Digital ads are becoming noticeably more targeted and this is due to the fact that consumer data has become big business. Online consumer data is disassembled, repackaged, sold and then re-sold again as inventory. Online browsing habits are big business and this repackaged data has become the lubricant for the online advertising ecosystem. Online advertising has become extremely sophisticated, particularly within social media. For example, on Mother’s Day I was served two in-

Grönroos is a surname that you may or may not have heard of, but you will undoubtedly be familiar with his theory – the theory of relationship marketing. In today’s marketing environment, Grönroos is more relevant than ever as relationship marketing is at the heart of what a brand does, particularly online. However, as with any relationship, there are courtship norms that must be followed or else, frankly, it just gets weird. Digital courtship is no different and brands must

Brands taking hold of an initiative like self-esteem, body shape or empowering the inner athlete in women seem like noble ideas. It’s a chance to redraw the landscape around stereotypes and help the unspoken have a voice. In today’s world, these initiatives thrive in social media and begin with a hashtag. Take #LikeAGirl for example. The campaign is run by the feminine hygiene brand Always and, in their words, “We’re kicking off an epic battle to make sure that girls everywhe

Last week I made two fun discoveries and both made me chuckle. Weeks and weeks go by with standard marketing approaches and then within one week I learn how companies are using humour in their marketing approach. What a fresh perspective! My first discovery was the fact that The Onion also does content marketing for brands. For those of you who don’t know, The Onion is a US-based satirical weekly publication read largely by university students and twenty-somethings. Companies

Consumers are notoriously fickle and, in today’s world, armed with a mobile phone and more data, they are empowered and emboldened to make a switch. Brand and retailer loyalty is at an all time low as online shoppers are trying to get the best deal in terms of price and convenience. So if this is the case, why do retailers keep on trying to push consumers to use their mobile app? According to research conduct by commerce platform @MozuCommerce, 50.3% of retailers believe that