Retail Remix

We all know that a stellar customer experience is key to winning attention, sales and loyalty. But what happens when your strategy gets turned upside down by a pandemic? Moving quickly is key, but how can teams do that when they're all working remotely? Luxury shopping destination Olivela was able to adapt, with Chief Experience Officer Matthew Alland guiding the way. During this episode, Matthew sits down with Alicia Esposito to discuss:

• How the Olivela team changed their approach to collaboration to maintain momentum;
• New experiences and initiatives that allowed them to better understand new customer needs;
• Why the pandemic helped strengthen the Olivela brand and its dedication to charitable giving; and
• How the brand is tackling the reopening of its Nantucket store, complexities and all.

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Mobile devices have long been considered a powerful extension of our minds. They're always extremely close to us, if not in our hands. But how have mobile behaviors changed in light of the pandemic, when consumers are at home and spending more time on desktops and laptops? During this episode, hear Movable Ink's Julio Lopez break down where mobile engagement is today, and how the pandemic will likely influence:

• Omnichannel customer journeys;
• Marketing strategy and experience orchestration; and
• The parameters for effective messaging and creative.

RELATED LINKS

• Meet the strategy team at Movable Ink
• Check out and subscribe to the Ink Tank vodcast
• Read a retail success story

In March 2020, Brian Solis began his tenure as Global Innovation Evangelist at Salesforce. Brian has built a career around studying humans, technology and how their intersection impacts businesses and humanity overall. Little did he know that he would begin his new role during one of the most disruptive happenings in decades. During this special episode of Retail Remix, Brian and Alicia talk about how these developments inspired the creation of the Novel Economy, and how our mindsets, lifestyles and behaviors during this time will serve as a catalyst for our future. Listen in to get Brian's take on how:

• The Novel Economy coincides with his other principles, such as Digital Darwinism;
• This new era impacts the way organizations tackle innovation; and
• Strategic questions business leaders need to ask in order to develop their plans for the future.

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about Brian's work

The future of e-Commerce has become a hot topic in the industry, especially as brick-and-mortar operators continue to navigate constant volatility. Digital channels enable brands and retailers to keep their businesses running, but they also present new threats. Research from Red Points has found that while 58% of companies saw a surge in e-Commerce revenue once COVID-19 was declared a national emergency, 39% also saw an uptick in counterfeiting. During this episode, host Alicia Esposito chats with Red Points CEO Laura Urquizu about this new data, as well as:

• The definition of "brand protection," and how it has changed in the era of COVID-19;
• Common reasons why brands fall short in their brand protection efforts;
• Whether the ongoing shift to digital will uncover new threats for brands; and
• New forms of theft and counterfeiting that may impact brands in the future.

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about Red Points
• Download the COVID-19 research report
• Get more insights from the Red Points team

Businesses use advertising to get their products and messages in front of consumers as they browse the web. However, the expansion of the media landscape and the emergence of platforms that spread hateful messages and misinformation are forcing marketing teams to take a firm look at where their money is going. Claire Atkin and Nandini Jammi, Co-Founders of Check My Ads, connected over their passion for calling out media misinformation and brands that are advertising on these platforms. Their new venture is poised to help marketers and advertisers understand the full context of their audiences' behaviors and ensure their dollars don't get in the wrong hands.

During this episode, Atkin and Jammi share:

• How their histories in marketing inspired them to form Check My Ads;
• The leading problems in the current advertising climate;
• How the Facebook advertising boycott will impact the future of the industry; and
• What "brand safety" means and the gaps in current solutions in the market.

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about Check My Ads
• Sign up for the Branded newsletter
• Read more of Nandini's perspectives on Medium
• Get marketing insights from Claire on Medium

In the wake of the pandemic, flexible fulfillment and contactless commerce both came to the forefront. To enable great experiences in these areas, retailers need to bridge the gap between their online and digital inventories, and ensure real-time visibility into product availability and location. This is an area of great struggle for retailers, and it's something that RAIN RFID can help address. During this episode of Retail Remix host Alicia Esposito sits down with Gaylene Meyer, VP of Global Marketing and Communications at Impinj to discuss how:

• COVID-19 uncovered ever-present supply chain and inventory management issues;
• RFID supports greater inventory visibility and, in turn, better fulfillment and contactless commerce experiences; and
• Retail teams can quantify the value of investment and get support for implementation.

Retailers have bolstered their delivery and fulfillment offerings to cater to an increasingly demanding consumer. While speed is critical, retailers also need to think about how efficient and profitable these fulfillment offerings are. Not to mention the fact that organizations are being held more accountable for their environmental and sustainability initiatives. The fulfillment puzzle is becoming incredibly complicated to solve, but Roadie has a mission: to make "on-the-way" delivery an efficient, effective and more environmentally friendly option for brands and consumers. Marc Gorlin, Founder and CEO of Roadie shares:

• His take on the trends and challenges of fulfillment;
• What "on-the-way" delivery means and how it can benefit retailers and consumers;
• The future of the gig economy; and
• What retailers should consider as they invest in their fulfillment experiences.

Most purchase decisions still begin with a basic search. What's changing, however, is where those searches take place. Most still happen on a search engine, but some occur via personal digital assistants, Amazon and other platforms. This is making brand discovery and engagement far more difficult, especially for smaller brands. Not to mention, recent announcements from Google indicate that rankings will be influenced by more experience-driven factors, such as slow load times, disruptive advertising tactics such as pop-ups, and more. Host Alicia Esposito sat down with Chris Rodgers, who is the CEO and Founder of Colorado SEO Pros, to break down some new imperatives for SEO success. They discuss:

• How to refine SEO strategies to address timely business services;
• Using SEO to bolster in-store traffic;
• The role of content marketing in SEO strategy; and
• How voice search will impact SEO.

RELATED LINKS

• Get more insights from the Colorado SEO Pros blog.

Barbara Kahn is the Patty and Jay H. Baker Professor of Marketing for the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Over the course of her career, Barbara has kept a close watch on the evolution of retail and key economic and social trends that are impacting it. In recent weeks, she has assessed the impact of COVID-19 in an effort to determine its impact in comparison to the Great Recession and the latest Retail Apocalypse. During this episode, Barbara and host Alicia Esposito dig into the macro and micro trends, including:

• The acceleration of disruption;
• The tension among department store retailers;
• The future of luxury; and
• Accelerated adoption of sustainability strategies.

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about Barbara Kahn
• Read the article, From Apocalypse to Supernova: How the Pandemic Is Changing U.S. Retail

Sure, the Internet has given us undeniable power, connecting us to millions of sources of information, inspiration and commerce. But when we take a closer look at most e-Commerce experiences, Andrew Blachman, who is the President of Tophatter, believes there's plenty of room for improvement. Specifically, he believes that many brand and retailer sites lack the capabilities that add surprise and delight to shopping, and encourage the "thrill of the hunt." That's where Tophatter comes in. During this episode, Andrew shares:

• The inspiration behind Tophatter;
• Why they decided to prioritize mobile experience;
• How his experience in the ticketing space drives his ideas; and
• How online shopping will need to evolve in light of the pandemic.