotion. The boards will display apparel, hair and beauty products that are available in nearby Penney stores at the mall. The promotion will also include featured in-person appearances by well-known fashion bloggers.

As more members of the millennial generation reach the age where they start settling down and buying homes, Lowe’s wants to be sure it reaches them in a format they find relevant.