Smaller merchants who sell products with Amazon, craving more leverage, are beginning to join the newly founded Online Merchants Guild. As the threat of states levying back taxes on past sales looms, merchants, likely to be easier targets than Amazon, are hoping that a group such as the Online Merchants Guild will give them the lobbying power they need to thwart such legislation.
From humble beginnings, the subscription box industry has grown by leaps and bounds. With over 2,000 subscription boxes available, consumers can have apparel, cosmetics, meals, and wine boxes – to name just a few – delivered to their front door monthly, quarterly or at a variety of intervals. Participants can curate their journey with the subscription brand, and their boxes provide unique choice, variety, flexibility, and convenience that traditional shopping cannot.
A recent Cowen and Company survey of 2,700 millennials uncovered compelling findings about how millennials complete purchases from brands discovered on Facebook, demonstrating that marketers looking to drive direct sales from social media with the millennial market should consider additional media channels.
NEMOA, the National Etailing and Mailing Organization of America, brought together hundreds of e-commerce and direct marketing professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds for its annual Spring Summit in Boston last week. Media Horizons was pleased attend the conference as a gold sponsor.
A plethora of ideas were shared and discussed by many thought leaders.
Here are our Top 10 Takeaways from the Spring Summit:
It’s no secret that magazines and print advertising have been in a state of consolidation.
Jann Wenner just sold a controlling interest in Rolling Stone. Rodale was acquired by Hearst and Time Inc. was purchased by Meredith, with downsizing likely after both transactions close. And some of the best-known magazines around, including Gourmet, Ladies’ Home Journal, and Life have ceased printing altogether or been significantly refocused.
However, there are signs of life.
Checking my mail one day, I received an oversized postcard from a restaurant called Lena’s Italian Kitchen, offering 20% off my first order. As a New York City resident, I can say that this was the first (and only) solo Direct Mail piece I ever received from a restaurant. As a direct marketer, I applauded their strategy… what a great way to stand out in a very crowded landscape. Just how crowded? According to a recent report from Crain’s New York, crowded to the tune of over 26,000 restaurants across the five boroughs!
With the arrival of 2017, we look back and reflect on some of the defining marketing trends and media habits throughout the past year. While we saw a surge in influencer marketing, a shift in the landscape of streaming video consumption, and proof that consumers’ continue to place their trust in traditional media, one thing’s for sure: the marketing landscape is ever-changing.
But what strategies and tactics will influence marketing in 2017? A number of Media Horizons’ thought leaders share their perspective on what’s in store for brands and marketers in the year ahead.
Flashback to a decade ago and the term “subscription box” was essentially non-existent. At a time when the majority of retail existed through local brick-and-mortar stores and home delivery from postal-mailed catalogs, the explosion of online shopping has since transformed the industry, giving way to entirely new retail sub-industries, including the rapid emergence of the subscription box industry.
A lot has changed recently in the world of search advertising. Google and Bing – the world’s largest search engines – in addition to Apple have all introduced new updates and search marketing functionalities that radically change how advertisers can use them – for the better. Here’s what you need to know:
Summer is in full swing but it’s not too late to finalize your back-to-school marketing campaigns. While students are already dreading their return to the classroom, back to school is a competitive season for advertisers – second only to the holiday shopping season – and retailers must plan accordinly in order to see success.
After dismal sales in the first half of 2016, retailers have something to look forward to in the second half of the year. According to eMarketer, back-to-school sales are projected to increase a modest 2.6% to reach nearly $828 billion.