Category Archives: Events

Like many attendees at last week’s Retail Innovation & Marketing Conference, I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few days trying to put my arms around everything I learned in within a 72-hour period. While mobile and social media were two strong themes throughout the conference (there’s so much opportunity for each it [...]

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As I sat down before the Augmented Reality session began at last week’s Retail Innovation & Marketing Conference, one problematic thought was running through my head:
I have no idea what this is.
Apparently I wasn’t alone. During his session, RichRelevance’s David Selinger began by discussing what Augmented Reality is (and what it isn’t), how it works [...]

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I’m still digesting Tracy Benson’s amazing insight yesterday on retail and mobile. (More on that later.) But here’s what I know we want to share right away.
Benson, senior director of interactive marketing at Best Buy, began her presentation at the Retail Innovation & Marketing Conference by asking people to swap cell phones with the person [...]

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Since legendary marketer Clyde Bedell was awarded the first RAMA Hall of Fame Award in 1955, each year has brought a new, deserving addition to the elite group.  Last night at the Racies, Sears’ VP of Brand Integration Robert Raible was inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame by the RAMA Board.
Robert has made his mark on [...]

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Lisa Gavales was upfront about her message.  She told the audience that her point of view would be controversial.  Many of the retailers in the room undoubtedly agreed with her.
As the EVP and Chief Marketing Officer of Express, Gavales says retailers are more successful if they are organized for the customer, not by channel.
She means it too: [...]

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Mobile retail: The first steps

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The final session at this year’s Retail Innovation & Marketing Conference was well worth the wait. For two days (three if you include the Mobile Boot Camp!), we’ve been hearing about mobile retail. Is it here or isn’t it? Do consumers want it now or are consumers scared of it? Do retailers want it now [...]

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It’s easy to buy a bunch of digital screens and throw them up in your store windows. But does that constitute a genuine in-store digital experience? Maybe, but maybe not. Selling Machine Partners’ Alex Richardson showed us examples of what some particularly innovative retailers are doing in terms of in-store technology. But first, a definition [...]

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Scenes from the Racies

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Last night’s Racie awards brought a packed house, where hundreds of people voted – live – for retail winners in six categories. (See who won the awards or look at the complete winners book.)
Here are a few photos from the awards reception, dinner and ceremony.

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If you can surprise a group of online retailers and marketing executives with a new website, they’ll remember it. And people are still talking about Swoopo.com, a site Joshua Goldman from Norwest Venture Partners profiled in yesterday’s session on Extreme Retailing. Here’s the portion of Josh’s presentation that walks through Swoopo.com and its unique business [...]

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Many of us in the industry have watched the retail and manufacturing industries blending for years. Traditional retailers are moving forward quickly with private-label products. Manufacturers are dabbling in the retail space through websites and an increased store presence. Who’s a retailer? Who’s a supplier? It’s hard to tell anymore.
When Dell President Ron Garriques spoke [...]

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