Gap is launching a new creator affiliate and advocacy platform, leaning on smaller influencers. Will this gamble pay off?

Retailers are competing in a market which is exhibiting unprecedented change. How can businesses remain relevant and profitable?

Lowe’s is partnering with MrBeast, and 17,000 other creators, to launch its Creator Network. Will this move prove successful in the long run?

There’s little doubt that influencer marketing has left an indelible mark in the business world. Do you believe it has room to grow in terms of its appeal to retail marketers?

More and more retailers are using influencers for product launches to drive discovery. Have influencers transformed the path to discovery for new brands and products, at least in certain categories?

Sephora says the TikTok incubator is not a one-off and will be available to three new brands each quarter.

Sarah Henry, VP, Content, influencer, and commerce at Walmart, said the retailer intends to “shorten (the) distance between content and purchase”…

“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?

In a win for hype over design experience, Louis Vuitton last week placed 13-time Grammy-award winner Pharrell Williams in charge of its menswear line. Is the appointment of Pharrell Williams as men’s creative director more of a positive or negative for Louis Vuitton?

A senior correspondent for Business of Fashion took to the NRF Big Show stage to moderate a robust session covering a host of innovative strategies Coach has implemented through its partnership with Alibaba’s Tmall Luxury Pavilion. Would a focus on key opinion leaders instead of influencers work for American retailers and brands in their social media campaigns and livestreaming?

Marking its first-ever wearable-tech product, Kroger has developed a smart Holiday Apron that taps all five human senses to reduce the stress of holiday cooking. The apron supports an influencer-led marketing campaign. What do you think of Kroger’s Holiday Apron and the campaign’s influencer focus and holiday-cooking-stress theme?

Mental health oriented messaging is quickly becoming table stakes for retailers that cater to next gen consumers. Seventy-one percent of Gen Z consumers like when brands make mental health a part of their marketing, according to the American Psychological Association. Will Gen Z consumers become more or less interested in positive mental health messaging in the coming years?

Best Buy has implemented and expanded its use of digital clienteling to serve more than a quarter million customers since announcing its virtual store pilot in 2021. Customer satisfaction has increased 20 percent as a result of the company taking its famous in-store service online.  What do you see as the biggest benefits of Best Buy’s virtual store?

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?

Ulta Beauty faced boycott threats last week after featuring a star trans influencer in a video. An episode of “The Beauty Of…” podcast featured a TikTok star being interviewed by a gender-fluid hairdresser, about ‘the good, the bad and the silly moments that come with finding girlhood.’ How will Ulta’s and Sephora’s support of the trans community affect their businesses?

Adidas yesterday ended its partnership with Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, following a series of antisemitic remarks he has made recently in multiple forums. Will the Adidas brand be negatively affected by what some saw as a a slow response to Ye’s antisemitic comments?

According to a new survey, the Lululemon reached the number two favorite apparel brand spot behind Nike, moving ahead of American Eagle Outfitters, Pacific Sunwear and Adidas. Should Lululemon adjust its marketing strategy to capitalize on its newfound popularity with teens?

Product placement is expected to see robust growth in coming years as audiences, particularly younger ones, ignore traditional advertising. Is product placement positioned to become a more frequent opportunity for brands or is it already being used too obtrusively?

Many young adults are aspiring to become social media influencers as a career, although the income potential remains questionable.  Has social media influencer marketing proved itself as a career worth pursuing?

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?

Instacart has retained Grammy winner Lizzo as the face of its biggest brand campaign to date to introduce Carts, an in-app experience that will enable pop culture personalities, retailers and online creators to share shoppable, curated content. What do you think of Instacart’s Carts in-app feature and the potential for grocery discovery online?

Users of TikTok and other social platforms are sharing their finds at Costco, helping to make the warehouse club a destination for bargain fashion. Why are Costco fashion finds going viral on social media?

Walmart may have intentions to launch a platform to help the retailer and third-party sellers promote the sales of products on the walmart.com marketplace. What role does influencer marketing play in promoting the sale of products and services for Walmart and its marketplace sellers?

Fast fashion has long been criticized for its negative environmental impact. Now online resale retailer thredUP is launching a campaign with a celebrity influencer espousing the ills of fast fashion, while advertising the type of outfits the online secondhand shop offers. Will Gen-Z consumers see the Fast Fashion Confessional Hotline as authentic or heavy-handed?

Linking influencer marketing to revenue is “the golden ticket,” Christina Westley, head of influencer marketing at PepsiCo Content Studio, says in Econsultancy’s “Influencer Marketing Best Practice Guide” study. What are the primary challenges to measuring influencer marketing?

Dave Wendland’s journey to gaining recognition as a thought leader did not begin by accident, nor did it occur overnight. What advice would you have for someone seeking to establish themselves as a thought leader within the retail industry?

Macy’s has updated its dress code to encourage associates to dress according to their personal styles so they can be better seen as experts for style advice. What do you think of the “Own Your Style” platform’s overall effort to position Macy’s as the go-to place for fashion guidance?

Outdoor apparel brand Eddie Bauer is launching a new content hub for all of its in-house and user-generated content. How likely is content creation à la  Eddie Bauer and REI to become table stakes in the outdoors retail space?

The Container Store introduced on Tuesday a new logo, tagline — “Welcome to The Organization” — and brand campaign. The new logo is the brand’s first overhaul in its 44-year history. Will emotional storytelling relate better than functional messaging for The Container Store?

Senior influencers — nicknamed “granfluencers” — continue to earn heaps of media coverage, possibly offering brands opportunities to reach older and younger social media users. Do elder social media influencers offer big opportunities for brands to reach older consumers?

Long time fans of Sex & The City were not the only ones shocked by the premature death of Mr. Big in the first episode of the new sequel series, And Just Like That. The death also rattled Peloton shareholders. Did Peloton react to the negative portrayal of its product in a television show in the right way?

The latest marketing campaign from 7-Eleven makes use of “superfan influencers” who got their year-long gigs through a contest run recently by the convenience store giant. The next phase of the campaign will focus on adding more influencers to the team.  Do you find that most retailers benefit from influencer marketing campaigns?

Saks has been building its livestreaming presence since the beginning of the year. Now, the luxury retailer is dressing it up for the holidays. Do you think Saks will drive significant holiday sales with its holiday-themed livestreaming events?

Aldi has partnered with six food bloggers and influencers to create its first-ever “Charcuterie Board of Directors” to inspire shoppers this holiday season to develop their own meat and cheese platter. Do grocers have as big an opportunity to work with online influencers as retailers and brands in fashion and beauty categories?

Fifty-nine percent of online shoppers say that user-generated content (UGC), such as images and videos from other consumers, is the most authentic type of content, according to a recent survey. What are the upsides and limits of free UGC versus paid UGC?

Reebok is getting another chance to recapture its past glory under new ownership by Authentic Brands Group (ABG) after nearly 15 years of floundering under Adidas. How should Reebok be repositioned for growth under ABG’s ownership?

Shein, the secretive fast fashion upstart from China, isn’t exactly environmentally sustainable or transparent but it’s crushing it with American teens. Why haven’t lack of transparency nor its sustainability challenges been much of a hurdle for Shein?

Simone Biles has received an outpouring of support following her decision to put her mental health first and withdraw from the gymnastics team competition during the Tokyo Olympics.  Will Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from Olympic competition likely lead most advertisers to augment or downplay her involvement in future campaigns?

The key to successful social commerce is to understand that, in most cases, you are renting rather than buying customers that you own. While renting customers is not inherently a bad practice, the key is to do so profitably. What’s the key to driving profitable sales across social platforms?

College athletes have been fast off the blocks in making endorsement deals with a variety of brands and retailers following the unanimous ruling last week by the The Supreme Court that NCAA rules limiting what students can earn in education related benefits was unconstitutional. Do you see NIL endorsement deals becoming a bigger element of brand and retailer marketing efforts?

Abercrombie & Fitch is launching a standalone apparel brand, called Social Tourist, with TikTok stars and sisters, Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, in an effort to reach always-on generations. What do you think of apparel retailers collaborating with social media stars to create brands aimed at Gen-Z?

Livestreams are fast becoming the cable-cutting generations’ QVC. And who better to connect with local shoppers through livestreams than local associates?  Should retailers use associates for livestreams rather than influencers?

West Elm has launched its first social ambassador program in another test of the potential of influencer marketing in the home category. What do you think of the potential for West Elm Collective and for influencer-driven ambassador programs in general?

During the pandemic, successful brands were able to adapt an online presence to build trust and establish a deeper level of connection with the customers, teams and communities they serve. Do brands and retailers have an authenticity perception problem with consumers?

After declaring bankruptcy and closing its operations, Payless is returning to the world of brick-and-mortar retail and may be leveraging a celebrity endorsement as it tries to get the business off the ground again. What types of moves do you see Payless needing in order to reestablish itself in the marketplace?

Shein, the mysterious Chinese fast-fashion e-tailer known for its “haul” videos on social media, has seemingly overnight become a leading fashion e-tailer among U.S. teens.  What do you think are the most important factors driving Shein’s rapid growth in the U.S. teen clothing marketplace?

McDonald’s has scored a breakout hit with a limited-edition collaboration with rapper and record producer Travis Scott. The partnership aims at helping the fast-food chain better connect with Millennial and Gen-Z customers. What do you think of the opportunity for rappers and other celebrity limited-edition collaborations in the QSR space?

Macy’s has expanded its online Style Crew ambassador program from employee-only to include everyone from influencers to ordinary shoppers. Do you see more benefits than risks in Macy’s move to expand its online Style Crew ambassador program beyond employee-only?

With customers now hesitant about shopping brick-and-mortar, one retailer is using influencers to address a unique pandemic-era concern — letting customers know the stores are safe.   Will social media influencers be able to assuage fears and attract hesitant shoppers back to Nordstrom and other retailers with the promise of safer shopping?

A new study from Michigan State University finds consumer arrogance often drives word-of-mouth and suggests that marketers may be able to leverage this “bragging” tendency. What do you think of the concept of “consumer arrogance” and its link to word-of-mouth recommendations (and criticism)?