Ecomdigest Home Decor & Furniture Newsletter - 10.10.2024

PLUS: JCPenney Strengthens Brand Strategy with New Executive Hires

Author

Priscilla Soedarpo
October 10, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Ad Week New York 🎤

ADVERTISING INSIGHTS
✨ Fresh Insights from Adweek 2024

Missed AdWeek 2024 in New York? No worries! Chair of Contentive Lee Arthur attended, capturing fresh insights. Here's a snapshot of what you need to know:

  1. Transition to Profit-Focused Metrics: The shift from traditional ROAS to profit-driven metrics emphasizes the need for DTC marketers to evaluate the true impact of each channel. This aligns with findings from Fospha's latest report, highlighting the importance of optimizing customer acquisition across platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat.

  2. First-Party Data Utilization: Emphasizing first-party data is crucial for creating personalized advertising experiences. As brands enhance their omnichannel strategies, leveraging this data will be key to delivering consistent messaging across all touchpoints.

  3. Full Funnel Measurement Challenges: Understanding how different channels contribute to conversions is increasingly complex. The insights shared at Adweek emphasize the necessity for sophisticated full funnel measurement tools and strategies.

  4. Platform-Specific Strategies: With unique strengths across platforms, DTC marketers must adapt their approaches accordingly.

Specialty Bites 🍪

Kevel's partnership with The Home Depot marks a significant evolution in retail media networks, leveraging Kevel's API-based Retail Media Cloud to transform Orange Apron Media Technology. This collaboration underscores a shift towards innovative, in-house solutions that enhance advertiser engagement and customer experience. By integrating Kevel's flexible technology, Orange Apron Media aims to differentiate its offerings, utilizing first-party data to create personalized, impactful ad experiences. This strategic move aligns with industry trends favoring bespoke solutions over commoditized options, highlighting the importance of flexibility and innovation in maintaining a competitive edge.

The partnership is poised to redefine the retail media landscape, emphasizing the value of customized, high-performance networks. Kevel's unique infrastructure empowers retailers to craft distinctive media solutions, ensuring data security and scalability. This approach not only enhances site performance but also fosters a symbiotic relationship with advertisers, promising substantial returns on ad spend. The collaboration reflects a broader industry trend towards prioritizing advertiser success and customer engagement, with a focus on storytelling and personalization.

As the retail media sector evolves, Kevel and Orange Apron Media's alliance exemplifies the potential of tailored solutions to drive growth and innovation. Their shared commitment to advancing the industry through cutting-edge technology and strategic partnerships positions them at the forefront of this dynamic field, setting new benchmarks for success.

JCPenney

JCPenney is enhancing its house brands and marketing by hiring Khristene Son as SVP for trend, brand, and design, and Marisa Thalberg as consulting CMO. These strategic hires aim to drive growth through initiatives like JCPenney Beauty, merchandise collaborations, and digital shopping improvements, fostering brand development and innovation.

Webinar Wrap 🎧

This week, we attended Fospha's pre-peak webinar on Acquiring Customers Profitably During Peak Period. Here's what we learned:

  1. Competition is hot – so be prepared

With the ad economy rebounding and cross-channel CPA up 13% YoY, brands need to step up. Dan Sava compared Peak Period to the Olympics—each year, competition gets tougher, and brands need to start preparing early to stay competitive.

  1. Go full-funnel to unlock scaling potential in Paid Social

There is still huge headroom for brands to scale Paid Social, but there’s a knack to creating a sustainable approach. A full-funnel strategy. Henry Linney shared how Seraphine boosted returns by investing more in Paid Social Consideration and Awareness, while Dan Sava highlighted Nike’s method of educating customers early to ensure they’re ready to convert by Black Friday.

  1. Don’t ignore TikTok

The panel highlighted the huge value in TikTok’s seamless consumer experience, from discovery to purchase. Dan Sava added, “Most, if not all, brands should try it.”

🎥 Watch the full webinar here!

More Specialty Bites 🍪

ELLE DECOR

Interior designer Tommy Smythe transformed a Toronto row house with bold colors, fulfilling the homeowners' desire for vibrant spaces. The project features a red dining room, colorful living areas, and unique design elements, creating a lively, warm atmosphere that contrasts Toronto's gray winters, showcasing Smythe's playful yet stylish approach.

CocoCozy has launched an exclusive bedding collection at Costco, featuring luxurious bouclé fabric in neutral tones. This collaboration with Welspun aims to offer affordable, chic bedding without compromising quality. The collection reflects a shared passion for craftsmanship, comfort, and value, enhancing Costco's product offerings.

Welspun expands its brand portfolio with updated Martha Stewart collections and a debut line by Jeremiah Brent, blending traditional and modern designs. The company also introduces recyclable bedding and bath products, enhancing its offerings with innovative concepts and strategic collaborations to capture market interest and drive growth.

THUMA

Thuma, a modern design company, is opening its second showroom in San Francisco's Marina District in 2025. This 4,200 square foot space will complement the area's vibrant retail scene. The showroom follows Thuma's flagship in SoHo, NYC, and reflects their commitment to quality and eco-conscious design.

Performance Platters 🍽️

Social ad spending targets younger audiences with low-cost products, leveraging platforms for direct-response ads and video formats. Media and entertainment use social media for game installs amid reduced TV spending. Retail and CPG dominate social ad spend, driven by competition from Shein, Temu, and D2C players.

Generative AI is transforming marketing by enabling rapid, personalized content creation. Brands like Nike and Coca-Cola leverage AI for efficiency and engagement. However, human oversight is crucial to avoid missteps. Successful campaigns blend AI with creativity, ensuring authenticity and alignment with brand values. Proceed thoughtfully for optimal results.

Retailers are starting holiday promotions earlier due to inflation and a shorter shopping season. With a focus on budget-friendly options and early deals, marketers aim to capture consumer interest. Enhanced in-store experiences and creative delivery strategies are key to building customer loyalty and adapting to economic challenges.

Ecomdigest is a Contentive publication in the DTC Ecommerce division