Luxury Marketing Council panel debates roles of architect, designer and retailer.
By Alex Palmer

Great visual merchandising should not seem like visual merchandising at all, according to the panelists at Tuesday’s presentation on “Visual Merchandising and Store Design,” hosted by The Luxury Marketing Council at the Haworth showroom in New York City.
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Here’s a selection of recent social media stats, taken from a range of sources, including Econsultancy’s Social Media Statistics document, which forms part of the Internet Statistics Compendium, and other reports…

Brands and social media (Cone)

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Last week, Footwear News announced that Heidi Klum will be launching a collection of shoes as part of her upcoming lifestyle collection that will also include activewear, dresses, swimwear and maternity clothes.

The line doesn’t have a name yet, but you should start seeing the shoes in stores for the Fall 2010 season.

You can read the full article at FootwearNews.com.

Pictured: TV Personality and Model Heidi Klum arriving at the InStyle/Warner Bros. after party for the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards — January 11, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California.
Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

The first so-called ”green shoe” on Wall Street – a stock offering from the maker of Wellington boots, the Green Shoe Manufacturing Co., whose name became immortalized as a result – pioneered the concept of the over-allotment option, a common feature of asset offerings.

A ”green shoe” of a different type has captivated some attention on Wall Street Thursday, and in this case, the ”green” shoe in question is an environmentally friendly material used in the manufacturer of a piece of footwear. And it’s helping lift Timberland (TBL) some 25% in the trading session.

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Timberland Co. said Thursday its third-quarter profit rose an unexpected 23 percent to top analyst estimates as the company trimmed costs and demand improved for its boots and Smartwool apparel.

Shares soared in midday trading following the announcement.

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The National Shoe Retailers Association (NSRA) announced that by March of 2010 it will move its offices from its present location in Columbia, MD. The Executive Committee of NSRA has chosen the hometown of NSRA Chairman Alan Miklofsky, Tucson, AZ, as its new location.
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On behalf of the Student Design Competition Committee, and the hosting Minneapolis/St. Paul Chapter, the Retail Design Institute (RDI) has announced the 2010 International Student Store Design Competition. Once again, this year’s format reflects the real-world RFP (Request for Proposal) format that is generally used by retailers. This year’s chosen category is “convenience store with gas station.”
RDI broke the process into three phases–programming, schematic design and design development–and are asking that the submittal requirements include a written explanation of the concept, and a design process board that visually depicts the thinking and that is supported by consumer research findings. RDI will be utilizing the “forum” section/student design competition to post inspiration and maintain a continuous dialogue, as well as to offer answers to any questions posted by students, and give professional advice from members. The deadline for entries is April 12, 2010. For more information, visit www.retaildesigninstitute.org.

Steve Madden (Nasdaq: SHOO – News), a leading designer and marketer of fashion footwear and accessories for women, men and children, announced today that it has entered into a licensing agreement with L’Koral Industries to design and market a women’s fashion apparel line for the Steve Madden brand. The collection is scheduled to debut in better department stores and specialty retailers in Spring 2010.

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No email marketing is not dead. Not by a long shot. Pick up this free guide.

I have to chuckle every time I see a new online article that declares “email marketing is dead.” The truth is — it’s far from dead. Here’s proof. Check your email inbox. Your still getting lots of mail right? Your still getting lots of spam right? OK. Enough said.

Now granted there is a lot of noise out there, but using email to engage and market to your clients is still a really good way to increase your business. And the best part is that it’s very cost effective.

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As consumers gain more outlets for expressing their views online, brands are becoming less concerned with reaching out to professional writers to spread the word about their products. But while getting a positive review from a professional writer may have much of a sales impact, negative consumer reviews are becoming increasingly problematic.

According to Brand Reputation, 84% of the consumers they surveyed are more likely to look for online product reviews than they were just a year ago. And those who have had a negative experience are five times as likely to tell their friends. Brands can do a lot to monitor this shift and arrange their resources accordingly.

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