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Report says retail social media gaining ground
Social media is playing a key part in a number of retailers' back-to-school campaigns in the US.
This is according to JupiterResearch, which said that retail businesses such as Sears and JCPenney are turning to platforms such as social shopping, virtual worlds, visual search, social networks, widgets and videos to promote their brands to teenagers and young adults.
Patti Freeman Evans, research director and online retail analyst at JupiterResearch, said that this tactic is being employed due to expectations of lower back-to-school spending as a result of the slowing economy.
"Retailers experimenting with Web 2.0 experiences will largely find benefit from them in the form of branding and awareness building, rather than direct sales, as social media has shown little direct impact on actual online retail sales," added David Schatsky, president of JupiterResearch.
A recent Nielsen Online study showed that British under-12s most favour entertainment websites, while teenagers prefer gaming destinations and young adults tend to visit student-focused sites.
Online Advertising news posted on 19 August 2008
