Phil Rubin

Facebook going public is going to be a pivotal point in its history. It's pretty clear that it has cash on hand and capital and while that's useful, one of the big reasons for an IPO is for the stakeholders to cash out. The question is whether this is...

There remains a huge opportunity for retailers to employ smart kiosks and other interactive applications in-store. This is particularly true for those retailers that engage customers from a total shopping and brand experience.

Retailers who bore customers with their environments concede shoppers' attention to their smartphones and while there,...

Foodie.fm is one of those services that make you appreciate entrepreneurship; it's simply a great idea that addresses some basic unmet needs for customers. And this one works as well for actual foodies as it does for "moms on the playground" discussing what's for dinner that night!

Beyond that,...

The majority of this year's Super Bowl ads, and even more so the lack of accountability of the corresponding "investment" by many of these marketers, is an incredibly sad reflection on 21st century marketing. With about $250 million spent on the media alone, and at least another $50-100 million...

Even for the largest advertisers, the "investment" for a Super Bowl ad, including development and production, is still a significant amount, approaching $4-5 million for a :30 impact. There is no choice but to extend the reach, at least in terms of time span, if not actual audience, if...

Retailers who complain about the challenges in translating data into actionable insights are simply not prioritizing. It's now easier and less expensive than ever to manage Big Data but retailers consistently under invest and shift priorities.

That said, it's still not easy as it takes people, tools and discipline...

Danny Meyer knows what it takes to create differentiating retail experiences, which is what restaurants do. His book should be mandatory reading for any retail manager in any industry.

There are, especially in New York, lots of great restaurants. The fact that Meyer's group has consistently expanded and succeeded...

Retailers who embrace so-called "system-beaters" are foregoing the opportunity to treat customers with distinction and relevance. Social promotion might be a way to create advocacy but what is that advocacy worth if it is diluting sales? Discounting, social or otherwise, is not the answer and is unequivocally counter to...

Target is again trying to lead innovation in retail and effectively compete both up- and down-stream. As I've written before, if it can deliver an Apple service proposition, it will succeed there and a similar requirement applies to other "shops within the store."

That said, this is not a new...

The changes that Nordstrom announced do not include changing the velocity of its core reward, $20 Nordstrom notes but rather the speed of qualifying for and receiving the benefits associated with its tiers. This might seem trivial but when you analyze the financial costs and return on a loyalty...