The blog

Every morning when driving to work on the E40 from Hoegaarden to Waver, I always listen to the radio. It’s a way to get ready for the day. Sing along, laugh with the fine humor of Siska Schoeters and go over the planning of the day in my head.

The House of Marketing presented at the RetailSonar Day 2015, an event for retailers who are interested in getting grip on their omnichannel dynamics and eager to successfully integrate on- and offline in their strategies. THoMers Bart De Bodt and Dirk Oosterlinck explained how to develop a successful omnichannel strategy. We are happy to share the key takeaways of the event with you.

The House of Marketing had an inspiring time at the Vlerick Marketing Colloquium. Impressive speakers gave refreshing insights on topics like startup marketing, consumer trends, omnichannel and creativity.

We are not living in a golden age for the moment, so the decisions we make are well considered. Why should we spend money on products we hardly use, if we can borrow them from our neighbors or friends? The saved money can be used to go to a concert or travel to South-Africa.

I’m driving home in my car at the end of a very demanding week that has made me yearn for the weekend. There has been an accident, of course, which has created a dreadful traffic jam. I knew I would be driving for hours. Never thought this moment could evoke real creativity…

Discussions on freedom of speech have recently come up again after the terrible terrorist attacks in Paris and the inflammatory calls for terrorist support on social media from influential supporters of the ideology behind those attacks. The right to express any opinion without censorship or restraint is one of the fundamental rights of our Western democracies. Although it seems to be widely accepted by our modern European society, reality has shown that purposely offending other cultures or religions can have drastic consequences, often leading to a vicious spiral of violence – initially verbal but ultimately physical. Consequently, in recent weeks a public debate has started on the question as to whether freedom of speech has limits. Do we need to be more careful, especially when making statements on religions or cultures we don’t know sufficiently well which can be perceived as provocative? It’s an interesting question, not only for journalists but also for marketers.

Let’s start with a short recap of my previous ‘point of view’ piece; “Preparing yourself for an omni-channel world: What’s it all about and how can you get there?” The difference between online and offline channels is a current hot topic in retail markets. Why are we talking about ‘the difference’? Because in most cases, online and offline are still considered to be totally separate entities. Although consumers already think, handle and buy in an integrated way, retailers persist in approaching them in different ways with different messages. If a retailer’s online and offline channels are not aligned, they may as well be competing against each other.

A few weeks ago. Drama. The Retailer Colruyt, when working on a rebranding strategy for its private labels, announced that the name of their private label beer, Cara Pils, would be changed to Everyday Pils, in line with hundreds of other Colruyt private label products.

A current hot topic in retail markets is the difference between online and offline channels. Why are we talking about ‘the difference’? Because in most cases, online and offline are still considered to be totally separate entities. Although consumers already think, handle and buy in an integrated way, retailers persist in approaching them in different ways with different messages. If a retailer’s online and offline channels are not aligned, they may as well be competing against each other.

Big Data is merely a tool that can create relevance for consumers and gain and keep their trust in your company and your products. At the 2014 Dublin WebSummit, Big Data was naturally on the agenda multiple times and looked at from different angles. That helped me make up my mind about how Marketers can make good use of it. Yes, I do mean Marketers. One of the first things we saw in Dublin was an increasing shift of Big Data budgets from ICT to Marketing.