Marketing Tactics

San Francisco -- Kenshoo, a provider of predictive media optimization technology, announced the beta release of its newest digital marketing targeting solution, Intent-Driven Audiences (IDA), which matches clicks on search engine ads to audiences on Facebook in real-time. This allows marketers to show ads to consumers that have searched for specific keywords and also use Facebook’s targeting capabilities to find more customers like them.

New York -- Walmart plans to expand its online price comparison tool, Savings Catcher, that compares prices on select products with those of some of its competitors to cities nationwide over the next few months, the Associated Press said. The retailer is also adding more products to the tool, which will now be available on Walmart's mobile app.

Las Vegas -- The Hershey Company has opened a retail flagship, Hershey’s Chocolate World at New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The store, which occupies two floors and has an eye-catching 74-ft. high Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar that visitors can walk through, is designed to provide shoppers with an experiential concept that immerses them in more than 800 candy and chocolate offerings.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Sam's Club announced it will launch a new credit card using EMV chip-enabled technology on June 23, beating Target as the first mass retailer to move to the new technology. The new card — co-branded with MasterCard Inc. and issued by GE Capital Retail Bank — has an embedded chip that makes the card more difficult to duplicate, which provides enhanced security from fraudulent activity, according to Sam’s Club.

Skechers Performance Division has signed seven-time PGA Tour champion Matt Kuchar — currently ranked fifth in the world — as the first brand ambassador for the Skechers GOgolf line.

The multiyear partnership will feature Kuchar in a global advertising campaign that covers TV, print, digital and outdoor mediums. The company will also collaborate with Kuchar on a namesake signature shoe line.
 

CashStar, a digital gifting company, has named John Caron as chief marketing officer to lead all strategic corporate and product marketing efforts in support of the company’s aggressive growth plans.

In a major boost to member benefits, Sam’s Club announced a credit card cash back program that gives members the opportunity to earn 5% cash back on fuel, 3% cash back on dining and travel and 1% cash back on all other purchases, up to $5,000 annually.

Hershey's Chocolate World has opened a retail location at New York-New York Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
 
The West Coast flagship store, which occupies two floors and boasts a 74-ft. high by 24-ft. wide Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar façade sign that visitors can walk through, immerses consumers in more than 800 candy and chocolate offerings, including Hershey’s, Hershey’s Kisses, Reese’s, Ice Breakers, Jolly Ranchers and Twizzlers brands.
 

Five Below plans to open eight locations in and around Houston Friday, June 6, marking the specialty value retailer’s first foray into that city. The company already has 15 stores in the Dallas and Austin markets.

The store openings are part of the company’s aggressive growth strategy. Last year, the Philadelphia-based retailer opened 60 new stores, and it plans to match that number this year. With the Houston openings, there will be 338 Five Below stores in 20 states throughout the country.