Social Media

Snapchat’s newest filters are moving beyond the selfie.   The company is rolling out a new augmented reality ad division that lets users overlay marketers’ life-like filters on any photo they snap with their smartphone, according to ReCode.   Warner Brothers is the unit’s first advertiser, tying the lenses to promote its new movie, “Everything, Everything.” Dunkin Donuts and Netflix are next in line to launch the service, the report said.  

More than any generation before it, Gen Z has high expectations related to customer service and engagement across emerging channels.   That’s according to a new report by American Express, “Raising the Bar: How Gen Z Expectations Are Reshaping Brand Experiences.” The study, conducted by Forrester Research, surveyed 1,027 North American Gen Y (ages 23 to 37) and Gen Z consumers (ages 16 to 22).   

When shoppers talk about brands, they usually do it offline.   That’s according to a study by Engagement Labs that measured the performance of 60 brands with respect to social media and word of mouth conversations. Amazon came out on top in the retail and apparel category, followed by Nike and Nordstrom.   

Fast-fashion e-retailer shines in store debut

British online fast-fashion retailer Missguided makes the leap to physical retail with a high-concept, high-impact store that brings its website to life.

Online plus-size fast-fashion retailer Eloquii is testing its first physical location, a pop-up shop in the Washington, D.C. area.  

Mobile ads and solid user growth across its suite of apps contributed to a strong first quarter for Facebook.   For the quarter ended March 31, revenue rose 49% to $8.03 billion, from $5.38 billion in the same period a year earlier. This surpassed analyst predictions of $7.83 billion. Based on this quarter’s earnings, Facebook has exceeded analyst expectations for eight straight quarters.   

Facebook is proving social media does in fact influence brick-and-mortar sales.   The social media giant offers a feature that enables users to scan a personalized QR code to nab discounts when they buy something at specific brick-and-mortar locations, reported TechCrunch.    The Rewards feature, which is discretely tucked away under the More tab of Facebook’s mobile app, has been in test mode for a few months, according to the report.  

Companies are adopting more solutions to gain a 360-degree view of each customer.   While 88% of companies believe their investments help their organization understand customer needs, only 61% of consumers agree — a gap that is costing retailers $62 billion a year, according to research from Talend. The provider of cloud and big data integration software surveyed 361 IT leaders and 1,094 consumers in the United States, the U.K., France, and Germany.   

Tommy Hilfiger is giving European customers a new way to connect with its brand.    The specialty apparel retailer joined forces with PredictSpring to launch a mobile app targeting the European market. The app will enable consumers in 17 countries to log into their Hilfiger Club loyalty accounts, and receive personalized messages, promotions and event invitations.  

The Aldo Group is making strides on its digital transformation journey.   The retailer has launched a new responsive website and e-commerce platform that will integrate retail online, in-store and mobile channels. The move comes as Aldo transitions leadership, with company founder Aldo Bensadoun naming his son, David Bensadoun, as the new CEO earlier this month.