Marketing Tactics

Michael Francis left his role as Target’s chief marketing officer for presumably greener pastures at J.C. Penney. That gig proved short-lived, but Francis landed on his feet this past February as chief global brand officer at Dreamworks and he shared his thoughts on the studio, consumer products and retail in the June issue of License! Global. Click here.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Staples is taking a page from retailers like Macy’s and turning to social media as it gears up for the back-to-school shopping season as it encourages students to follow Staples on Facebook and Twitter with hashtag #StaplesHasIt.

NEW YORK — Macy’s is getting social, and that’s the place to be when reaching out to potential shoppers who are getting ready to go back to school. 

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears was arguably synonymous with its “Big Book” catalog, but as the world became more technologically advanced and look books went digital, the retailer bade its catalog and catalog stores farewell and shifted to a new retail model of locally owned and operated dealer stores. 

ATLANTA — Lowe’s has donated $1 million to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America so the organization can refurbish clubs across the country. Lowe's grants of up to $50,000 will fund repairs and renovations at 20 Boys & Girls Clubs, from northern Washington State to South Florida.

New York -- Nordstrom emerged as the top brand in an inaugural benchmark study ranking the digital performance of the world's top department stores by digital think tank L2. Among the 40 stores included in the study, Nordstrom was No. 1, followed Macy's, Saks, and the U.K.’s Marks & Spencer, all of which earned 'Genius' titles.

Minneapolis  -- Target has announced the winner of the $75,000 grand prize in its Retail Accelerator contest: a mobile retail concept called “Divvy.” Jointly promoted by Target and Fast Company, the Retail Accelerator competition was designed to foster digital innovation in retail by challenging developers to build a new mobile experience for Target.

Boston – Rue La La is launching a shoppable "Sunday Supper" chef video series where products used by the chefs in the videos to prepare a dish will be available for sale on the site. Celebrity chefs featured in the videos will include Sam Talbot of Top Chef: Season 2 on July 14, followed by Top Chef: Season 3 winner Hung Huynh and Food Network's Chopped judge Amanda Freitag in future episodes. Each video will be accompanied by an online boutique featuring the kitchen and cookware used in the video, recipes and giveaways.

While Best Buy is still the world’s largest consumer electronics chain, it’s no secret that the brand faces big questions about store size, format, and long-term viability in an evolving brick-and-mortar retail landscape. I found the recent announcement that Microsoft and Best Buy had reached an agreement to roll out dedicated Windows “stores” in 600 Best Buy locations across North America this summer to be somewhat surprising, but certainly in line with the needs of both companies.

Draper, Utah -- Online eyewear retailer Glasses.com is releasing a 3D app for the iPad platform that allows customers to virtually try on glasses using a 180-degree 3D representation of their face. Proprietary facial modeling technology allows users to reproduce their face on an iPad screen and reposition glasses, as well as compare different glasses in a side-by-side view. A built-in “share” feature lets customers send virtual views to family and friends and receive tallied votes on their opinions.