We’re searching for the most pressing marketing insights this week.
‘It’s Been A Wake-Up Call’ – Walgreens CMO On Flexing Its Digital Muscle Post-COVID-19
The Drum
As social distancing orders went into effect, Walgreen’s retail sales sank nearly 11 percent on the previous year, leading to a huge increase in its e-commerce business.
Why it matters: Patrick McLean, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Walgreens, says the brand quickly turned pilots around curbside pick-up, online ordering and free delivery into a national rollout. Post-pandemic, McLean promises a lot of aggressive investments in online shopping and omni-channel experiences. Recently the brand appointed Adobe and Microsoft to create personalized experiences for the 100 million members in its US and UK loyalty programs.
Goodr Boosts Conversions 32% With AR Try-On For Sunglasses
Mobile Marketer
Goodr’s conversion rates grew by 32 percent among mobile shoppers after it launched an augmented reality experience that lets people virtually try on its sunglasses for runners.
Why it matters: Goodr’s AR experience helped increase consumer satisfaction at a time when shoppers aren’t able to visit stores during coronavirus,
COVID-19 And The Employee Experience: How Leaders Can Seize The Moment
McKinsey & Company
In a survey of over 800 US-based employees, McKinsey found that teleworking positively affected employees’ daily work, made them more engaged and created a stronger sense of well-being than those in non-remote jobs.
Why it matters: As some parts of the country reopen, the return phase of COVID presents an opportunity for employers to rethink the worker experience in ways that respect individual differences such as skills, home lives and personal attributes.
4 Traits That Keep Women From The C-Suite
Harvard Business Review
Of the 100 global CEOs on Harvard Business Review’s 2019 Top CEOs list, only four were women while HBR China’s list included a total of just five female CEOs.
Why it matters: During her experience researching China’s leading CEOs, K.C. Wong chair professor at Peking University’s National School of Development, Chen Chunhua, has observed that the traits that often hold female leaders back include having more non-work-related life goals than men do, the desire to achieve perfectionism, an unwillingness to face conflict and having to bear a heavier load of domestic and emotional labor.
Social Influencers x Social Distancing: How Was Influencer Marketing Changed?
The Drum
The Drum’s latest installment of its “Consumer Insight” series found that the influencer market provides brands with an opportunity in the current climate as people spend more time on social platforms.
Why it matters: Influencers can produce crowd-sourced insights and feedback via comments and interactions, a helpful tool to understand consumer sentiment in the pandemic quickly and honestly.
Men’s Makeup Goes Mainstream With CVS Rollout
Business Of Fashion
CVS is betting big on men’s makeup as it plans to roll out men’s cosmetics brand Stryx to 2,000 stores.
Why it matters: In April, search queries for “male makeup looks” surged nearly 80 percent year-over-year. Men’s grooming in the US has evolved out of a two-product routine of only shaving cream and after-shave to embracing fashion and skincare; the market has grown about 13 percent over the past five years.
How Event Marketers Are Adapting To The ‘New Normal’
Event Marketer
Experience marketers of events postponed until the fall have either taken a “wait and see” approach or a multi-channel approach that includes digital and the redeployment of event teams to other areas like research and training.
Why it matters: For many companies, the only way to come out on the other side of the pandemic is to wipe the slate clean given business goals will be so different this year.
What Black Employee Resource Groups Need Right Now
Harvard Business Review
Principal and founder of RARE Coaching & Consulting Aiko Bethea says organizations should start compensating leaders of black employee resource groups (ERGs), which are currently largely volunteer led, invest in black employees’ success and provide racial trauma support.
Why it matters: Black ERGs have helped increase inclusivity and retainment at companies like AT&T, whose black ERG, The NETwork has over 11,000 members. In 2015, AT&T reported an 85.6 percent retention rate for its black employees.
I Was A Chief Diversity Officer For 25 Years. Right Now, Being Silent Is Supporting Violence — Use Boldness To Fight Racism In The Workplace Instead
Business Insider
Jackie Glenn, former chief diversity officer for Dell EMC and founder of Glenn Diversity and HR Solutions, recommends workers boldly call out micro-aggressions and bias as they see them occur.
Why it matters: As per Glenn: “If you have turned a blind eye, ignored the cries for justice, and kept on with your normal life, you are part of the problem. Let me be clear — silence is supporting the violence.”
