Columns

Marketers may have heard about some of the well-publicized features in iOS 8 such as Interactive Notifications and widgets, but there are lesser-known behavioral changes in the new operating system that could have a profound effect on the end-user’s experience.

When tracking post-install user behavior, what are the most common parameters to track and measure? Answers to this question and many more.

Every year, competition in the mobile space becomes more intense than ever. But we have now reached a tipping point.

Previously, comparison-shopping was a much more manual and tedious process since most data such as pricing and product information has been controlled by retailers. Now, however, the consumer shopping experience faces rapid changes.

Will Tiffany’s “Concierge of Love” be the ticket to a strong performance in early 2015? I am skeptical.

What do consumers really think of these mobile banners? Four out of five consumers find them unacceptable, according to a study conducted by the Harvard Business Review. I believe the word “unacceptable” is HBR talk for “they suck.”

Google’s mobile search division recently announced upcoming algorithmic changes to the way it recognizes responsive mobile Web sites. According to the search giant’s blog, the shift is but the first step in providing mobile users with a more valuable, quality Web experience across devices.

It is interesting to me that an event that occurs once a year – the Super Bowl – would have so many mobile apps designed for roughly four hours of television.

Despite the obvious benefits, many retailers still hold the view that the in-store pickup process is too complicated and costly to warrant investment.

As more millennials use smartphones for everyday purchases, they are rapidly shaping the future of the retail industry by changing how consumers buy products.

What should government, the technology and communications industries, patients and consumers, health care professionals and organizations do to protect the privacy and security of health care, medical and patient information using digital, mobile technologies?

Email, a too-often-forgotten luxury marketing tool, especially in the age of social media, still delivers the highest rate of ROI of all marketing channels, with search engine optimization a distant second.

There is no doubt that there are challenges ahead for retailers, but in general, conditions are being termed as cautiously optimistic. With that said, here are a few things to pay attention to as we wrap up January.

Successful luxury brands have carved very specific principles, which are the opposites of the classic laws of marketing. They are called the anti-laws of marketing; for luxury does not lie in “marketing” but in the offering of creative, disruptive and hyperqualitative realizations.

Mobile applications have shaken up day-to-day business practices for millions of sales teams as well as those in other fields, and it is easy to see why.

While seemingly easy, developing an effective mobile strategy is not without peril. Companies that have attempted to do so without following the rules – which will never be mistaken for a model of clarity – can attest to the pain and costs that result from such efforts.

For the world’s rich, there is always sanctuary — a high-rise co-op in Manhattan, a yacht to take them from one luxury resort to another. When things get really hairy, they can send the kids to school in Switzerland, stay in walled compounds and drive bulletproof Maybachs.

Consider this: in 2013 only 4 percent rated Buy Online Pickup In-Store as more important than home delivery. In 2014, this number jumped to 64 percent.

Every smart home solution, from Samsung to Belkin to Whirlpool, is a constellation of nannycams and ovens and lighting and door locks, et al, revolving around a smartphone app at the center for control and monitoring.

The mobile gaming community has spent an inordinate amount of time solving the very problems that marketers face when dealing with customer engagement.

The increasing ubiquity of smartphones continues to present opportunities and challenges for all online retailers.