<img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-6159" title="br single" src="http://luminositymarketing.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/br-single-1024×704.jpg" alt="" width="403" height="276" />When marketers intend to reach millennials, it's often all about the d—digital, digital, digital. But when it comes to channel planning, there's another "d" that deserves attention- direct mail. Our Managing Director, Lamont Swittenberg, recently addressed this issue with the United States Post Office publication <a href="http://www.delivermagazine.com/" target="_blank">Deliver Magazine</a>. Lamont notes that “Sending something by direct mail is a way of breaking through the clutter because they [millennials/boomerangers] do receive so much communication that comes digitally. And you still can’t replace the personal touch from direct mail.” The Deliver Magazine <a href="http://www.delivermagazine.com/2011/09/direct-mail-makes-an-impact-on-generation-y/" target="_blank">article</a> cites a 2010 finding by Epsilon that <a href="http://luminositymarketing.com/blog/?p=6158">[...]</a>

Last night I attended the annual <a href="http://fashionsnightout.com/" target="_blank">Fashion's Night Out</a> (FNO) event in New York City; having now observed the hoopla from swanky 5th Avenue to the very hipster Lower East Site of Manhattan, I'm beginning to feel like a veteran fashioinista. Fashion's Night out was conceptualized by Anna Wintour of <a href="http://www.vogue.com/" target="_blank">Vogue</a> fame (infamy?), and the underlying mission of this multi-city coordinated event is to jump start retail activity by attracting consumers into stores just before the holiday shopping season launches. <img class="alignright size-full wp-image-5883" src="http://luminositymarketing.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/fno.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="263" /> Lackluster sales effects resulting from Fashion's Night Out have been widely discussed, with analysis of previous years' sales data indicating more bark than bite when it comes to generating transactions. <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2010/09/11/fashions-night-out-did-shoppers-spend-a-dime.html" target="_blank">The Daily Beast estimates</a> that costs for hosting an event during FNO begin at $20k, and that is for a "basic" event. You can imagine how those costs skyrocket for more elaborate events. So is it worth it for retailers? <a href="http://luminositymarketing.com/blog/?p=5880">[...]</a>

Amidst all the current economic uncertainly, one area that continues to see steady grow in the U.S. wine industry. This growth is largely driven by Millennials and Generation X, who have seen net increases of 34% and 28% respectively in 2010 (according to the Wine Market Council). Youngsters like myself are still developing their drinking habits and appear to be more open to exploring the complex and somewhat daunting world of wine. These younger demographic groups are finding the transition toward becoming wine connoisseurs easier due to greater access to information about wine through wine blogs such as Vinography and Dr. Vino’s Wine Blog and TV Shows such as Vine Talk. Both mediums welcome the average wine drinker to get better acquainted to the complexities of wine, without overwhelming them.

As U.S. wine consumption increases and these younger wine drinkers’ tastes get more sophisticated, wine retailers will also need to evolve. Much as new wine converts have to get out of their comfort zones to try new varieties and regions, wine retailers will also have to move beyond providing shelves upon shelves of just Bordeaux and Chardonnay. [...]

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During a recent visit to a local <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble bookstore</a>, I was struck by how much the store has changed in the last ten years. It continues to sell books and other media like it always has, yet there are noticeably fewer people in the store. A third of the floor space is now devoted to the <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/index.asp" target="_blank">Nook e-reader</a>. While I searched through the aisles, I couldn't shake off the distinct sense of foreboding, that Barnes &amp; Noble will go the way of Borders and start closing down its cherished retail locations.
<a href="http://luminositymarketing.com/blog/?p=4858">[...]</a>