Kroger Precision Marketing is expanding its private programmatic marketplace to include video and CTV (connected TV) inventory, fueling a convergence of three dominant media trends. What do you think of the advertising opportunity in purchasing CTV and video inventory tied to Kroger first-party data?

Eighty-one percent of companies are reliant on third-party cookies while 85 percent of consumers want brands to use only first-party data, according to a new report. What advice would you give marketers about shifting from reliance on third-party data to first-party data for ad targeting?

According to a new report, the three most prevalent personalization tactics are predictive personalization, email send-time optimization and buyer journey-based personalization. What do you think are the most effective, most overrated and most underrated personalization techniques and related data-mining approaches?

While grocers have earned credit for upgrading the quality and branding of their private labels, a new study finds store brands receive little marketing support. The study comes as reports indicate shoppers are trading down to store brands amid inflationary pressures.

Amazon is believed to be behind the “generative” AI race between Microsoft and Google, which hosted media events in early February highlighting their generative AI technology. What advice would you have for retailers exploring generative AI systems like ChatGPT?

“De-influencing,” trending on TikTok since January, amounts to a backlash against overconsumption caused by social media influencers. Whether it’s bad for the influencer community is up for debate. Do you see the de-influencing trend on TikTok as an authentic backlash that may force influencers to reassess how they promote products and brands?

A university study determined that only half of artificial intelligence-generated ads are open about the fact they were created by bots, potentially tricking consumers into false beliefs or causing confusion and dissatisfaction. Will AI-generated advertising content drive more benefits or chaos for marketers?

Microsoft and Google both revealed plans last week to introduce their own ChatGPT-style product, joining the hype around the AI-driven chatbot technology. Do you see ChatGPT and similar AI-driven technology transforming product discovery and online interactions for retailers?

While promising to help marketers tap first- and second-party data amid new privacy restrictions, data clean rooms remain sparsely used, according to a new study. What do you think of the potential as well as the challenges of using data clean rooms to help marketers transition from third-party cookies for targeting?

Consumer brands often feel as if they have little choice when it comes to purchasing ads from retail media networks, according to a new survey of its members by the Association of National Advertisers. How does consumer brand spending on retail media networks compare to other types of trading partner spending?

Generation Alpha may be about to take over as the biggest disruptor of retail as members of the youngest generation enter their teenage years. What advice would you have for retailers or brands about preparing for the emergence of Generation Alpha as consumers?

Despite a few limitations, ChatGPT may massively impact how people search for, evaluate and purchase products in the future. Here are a few thoughts on how OpenAI’s new chatbot could be used in retail. What do you think of the potential for ChatGPT to elevate product search and chatbot conversations?

When many retailers nationwide were forced to operate as e-commerce-only companies in March of 2020 due to pandemic-related lockdowns, Shawn Wilkinson, e-commerce program manager for personalization at Dick’s Sporting Goods, saw an opportunity target the right “athlete”. Do you agree with Mr. Wilkinson that bite-sized content tests are a good way to pursue customization and personalization?

A survey from Emarsys finds retailers failing to align with consumers when it comes to when, how and what they want to hear. For starters, the survey found 61 percent of retailers surveyed believe that their customers want to hear from them multiple times a week. Are retailers guilty of too frequent and often too irrelevant communications to consumers?

Lowe’s is bringing all of its One Roof Media Network ad sales and operations in-house. The home improvement retailer said the move will allow it to control all elements of its relationship with advertisers and partner with them in ways to achieve more meaningful interactions with shoppers. Will advertisers benefit from Lowe’s decision to bring its retail media operations under one roof?

Meta was dealt a significant blow last week when being found guilty by European Union regulators of effectively forcing users to accept personalized ads. Required changes for the parent of Facebook and Instagram may significantly limit access to data to sell such ads in the region. Will calls for opt-in only requirements for online ad tracking get louder in the years ahead?

DTC retail is not getting the positive buzz it did a few years ago — far from it. In fact, downturns among major DTC brands have some industry experts thinking that the model might be on its way out. Do you see CTC (connect-to-consumer) as being meaningfully different from DTC and will embracing different pathways to the customer give brands an advantage?

A new study finds Millennials and Gen-Zers are the demographics that are purchasing digital fashion assets and fashion NFTs (non-fungible tokens) the most. Will interest by Gen-Zers and Millennials in fashion NFTs remain potent or will it fall off like other digital collectibles seem to have?

If only the legendary merchant John Wanamaker was alive today and using digital media. He’d have less cause to say, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.” Where do you see retailers spending their ad budgets in 2023?

TikTok is facing restrictions in some U.S. states, with some government figures pushing for more comprehensive, and even federal, bans, with big implications for brands and retailers promoting content on the single most popular app in the world. Should retailers keep the potential state or federal banning of TikTok in mind when building out marketing strategies?

Best Buy customers watching its livestream shopping events will now have the option of placing orders for in-store pickup. It marks the first time that pickup is being offered on a live shopping platform that is embeddable anywhere online. Will having the option of ordering an item from a livestream shopping event for in-store pickup make these shows more attractive to a larger number of consumers?

The new Toys “R” Us has been making more innovative, on-trend moves than it did before its most recent relaunch and that now extends to getting involved in Web 3.0. The toy retailer is launching a 10,000 item collection of non-fungible tokens. Is launching a line of NFTs a good idea for Toys “R” Us?

Amazon.com is offering to pay some of its customers for access to their data in efforts to improve ad targeting, offering $2 dollars per month to a select group of users who choose to participate in an invite-only ad verification program. Do you think that Amazon’s customers will be willing to let the platform track their ad data for $2 a month?

No demographic group is monolithic, and this is particularly true of Baby Boomers whose generation stretches nearly 20 years. And one thing is certain: marketing to early or late Boomers in the same manner is likely to fall on a large number of deaf ears. Do you agree with the frequent claims that retailers ignore Baby Boomers in their marketing efforts?

Forever 21 last week said that it was celebrating its one-year “meta-versary” by launching a fashion collection inspired by its experience operating in the metaverse. Do you see gaming platforms like Roblox as the logical entry points for retailers looking to test the metaverse waters?

A recent study finds that men are more likely to shop for groceries online when compared to women, who would rather shop in-store. Do you agree with the findings that men prefer shopping online and women prefer shopping in-store?

Amazon has long been the main go-to place for online product search, but a recent Washington Post article finds that it is no longer giving customers what they want because advertisements are muscling out the real search results. Do you see Amazon’s practice of displaying ads in search results reducing the faith that shoppers have in the site?

A university study finds originality and follower size are among the common factors driving engagement in influencer campaigns. However, many influencer attributes fall under the Goldilocks Effect, or the sweet spot between too little and too much. What factors drive optimal engagement in influencer campaigns?

YouTube in late 2020 launched its Shorts feature to keep up with a new generation of competing video services posting short-form content. Now YouTube has added an e-commerce element to Shorts, so customers can buy as the minute-long videos fly by. Do you see shoppable ads on Shorts making it more likely that users will see YouTube as a place for shopping as well as watching content?

Public interests groups are taking aim at digital couponing, saying that the practice is discriminatory insofar as the less tech-savvy consequently pay more. Do you think it is accurate to say that digital coupons discriminate against some demographics?

Cisco, SAP and Salesforce have all added a chief trust officer (CTrO) to their c-suite as the digital economy has elevated the importance of trust. Should retailers follow? Do retailers need a chief trust officer or to put a c-level exec in charge of trust?

The Walt Disney Company last week launched a “limited test” in the U.S. that will allow Disney+ subscribers to shop exclusive merchandise from franchises like “Star Wars,” “Black Panther” and “Frozen” through the Disney+ app. How would you rate the viability of selling themed merchandise alongside certain Disney+ shows and films?

Victoria’s Secret & Co. (VS&Co.) has agreed to buy Adore Me, the digital-first intimates brands, for $400 million. The acquisition is expected to provide a technology boost, a new growth vehicle and perhaps some goodwill.  Is the Adore Me acquisition a good fit for Victoria’s Secret & Co.?

Demonstrating the potential of adding smell to virtual reality, researchers led by Stockholm University recently created a “wine tasting game” in which the user smells wine in a virtual wine cellar and gets points if their guess on aromas in each wine is correct. What would adding smell to virtual reality tech mean to retail?

Amazon last week held its second Prime Day event of the year and, as it turned out, the sales promotion may not have been the kickoff to the holidays that the retail and technology giant was hoping for. Do you see the results of Amazon’s Prime Early Access event as a bellwether for the company’s 2022 holiday season performance or that of the larger retail industry?

The biggest impediment to creativity is not a lack of direction or failure to be bold enough, it’s a risk-averse culture, cited by 51 percent of marketers, according to new research from the World Federation of Advertisers. What do you see as the greatest barriers to creativity in advertising and marketing campaigns?

Heads up Amazon.com, Qurate, Walmart et al. TikTok is staffing up in preparation to building its own online fulfillment centers in the U.S. The nation’s and world’s most popular video sharing app has been looking to hire logistics professionals in Seattle. What will it take for TikTok to become a major e-commerce platform in the U.S.?

Suzy Davidkhanian, principal analyst at Insider Intelligence, believes that, while the pandemic spurred many consumers to adopt retail app technology as in-store pickup and other omnichannel practices exploded, “many features are gimmicky or glitchy and cause more friction than convenience.” In what ways are retail apps providing the most value, how are they falling short, and what’s their next evolution?

At its annual Search On event, Google unveiled a number of shopping tools employing Shopping Graph, Google‘s AI-enhanced model that now understands more than 35 billion product listings, up from 24 billion last year. Do you see artificial intelligence reinventing Google’s role as a shopping search tool?

Black Friday still draws large crowds to malls, shopping centers and stores, but a large percentage of Americans will spend the day opening apps and shopping from the comfort of their homes. What do you see as the most significant differences in the way Americans will shop for the holidays this year compared to 2021?

A new survey finds many targeted ads and personalized emails make consumers feel “creepy,” but more so with Boomers than younger generations. What should marketers take away from evidence that younger generations may be more open to personal data-driven online marketing schemes?

Walmart has moved to the metaverse. The retail giant on Monday launched two immersive experiences on the Roblox gaming platform, with Walmart Land and Walmart’s Universe of Play. Is Walmart taking the right approach with its first foray into the metaverse?

A new survey of more than 200 information technology and marketing decision-makers from the U.S. and Canada finds agreement that the IT team will become more intimately involved in day-to-day marketing, although each department appears to have different notions about how IT can help. What role should IT play in day-to-day marketing?

A GroupM study estimates advertising accounts for five percent of Amazon.com’s revenues from commerce-related activity and rated that as a “reasonable target” for other retailers working to catch up. Is it realistic for retailers to set a goal of getting about five percent of sales from advertising?

In an article for Harvard Business Review, a Wharton marketing professor argues that livestream commerce is fast becoming the medium of choice for online shopping, but technology and marketing’s learning curve is holding back adoption in the U.S. Do you see livestream shopping becoming a more significant driver of e-commerce in the U.S. over the next five years?

Amazon.com introduced a new “Tailored Audiences” tool that allows sellers on its platform to send emails to repeat customers, recent customers and high-spend customers at the Amazon Accelerate conference last week in Seattle.  What do you think of Amazon’s Tailored Audiences tool and the effectiveness of email retargeting campaigns?

The 28th Edition of The CMO Survey found marketing budgets for traditional advertising increasing for the first time in a decade, although well below the expected growth rates for digital marketing in the coming year. Do you see spending on traditional advertising media recovering, flattening or declining in the years ahead?

A new university study finds that the intimate nature of a smartphone causes consumers to reflect inward, elevating their preference for unique and self-expressive options while shopping, versus when buying products on a laptop. Should retailers and direct-to-consumer brands alter what they offer for purchase based on the device being used to shop their websites?

Instacart will acquire Eversight, an AI-supported pricing and promotions platform for CPG brands and retailers. What impact will Eversight’s technology have on the pricing and promotional practices of retailers and brands on the Instacart platform?

Sephora ran afoul of California’s new data privacy laws, and the beauty retailer is paying the price for it — a settlement of $1.2 million to the state. What impact do you see the Sephora settlement having on how retailers use and sell data, both in California and throughout the U.S.?