DigitalLatest
When Amazon’s marketplace bet failed: what zShops taught about productive failure
When Amazon launched zShops in 1999, the company positioned it as a transformation from online bookstore to "full-fledged shopping portal.
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Reporting, analysis, and human patterns, ordered by publication date and built to be read beyond the headline.
News
When everywhere became nowhere: what retail learned from chasing teen audiences across…
In 2008, Sears launched what marketing publications called an "aggressive" back-to-school campaign targeting 8-to-14-year-olds.
Culture
The difference between talking at customers and talking with them
When Twitter launched Promoted Tweets on April 13, 2010, Virgin America became one of the first brands to test the new advertising format.
News
What USPS told marketers about your mail preview service: the 2015 interview that…
In 2015, Gary Reblin sat for an interview with Direct Marketing News about the U.S. Postal Service's new Real Mail Notification pilot.
Digital
The loyalty paradox: why 675 million members book half as often
In 2016, Hilton's loyalty program seemed to have cracked the code.
News
When personalization fragments brand identity: why consistency still drives consumer…
This article was published in 2026 and references a historical event from 2014, included here for context and accuracy.
Digital
When industry disruption revealed which platforms were built to last
The pandemic would accelerate digital adoption by years.
News
The decade personalization stood still: why knowing better hasn’t led to doing…
This article was published in 2026 and references a historical event from 2015, included here for context and accuracy.
Digital
Why retail technology pilots succeed while adoption fails
In 2016, Crate and Barrel partnered with CloudTags to test "Mobile Totes" at a single location in Westfield Old Orchard shopping center.
Digital
When your platform choice becomes your tell
In 2015, a casual investigation into major food and beverage brands' Twitter accounts revealed something unexpected.
Digital
GDPR enforcement targets incentives, not absolutes
When GDPR took effect in May 2018, panic swept through marketing departments worldwide.
Digital
Why email marketing remains digital’s most reliable workhorse
As SVP of business development at email service provider Lyris, Carlson had every incentive to encourage maximum email volume from clients.
News
When marketers need permission to follow their customers
In 2012, the Interactive Advertising Bureau announced that mobile advertising had reached $5.3 billion, representing 150% growth.
News
When seamless integration promised everything: Why Facebook’s 2010 messaging…
Users could even claim @facebook.com email addresses, positioning the social network as a serious communications infrastructure provider.
Digital
What American Eagle’s 2016 chatbot launch reveals about conversational commerce…
American Eagle Outfitters' 2016 holiday season chatbot launch provides exactly that kind of instructive example.
Digital
The $40 million email startup that partnered with Yahoo and collapsed anyway
On February 8, 2011, Goodmail Systems ceased operations.