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2018 Recap: How Purposeful Brands Won 2018 and Will Play 2019 http://bit.ly/2EBUuQ4 Consumer sentiment analysis shows purpose-driven brands creating positive impact are seen as most innovative, by using their platforms to harness the power of global perspective through their local strategies In our latest results from our Retail Innovation Tracker, which ranks experts’ perceptions of 150+ well known consumer-facing brands, PSFK researchers found that the most innovative brands, whether upstart or established, are increasingly positioning their products and services alongside purpose-driven initiatives that simultaneously elevate customers’ perceptions and accomplish global good. The survey ranked retailers across the verticals of fashion, hospitality, home, beauty and beyond. Ranked most innovative (once again), the eCommerce and Automotive industries showed similar results to the October survey, with Amazon (86) and Tesla (97) leading. For the rest of the industries, here is a topline analysis for other key sectors in order of their overall innovative rank: Related Research: The Last-Mile Delivery Debrief Hospitality & Travel: Airbnb Encouraging Shared Spaces Through Hospitality Within the hospitality category, Airbnb (71) was ranked the most innovative hospitality service and online marketplace, and recently announced a new initiative called Backyard, an endeavor to design and prototype new ways of building and sharing homes in 2019. Backyard was initiated as part of its Samara, a futures division of Airbnb, which was made to develop new products and services for the company. Airbnb also released its navigation tool that helps travelers locate off-trail stays. Through a partnership with geocoding system What3word, the tool helps its customers hunt down unique or hidden lodges not easily found through other navigation services, such as a tent in a Mongolian forest. Airbnb is hoping to use it to offer its customers more exotic and off-trail locations, as well as lodges with unusual addresses, which can still sometimes be tricky for customers to locate. Airbnb’s initiatives towards enabling consumers to share spaces across countries, encouraging borderless lifestyles and building inclusive and diverse living communities reflect a dedication to being a force for good. By building communities beyond its platform and providing network impact, Airbnb is establishing itself as an impactful industry leader. Related Airbnb Research: The Travel Debrief Retail: Warby Parker Enabling Everyone Access To Eyecare The results from the latest update of the Retail Innovation Tracker shows that Warby Parker (71) ranked as the most innovative retailer in the retail category. Warby Parker’s convenient model for buying glasses online and innovation across the retail experience is only one aspect of Warby Parker’s success. Since day one, over 4 million pairs of glasses have been distributed through their Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program, which is a social healthcare initiative at Warby Parker’s core—and bottom line. Related Research: The Future of Retail 2019 Sports/Fitness—Lifestyle: Nike Seamlessly Improving Customers’ Daily Lives Survey results for the Sports/Fitness—Lifestyle industry show Nike (71) leading the way. In November, Nike put on an exciting “Playkits” interactive exhibition in Hong Kong, which highlighted a range of female athletes and creative, along with its sustainability efforts (such as the fact that 75% of all Nike shoes and apparel now contain some recycled material.) Through its brand expressions of taking actions towards environmental sustainability and social empowerment, Nike is making itself an industry leader that integrates into customers’ daily lives. In terms of customer experience, Nike is creating a one-to-one experience with its customers in its Shanghai House of Innovation, which features an Expert Studio in an area that is restricted to members. Shoppers can pre-plan visits through the mobile app, making an appointment for an expert consultation with a store associate or reserving products for in-store try on, enabling them to have more seamless, informed and personalized shopping experiences. PSFK’s Future of Retail 2019 also spotlights how Nike’s mobile experience extends to the retail locations, creating a shopping ecosystem that empowers shoppers take control, with minimal, yet more efficient, assistance from store associates. Related Research: The Future of Retail 2019 Home: IKEA Making Sustainable Living A Possibility, Especially In Cities Swedish big box retailer IKEA (70) was ranked the most innovative company within the home retailer category. It latest developments include a partnership with Tom Dixon, a British furniture brand that specializes in lighting and home accessories, to explore the future of urban farming. Their goal through this collaboration is to encourage people to experiment with how their home space can also be used for agriculture. Additionally, IKEA opened a supplemental shop in London called the Planning Studio, which is the first of its kind and will be staffed by advisers, rather than salespeople, to advise shoppers on bedroom and kitchen planning. Lastly, IKEA is planning on opening small-format stores that cater to urban consumers with curated merchandise for city living. By launching these initiatives, IKEA is extending its brand to solve environmental issues and creating positive impact, offering customers added-value services, as well as makings its product and customer experience more flexible to serve the needs of urban shoppers. Related Research: PSFK’s Future of Retail 2019 Beauty: Glossier Empowering Women To Feel Naturally Beautiful Within the Beauty industry, Glossier (68) scored the highest. The beauty brand’s blog, Into The Gloss, became a mecca for women curious about the latest skincare and makeup products. It also provided a forum for them to communicate with other beauty fans. As a result, Glossier is really one of the first socially driven beauty brands, both digitally and physically. Glossier is one of the best examples of how brands and retailers are becoming lifestyle partners that integrate into people’s daily lives, sharing with consumers a sense of presence, camaraderie and authenticity towards creating a community of women and like-minded people who empower each other. Related Research:Cultivating & Encouraging Digital & Physical Fan Communities (Publishing in Early January 2019) / Content & Commerce Entertainment: LEGO Globally Inspiring Children To Build A Better Future Denmark-based toy company LEGO (61) was ranked the most innovative company within the entertainment category. Recently, LEGO opened its first flagship store in China, which features an interactive play area that encourages children to build their own cities of the future, where kids can learn about modern architecture and environmental impact. This is not the only hands-on educational experience that Lego has implemented lately. In fact, the LEGO Foundation, in partnership with NGOs Porticus and BRAC, has funded more than 513 “play labs” in Uganda, Tanzania and Bangladesh, which allow kids to participate in a child-centered curriculum built by a team of global play scholars. PSFK’s Building the New Toy Experience explores more ways brands are creating opportunities for children to have hands-on learning experiences that enable them to learn, grow and develop, while still giving them optimal playtimes. Related Research: Cultivating & Encouraging Digital & Physical Fan Communities (Publishing in Early January 2019) Outdoor Apparel: Patagonia Teaching People to Appreciate Their Environment This month, Patagonia (60) ranked as the most innovative Outdoor Apparel Retailer for another month in a row. Our October post included a deep-dive into how this brand was founded on principles and values, such as authenticity, sustainability, social impact, customer-centricity, and loyalty. A prime example of this is Patagonia’s Action Works digital platform, which connects people and environmental non-profits, helping them get involved through events, petitions and volunteering in their community. Additionally, its Worn Wear program increases the longevity and sustainability of the brand’s clothing by offering repairs in select stores and incentivizes donation of old products by offering discounts for future purchases. By enabling people to act on their broader missions, Patagonia has established itself as a direct influencer creating positive impact on a global level. Related Research: PSFK’s The CX Playbook Food: Brandless (57) Helping Anyone To Eat Healthy Direct-to-consumer company Brandless (57), known for selling quality consumer goods for $3 or less, was ranked most innovative in the Food category. Not only does Brandless have a strong focus on building relationships with customers, by powering one-to-one relationships and giving customers a sense of ownership, but it also has business model that enables customers to become donors through its platform. Brandless was designed to be a company that gives back; since its launch in 2017, the company has donated over 3 million gifts. Additionally, as part of its B.More Membership program, Brandless donates 10 meals on customers behalf to people facing hunger when they sign up and 2 more every time they shop. As a way to bring to life its brand narrative and values to audiences, Brandless’ recent Pop-up with Purpose activation in New York City spotlighted its mission of giving back to communities and practicing kindness was the spotlight. For every social post tagged #BrandlessLife during the pop-up, the company donated one meal via a partnership with Feeding America. Related Research: PSFK’s The CX Playbook Analysis: What This Means Now & For The Future PSFK’s Tracker results reveal that brands and retailers that prioritize sustainable profitability, collaborative spirit and shared human and environmental values of integrity and equality establish themselves as being capable of building a purpose-driven ecosystem. However, in order for brands to first develop their brand platforms, they are challenged to problem solve with creative solutions for overcoming a fractured media and retail landscapes with distributed model for consumer attention. Specifically, how brands engage with audiences is a critical element in achieving a crucial element/layer of true authenticity. Whether that means becoming a bridge to community on a local level, providing network impact on a global scale, or simply amplifying voices in digital channels to align with consumers’ growing demands, the most innovative brands are building or leveraging their existing platforms to expand into new verticals, spaces and initiatives that are touching the lives of more people in authentic ways. Conclusion: Looking Ahead The past year has been one of global turmoil and introspection; as consumers have increasingly examined their own values, they have likewise caused brands to reconsider their stances as well. Consumer shifts towards health-consciousness, sustainability and equality/inclusion have caused a domino effect of disruption across the industries of health, automotive, food, fashion, entertainment and retailers across the board. It is now clear that many innovators that have collaborated to create sustainable and integrity-based solutions have successfully tipped the scales, causing traditional companies and business leaders to rethink their practices and norms, as well as where and how they engage with consumers at the top of the funnel. In 2018, we have seen innovation and massive disruption take place across all industry verticals. Wellness trends have disrupted, and will continue to disrupt, across categories in products and services. Evolving business models have enabled new economies. Brands have increasingly fostered ecosystems, creating communities where people can interact with each other and their physical environments. Meanwhile, collective consumer sentiments have increasingly proven that consumers are looking to brands, specifically purpose-driven brands, to serve as policing forces that impact and benefit their lives, both in local communities and on a global scale. Many brands activations, immersions and initiatives over the past twelve months have brought to life brand values centered around honesty, integrity, empowerment and beyond. However, if 2018 has shown that consumers clearly expect brands to be or become purpose-driven (and fast), we are curious: what will consumers demand from brands and retailers in 2019? How can brands incorporate integrity and sustainability, and overall purpose-driven strategies, into their tech-enabled experiences? And how will the concept of purpose evolve? Related Reports: The Future of Retail 2019 unpacks the Direct-To-Consumer opportunity, covering enterprise-critical strategies around supply chain and technology infrastructure, store design and service, and CRM and loyalty systems. PSFK’s The CX Playbook presents a new vision for the customer-brand journey, one where customers’ lives and goals are authentically empowered and bolstered by their favorite brands. The playbook presents readers with an actionable, trends-inspired framework that will attract customers through value-driven brand perspectives and cultivate long-term loyalty by nurturing their progressive lifestyle. Cultivating & Encouraging Digital & Physical Fan Communities (Publishing in Early January 2019) Each month, PSFK surveys progressive consumers about their impressions of retailers and DTC brands. The results are published in a Retail Innovation Tracker which can be found here. Mobile Marketing via PSFK http://www.psfk.com/ December 21, 2018 at 02:14PM
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Why Websites With Search Make A First Impression http://bit.ly/2S9Frky Websites may become an afterthought as bright shiny technology overshadows what some may consider this staple for brand and retailers. Consumers still care what a company’s website looks like and the features it offers. Think of the website as a first impression when meeting for the first time or reconnecting with an old friend. About 81% of survey participants think less of a brand if their website hasn’t been updated in years. In fact, 39% would think twice about using a product or service if the website isn’t fresh, user-friendly, and current. The survey, Consumer Trends in Content and Commerce Web User Experiences, analyzes responses from more than 1,000 U.S.-based consumers between the ages of 18 and 60, using SurveyMonkey. The questions focused on consumer satisfaction with current Web User Experiences. The survey analyzes everything from the best-loved website features to privacy and security concerns. Some 28% said the biggest deterrent for shopping online with a brand or retailer is when the site doesn’t feature a search box, so they can quickly find the item. Twenty-five percent will go elsewhere when the site cannot accommodate mobile devices. advertisement advertisement Half of respondents cite user content — reviews and photos — as important features. One quarter said discount codes are the most important feature when shopping on a website. Some 13% said their most important feature when shopping on a website is that the site has a memory of what they looked at when they go back. And another 13% say that Apple pay or PayPal payment capability for easy checkout is the most important feature when shopping a website. Most consumers now expect a website to remember their preferences. About 56% said their favorite website feature is when a product they previously searched for gets served to them with a sale price. The findings also suggest that 25% don’t mind a brand retargeting them with a product left in their shopping cart. Some 19% of those participating in the survey said their favorite website feature is when a page serves personalized offers based on their search history. Along those same lines, 25% of respondents’ favorite website feature is when a website follows up with them about a product they left in their shopping cart or stopped looking at for some reason. One-quarter said discount codes are the most important feature when shopping on a website, and 13% admit that Apple Pay or PayPal payment capability for easy checkout is important. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents said they would download their favorite brand’s mobile app Consumers still want their privacy. Some 32% claim they now understand there is a trade-off between privacy and a better user experience, and 36% are still very concerned about their privacy online. Only a small fraction, at 16%, are not concerned about their privacy, and 15% think the online privacy issue has been overhyped. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile http://bit.ly/2oB2PsH December 21, 2018 at 12:15PM Big Advertisers Drop 'Tucker Carlson' But Many Marketers Remain http://bit.ly/2Ad12ld More than a dozen advertisers are stopping media schedules or have no plans to air on Fox News Channel’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight” after Carlson said immigrants made the U.S. “poorer and dirtier.” Yet many TV advertisers remain. Over the recent December 17-20 period, iSpot.tv says “Carlson” pulled in $2.5 million in advertising (177 airings of national/regional commercials). For the previous four-day period, the show pulled in $3.1 million -- 228 airings of commercials. Overall, reports says Fox News Channel has not lost much, if any, revenue -- advertisers simply move budgets to other shows. Since Monday through Thursday night, according to iSpot.tv, top advertisers include: Sirius Satellite Radio airing 11 airings of its commercials; 23andMe, six airings; NFL Network, five; Sandals Resorts, four; Pajamagram, four; Visiting Angeles, four; Progressive Insurance, three; Alka-Seltzer, four; Qunol, My Pillow, ASPCA, ClearChoice, Jewelry Exchange, Plexaderm, and Otezla, all each with three. advertisement advertisement Those with two airings over the period: Red Lobster, Energizer, IHOP, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Infiniti, Zona Health, Samsung Mobile, Samsung TV, Navage, SanDisk, Minted, Dremel, Duluth Trading Co., Massage Envy, Worx, Just For Men, Fisher Investments, ,GMC, YMCA, Senior Helpers, and Sheex. In addition, Fox News Channel has aired 13 on-air promos, Fox Nation, the new OTT platform, 10; and Fox, nine. Pacific Life was the the first “Carlson” advertiser that announced early in the week it was dropping its schedule. The insurance marketer tweeted on Friday about its disagreement with Carlson's remarks. During the week, advertises that said they would be departing or have no current media plans to buy the show include: Leesa, Lexus, ScotteVest, Takeda, Samsung, SodaStream, NerdWallet, Zenni Optical, Just for Men, Pfizer’s Robitussin, Jaguar-Land Rover, TD Ameritrade, and SanDisk. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile http://bit.ly/2oB2PsH December 21, 2018 at 10:25AM In 2019, Expect More FoFO Folly From Brands http://bit.ly/2R8RfXc If brand marketers knew that companies lost $75 billion in 2017 because of poor customer service (according to a New Voice Media study) I can only pray that they would take the appropriate actions to at least stop the hemorrhaging. Unfortunately, in 2019, I think we’ll get more FoFO. The acronym is usually applied to people experiencing symptoms who will not see a doctor to discuss them because they have FoFO--a fear of finding out what’s wrong with them. In my experience, both personal and professional, brand marketers suffer extensively and needlessly from FoFO. Three decades ago, customer service was strictly a cost center for businesses, and lowering costs meant pushing call centers to low-wage, overseas markets. Such moves were shortsighted because call centers are among the tools brands can use to strengthen customer loyalty, turn every customer interaction into a growth opportunity, or lose a customer forever. A singular brand-owned online forum would be one place to start honest dialogues with customers, because social media, as it turns out, is not the powerful tool that serves as a direct, immediate communication channel between businesses and their customers. Instead, social media channels are noisy, nasty places with poor analytics, and they tend to cause more FoFO. Check out the comments on Verizon’s Facebook page to get a taste of unassuaged customer rage. The following list contains my predictions about what we can expect in terms of brand interactions with customers in 2019, and it ain’t pretty: 1. Brands remain averse to customer feedback. Cable companies, mobile service providers, and airlines are notorious for the frustration they cause customers, which gets compounded when customers call for help. No amount of bad press or social-media abuse has made brands in these sectors improve, leading consumers to believe their voices don’t matter. 2. Consumer trust will continue to fall. See prediction one. If you look at 2017, 14% of people didn’t believe a brand was actually going to take note of any review they left online. In 2018, that’s up to 45%. Brands aren’t doing anything to overcome or change that increase. Customers are so used to being disappointed by brand interactions that a brand can really distinguish itself by pleasantly surprising them with a prompt redress of their grievances. 3. Brand reputation managers will become more critical in management teams. Why? Because brands ignore or outright dismiss customer criticism. The focus in 2019 will continue to be on crisis management vs. proactive solutions from brand marketers. 4. A few brands will innovate from customer feedback.Too many companies have FoFO because they see it as a risk instead of an opportunity. A few brave brands will stand out in 2019 by using criticism from their customers to improve their products and services. This will not be the norm, but rather a differentiation. 5. Increased use of AI. We’ve all been in situations where we know we’re not talking to a real person. How can AI help brands without harming the customer relationship? Brands set themselves up for failure when they depend too much on bots, but they can invest in the ones that find legitimate comments and complaints and automatically feed them into a proper forum for meaningful dialogue. A lot of these platforms can analyze comments and provide metrics on where exactly the problems are so brands can address them. Relying on AI for direct customer service interactions, however, is a fine line to walk. AI must be used very carefully and strategically. Consumers have never felt more disconnected from brands, and AI alone will not bridge that distance very effectively. As you can see, I don’t have high hopes for brands to get their acts together and empathize more with their customers, but we can still dream of a FoFO-free marketplace. See you in 2019. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile http://bit.ly/2oB2PsH December 21, 2018 at 10:14AM
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PSFK’s Guide To New York Retail Innovation Week http://bit.ly/2PVhj36 Come meet pioneering retail minds from Target, Hershey's, Eileen Fisher and more in NYC from Jan 13-19 Come meet pioneering retail minds from Target, Allbirds, citizenM, PSFK, Roula, Storefront, The New Stand, b8ta, Anomaly, Pernod Ricard, Trunk Club, Harry’s, IPG, Hershey’s, MM.Lafleur, Lively, Bonobos, Dirty Lemon, Showfields, Eileen Fisher and more at New York Retail Innovation Week. Acting as a calendar of events that runs alongside the NRF Big Show and PSFK Future of Retail conference, New York Retail Innovation Week presents some of the most pioneering minds in retail through a series of store visits, events, panels and talks. Browse through the most compelling offerings as selected by PSFK below. Target Retail AcceleratorFind out about Target’s international retail accelerator program. Hear from accelerator program leaders and alumni and connect with others from the startup community. Tickets PSFK Future of Retail 2019 Conference(Ticketed)The sector’s thought leaders present DTC pioneers as they explore tomorrow’s customer experience. Tickets IRL Retail Design In A Digital Age Panel(Ticketed) A discussion with the designers working with Virgin, Birchbox, Casper, Uber and Floyd. Tickets MM.LaFleur Showroom Visit(Free / RSVP) Take a tour of the brand’s customer experience and listen to insights from the fashion brand’s team. Tickets Retail Tech Strategies For 2019 Panel(Ticketed) Listen to experts in blockchain, AI-personalization for ecommerce and digital in-store display. Tickets Pernod Ricard Vodka Experience Site Visit(Free / RSVP) Tour of an experimental brand’s customer experience plus sampling. Tickets Hershey’s Chocolate World Site Visit(Free / RSVP) Exploration of the s’mores-filled Times Square flagship. Tickets. Why Consumer-Centric Brands Win(Donation) Hosted by Anomaly, this panel will feature executives from Harry’s, Function of Beauty and Showfields. Tickets Trunk Club NY Clubhouse Visit(Free / RSVP) Private walk-through of the style brand’s Villard Mansion. Tickets PSFK Briefing On New York Retail(Ticketed) Leading researchers showcase innovation across the city. Tickets Roula Cycling Site Visit(RSVP / Free) Founder presents a new luxury cycling membership experience. Tickets Come meet pioneering retail minds from Target, Allbirds, citizenM, PSFK, Roula, Storefront, The New Stand, b8ta, Anomaly, Pernod Ricard, Trunk Club, Harry’s, IPG, Hershey’s, MM.Lafleur, Lively, Bonobos, Dirty Lemon, Showfields, Eileen Fisher and more at New York Retail Innovation Week. Mobile Marketing via PSFK http://www.psfk.com/ December 21, 2018 at 09:24AM
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NYRIW Preview: How b8ta Helps Brands Actualize Retail As A Service http://bit.ly/2AaFwO1 Ahead of b8ta's site tour during New York Retail Innovation Week, founder and president Phillip Raub shares insights into how brands can better serve consumers with retail that prioritizes experience, engagement and education over transaction, using technology to build next-gen brick-and-mortar stores that focus on discovery As brick-and-mortar retail continues to transform, today’s store shoppers increasingly want authentic experiences—to be surprised, delighted and educated, and have an opportunity to engage with products, says founder and president of b8ta Phillip Raub. b8ta is a software-powered retailer designed to improve the customer and maker experience, allowing customers to discover, try and learn about new products while providing makers with a simple retail-as-a-service model that puts them in control. Ahead of hosting a site visit at b8ta’s New York outpost during New York Retail Innovation Week, Phillip caught up with PSFK to explain how his company helps brands make their retail stores less transactional and more about experiences, transforming retail into a bone-fide service: What are some of the broader trends you see taking place in terms of the retail experiences consumers are demanding, and the strategies retailers are employing to respond to this demand? Consumers are demanding a unique in-store experience that is fun and exciting. Gone are the days of a transactional relationship in physical retail, as online is more convenient and typically more cost-efficient. Consumers go into physical retail locations looking to demo products and engage with the staff to learn more about products and features. It is necessary for stores to not only have a diversified product mix, but also create experiences that keep customers coming back on a consistent basis. As a result, retailers are partnering with complimentary brands and services. It’s very common to see brands engaging in short-term pop-in/ups as well as product collaborations. What inspired or motivated you to start b8ta? What gaps or unmet needs did you identify that you wanted to address? It was the need to make retail accessible to ALL and create an experience designed for discovery. The decision making of a buyer is flawed, because they are using a personal bias to buy products and hedge based on inventory risks. Through the usage of technology and evolving the business model of traditional retail, b8ta is making retail less transactional and more about experiences and product discovery. You describe b8ta as “retail as a service.” Could you expand upon this, and how it describes the core of what b8ta is all about? At its core, our stores and our business model were designed with both the maker and consumers in mind. As a result, we offer our stores, our analytical tools to measure in-store behaviors and our expertise to brands as a service in helping them to be successful at retail. Today, we offer brands a full compliment of services, ranging from a single product placement to our built by b8ta offering, where we build and operate stores on behalf of brands. This holiday season, we also launched a series of pop-in shops within b8ta store and pop-up shops in malls and airports. Lastly, this past month we launched an SW platform to help other retailers deploy our Retail as a Service tools within their own stores. All of these services are powered by our proprietary SW that helps brands and retailers onboard their products and measure data and analytics within the physical retail space. What insights do you have on how retailers can best synch online and offline retail to establish seamless brand interactions for customers across all touchpoints? Online and in-store experiences need to be seamless. Online is built for convenience and in-store is built for discovery. For the consumer, both experience need to be simple and customer-centric. For the maker, those experiences need to be about education and feedback (qualitative and quantitative). Brick-and-mortar retail is experiencing a major transformation—and in some ways, it’s more important than ever. What insights do you have on this evolution? The demise of retail was overrated. It does appear that the market was oversaturated, and we saw a correction over the past couple of years. However, one of the biggest factors we witnessed was the demise of bad retail. Customers have too many options to settle for poor experiences and bad product options. What do you find consumers want most out of in-store retail today? More personalized, or curated experiences? How does your service help deliver the experiences they want, and help the retailer have greater control over that? Consumer want authentic experiences. They want to be surprised, delighted, educated and have an opportunity to engage with products. Online commerce provides consumers with endless options, so it is important for in-store experiences to ultimately be fun and create value in a way that you can’t get from clicking a button. What’s in store for the future of b8ta? Any upcoming projects you can share? This year we launched our 15th flagship location and will continue to be aggressive in opening more stores in 2019 (including Hudson Yard in New York this Spring) and rolling out our RaaS platform across over 100,000 sq ft of retail. For more, join b8ta brand ambassadors to hear about their efforts to make physical retail accessible for digital brands or any brand looking to deploy stores and experiential shop-in-shops at speed and budget, as well as experience new tech products first-hand, at the New York site tour on January 15, tickets available now! As brick-and-mortar retail continues to transform, today’s store shoppers increasingly want authentic experiences—to be surprised, delighted and educated, and have an opportunity to engage with products, says founder and president of b8ta Phillip Raub. Mobile Marketing via PSFK http://www.psfk.com/ December 21, 2018 at 06:33AM
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Interview: Fatherly Fuses Content And Commerce With Holiday Toy Activation http://bit.ly/2rRgz5q The Playroom from Fatherly is the online parenting and lifestyle publication's first major experiential consumer activation, taking the form of a playful and shoppable family popup designed to drive engagement and product sales in a more authentic way Fatherly is a multimedia brand dedicated to creating content to support the contemporary millennial man, with a focus on parenting from the male perspective. This holiday season, the publication decided to stage a pop-up experience for the whole family in New York City. Though there are products for sale, via a partnership with Amazon that imbues each item with a QR code that leads visitors to the ecommerce page, the space is designed to encourage play, rather than purchasing. Fatherly hopes that the experience will help naturally inspire families to purchase, while providing valuable product feedback to brand partners like Lego and LittleBits from real parent and child consumers. PSFK spoke to CEO, Michael Rothman, about Fatherly’s particular blend of content and commerce and how his pop-up activation may be the solution for driving brand engagement and product sales in a more authentic, experiential way. PSFK: Could you walk us through the Playroom concept? Michael Rothman: The Playroom from Fatherly is the first major experiential consumer activation that we’ve had. It’s a platform for showcasing the 100 best toys of 2018, a big editorial franchise of ours. It’s one thing to write about toys; it’s another thing to actually have them out on shelves and on the ground where kids can play with them. This is also, as an experiential platform, an opportunity to showcase the best local activities providers in New York for kids—everything from puppetry classes and dancing lessons for kids, to baby yoga and book readings. It’s a really exceptional way to bring Fatherly to life. How does The Playroom compare to other experiential popup activations that we’re seeing so much of right now? LEGO has this whole activation where you get to basically create your own LEGO. There’s just piles and piles of LEGOs, along with LEGO experts to help you design whatever you want to make. LittleBits has a whole bunch of STEM workshops. There really aren’t, particularly in the wintertime, public spaces for families that don’t involve some kind of transaction, that don’t involve parents under some at least implicit obligation to buy something. That’s what makes this particularly special. It’s free to the public. We’re not aggressively hawking these products. We’re really just showing them and allowing kids to spend however much time they want playing with the toys. Could you describe what the experience is like for the whole family? Well, first we have concierge stroller parking, which is important, especially when you have a hundred kids and kids of this age. We have strolling parking outside and inside. It’s the new type of valet. Then, as soon as you walk into the space, the theme is more like a winter wonderland. We have all of these designs that look like trees, where the branches are holding different types of toys, different types of dolls for boys, girls, whomever. Then we have a play space, which is also a parents’ lounge on one side where parents could hang out, but it’s also where we hold concerts and all the actual hands‑on activations for kids. Then there’s the toy cave in the back, which is a bit more sequestered from the activity experiences, where you can actually see all of the toys are there on display. The kids can spend however much time they want on the floor, just engaging in imaginative play or playing with their friends. Then we have coffee, hot cocoa, for parents and a lot of fun kids‑themed Christmas and holiday music throughout. You mentioned that purchases are not top of mind, but is there any transactional element involved? There are QR codes on all the placards, which link back. We have a store on Amazon. They’re our affiliated partner. I was actually just getting a text from some friends who brought their kids as a birthday party to the playroom. She said that all of the parents last night were going and buying all the toys, again, to placate the kids. I think the kids thought they could just simply walk out of the playroom with the toys, which might be their experience at toy stores of yore, where you cry loudly enough in the toy aisle and the only way to leave is with the toy that you were crying with. That’s ultimately how we’re going to track whether we’re driving direct sales, but we’re really not pushing it through any signage. There’s just a very subtle reminder that, assuming that this audience has the Amazon app, they can either use the QR code directly, or they can just go to the 100 Best Toys list and buy directly through the site, which will link back to our Amazon affiliate. Could you describe what Fatherly stands for as a lifestyle brand, and how that is complemented by this pop‑up? We established this as our mission statement about a year and a half ago, and it really does hold up. It’s to help empower men, and parents generally, to raise great kids and lead more fulfilling adult lives, which really speaks to the dual purpose of Fatherly, which is helping you as someone who’s now a parent, or someone who has been a parent, with the day‑to‑day responsibilities of all that entails. It also addresses the broader, more existential questions of how to raise a kid with good, moral fiber, who makes the right decisions on their own as an adult. Also, the other part of it is leading more fulfilling adult lives, making sure that we’re also handling the relationships that you as an adult have with yourself, your friends, your own parents. It’s a next‑generation men’s lifestyle publication, as much as it is a parenting publication. One of the questions that we’ve heard repeatedly from our audience is, “There’s always a lack of things to do on the weekend,” or “I’m challenged with finding things to do on the weekend with my kid.” That’s made especially more difficult in the wintertime, again, because there’s really a lack of public spaces. It’s not as much fun to play in parks when it’s 20 degrees outside, and you don’t want to just bring your kid from store to store. We wanted to solve, fundamentally, the challenge of “What should I do with my kid this weekend?” We wanted to take this experience of these toys, which solve another real need that our audience has, fulfilling their holiday wish lists, and allow their children to see if these toys pass the sniff test or the play test. [It was] a four‑day event. I think this is something that we’ll absolutely do, not just again next year in New York, but ultimately take to other cities around the country. You’re a primarily digital-publishing brand entering the physical space. Do you see this as an important way for primarily digital media brands to drive engagement? In my experience, previously running the business function at Thrillist, at one point we were doing maybe 40 events a year. I think there was an existential question that we had at one point. “Are we in an events company? We’re putting a lot of energy towards that.” I think in the same vein that we’re solving challenges for parents, and whatever that may entail, we also need to solve challenges for marketers, foundation partners or even governments who are trying to connect with and influence this particular audience of men and parents that we have. The primary way in which we do that is through content, because we’re still a content‑first company, but that ultimately evolves. If you’re able to influence someone through their phone, through their desktop device, or through our audio podcasts, you want to see what it’s like to influence this person in the real world. There’s something very visceral, again, seeing this yesterday of just the delight on kids’ faces, the joy that parents have of, “Oh, this is amazing. I’ve been looking for something to do for my kid.” There’s something very real and very tangible for us as content creators, but also for the partners that we work with, to see their products in the real world. There’s tremendous R&D benefit that comes from that. Even to have some of our more junior employees, who may not be parents themselves, engage directly with parents is incredibly beneficial for developing greater empathy with who we’re talking to, even just talking to them about, “What’s a challenge in your life, and how can we, as Fatherly, if you’re a fan, be better? And if you’re not familiar with us, how can we incorporate ourselves as part of your daily habits?” This benefits the toy companies, too, to see their products come to life. The ambassadors there really get to see what it’s like. There’s tremendous product‑design benefits to see, “Kids tend to kick this toy, as opposed to play with it or roll it around in their hands, which is the intended design.” Granted, they’ve done this type of R&D before, while developing the product, but to see it rolled out, especially if it’s a new product, is incredibly helpful for the next year’s iteration. We’re seeing that now, especially with all the LEGO brand ambassadors and the LittleBits brand ambassadors, to see not just how the kids are reacting, but how the parents are reacting to the kids, and how the parents are reacting to the displays themselves. This little microscopic experience could help inform retail point of sale expressions of their product. There’s just a lot of benefit, outside of a sampling opportunity that reaches several thousand people. You mentioned that the primary node of measurement was through the QR codes. Could explain the metrics that you use, and how you gauge success? There are a couple different metrics that we’re using. I’d say we’re probably putting more emphasis on the qualitative and just getting anecdotal feedback from those that are coming in the door. Are they getting an incredible experience? Are they coming back? Even though this a four‑day pop‑up, are they coming back multiple times? That means we’ve created something of real value for their lives. Then, in terms of the quantitative stuff, just measuring foot traffic, the efficiency of how well we’re able to fill the space over the hours that we have, how well our marketing is converting. We’re working with deploying our own marketing, email marketing. There’s a prominent presence for the Playroom on the site, so actually seeing how that translates into actual feet in the space. Then from a business perspective, how template-izable is everything that we’re building here? Everything from the actual display units, is there a way to reuse those easily and pack and fold those easily so we can do this again but much more efficiently the next time around? Even the partners that we’re working with, how does that scale? We’re using a partner called Sawyer, who serves as a backend for a lot of the children’s play providers around the city. It’s like CRM for these boutique‑fitness companies. Sawyer does that for these kids’ activity providers. We work with Sawyer to help activate the 30 different local partners that we’re working with as opposed to having our team going out and making 30 different phone calls. We’re doing that, but having a partner like Sawyer is helpful, particularly because they also have a presence in probably 10 other markets. Finally, we look at earned media, so we’ve had a couple really good write‑ups. “The New York Times” did a blurb. “Inc.” did a feature. There are a whole bunch of “influencers” who are coming. Fatherly is driving engagement by complementing its online resources with real-life, dynamic activations, marrying its content with commerce through enjoyable and shoppable experience. For more from similar inspiring brands, see PSFK’s reports and newsletters. Mobile Marketing via PSFK http://www.psfk.com/ December 21, 2018 at 06:05AM
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Digital Marketing News: Google’s WordPress Plugin, Snapchat Marketing, Facebook & Google Ad Bidding, & Mobile RTB Spend Rises http://bit.ly/2SfUcCk The post Digital Marketing News: Google’s WordPress Plugin, Snapchat Marketing, Facebook & Google Ad Bidding, & Mobile RTB Spend Rises appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®. Mobile Marketing via Hubspot http://bit.ly/2V5eKQ7 December 21, 2018 at 05:42AM Videolicious Rolls Out B2B Video Automation Tools https://ift.tt/2rPFxlG
All are hoping marketers may shift billions of dollars on TV spend to digital video. Now, video is preparing to enter another underutilized marketplace: B2B sales and marketing. Videolicious, an enterprise video company, says it is rolling out B2B video automation tools for its customers, which include companies IBM, Verizon and SAP. The idea is to use the videos to boost the performance of corporate sales and marketing teams. The platform allows a user to create, distribute and optimize a video. For example, if a salesperson has booked a meeting with a potential client, the system can help them create a video tailored to the pitch, allowing the salesperson to set expectations for the meeting. advertisement advertisement The company says what it has seen so far has been promising in terms of efficacy. While it is a video automation solution, it is also bringing people back into a workflow that has been leaning toward machines. As more sales and marketing business goes programmatic and automated, the people on both sides of the business are less front and center. Automated videos, such as those produced by the Videolicious platform, won’t be replacing the automation technology elsewhere in the funnel, but it does bring some humanity back to the process, allow sales and marketing professions to “fully utilize their personality, knowledge and relationships to break through that noise,” says Videolicious co-founder and CEO, Matt Singer. As consumers continue to embrace video consumption on their mobile devices, social networks and connected TV sets, corporate workflows will follow suit. That's especially true if it boosts sales and marketing strategies already shifting toward automation.
Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH December 20, 2018 at 11:31AM YouCam Makeup Collaborates With 'Cosmopolitan,' Tracks Campaign ROI Cross-Platform https://ift.tt/2QHCYkS AR company Perfect has created a new app, YouCam Makeup, that allows people to virtually try out makeup in AR on their smartphones. Now, in an effort to help brands and publishers increase revenue, readers can use the app across ad campaigns, capturing the makeup of a model and transferring that look to their face. Recently, Perfect connected with its first publisher, Cosmopolitan, to test the limits of turning a print or digital ad from a distraction to a disruption. The partnership between Cosmopolitan and YouCam debuted in the October issue of the magazine as an eight-page native content package with Macy’s. Cosmopolitan editors created a beauty look with Juicy Couture cosmetics that appeared in the spread. Readers could instantly “try on” the look virtually through the YouCam Makup app by snapping a photo of a dedicated QR code that brought them to a unique destination on Cosmopolitan.com. advertisement advertisement According to Adam Gam, vice president of marketing, Perfect, the interactive ad space provides a completely new way for brands to connect with consumers. “Brands will now be able to track not just who has viewed their ad, but how they engaged with it via try-ons and social behavior, all of which our technology enables them to track,” Gam told Publishers Daily. After using the app to capture a look, users can purchase the products in-app, allowing for stronger ad tracking that enables publishers to provide another metric for advertisers. Perfect works with more than 200 brands, publishers and retailers, including Hearst, Estee Lauder, L’Oreal and Macy’s. Its app has been downloaded over 750 million times globally. “A print ad can spark an instant curiosity that lends itself to a personal experience for those who come in contact with it,” Gam said. “This experience allows brands, retailers, marketers and media outlets to rethink and create an interactive experience, bringing their vision and products to life in a whole new way with emerging technology.” “At Cosmopolitan, we are continuously looking for new ways to innovate across platforms and deliver frictionless solutions to our readers and advertisers,” said Cosmopolitan senior vice president-publisher Donna Kalajian Lagani. “We are thrilled to be the first publisher to debut this true print-to-mobile experience to our audience of more than 81 million monthly beauty-obsessed consumers.” Revenue and engagement data are currently unavailable. YouCam technology will be further integrated into digital features on Cosmopolitan.com, future issues of the print edition and sister publications Seventeen and Women’s Health in 2019. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH December 20, 2018 at 09:45AM |
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