ChoiceStream

While Google remains consumers’ favorite online brand, Yahoo and Amazon are not far behind, according to a new report from Forrester Research. “In the minds of their fans, the top online brands exhibit very traditional attributes such as trustworthiness, helpfulness, and relevance, all at the expense of more-predictable tech-friendly characteristics such as innovation and speed,” reads the report authored by Forrester analyst David Card. According to the report, direct-to-consumer brands in categories including media, retail, financial services, and travel -- and consumer electronics, given its technology angle -- should position themselves against competitors’ weaknesses, and deliver their brand messages through site experiences that complement offline marketing. Read the full article at MediaPost

Consumers between the ages of 25 and 44 find the most value in personalized product recommendations, according to a recent study by e-commerce platform provider Art Technology Group Inc. The poll found that 81.6% of shoppers between the ages of 25 and 44 deem personalized product recommendations as an important feature, compared to 31.5% ages 18 to 24 and 66.7% of consumers 44 and older. In the coming year, ATG expects more e-retailers to implement personalized product recommendations on their sites. Read the full article at Internet Retailer

Neither Black Friday nor Cyber Monday are truly the biggest shopping days of the year. But the period beginning around Thanksgiving does mark the start of an increase in retail sales that peaks around the Sunday before Christmas. In fact, in the ad industry and media pros have long called the eight weeks starting the week before Thanksgiving and ending the week of Christmas the “hard eight” because of the volume of advertising that occurs during this period. Contributer Larry Woodard of Vigilante wonders “if we can use the principles involved in Black Friday and merchandising seasonal merchandise to help spur our economy in this difficult retail climate. Both are short-term efforts at using advertising to grab our attention and hold us for the time it takes to give us information, which we then choose to accept or reject. Ideally, marketers could convert that short-term behavioral change into more long-term behavior.” Read the full article at ABC News

Patricia Pao, CEO of Manhattan-based fashion and luxury good consultancy The Pao Principle submits that there are eight things retailers can do to increase profits and assure survival during the econcomic malaise and holiday shopping season. Among her advice, Pao says retailers must stop overly aggressive discounting and instead focus on maintaining margins. She also notes that it is vital to make the in-store experience an “oasis” for the consumer – one which isn’t cookie cutter like Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie – whose stores are all unique. Pao also thinks retailers should recognize/reward the best customers with small gifts among other suggestions. Read the full article

Email and cross-channel marketing solutions provider Responsys has published a new guide called "The Retail Email Guide to Multichannel Engagement." According to Responsys’ Aaron Smith, "Integrated marketing is becoming imperative as the number of channels and customer touchpoints has grown. Rather than weakening email marketing, the proliferation of channels has made email even more dynamic and powerful." MarketingSherpa said nearly 80% of marketers say they are executing cross-channel campaigns to some degree. All indications suggest that more marketers are adopting a cross-channel approach and that their level of integration is deepening. Read the full article