Retail Marketing - Shopping Center Marketing

To introduce consumers to its new ice cream, Starbucks and Unilever are offering free pints to Facebook users.

From July 6 to July 19, participants can visit Apps.facebook.com/starbucksicecream. At the top of every hour, they will have a chance to give a pint of Starbucks ice cream to a friend or family member.

Each hour, 800 pints will be given away, with a total of 280,000 for the duration of the promotion. While the promotion encourages participants to send the treat to friends, less generous users also have the option of simply sending the coupon to themselves.

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Stumbled upon a great web site earlier today. Item not as Described is an incredibly funny site that reveals some of the most ludicrous advertisements for “stuff” on the Internet.

While it is a very funny web site, there is a very large parallel to the Internet marketing world. Often you run across clients looking for the most inexpensive ways to do business on the Internet. Cheap is some times just that, cheap. Be sure you do your research before finding the least expensive solution for your business. As I have said before in this space, the thought process is just as important as the execution.

The number of tech-savvy mothers in the US who use social media has jumped 462% since 2006, while the number who use cell phones to go online has increased 348% during the same time period, according to a recent research study from BabyCenter, LLC. Read More at Marketing VOX

Here’s a great new site, well that is if you are like me. Recently launched Alice.com provides customers with the ability to order everyday household items online. From batteries to plastic wrap it’s all here. Alice.com currently serves the continental U.S. Be sure to check it out.

CARSPAZE USA, Inc. is rolling out an innovative, eco friendly, advertising medium that transforms parking lots into large scale, drive-in brand environments. JetBlue is pioneering this new concept creating installations in Northern Virginia and Los Angeles, California, using in flight monitors and a concierge service to reinforce its “More” campaign message. Read full story at www.prnewswire.com

With the rise in adopting Facebook as a key social marketing tool, retail marketers have created a fan or brand page but are now asking how do I grow my fan base.

Try creating a facebook application that involved giving a gift.  Burger King did this so well and other have followed.  To learn more, contact Dotfusion Online Marketing to unwrap the secret!

Is Twitter a viable marketing tool? Personally, I think it works some times but it is very rare where it can really boost a marketing campaign. Over at BNET, the Guy Vs. Guy column had a great debate on this topic, Twitter: Killer Marketing Tool or Pointless Waste of Time?. Be sure to check it out!

Mobile Club

Working with mobile marketing firm Mobisix, the troubled mall giant has extended its email-based The Club program to include The Club Mobile, an alerts service that relies on SMS. General Growth’s marquee properties include Water Tower Place in Chicago, Fashion Show at Tyson’s Galleria outside Washington and South Street Seaport in New York. Read More at MobileMarketer.com

In May 2009, Facebook became the most popular US social networking site. According to comScore, Facebook totaled 70,278,000 unique visitors.
Here’s the question -  how can you retail shopping centre benefit from even connecting with 1% of Facebook visitors.

Which leads to question #2, what is your retail marketing presence on Facebook?  Do you have a fan page, group or in the marketplace?  To initiate Facebook retail marketing presence, Dotfusion has experience with strategy and account set up, contact us at www.dotfusion.com.

Ever feel overwhelmed with all the errands on your to-do list?  Runmyerrand.com can solve your problems.  They call it  “service networking”, and it seems to be a combination of Craigslist and eBay, where people can post errands they need run and others, who’ve signed up at the site as runners, can agree to complete them.

Read full story at talkibie.com