The first in a series that looks at the future of retail from the perspective of things marketers can do to make an impact in 2020. Retail is in a time of aggressive change. Because of this, there is intense pressure on traditional physical retailers, who to face the Amazon behemoth, DTC upstarts, and a…

Asked recently to respond to comments from Procter & Gamble CMO Marc Pritchard and Unilever CMO Keith Week chiding ‘big advertising’ for its shortcomings, Martin Sorrell did a good job of selling small agencies when he said “What Marc Pritchard and Keith Weed are signaling, and other advertisers have signaled, is that we have to…

Access to online information has benefitted advertisers, but also consumers. Strategic consumers (those making purchases based on potential markdowns) are getting more and more sophisticated with the ability to review products, check with influencers, price compare, track specific brands’ discount schedules, and more—all online. Thus, the line between bargain hunting and shopping has become exponentially…

Recently, I gave a talk at the Minneapolis AdFed. The topic was “what is the future of advertising?” My answer was simply “the past.” I meant it, too. The incredible technological and communications advances that have roiled the marketing and advertising world aren’t heralding a brave new dawn. Rather they’re demanding a return to the…

The digital marketing world was recently shaken by a 22-year-old. If you’re not familiar with him, Logan Paul is a Vlogger and digital influencer who began his career with Vine, whose YouTube videos have upwards of 153 million views, and who has 16.2 million followers on Instagram plus another 1.6 million for his Maverick By…

To deliver on business objectives, big brand ideas matter, but so does tactical execution. Especially in retail. And especially now. Retail consumers, just like yours, have more and more options such as Amazon, Wayfair, Costco, and many others that align with their lifestyle and create easy, seamless shopping experiences. They also have high expectations about…

Looking at the year ahead, with so much happening: the ups and downs of the market, the general feeling of unease created by Brexit, international trade uncertainty, protests around the world, Presidential campaigns gearing up, and more, marketing trends seem limited in their potential to meaningfully shape the world around us. Yet, marketing continues to…

The pressure is on agencies to deliver value to clients. That is so true as to be cliche, except marketers like P&G’s Chief Growth and Brand Officer Mark Pritchard have been saying it out loud, to agencies, conferences, and the press for the better part of 12 months. When clients talk, it’s important to listen.…