Market Insights

What do consumers really want from brick-and-mortar retailers today? As rumours swirl that the retail giant Forever 21 is preparing to file for bankruptcy, it begs a few questions: What did they do wrong? But more importantly, what can they do better? The news cites poor decision making on the retail level, which includes a number of missteps since the peak of Forever 21’s success. However, they are far from the only budding retailer to suffer such a blow. Aeropostale, American Apparel, Wet Seal, Claire’s, Toys ‘R Us, among others are amongst those forced to declare bankruptcy in recent years.

Winner! Gagnant! Is there any better feeling than the shock and surprise of winning something? Contests and sweepstakes are a great way to engage and attract consumers, and create a connection with your brand. It ranks amongst the few marketing tactics that withstand the test of time. However, we cannot ignore evolution, and though some strategies will prevail, innovation is inevitable. As a marketing strategy that continues to see results from brands big and small, contests and sweepstakes are significantly different from their original conception. Today, digital transformation plays a huge role in the success of these programs. In fact, marketers rely on the digitization of contests and sweepstakes for a number of reasons.

Since the GDPR took effect, brands must do more to identify themselves clearly, provide contact details, and tell people how they are using their data. Therefore, rules and regulations are increasingly vital for brands looking to run online contests as consumers now have greater power to file complaints.

At the same time, contest platform providers, like WILY, are among the security compliant vendors who Fortune 500 brands can turn to for all their contesting needs and avoid any potential security issues.

Brands and agencies are beginning to understand the importance of developing their brand activations for the digital age. Traditional advertising and marketing communications are no longer resonating with target audiences, and brands must adapt to a growing need for hyper-personalization. Many brands are now creating experiential marketing activations, and leveraging digital technology to enable more effective campaigns. A lot of time and preparation goes into developing memorable brand activations. However, many marketers struggle to measure the success of their activations, so it’s important to understand where your ideas are most impactful.