August 29, 2011
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Jenny Mehan
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Last week we saw that back-to-school spending in the U.S. is projected to decrease slightly from 2010. In an effort to boost sales and distinguish themselves from their competitors, a number of brands are using creative and innovative ways to engage with their customers. This is a smart move considering that the meteoric rise in the use of social media, smartphones, and tablets continues to drastically change the shopping process.
In a recent survey by Deloitte, 64% of smartphone users planned to use them as part of the shopping process, primarily to get price information (61%) and to ...
August 15, 2011
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Jenny Mehan
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Eager to get in on the ground floor and leverage the buzz surrounding Google+, businesses are keen to be part of this new social offering. However, Google has made it clear that the current iteration of Google+ is targeted towards individual users, not brands or business entities. Of course, Google is not going to exclude corporations for long, but there has been some confusion as to how they will implement brand pages.
Initially, Google was in the process of screening and selecting business partners to be included in the test phase of Google+ for businesses. However, the response was ...
August 9, 2011
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Posted by
Antonella Pannizzo
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Google recently released new tools to track the impact of social media plugins such as tweets, likes and +1s.
Google Webmaster Tools
The +1 metrics in Google Webmaster Tools provide three reports – Search, Activity and Audience – that show you how the +1 button affects traffic to your website.
Search Report – indicates how +1 button affects your site performance through organic search results. The report shows the list of pages that have the most +1 annotated impressions and the click through rate (CTR) with or without a +1 button.
Activity Report – indicates how many times a page...
July 7, 2011
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Jenny Mehan
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In an attempt to steal some of Google’s recent thunder, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg held a press conference yesterday that was billed as the introduction of “something awesome”. He announced that a Skype-based video chat feature has been added to Facebook. The existing chat service has also been changed to make it easier to use and a new feature has been added to enhance group chats. Zuckerberg also mentioned that this was just the beginning of “launching season 2011” and that more announcements would be coming.
Google’s newly released social offering, Google+, which is currently avail...
July 6, 2011
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Posted by
Antonella Pannizzo
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Consumers now have a say in fashion production and design. Some brands are now offering consumers the chance to vote on what is produced or designed. By doing this, brands are engaging the shopper and creating demand for products before they are even produced. Large brands like Burberry have recognized the importance of giving their customers the opportunity to be involved in the design process. Burberry launched the Bespoke initiative that allows customers to design their own trench coats, by selecting the pattern and material so that they can create a unique item to their style and taste....
July 5, 2011
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Jenny Mehan
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After months of rumor and speculation, Google has unveiled their new social networking service, Google+. This new venture addresses some of the issues and shortcomings of the failed Google Wave. At the moment, it’s only available for select users, but hopefully it will be ready for the general public in the near future. Google+ is going to “make sharing online more like sharing in real life”.
Here’s a quick look at some of the features that help to distinguish Google+ from Facebook.
CirclesCircles allows you to sort friends, family and coworkers into different groupings that ...
June 2, 2011
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Posted by
Antonella Pannizzo
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Search engines have added a social touch to their results recently. Users now have the ability to see what results their friends Like and view recommendations through their searches.
Bing
Bing recently incorporated Facebook Likes into its results, making search more personalized. It’s described as the “Friend Effect”, where users are more inclined to make decisions based on the recommendations and opinions of friends. When a user conducts a search, it will show which (if any) of their friends liked the results. Also displayed in the search results, are Facebook users within the network th...
May 13, 2011
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Antonella Pannizzo
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Location-based services have become very popular among smartphone users where ‘check-ins’ are required. Visa has recently launched a new program that does not require a ‘check-in’, but instead sends offers to customers using SMS messages. Visa partnered with the Gap to offer discounts to customers (via text message) in specific zip codes and demographics after they made a purchase at the retailer using their Visa card. The program is called Gap Mobile 4 U. Once a customer enrolls online, they can begin receiving updates on discounts and promotions when they use their Visa card in Gap store...
May 6, 2011
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Antonella Pannizzo
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In the last year, I’ve written a number of blog posts on various topics. I wanted to take this opportunity to revisit some of my posts and provide updates that have occurred in the last year.
Group Buying
Only a few years ago daily deal sites didn’t even exist. In the last year group buying sites have grown enormously by the vast amount of consumers looking for the best deal. The group buying industry in the U.S alone is expected to grow 138% to $2.7 billion this year compared to $1.1 billion in 2010. One of the biggest successes today is Groupon, who to date has received a total of $950...
May 4, 2011
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Jenny Mehan
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Last week’s big wedding (you know the one I’m talking about) left young girls around the world wistfully yearning for their chance to be a princess. For some of them, the opportunity to live that dream is just around the corner. That’s right – it’s prom season!
Shopping for the perfect prom dress (or tuxedo, for the princes out there), has always been a very social activity. Today’s teens are always connected. They’re not just shopping – they’re Tweeting, posting pictures to Facebook and uploading videos while they’re in your store. This is the perfect opportunity for merchants to lever...
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