Marketing Tactics

New York -- Fashion powerhouse Zara, owned by Spain’s Inditex, used social media to apologize after complaints poured in via Twitter that the retailer was selling a piece of clothing that closely resembled a uniform worn in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. The item in question, called the “Sheriff,” was a children’s blue-and-white striped top with a prominent six-pointed yellow star.

While gift cards are still made of plastic, digitally formatted gifts cards are increasing in popularity. (According to research by payments giant First Data, electronic gift card sales grew 71% from 2012 to 2013.) Consumers particularly like the customization options — including video and audio in some instances — that some retailers offer with digital cards.

Detroit – Office and school supply e-commerce retailer Chalkfly has launched a redesigned, fully responsive website that leverages SLI Systems search technology. Chalkfly’s use of SLI’s intuitive site search functionality enables customers to quickly and easily find and purchase items amid more than 60,000 products in office and school supply categories.  

Los Angeles – Authentic Brands Group LLC (ABG), owner of the Juicy Couture brand, is launching a new multiyear partnership to expand the scope of e-commerce services for Juicy Couture, with Onestop Internet, a full-spectrum e-commerce solution provider.

Amazon has unveiled a new scholarship for college students in the U.S. Called the Amazon Student Scholarship, the merit-based scholarship will reward 50 full-time undergraduate students with $5,000 toward tuition and $500 to spend on textbooks on Amazon.

Applications are being accepted now, with the scholarship money distributed in time for fall semester 2015. Interested students can learn more at www.amazon.com/studentscholarship.

Earlier promotional shift, late Hanukkah to affect shopping season

With each passing year, it seems like the twinkly lights, newspaper inserts and door busters galore start earlier and earlier. The 2014 holiday season will be no different. As stores pull out all the stops to offer holiday promotions as early as possible this upcoming season, consumers will continue to shift their shopping dollars to November.

When the clock strikes midnight on Halloween, it will kick off the official holiday shopping season, which is measured from Nov.

Montreal - GDecide has created a free private social network for decision making, aimed at Millennial consumers. The network offers a platform that collates and tallies responses to questions and only distributes questions to the select circle of network connections users wishes to poll, protecting the privacy of its users.

Oak Brook, Ill. – As official NFL restaurant sponsor, McDonald's is launching the national McDonald's Tailgate Photo Sweepstakes. McDonald's customers can use QR codes on McDonald's medium beverages with NFL-themed packaging to access exclusive online NFL Now video content.

Customers can also use QR codes on McDonald's medium fries to access the McDonald's Pick The Play Sweepstakes and enter for the chance to win NFL-related prizes – including a trip for two to Super Bowl XLIX in Arizona.