Amanda Brief says, “Marketers today know that the key to a successful holiday campaign begins with a cross-channel marketing plan. The combination of channels and tactics you should use are as unique as your customers, but the findings from Experian Marketing Services’ holiday survey can help illuminate your marketing campaigns. Email may be king but social is queen for cross-channel integration Nine out of ten marketers from around the globe plan to use email in their 2014 holiday marketing campaigns. Not only is email named the most used channel for holiday marketing campaigns by 91... [...]

Allison Howen says, “It’s not even November, yet the holiday shopping trends are already beginning to arrive. According to new data from commerce technology platform MarketLive’s annual online shopper survey for the 2014 holiday retail season, 36 percent of shoppers intend to purchase gifts via their mobile devices, which is up 29 percent from last year. Moreover, 49 percent of shoppers will make purchases based on a social referral. This data suggest that retailers should be paying close attention to the experiences they provide to customers in these two channels”. Shopping Trend... [...]

Greg Sterling says, “According to a new holiday shopping survey sponsored by e-commerce platformMarketLive (carried out by the e-tailing Group) mobile and social channels will play a significant role in holiday shopping this year. The survey was conducted online among 1,000 smartphone owners, equally divided between male and female, who spend at least $250 annually on e-commerce. Among other things the survey found that “1-in-3 shoppers will do more than 50 percent of purchases via mobile devices.” This is a statement of intention that needs to be qualified accordingly. But it indicates... [...]

Stephanie Zatkyo says, “It seems like we only just unpacked our fall sweaters, but believe it or not, it’s time for marketers like us to think jingle bells, not jack-o’-lanterns. While consumers are prepping their candy bowls for trick-or-treaters, we should be pouring ourselves a hearty glass of eggnog and planning out our holiday email campaigns. Email continues to be one of the most important communication channels in 2014, butcompetition for your readers’ attention is getting tighter every year, especially during the holiday season. In fact, email volume was 13% higher... [...]

Matt McGee says, “E-commerce sales are expected to rise between eight and 11 percent this holiday shopping season. That’s the word from Shop.org, which released its holiday shopping online sales forecast earlier this week. Shop.org today released its 2014 online holiday sales forecast, expecting sales in November and December to grow between 8 – 11 percent over last holiday season to as much as $105 billion. Shop.org forecasts sales based on government data including, consumer credit, disposable personal income, and previous monthly retail sales releases. Holiday non-store sales in 2013... [...]

VerticalResponse team says, “While Black Friday (November 28) and Cyber Monday (December 1) mark the traditional start of the holiday season, a successful email marketing plan starts long before then. Now is the time to review past holiday marketing efforts to determine what worked and to decide what products or services you want to promote this season. As the holidays approach, we`ve created some tips will help your business have a happy – and successful – holiday season: 1. Check your list twice. Early fall is the ideal time to get your email lists in tip top shape. Purge inactive subscribers,... [...]

Verónica Maria Jarski says, “This year’s holiday season will be about socializing commerce, according to the following infographic by Offerpop. Some “62% of marketers’ primary goal for social this holiday season is driving sales and extending brand reach,” states Offerpop. And 67% of marketers will spend more on social during the 2014 holiday than they did last year. Moreover, the social platform of choice for marketing is Facebook. A whopping 92% of marketers plan to spend the majority of their social marketing budget on Facebook. To find out more about holiday... [...]

Amy Gesenhues says, “After 2013′s record-breaking Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales numbers, eMarketer predicts U.S. retail and e-commerce sales are going to continue to climb this holiday season. According to its recent “Holiday Shopping Preview” report, eMarketer predicts U.S. retail sales will grow five percent over last year, reaching $862.53 billion. The same report claims e-commerce sales will jump 16.6 percent during the 2014 holiday season, generating $72.41 billion during November and December”. Report: Holiday Retail Sales To Climb 5% & E-Commerce Sales Predicted... [...]

Allison Howen says, “The 2014 holiday shopping season is already forecasted to surpass last year’s earnings, and new data shows that brands are planning on increasing their investment in social media as a way to drive sales. In fact, data from marketing software platform Offerpop reveals that 67 percent of marketers are increasing their spending on social media this holiday season, with just 4 percent claiming that they will decrease spending. In addition, most brands will be putting their marketing dollars into Facebook, with the data finding that 92 percent of marketers plan to spend... [...]

This is a reminder for the eMarketer’s Holiday Shopping 2014 webinar on September 18. eMarketer team says, “The webinar will address these key questions: How much will holiday ecommerce and overall sales grow? Is mobile eclipsing desktop in ecommerce? Are beacons and visual search ready for primetime? Will supply chain troubles plague retailers again this year?”. Webinar Details Organizer:  eMarketer Key Speaker: Yori Wurmser Topic: Holiday Shopping 2014—Online Trends and Forecast Day/Date: Thursday, September 18 Time: 1.00 pm ET – Time Zone Converter Register for... [...]