The Geo-blocking Regulation entered into force late last year. Since then, certain forms of geo-blocking and geo-discrimination have been prohibited. Geo-blocking means the blocking of access to websites and apps, among other things, on the basis of the user’s geographical location. Geo-discrimination means, briefly stated, that a company treats customers from different EU Member States differently. The main consequences are…
Industry Insights Blog
At just a year old, the General Data Protection Regulation has already forced big tech firms to make significant changes to their privacy policies. And its real effects are still to come. The GDPR changed the rules for companies that collect, store or process information on residents of the EU, requiring more openness about what data they have and who…
If you have Instagram, you have Stories. Stories are available on every Instagram account and the number of users using this feature has been increasing exponentially. More than 500 million accounts on Instagram were using stories as of January 2019, according to data from Statista.
Today, we’re excited to share our first Instagram Stories research with you as well as proven best…
One of the things that makes running a retail store so interesting and fun (most days) is the fact that you can encounter an array of characters at your shop. From easy-going shoppers who make small talk, to customers on a mission who just want to get in and out of the store, retailers deal with various types of people…
Consumers today not only crave, but demand brand authenticity. After spending 15+ years building brands that consumers can’t live without and won’t stop talking about, we know that authentic brands foster consumer trust and drive growth. However, brand authenticity often isn’t enough. You need a brand strategy that’s both authentic AND electric to ignite continued passion and purchase with your customers….
Companies often fail across digital channels because they are insufficiently aware of the real needs and preferences of their customers across omnichannel journeys. Customers now have an unprecedented number of ways to engage with companies, from traditional channels to an ever-growing array of digital modes. Many organizations have responded by investing in digital channels, frequently in an effort to replace traditional…
Many merchants may have thought that the Strong Customer Authentication elements of the European Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) would mean that fraud liability would be shifted away from their responsibility. With a deeper understanding of the regulation, there is a realization that there are still many things which should be considered when managing online fraud attacks.
The deadline for implementation…
Automation will reshape retail business models and the broader value chain, creating organizations with fewer layers and a better trained and trusted workforce empowered by real-time data and analytics. The winners in the sector will be those who understand these implications and act quickly to address them.
Retail is under pressure. Margins are stressed from all sides: higher costs to manage e-commerce…
The race for voice assistants has officially started! 2017 saw the rise of the voice assistant market, and everyone wants their slice of the pie, faced with users in constant search of simple and easy to use products. To give you a better picture of the market’s potential, here are 10 things to know about voice search.
1/ 50% of searches done…
Marketers, today have a variety of tools available to them to offer consumers and business buyers the convenience, relevance and responsive engagement expected. Customers are now better connected than ever before, they have presence and interact across a broad range of media. The fast pace with which marketing continues to move forward means that it is extremely easy to be…
Has the age of the influencer peaked? Once more niche than traditional celebrities, influencers are now completely ubiquitous – the word entered the dictionary last year, and beauty YouTuber James Charles prompted eyerolls by calling his invite to the Met Gala “a positive step forward for influencer representation”. They are everywhere, from Coachella to Chernobyl, Instagram to advertising agencies. While the…
Founded in 2008 by two German university friends, Robert Gentz and David Schneider, Zalando was initially launched as the European clone of the American e-commerce company Zappos. Today, the Berlin-based company has come a long way to become Europe’s leading online fashion platform. Zalando generates over €4.5 billion which is comparable to an established brand like Puma. The online retailer operates…
Google’s overhaul of its Shopping portal began rolling out in France this week. Personalized recommendations and universal checkout are front and center in the update. It incorporates Google Shopping Actions, Google’s effort to take on Amazon, which has been chipping away at product search for years. Google’s tack is to partner with retailers and enable users to shop and buy…
New regulations in data privacy are dramatically changing the way advertisers can target consumers. One implication for search marketers is that their channel is going to become more important—and conversely, so will their roles. Last month, at Google Marketing Live, Chetna Bindra, Google’s Senior Product Manager, User Trust and Privacy spoke about the next era of marketing will find brands “having…
Customer experience design is all about putting the customer first to build and deliver solutions that are both memorably helpful and enjoyable. But as products and services continue to emphasize customer satisfaction, the future of brand differentiation will be creating emotional brand experiences.
Brand loyalty is at an all-time low, but values-driven connections are tipping the scale for customers across generations….
Generation Z, the demographic group consisting of people ages 15 to 22, are major smartphone users, with 55% of them saying they spend more than five hours a day on their mobile devices, per a study that IT services company Cognizant shared with sister publication Mobile Marketer. The group wants deeper interaction with content, as 45% said they like the…
Instagram Stories templates are a growing trend on Instagram — businesses and influencers are carefully creating their own branded stories that have a uniform color, tone, style, and format. It makes creating on-brand content super easy so you’ll never fall behind on posting to stories and growing your business. In this post, you’ll learn everything you need to know about using…
eBay, Farfetch, Facebook and PayPal are among the partners set to launch the new Libra cryptocurrency next year. The Libra launch, announced today, could be a first step towards the mainstream use of cryptocurrency in retail. But plenty of factors, not least consumer trust, could hold that back. Today’s announcement of the new blockchain-based cryptocurrency came first from Facebook, which…
At this year’s F8 Developer’s Conference, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg stood on stage and announced, “The future is private.” It was a bold statement coming from the guy who has spent the past eighteen months tackling a firestorm of criticism over misusing customer data and information. Still, the intent – that Facebook is shifting its focus to private, messaging platforms…
The retail landscape is fast evolving, shaped by changing customer demands, the growth of online retailers, increased competition and advances in technology. Regardless of these changes, the customer remains at the heart of the retail ecosystem. Retailers need to do all they can to deliver an excellent customer experience, streamline the shopping process and meet shopper requirements. Many retailers are…