Social Media

A city with a booming population, one of the nation’s lowest unemployment figures, and an expanding presence on the national and international stage, Houston, Texas is on this rise. Already the fourth largest city in America, Houston has been recognized in recent years as a social and economic powerhouse that deserves to be considered alongside iconic cities like New York and Chicago. Unsurprisingly, Houston’s retail development growth has been a big part of its ascendance.

Fitness guru Jillian Michaels and Kmart this month plan to launch a new line of performance activewear branded as Impact by Jillian Michaels as part of Kmart's strategy to expand and strengthen health and wellness offerings.

The product line will be available online beginning August 10 for Kmart’s Shopyourway.com members and in stores on August 17 with prices ranging from $10.99 to $36.99. The line of apparel and accessories encompasses categories such as core training, running, yoga and lifestyle.

Parsippany, N.J. - Facebook and RB, a provider of health and hygiene products, have entered into a multi-year, nine-figure global partnership. The two companies have committed to integrating members of their global sales, marketing and creative teams to connect RB brands like Lysol, Mucinex, MegaRed and Air Wick with consumers on Facebook.

Wayne, N.J. – Toys “R” Us is launching an omnichannel promotion called “C’mon Let’s Play” in partnership with advertising agency The Escape Pod and 'Action Movie Kid' YouTube channel creator Daniel Hashimoto. The campaign includes TV ads and in-cinema advertising.

Toys"R"Us is unveiling a new hashtag — #LetsPlay — for its latest ad campaign, which features traditional television spots. The retailer will also be leveraging Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and The Toys"R"Us YouTube Channel to share 'C'mon, Let's Play' content, including commercial clips, behind-the-scenes photos and video from the campaign shoot.

The strategy includes a cross-platform presence on desktop, mobile and tablet with premier placements on Hulu and Hulu Plus.

San Diego – ProFlowers is offering the “Love is a Journey” campaign, on Twitter and Instagram in August. Qualified entrants can post photos of what romance means to them via Twitter and Instagram using #LoveIsAJourney and #ProFlowersSweeps for a chance to win a Princess Cruises vacation.

Entrants can see their photos at Loveisajourney.proflowers.com. ProFlowers will also run a Paris-themed pop-up shop in the Times Square pedestrian plaza on Broadway between 42nd and 43rd Streets on Aug. 5.

While some retailers and brands are now conducting actual e-commerce from their Facebook pages, the “buy” button holds the potential to substantially increase Facebook’s potential as a platform for executing omnichannel transactions. Smart retailers will offer, and even encourage, buy online-pick-up-in-store functionality through the buy button. Many consumers prefer the immediacy of picking up an item in a nearby store to waiting for a delivery, and retailers benefit from the resulting increase in store traffic and secondary purchases.

San Francisco – Specialty cosmetics retailer BareMinerals is opening a pop-up “Shade Shop” in the SoHo neighborhood of New York, Aug. 1 to Aug. 2. The assortment is merchandised by shade family – light, medium, tan, dark and deep – in a streamlined, easy-to-navigate environment.

The store will also feature a rotating color bar. Designed as a playground to test new concepts, BareMinerals will refresh the shop seasonally, with the first transformation taking place in November.