While many retailers around the world are suffering from deteriorating consumer confidence, there is one channel of retail that will continue to boom. According to the latest report from Verdict Research, a Datamonitor company, retail sales at airports will grow by 11% in 2008 to $30bn (about R235bn), making it the fastest growing channel of retail after the Internet. 18 Aug 2008
In previous columns, I have tried to show how branding and search can work together, but this time, I'd like to start from the opposite end of the spectrum: our brand relationships, from a memory retrieval perspective. 15 Aug 2008
The opening of four major shopping malls (Protea Gardens, Baramall, Jabulani and Maponya) in Soweto since 2005 has changed the entire shopping landscape and experience of Sowetans. With further retail development being planned as part of the Orlando eKhaya entertainment and business development project, past shopping behaviour trends of Sowetans to shop outside the area are bound to change. 14 Aug 2008
With the introduction of more and more new information sets characterised as media research (Google Ad Planner) and other data sets that people are using as surrogates for research (log files/Google Analytics), it seems an appropriate time to talk about research and proper use of same. 13 Aug 2008
As the economy weathers day after day of choppy economic news, consumers are cutting back on away-from-home consumption of wine, beer and spirits. New research from The Nielsen Company and Bevinco reveals that on-premise sales of alcoholic beverages have been considerably impacted by the declining economy. 8 Aug 2008
EcoUnit, the rewards program connecting consumers with environmentally-responsible products and services, has announced the results of its "Consumer Awareness" survey which was sent to its members in July 2008. 6 Aug 2008
Restaurants and clothing stores will bear the brunt of consumer angst, a survey by Virgin Mobile has revealed. 5 Aug 2008
Though focused on the pharmaceutical industry, the study may have broader reaching appeal to e-marketers in other industries. 4 Aug 2008
The Tour de France ended this past weekend, and if you watched any of it on TV, you were overwhelmed with ads for high-end bicycle brands like Colnago and Pinarello... 30 Jul 2008
A recently released study looks at who reads their news in the newspaper - and why habits we acquired when younger, tend to stay with us. 29 Jul 2008
This report relates to the current situation in the UK, where, just as in SA, fuel and other costs have risen, as have interest rates. The result is that companies, including airlines, have closed. 29 Jul 2008
Never before has the voice of the customer been so loud. And never before have companies been so keen to not only pay close attention to the wants, likes, experiences, preferences, opinions, suggestions and complaints of customers, but to carefully analyse and act upon the information in a systematic fashion. 25 Jul 2008
The latest growth of shopping centres in Mpumalanga has ensured that Purchase Decision Makers (PDMs) in their direct catchment area now don't have to travel for ages for a good dose of retail therapy, says John Bowles, Joint Managing Director of the Newspaper Advertising Bureau (NAB). 24 Jul 2008
Recently the EEC posted the results from a survey asking, "What is the primary metric by which you measure the success of your subject line A/B tests?" 24 Jul 2008
A recent report from US company, Integrated Media Measurement, Inc. (IMMI), based on data from 3,000 panellists in six major markets, finds that though multi-platform advertising increases reach over individual platform advertising, the effect is not simply additive. 23 Jul 2008
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday? When is the right time to send an email? That may be the right question, but is the answer what you are really looking for? This is probably the most widely asked question that email marketers will face. 22 Jul 2008
Results of the latest MasterCard Worldwide Index of Consumer Confidence for the second half of 2008 show that South African consumers remain stubbornly optimistic, despite a significant decrease over the last six months. The survey shows that Johannesburg consumers are more optimistic than those in Durban and Cape Town. 18 Jul 2008
A new study and analysis by Royal Mail, with the Association of Publishing Agencies (APA) and Millward Brown, reveals a range of benefits by making some format adjustments to customer magazines. 9 Jul 2008
Warning that the "hyper acceleration" of some of the fastest growing emerging media platforms - including search, social media, online video, gaming, interactive TV, and digital out-of-home - appear to be slowing, Interpublic's Magna Global unit has released an outlook that nonetheless called for a 31.1% rate of growth for emerging media in 2009. 9 Jul 2008
A recent study by the Research & Insights department of AKQA, a US company, in conjunction with dotMobi, finds that there is a strong consumer desire for practical mobile content on phones. 8 Jul 2008
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