Cyber Monday 2011 marks biggest US online spending day in history
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Cyber Monday 2011 was the heaviest U.S. online spending day in history, with the holiday season as a whole up 15 percent year-over-year to $15 billion this season-to-date. Average order values increased 2.6 percent and mobile traffic to retail sites are up 3.9 percent over the biggest online shopping day a year earlier, according to just-released reports from IBM, comScore, PayPal and others. More

AmEx in $20 million giveaway to spur online sales
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In an effort to energize American Express as an online shopping tool, the company and popular online merchants are giving away $20 million in surprise gifts, many of which can be shared with friends via Facebook. Called the Gift Chain, the new digital program gives card members a surprise each time they shop at a participating online retailer and spend at least $25. Shoppers can even share some of those gifts with up to three Facebook friends. More

eBay interactive store fronts trigger mobile donations for Toys for Tots
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Tis' the season for giving, and eBay has dreamed up an innovative way for people in New York City and San Francisco to make donations to Toys for Tots. Two store fronts popped up Nov. 11 in those cities that display popular children's toys like teddy bears and trains that themselves cannot be purchased, but rather represent dollar amounts that can be donated to Toys for Tots. To make a donation, window shoppers download theBay mobile app and then scan QR codes that appear on virtual price tags triggering donations. More

Social Media + Charity Promotions: A Primer Does your 2012 marketing plan involve promotions tied to a charitable cause? Commercial Co-Ventures (CCV) that integrate promotions with a charity are an effective way to drive brand engagement while raising awareness and funds for a worthy cause. However, what does it mean to be fully compliant with regulatory requirements? What are the strategies with social media? Click here for an overview from Gage Marketing. more

Domino's app turns pizza orders into 'heroes' game
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It is no secret to marketers that the iPad is turning into a gaming powerhouse. Domino's is running with the trend in a new Pizza Hero app for iPad that has users swipe, drag and tap their way to making the perfect pie that they can even order. The ambitious branded app is more than a few gamelike mechanics in an ordering app. "Pizza Hero" ties into the iOS Game Center hub for social gaming, with a fair number of levels and challenges that make the app a genuine gaming experience. More

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Dragon Rouge unveils 7 macro-societal trends for 2012
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Dragon Rouge, the international brand consultancy, has released its seven macro-societal trends that will shape product and service brand innovation in 2012. "With the emergence of strong new economies like China, Brazil and India, new attention focused on our fragile environment, and a growing celebrity culture where people are famous just for being famous, trends can reveal how and why consumers respond to brands," says Eric Zeitoun, president, Dragon Rouge. Here are the seven macro trends for 2012. More

Building brand loyalty starts with employees
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There's an inconvenient truth in loyalty marketing — no matter how much time and money a brand invests in programs, rewards and outreach, a customer's loyalty can swing in either direction with just one employee interaction. Have a disengaged employee? Aside from being less productive, the employee might also be killing the brand experience for consumers. More

Infuse Creative Zing Into Your 2012 Marketing Creative Zing is an integrated marketing & promotion agency with an expertise in complex contests & sweepstakes spanning both traditional & social media platforms. We navigate the landscape of compliance while bringing an idea to fruition. Contact us now to infuse creative solutions into your 2012 marketing plans! more

5 post-holiday social media must-dos
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If the surveys and forecasts are correct, it looks like retailers will have a strong year. In fact, comScore is reporting sales are already up 14 percent year-over-year for the first 20 days of November, and sales are expected to reach $27.6 billion in December, a 15 percent gain over 2010. Many experts agree this year's diligent planning due to the tough economic conditions, including earlier promotions, extended store hours and free shipping offers, as well as better integrated marketing with social support has contributed greatly to getting Americans to open their wallets. So with less than 30 shopping days left, what should every brand be doing now to keep the momentum moving into 2012? More

Walmart unleashes Facebook app to find gifts people want
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Searching online wish lists, guessing or just directly asking people what they want as gifts is so 20th century, so Walmart is launching a new approach for the holidays — its Shopycat app that scours Facebook profiles, updates, comments and likes to come up with gifts for your friends. The giant retailer's @Walmartlabs unit has been testing the app since August, gaining about 6,000 users to date, but will launch it more widely among Walmart's 10.6 million Facebook fans and via the retailer's YouTube channel. More



Western Union's singing telegram makes a modern comeback
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The Western Union Company used to offer singing telegrams. It plans to revive them on a microsite. This time, the audio will be delivered through emails. Also, the recipients of the new versions of singing telegrams will not hear Western Union employees or operators doubling as singers. Rather, in a nod to karaoke, they will hear the voices of the senders and professional performers who are chosen by the senders, working from templates. More

2012 PMA REGGIE Awards early bird deadline extended — Jan. 13
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Is this your moment? EARLY BIRD DEADLINE has been extended to Jan. 13. The PMA REGGIE Awards are the most prestigious awards in the promotion and integrated marketing industry, given only to those campaigns that make the register ring and support the brand's equity and growth. Register today for one of two free How to Write a Winning REGGIE Webinars, giving you insider tips from our judges on how to write a winning entry, how to match results to objectives and how to nail the mandatory requirements. Visit pmalink.org/reggieawards for all the details. Need help? Call or email Ben Samet, bsamet@pmalink.org, 212-340-0093.

Embedding Social Media Into The Marketing Mix Social media is embedded in every aspect of the customer journey - from ratings and reviews to "like" buttons and tweets. The opportunity for marketing has evolved from building individual social applications to using social media to enhance a variety of channels. Download the Forrester Whitepaper

PMA's December webinars help you finish the year strong!
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In addition to the two REGGIE webinars, PMA has three marketing webinars before the holidays. On Dec. 6, we'll look at how social media is impacting sweeps, contests and games. On Dec. 8, you can learn more about activating your shopper-marketing insights, and Dec. 13 two rebate professionals will take a deep look into the changing landscape for rebates. Check them all out here on our calendar.