Social Media

Appliance, electronics and furniture retailer Hhgregg is getting a makeover. The brand transformation will encompass all customer touchpoints, including its 228 store locations and online presence. The first phase of hhgregg’s brand transformation launches this week.

Thanks to a partnership between Amazon and Twitter, people can now link their Twitter accounts to their Amazon accounts and shop for items by responding to any tweet with an Amazon product link and hashtag #AmazonCart.

Customers can link their accounts by going to Amazon.com/AmazonCart.

The tweet only adds an item to a consumer’s shopping cart, but consumers must log into Amazon to complete their purchases.

Indianapolis -- Appliance, electronics and furniture retailer Hhgregg has embarked on a brand transformation across all customer touch-points, including its 228 store locations and online presence, in an effort to boost its shopping and purchasing experience.

San Francisco -- Intel Corp. said it has hired senior Staples executive Steven Fund to oversee its global marketing, effective June 2. He will be responsible for marketing strategy, communications, social media and advertising duties.

"As our industry and our business is changing, we need to change the way we develop, build, and market our products, and Steve is going to be a key asset for us as we move forward," CEO Brian Krzanich said in a statement on Monday.

Technology is no longer the sole province of “IT geeks,” or even marketers and finance executives — it is also now a focal point of such operational departments as store planning, energy management, construction management and real estate.

In recognition of the huge impact technology is having on store operations, SPECS 2014 held a series of hands-on tech boot camps, with the first one devoted to design, development and facilities, the second to operational technology, and the third to social media trends and tools.

Fast-growing flooring retailer The Tile Shop is leveraging social media with a clever contest idea to expose its expanding brand to more customers.

The operator of 92 specialty flooring stores is giving social media users until May 22 to enter its, “Ugliest Kitchen & Bath Contest,” for a change to win $1,000 in free tile and a design consultation. All photo submissions will be eligible for weekly $100 gift card drawings. Homeowners can enter photos of their ugly kitchens and bathrooms to Facebook or Instagram using #thetileshop for a chance to win.

San Jose – PayPal is rebranding itself in an effort designed to create a cohesive look and feel across the brand. The program includes a new logo and an omni-channel campaign called “powering the people economy.”

San Francisco – Stock compensation expenses helped produce a net loss of $132.4 million at Twitter Inc. during the first quarter of 2014, compared to a net loss of $27 million in the same quarter of the previous year. Twitter attributed part of the net loss to $126 million in stock compensation expense.