Jul 23, 2010
"Farmville now outpaces Twitter." "One in four people plays social games online." "More than $1.8 billion worth of virtual goods has been sold in virtual worlds." These are just some of the headlines we see today about the popularity of online gaming, but what does this all mean for Gen Y and for brands?
Rich Thomaselli
Jul 12, 2010
Observers are wondering why Canton, Mass.-based Reebok, after successfully readjusting its focus to target the women's market, and making great gains with both its ZigTech training shoe and its Easy Tone sneakers, would get back into the basketball-shoe endorsement business when that sector of the sneaker world is losing market share.
Jul 9, 2010
A recent report, "The New Consumer Behavior Paradigm" by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Kantar Retail, portrays a new consumer emerging from the recession, one that has learned that "the time invested in incorporating tools into the shopping experience, i.e., more involvement in the process, yielded a significant return (ROI) in terms of both dollar and time savings."
While this study compared and contrasted the post-recession spending habits of Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y, it prompts a discussion of the retail reality that has shaped Gen Y and how changes to the process of marketing and selling will accelerate as Gen Y's financial influence grows.
Elizabeth Holmes
Jun 24, 2010
Forever 21 Inc. is set to open a massive new store in New York's Times Square on Friday, the latest and most aggressive step in the low-priced fashion retailer's plan to expand from a clothing boutique into a department store.
The privately held, Los Angeles-based company is expanding aggressively at a time when most retailers are holding back or downsizing, a move enabled in large part by the recession.
Jun 23, 2010
Fathers are changing more diapers than ever, but you would never guess that while walking down the diaper aisle, where packages feature mothers but never fathers.
Now Pampers, the Procter & Gamble brand, while not planning to advertise on ESPN anytime soon, is taking baby steps toward fathers.
Laurent Bourscheidt
Jun 17, 2010
Although luxury brands remained surprisingly isolated from the downturn in 2007 and 2008, 2009 was tough on all sectors, including haute couture. Even the acclaimed Christian Lacroix was driven out of business.
Naturally, when circumstances call for bold actions, it's tempting to expand your market to enhance your bottom line. But is it possible without compromising the luxury nature of your brand?
May 19, 2010
News flash: Moms don't want to have a relationship with their laundry detergent. What they do want is more time to engage with the segments that impact their busy lives, such as health care and financial services.
Bob Deutsch
Apr 20, 2010
Men are, well, men. They live in the 'now.' They are concrete thinkers that like to consummate, finish. A male axiom is "complete what you set out to do." Men are interested in power and in looking good, even more than being good. In short, that's the nature of beauty for the beast.
You cannot market to men the same way you market to women. It's not a simple transformation of changing colors, fonts or packaging. Men and women are different biologically, psychologically and socially.
Apr 12, 2010
Statistics confirming the overall growth of Hispanics within the U.S. population and their spending power are readily available and frequently cited, but quantifying the Hispanic market's impact on specific consumer goods categories and industries can prove more elusive.
Apr 7, 2010
At last week's marketing series, "The New Black. The New Urban," which took place at media mogul Damon Dash's DD172 center, the message was, indeed, that marketers can't make it by faking it or by relying on outdated notions about what African-American -- and more broadly, urban Millennials -- see when they look in the mirror.
Jerry Shereshewsky
Mar 3, 2010
It seems like the American marketing community is poised on the brink of an astounding discovery: the value of the post-war baby boom market! With the upcoming (and much anticipated) Tom Brokaw special, "Tom Brokaw Reports: Boomer$," it seems like everyone is trying to jump on this particular wagon. On March 1, Advertising Age published a fun piece by Judann Pollack called "The 15 Biggest Baby Boomer Brands" in which Pollack attempts to lay out the iconic products and their ad campaigns of her generation. This is precisely why marketing to boomers is in such a state of disarray. Folks are trying to take 20 pounds and shove it into a five-pound bag.
Oct 30, 2009
It wasn't long ago that a fashion magazine reader could flip through the pages of Vogue and Elle to find advertisements from high-end French brand Lacoste. Not anymore. The company known for its crocodile logo and polo shirts is ditching print ads and switching to a completely digital tactic in America. Lacoste spends $12 million a year on marketing in the U.S., according to TNS Media Intelligence, and all of that will go online. The change rolls out Thursday with the launch of a new Web site, from New York agency Euro RSCG, that lets shoppers build their own Lacoste wardrobes and share with friends on social networking sites.
Davis Thinking
