3 Ways Legacy Retailers Are Finally Catching Up to Digital Transformation

There’s change in the air in the retail industry, where executives are shifting their conversations away from discussing whatever marketing tactics these direct-to-consumer (DTC) companies employ to paying more attention to what the legacy retailers are doing–and if they’re in the midst of a digital transformation. At this year’s Shoptalk conference in Las Vegas, executives…

This Publisher Thought Ecommerce Was Its Savior. Now It’s Dead.

After 106 years of creating content for hobbyists, F+W Media has filed for bankruptcy, citing $105.2 million in outstanding debt after a failed decade-long attempt to reinvent itself as an ecommerce company–and the exorbitant tech contracts it signed as a means to that end. To be sure, 2008 was a rough time to be in…

Rothy’s Is the Latest DTC Brand to Launch a National TV Campaign With Its Fun Female-Focused Spots

Rothy’s, the San Francisco-based, direct-to-consumer shoe company, is coming to a TV screen near you. Fresh off a $35 million Series B round of funding from Goldman Sachs in December, Rothy’s is going national with two different TV spots. Rothy’s worked with Sandwich, a video agency, to put together the two ads. One centers around…

Shopper’s Expectations Are Sky High; Retailers Not Equipped To Meet Them

Yesterday, I started an Adpulp story with this lede: “Expectations. Many American shoppers have learned to let them go, begrudgingly.” I was being facetious. Shopper’s expectations are sky high. According to a new report from BRP Consulting, customers expect engaging and relevant interactions and conversations across all channels and they don’t have any tolerance for unsatisfactory […]

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What’s Ailing Retail (And What Does It Mean)?

Thanks to offshore manufacturing and the Walmartification of America, millions of American shoppers feel they have a right to pay less. The American shopper also wants to do less to pay less. After all, getting dressed and driving to a retail store where human interactions are the norm, is so last century. Seriously, why bother […]

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Kraft Foods Comes Through In the Clutch

A job with the federal government may not be the most exciting job, but it offers some stability and the benefits are great. The downside, as we continue to learn, is that the federal government routinely sputters and like a normal business that’s poorly run, shuts down. During the present shutdown, now in its 3ist […]

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Here Everything’s Better

H-E-B. These three letters roll off of Texans’ tongues as easily and as frequently as barbacoa. HE Butt Grocery—founded in Kerrville, Texas, in 1905—has the kind of cult following few retailers in any category enjoy. Eater helps to explain the draw. H-E-B has just tapped into one of the most powerful cultural forces in existence: […]

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Shoe Fetish? Zappos Is On Your Side

Do you need new shoes? It’s okay if you do. No one we know wants to check your closet for Imelda-like tendencies. Let them eat cake and buy shoes. Let them eat cake, knit an afghan and buy shoes. Let them eat cake, knit an afghan, buy shoes and anticipate the delivery of the Zappos […]

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From Canada With Love: A Little Generosity Goes A Long Way

If you’ve ever been to Canada you may have dined at a Tim Horton’s. The quick-serve restaurant is one of the largest in North America. This holiday season, the brand brings Canadian values to life through its iconic True Stories campaign, inspired by the lives of Canadians across the country. Chosen from almost 18,000 stories […]

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What Does Your Little Rocket Man Want for Christmas This Year?

This year’s Christmas campaign for UK department store John Lewis & Partners is about the power of a gift. And how that gift inspired, changed and influenced the course of a little boy’s life. That little boy just happened to be Sir Elton John. My gift is my song and this one’s for you. Agency: […]

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Frost Bank Believes in the Power of Optimism To Change Lives

Banks are another in a long list of industries going by the wayside, thanks to the unrelenting tide of digital disruption. However, there are always survivors who manage to adapt and thrive. Frost Bank is a Texas financial institution with a century and a half of service under its belt. Can you imagine the number […]

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Don’t Be A Moron, Donny. The Dude’s Sweater Can Be Yours!

The Big Lebowski is a cult film from the Coen brothers that’s arguably more popular today than ever. Pendleton Wollen Mills, one of the Pacific Northwest’s original outdoor brands, is the lucky beneficiary of the film’s evergreen nature. Why? The Westerly, dude, that’s why! Jeff Bridges wore his own clothes for this role, and though […]

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Cannapreneurial Activity Is At All Time High

So far, nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of recreational cannabis, and two dozen states have approved medical marijuana. According to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday, support for legalization hit 63 percent in the survey — the highest level of support recorded by a Quinnipiac poll. Support for medical […]

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Visit Your Bank Branch? You’ve Got To Be Kidding

Did you know that 68% of people say they’d rather talk about their weight than their money? VC-backed Varo Money, Inc., a mobile banking startup, today debuted “Money Diaries,” a series of videos that looks at the lives and financial issues of the core demographic—ambitious, professional millennials—that Varo is serving. Someone’s ready to talk! Emily […]

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Sears Is On The Wrong Screen

Just 11% of Sears sales come from e-commerce. No surprise there. Smart retailers know that TV advertising drives interest and newspaper circulars drive traffic. According to The Wall Street Journal, Sears Holdings Chief Executive Edward Lampert is on another page. He champions the use of digital marketing over traditional TV and print advertising, arguing that […]

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Taking Risks In A Safe Category Like Grocery Is Fucking Awesome

Grocery store advertising is the home of coupons, free-standing inserts, and shelf-talkers—not the stuff that drives most ad people to work in the morning. That being said, advertising that truly connects with people is about finding an opportunity where none existed before. Lowes Foods and Winston-Salem ad agency, The Variable, are finding ways break through […]

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Frozen Lakes Do Hockey Memories Make #LoveCanBeCold

For kids who grow up in Minnesota and other places where hockey is more of a religion than a sport, there is Toro. With Toro, one can manage the outdoor ice with one’s personal Zamboni. This new work from Periscope includes a TV spot, and a snow-triggered experiential collaboration with The Home Depot. Periscope created […]

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Hear the Music, Not the Noise

“Chatter chatter chatter. Take refuge at will. The world is full of wolves…But the kids who can shut off their ears, rise above all that noise.” Are you searching for a special gift for the music lover in the family this holiday? Here’s an idea from Beats by Dre: the new Beats Studio3 Wireless headphones […]

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Shopping Can Be A Pleasurable Experience at Westfield Malls

It’s mid-November. Here come the holiday ads. Westfield Malls, in partnership with LA-based creative agency, Pitch, rolled these “shorts” out today: This new campaign supports Westfield’s recent evolution to its “New New Mall” platform, taking it from a collection of stores to a place where all shoppers’ needs can be met. Sounds enticing, if not […]

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Runway? Hallway? Does It Really Matter When You’re Saving Hundreds of Dollars?

At Wal-Mart, you save money and live better. At Stein Mart, saving is a beautiful thing. You can sense the difference well before the sliding doors open. To compliment the brand’s new TV spot, Stein Mart launched a four-city mobile fitting tour in Charlotte, NC on Oct. 7 featuring a custom-wrapped Airstream trailer equipped for […]

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