It’s no secret that 2020 was an unexpected year for all of us, and a big year for ecommerce. A recent eMarketer report suggests, though, that “the pandemic has only accelerated an ongoing shift to the [ecommerce] channel.” So with this growing channel in mind, our CEO Michael Caccavale and I sat down to discuss what marketers need to keep an eye on.

Although states and communities are beginning to lift their stay at home orders, it’s clear that social distancing is going to be a part of our “new normal” for quite some time. That said, there’s much to consider, especially for retailers.

On the heels of a recent eMarketer report on smart homes, entitled “The End of Interruptive Marketing as We Know It,” our CEO Michael Caccavale and I have been talking about the emergence of smart homes and what it all means for marketers. The challenges and opportunities are many, so in part two of a three-part series, we dig into marketing’s role in this new-ish frontier.

eMarketer recently released a really interesting report on smart homes, entitled “The End of Interruptive Marketing as We Know It.” Our CEO Michael Caccavale isn’t new to the smart home game (here’s a throwback to a fun piece in AdAge) so we sat down to look at the report and talk shop about what’s coming next. In this three-part series, we’ll talk about the emergence of smart homes, the challenges and opportunities for marketers, and which industries stand to gain the most from this new frontier.

The ways in which consumers are acquiring goods and services are ever-expanding. We are in the driver’s seat when it comes to competition among brands, both in price and value. And beyond that, we are more in control of the customer experience than we’ve ever been. How are brands responding to that? I recently had a chat with our CEO Michael Caccavale about direct-to-consumer (D2C) marketing and what it means to marketers.

Often, consumer behavior – especially in the ever-changing digital landscape – can feel like a moving target. And as we’re head-first into the new year, it’s always enlightening to sit down with our CEO and talk shop about what’s happening, what’s ahead, and what we as marketers should – and shouldn’t – be responding to. 

We used to live in a world where if you wanted something the same day, you’d go to the store to get it. With same-day delivery, fast shipping, and things like drone delivery on the horizon, the days of having to leave your house to pick up something are numbered. But while logistics teams are busy developing ways to meet these demands, marketers still have some fundamental problems to solve at the top of the funnel.

We’re finally far enough away from the holiday season to take a good look back at what worked and to catch a glimpse of where we’ll go from here. And now we’re seeing retailers making big shifts for the new year, further illustrating the importance of going back to basics.

The changing seasons have many of us shifting – our wardrobe, our activities, our focus. The kids are back in school; we’re rounding third toward the end of the year and the colder weather forces us indoors to face the inevitable seasonal closet cleaning. While many of us agree that decluttering feels pretty rewarding, some are taking it to a whole new level.

In the age of ride shares and tiny houses, consumer behavior is changing. And as the upcoming generation is thinking mortgage/marriage/family a little later in life, this leaves a tremendous amount of space to fill. With what? Not things. Experiences.

Marketers are spending a ton of time looking at data and its digital ecosystem to better understand their customers. Mobile – and SMS, as an extension – are huge priorities, challenging marketers to think strategically about communications, push notifications and threading consistent offers throughout.

So what can be said of retail when it comes to the good old-fashioned brick and mortar?