July 27, 2010
·
Posted by
Wanda Cadigan ·
1 Comment·
0 Links to this post
When you think about the online gaming community, you may think about the traditional demographic of young males playing Xbox or PlayStation. However there is a new growing segment that is making big brands take notice – the ‘casual’ player. Social gaming is the fastest-growing segment in the video game business right now, its growth spurred on no doubt by popularity of social networking sites. Even as retail video game sales have declined over the past year, a growing number of people have been playing, and spending money on, social and casual games on the Internet and mobile phones. Whil...
July 23, 2010
·
Posted by
Melany Gallant ·
0 Comments·
0 Links to this post
Some fashion magazines are using multi-media and mobile technologies to create additional opportunities to help advertisers reach consumers via Web and mobile platforms. According to a recent article by Lauren Indvik at Mashable.com, fashion magazines lost nearly a quarter of their ad pages in 2009. In response, some fashion magazines are looking to use Web and mobile offerings to update their business model, making it more relevant to how advertisers want to reach consumers.
Indvik provides some great examples of how some leading fashion magazines are embracing digital offerings to attrac...
July 16, 2010
·
Posted by
Antonella Pannizzo ·
0 Comments·
0 Links to this post
Social tools have become an important part of a retailer’s online strategy. It’s an exciting new way to engage customers. For the consumer it’s a way to share their online experiences. The Facebook ‘Like’ button has proven to be a popular tool with sites like Levis, who were one of the first to implement the button to their product pages. A recent eMarketer post "Online Merchants Love Facebook’s 'Like’ ", states:
35% of online marketers responsible for social marketing or ecommerce have already implemented Facebook’s “like” plug-in, and another third plan to do so.
Researc...
July 8, 2010
·
Posted by
Wanda Cadigan ·
0 Comments·
0 Links to this post
After the July 4th long weekend, many retailers turn their thoughts to the Back-to-School season. And Back-to-School is big business. According to a NRF study, last year’s Back-to-School holiday spending total was $47.5 billion, second only to Winter Holiday spending category. Over at the Google Retail Blog they have posted some interesting statistics on when consumers begin their Back-to-School shopping research. Approximately 50% of those who research Back-to-School purchases will do so in the time period between now and the end of July.
Furthermore the Google Retail blog h...
July 2, 2010
·
Posted by
Antonella Pannizzo ·
0 Comments·
0 Links to this post
The rapid adoption of location based services such as Foursquare, Gowalla, etc, provides indication that both users and businesses see the potential benefits of such services, specifically around loyalty.A new site launched recently called Topguest, gives you real reward points from some of your favorite travel reward programs. Topguest works with sites like Foursquare, Google Latitude, Google Buzz, Gowalla, Loopt, Brightkite and Yelp to reward your geo–check in. For instance, if you check in to a hotel, rent a car or board a plane you can earn points from their respective loyalty programs....
June 23, 2010
·
Posted by
Melany Gallant ·
0 Comments·
0 Links to this post
Offering a ratings and review system on your e-commerce site can be an effective way to get your customers to champion your brand. It also offers you the opportunity to actively engage those customers in dialogue about what they like, and what they dislike, about your products and services. For SEO purposes, ratings and reviews also keep your web content fresh and can help generate conversions. Over on SmashingMagazine.com, Rung András discusses (with some great examples) how adding user feedback to your e-commerce site is an effective way to facilitate customer engagement, build brand loya...
June 21, 2010
·
Posted by
Donna Remillard ·
0 Comments·
0 Links to this post
I remember thinking at IRCE last year, that despite the economic climate, retailers were generally upbeat, especially when it came to e-Commerce. Comparison really puts things in perspective for you … this year felt like full steam ahead, everything looks great!
The show boasted:
6400 Attendees
175 Speakers
418 Exhibitors
While every keynote and session I attended revealed informative and thought provoking insight, a few themes continuously popped to the forefront throughout the show:
ContentThere was lots of talk about ‘Connected Content’ this year. Whether it’s on-site or o...
June 15, 2010
·
Posted by
Melany Gallant ·
0 Comments·
0 Links to this post
According to a recent study by trendwatching.com, interacting with others online using web-based and mobile devices isn't turning us into isolated, "anti-social zombies" that many sociologists and pundits proclaimed and predicted. Rather these tools are providing opportunities for richer connections both online and in the real world. Dubbing it "mass mingling" trendwatching.com states, Thanks to the online revolution, hundreds of millions are now actively searching for, finding, connecting/signaling, and staying in touch with likeminded souls in the virtual world. Cons...
June 2, 2010
·
Posted by
Wanda Cadigan ·
1 Comment·
0 Links to this post
I’ve written about foursquare here before from a business perspective and how it could be used as a tool to improve customer loyalty. But today’s post is purely from a personal point of view. My name is Wanda and I am a foursquare user.
It all happened innocently enough really. Keeping up with new technologies and trends is part of the gig. I figured I should start using foursquare to learn more about it and experience it from the point of view of a consumer. It wasn’t onerous - a simple tap on my iPhone would associate me with a particular location or business. I told myself I’d try it f...
May 31, 2010
·
Posted by
Melany Gallant ·
1 Comment·
0 Links to this post
The whole concept of interactive engagement with customers via social media is changing so fast these days, it can be hard for brands to keep up. Just when you get your Facebook fan page going, and start sharing deals and discounts to Foursquare users, you discover there is another digital media tool or trend taking hold.
One such service is Stickybits, a mobile app that allows iPhone and Android users to scan or create a barcode and then attach a digital file to it. That file could be anything - video, text, photos or music. The Stickybits service is an intriguing concept that could have...
Next >>