Four of five smartphone users in the U.S., or 85.9 million
people, accessed retail content on their handheld device in July, according
to comScore Inc.’s Mobile Metrix 2.0 service. The study conducted by the
digital marketing and research firm highlighted the increasing importance and
prevalence of
mobile marketing.
Amazon was the
top retail destination through mobile devices, with an audience of 49.6
million visitors, while eBay ranked second with 32.6 million visitors, Apple
came in third with 17.7 million visitors and Wal-Mart had 16.3 million
users to Target’s 10 million and Best Buy’s
7.2 million
visitors, according to comScore.
Women accounted for a higher share of time spent on retail
destinations with 53.4 percent of total minutes on desktop computers and
56.1 percent of retail minutes on smartphones. The study also found that
smartphone retail audiences were more likely to reside in higher income
households compared with desktop computer users. Among smartphone
consumers, nearly one in three had a household income of $100,000 or
greater and
that level of earnings drove a comparable 31.2 percent of minutes
spent on retail sites
and applications.
In a separate study, comScore reported that the number of
U.S. internet users who watched online video in August rose 4.2 percent year on
year to 188 million. However, the number of advertisements they viewed surged
41 percent to 9.5 billion from August 2011. Video ads accounted for 20.1 percent
of all videos viewed, but only 1.3 percent of all the minutes spent viewing
video online.
Google websites, including YouTube, ranked as the top online
video content property with 150 million unique viewers, followed by Yahoo!
Sites with 54 million users, Microsoft Sites with 53.6 million, VEVO with 49.3
million and Facebook with 47.7 million, according to comScore.
Video ads reached 54 percent of the U.S. population an
average of 58 times during the month of August, comScore concluded. Hulu
delivered the highest frequency of video
ads to its viewers with an average of
51, while Google Sites delivered an average of 19 ads per viewer.
Forevermark announced plans to develop a national television
commercial centered on its new “The Center of My Universe” concept. In its
release, Forevermark stated that it plans to run the commercial on a brand
level from mid-November until Christmas through a national television plan on
network and cable channels during premium programming. The commercial will also
be featured in a variety of high-impact digital video placements, including
Full Episode Players and top network websites.
Forevermark will make the commercial available to all of its
retail partners. The campaign will also include national newspapers, magazines,
other online advertising outlets, social media support, website features,
in-store materials and public relations.
According to the company, “The Center of My Universe” will
create a unique emotional focus, meaning and relevance around the design motif
anchored in the Forevermark
center diamond.
De Beers Diamond Jewellers opened its first store in
Shanghai at IFC in Lujiazui, the
heart of the city’s financial area in the Pudong district. This marks De Beers
fourth store in China. For the store opening, De Beers displayed the Talisman
Crown, designed to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee, along with The
Talisman Wonder.
A set of eight unique Talisman Medals was created for the
Shanghai store opening. In Chinese tradition, the number “8” is synonymous with
prosperity, wealth and good fortune, stated De Beers, so these eight Talisman
Medals honor that ancient belief. Each is comprised of rough diamonds that are
arranged within the distinctive handcrafted
serti-poinçon (hallmark) setting on
textured white, yellow or pink gold in a formation to enhance the central
diamond.
Smyth Jewelers was hired by Bailey Banks & Biddle to
manage its operations, purchasing, administration and field support functions
for its nine store locations. Bailey Banks & Biddle reemerged in its own
right following the bankruptcy of its former parent company, Finlay
Enterprises, and operates stores in Arkansas, California, Florida, Missouri,
Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.
Mark Motes and John Jackson, executives at Smyth Jewelers,
will serve as CEO and COO, respectively, of Bailey Banks & Biddle.
The Maryland-based Smyth Jewelers operates three retail
locations and two Pandora retail stores across Maryland in addition to eight
Pandora retail stores nationwide.
Hearts On Fire, the World’s Most Perfectly Cut Diamond,®
received a 2012 Mins Integrated Marketing Award for its innovative campaign
with Hearst Integrated Media.
The print advertising also includes a quick
response (QR) code linking to the campaign’s digital and social components,
including videos and content on the Hearts on Fire website and Facebook.
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - October 2012. To subscribe click here.