Kevin Donnelly says, “Black Friday and Cyber Monday present a huge business opportunity. Online shoppers spent nearly $3 billion on Black Friday weekend last year, including almost $1 billion in mobile sales alone.While Black Friday shopping may be synonymous with holiday crazes like Tickle Me Elmo and Mr. Potato Head, the real opportunities extend far beyond that. At the end of every year, there are certain product trends that pick up steam and turn into runaway hits on Black Friday.So, what if you knew what products would be big this Black Friday before anyone else?With a little research... [...]

James Collins says, “The ideal brand relationship is much more than a single experience. It comprises multiple experiences and events that tie the consumer to that specific brand. That brand becomes the go-to for purchasing the perfect birthday gift or the top destination for booking a much-needed getaway.Analyzing each of these brand interactions beyond the user’s first purchase allows advertisers to properly understand the complete customer journey.With the holiday season upon us, it’s time marketers moved beyond the basics of attribution and focused on long-term optimization, based... [...]

Entrepreneur team says, “We’re in the midst of summer. Most of us can be found lounging at the beach, hitting up a music festival or sparking up the grill. So why would any retailer start thinking about the holiday season now?Although there are impulse shoppers, 57 percent are carefully planned. The consumer has done all the necessary research, entering the store zeroed in on her destination. She knows what she wants. To become part of the equation, you need to get your brand message in front of her earlier than ever before.Doing anything else could jeopardize your business. Just... [...]

Sujan Patel says, “Fall is upon us, with the holidays waiting right around the corner. Holidays are a perfect time to connect with your prospects and celebrate those feelings of camaraderie, gratitude and interconnectedness. Marketers can leverage these feelings to deeply engage with their customers on an emotional level and build trust and credibility.The holidays are a popular time to market, so it’s important to put a lot of thought into your holiday marketing campaign. You want to appeal to everyday emotions while also standing out from the crowd. There’s a lot of spending that... [...]

Olivia Dello Buono says, “If you’re in the throes of a relentless heat wave, a.k.a. August, holiday planning is the last thing on your mind. But it shouldn’t be!Planning a cohesive email marketing campaign takes time: aligning content and design, accounting for outside dependencies and testing and refining all need to happen before you launch. Once November rolls around, you’ll wish you started sooner.Not convinced? Here’s why you need to kick off your holiday planning ASAP, and how you can deliver more relevant, contextual experiences to your subscribers.Online shoppers are doing... [...]

Eric Samson says, “A disproportionate amount of spending happens during the holidays among brands and consumers. Retailers slash prices with the expectation that holiday promotions will motivate shoppers to buy more of their products as gifts for family and friends. Companies invest heavily to promote the sales they are having. But is it enough?Earlier this year, the National Retail Federation reported a 4 percent increase in 2014 holiday retail sales totaling $616.1 billion. Businesses that fail to maximize the holiday shopping season miss a huge revenue opportunity. Brands that invest... [...]

Andrew Waber says, “When it comes to advertising during the all-important holiday season, there isn’t such a thing as “planning too early.” The competitive environment has only grown more intense over the past several years, and large, innovative advertisers are increasingly using the summer months as the time to meticulously structure their larger holiday season strategy and associated tactics.As an addendum to last year’s column on the subject, I want to highlight some data-backed recommendations to take to heart as you begin to scope and spec out your holiday ad strategy.1. Focus... [...]

eMarketer team says, “eMarketer expected a strong 2015 holiday season for ecommerce and total retail sales. In eMarketer’s upcoming webinar, Lessons from Holiday Shopping 2015—What You Need to Know for 2016, we’ll take a look at the final results and review what retailers need to know about changing consumer behaviors to keep up in 2016.Register here for this complimentary eMarketer webinar to learn:– How the overall retail sector performed during the 2015 holiday season– Why experiential gifts were one significant holiday trend of 2015– How consumers used their... [...]

Patricio Robles says, “This weekend, a select group of brands with big bank accounts will spend big dollars on ads that run during what is arguably the biggest marketing event in sports, the Super Bowl.But thanks to social media, savvy marketers can take advantage of the big game without spending millions of dollars on a Super Bowl ad by following these tips.Know what’s going onFirst things first: it’s hard to capitalize on the Super Bowl buzz if you don’t know much about the big game. Before Sunday, marketers should give themselves a crash course on the teams and players... [...]

Peter Daisyme says, “While you may have focused the bulk of your retail strategy on the holiday season, it’s time to move ahead to the massive sales potential that happens now that the holiday season is over.People are still in the mood to spend after collecting a stack of gift cards or a pile of gifts they want to exchange for something better, and often, bigger. But they’re also tightening up their spending after the holiday season, so the mentality of the shopper shifts.Here are some tips to make the most of your January sales opportunities.Marketing at the ReadyFirst, comes... [...]