ClickZ Indie Media Pulse Newsletter - 10.03.2024

PLUS: See AI transform retail and marketing strategies.

Author

Sophie Bruxner-Randall
October 03, 2024

Specialty Bites 🍪

Partnering with a digital strategy agency is essential for eCommerce growth. These agencies offer comprehensive services, including SEO, content marketing, and data analytics, to enhance online presence and customer engagement. Choosing the right agency involves evaluating their past performance, industry expertise, and communication skills to ensure effective collaboration.

John Lewis is leveraging AI to streamline its retail marketing operations, partnering with Inspired Thinking Group (ITG) to automate routine tasks. This collaboration allows John Lewis to maintain in-house expertise while benefiting from ITG's advanced technology and training. ITG's platform, Storytech, automates content creation and management, enabling John Lewis to efficiently handle large volumes of digital assets. This approach not only enhances operational efficiency but also frees up employees to focus on more creative and growth-oriented tasks.

The partnership with ITG represents a strategic move for John Lewis, balancing the need for cost-effective solutions with the importance of market-specific knowledge. By integrating AI and augmented reality, ITG helps John Lewis capture and repurpose content across various platforms, from in-store displays to e-commerce. This method ensures consistency in branding while reducing the manual workload traditionally associated with retail marketing.

CEO Andrew Swinand emphasizes that this automation does not replace jobs but rather shifts focus towards more engaging and innovative work. The initiative reflects a broader trend in the retail industry, where operational AI is increasingly valued over generative AI for its practical applications. While the long-term adoption of such technologies remains uncertain, John Lewis's experience suggests that well-managed automation can coexist with creativity, driving both efficiency and growth.

Editor’s Pick 🌟

New guide reveals that Google Discovery is best for ROAS at low spend, whereas Performance Max delivers results at scale. To optimize performance in Google, brands should: 

  • Invest in Performance Max, which comprises ~24% of budget on average and supports increased scale at similar performance. 

  • Leverage Google Discovery for potentially strong ROAS, especially at lower spend levels. 

  • Consider Google Shopping as a middle-ground option, offering good ROAS potential with more scale than Discovery. 

This research was put together by Fospha, EMEA's leading marketing measurement platform. Fospha has $1bn spend under measurement across 150+ of the world's best eCom brands, including Free People and Gymshark. They've assembled a guide of the best Google channels & strategies to lead brands into H2 - you can read this here. 

Specialty Bites 🍪

A full-service eCommerce agency offers comprehensive solutions for online stores, including design, development, and marketing. These agencies ensure user-friendly, mobile-optimized websites, robust back-end infrastructure, and effective marketing strategies like SEO and PPC. Choosing the right agency aligns services with business goals, driving growth and customer engagement.

Mondelēz International, in collaboration with Accenture and Publicis Groupe, launched an AI-powered platform to enhance global marketing. This platform will enable personalized content creation, leveraging generative AI for real-time insights and improved consumer experiences. The initiative aims to drive innovation and maintain brand integrity through responsible AI use.

Performance Platters 🍽️

Brands are leveraging holistic video strategies to engage consumers across multiple platforms, driving full-funnel business outcomes. By utilizing first-party data and diverse video channels, companies like PepsiCo and Lexus achieve significant increases in brand awareness, consideration, and conversions. Amazon Ads exemplifies this approach, offering expansive opportunities for advertisers.

DMEXCO 2024 showcased AI's practical applications, retail media's growth, and the shift to cookieless solutions. Key trends included AI-driven transformation, the rise of retail media, and the importance of first-party data. The event emphasized collaboration, transparency, and the evolving landscape of digital marketing, highlighting innovation and future opportunities.

Brand websites remain crucial for the golden quarter, driving engagement and sales, according to Visualsoft's research. While social media is growing in importance, targeting the right consumers is essential. Newsletters and nostalgic Christmas ads also play significant roles, with nearly half of consumers driven by nostalgia.

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