“De-influencing,” trending on TikTok since January, amounts to a backlash against overconsumption caused by social media influencers. Whether it’s bad for the influencer community is up for debate. Do you see the de-influencing trend on TikTok as an authentic backlash that may force influencers to reassess how they promote products and brands?

Generation Alpha may be about to take over as the biggest disruptor of retail as members of the youngest generation enter their teenage years. What advice would you have for retailers or brands about preparing for the emergence of Generation Alpha as consumers?

A senior correspondent for Business of Fashion took to the NRF Big Show stage to moderate a robust session covering a host of innovative strategies Coach has implemented through its partnership with Alibaba’s Tmall Luxury Pavilion. Would a focus on key opinion leaders instead of influencers work for American retailers and brands in their social media campaigns and livestreaming?

A survey from Emarsys finds retailers failing to align with consumers when it comes to when, how and what they want to hear. For starters, the survey found 61 percent of retailers surveyed believe that their customers want to hear from them multiple times a week. Are retailers guilty of too frequent and often too irrelevant communications to consumers?

Meta was dealt a significant blow last week when being found guilty by European Union regulators of effectively forcing users to accept personalized ads. Required changes for the parent of Facebook and Instagram may significantly limit access to data to sell such ads in the region. Will calls for opt-in only requirements for online ad tracking get louder in the years ahead?

If only the legendary merchant John Wanamaker was alive today and using digital media. He’d have less cause to say, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.” Where do you see retailers spending their ad budgets in 2023?

TikTok is facing restrictions in some U.S. states, with some government figures pushing for more comprehensive, and even federal, bans, with big implications for brands and retailers promoting content on the single most popular app in the world. Should retailers keep the potential state or federal banning of TikTok in mind when building out marketing strategies?

Best Buy customers watching its livestream shopping events will now have the option of placing orders for in-store pickup. It marks the first time that pickup is being offered on a live shopping platform that is embeddable anywhere online. Will having the option of ordering an item from a livestream shopping event for in-store pickup make these shows more attractive to a larger number of consumers?

Mental health oriented messaging is quickly becoming table stakes for retailers that cater to next gen consumers. Seventy-one percent of Gen Z consumers like when brands make mental health a part of their marketing, according to the American Psychological Association. Will Gen Z consumers become more or less interested in positive mental health messaging in the coming years?

Hat retailer Lids has launched a new store concept called Lids Hat Drop, which will focus on giving customers access to exclusive new products on a weekly basis. Do you see similar concepts to Lids Hat Drop being operated successfully in other areas of retail?

No demographic group is monolithic, and this is particularly true of Baby Boomers whose generation stretches nearly 20 years. And one thing is certain: marketing to early or late Boomers in the same manner is likely to fall on a large number of deaf ears. Do you agree with the frequent claims that retailers ignore Baby Boomers in their marketing efforts?

A recent study finds that men are more likely to shop for groceries online when compared to women, who would rather shop in-store. Do you agree with the findings that men prefer shopping online and women prefer shopping in-store?

A university study finds originality and follower size are among the common factors driving engagement in influencer campaigns. However, many influencer attributes fall under the Goldilocks Effect, or the sweet spot between too little and too much. What factors drive optimal engagement in influencer campaigns?

YouTube in late 2020 launched its Shorts feature to keep up with a new generation of competing video services posting short-form content. Now YouTube has added an e-commerce element to Shorts, so customers can buy as the minute-long videos fly by. Do you see shoppable ads on Shorts making it more likely that users will see YouTube as a place for shopping as well as watching content?

Founded by Romney Evans, True Fit’s co-founder, a new shopping platform, Shoptrue, launched in beta last week with a goal of blending “human inspiration” and data science to build a “one stop personal shop, curated for you and by you.” What do you think of Shoptrue’s personalized recommendation platform that combines AI-driven algorithms with shopper and tastemaker input?

Ulta Beauty faced boycott threats last week after featuring a star trans influencer in a video. An episode of “The Beauty Of…” podcast featured a TikTok star being interviewed by a gender-fluid hairdresser, about ‘the good, the bad and the silly moments that come with finding girlhood.’ How will Ulta’s and Sephora’s support of the trans community affect their businesses?

Heads up Amazon.com, Qurate, Walmart et al. TikTok is staffing up in preparation to building its own online fulfillment centers in the U.S. The nation’s and world’s most popular video sharing app has been looking to hire logistics professionals in Seattle. What will it take for TikTok to become a major e-commerce platform in the U.S.?

A new survey finds many targeted ads and personalized emails make consumers feel “creepy,” but more so with Boomers than younger generations. What should marketers take away from evidence that younger generations may be more open to personal data-driven online marketing schemes?

Product placement is expected to see robust growth in coming years as audiences, particularly younger ones, ignore traditional advertising. Is product placement positioned to become a more frequent opportunity for brands or is it already being used too obtrusively?

Many young adults are aspiring to become social media influencers as a career, although the income potential remains questionable.  Has social media influencer marketing proved itself as a career worth pursuing?

In an article for Harvard Business Review, a Wharton marketing professor argues that livestream commerce is fast becoming the medium of choice for online shopping, but technology and marketing’s learning curve is holding back adoption in the U.S. Do you see livestream shopping becoming a more significant driver of e-commerce in the U.S. over the next five years?

The 28th Edition of The CMO Survey found marketing budgets for traditional advertising increasing for the first time in a decade, although well below the expected growth rates for digital marketing in the coming year. Do you see spending on traditional advertising media recovering, flattening or declining in the years ahead?

Dove and Wendy’s in Canada have both launched campaigns against ageism in support of a beloved Canadian news anchor who was relieved of her duties, allegedly for letting her hair go gray.  Do you see Dove and Wendy’s recent campaigns around ageism as timely, opportunistic or risky?

Users of TikTok and other social platforms are sharing their finds at Costco, helping to make the warehouse club a destination for bargain fashion. Why are Costco fashion finds going viral on social media?

Walmart may have intentions to launch a platform to help the retailer and third-party sellers promote the sales of products on the walmart.com marketplace. What role does influencer marketing play in promoting the sale of products and services for Walmart and its marketplace sellers?

Linking influencer marketing to revenue is “the golden ticket,” Christina Westley, head of influencer marketing at PepsiCo Content Studio, says in Econsultancy’s “Influencer Marketing Best Practice Guide” study. What are the primary challenges to measuring influencer marketing?

Amazon.com yesterday filed lawsuits against the administrators of more than 10,000 Facebook groups that it says recruited people to post fake reviews on its site in exchange for money or free products. Is the public’s perception of the validity of reviews on Amazon’s site affected by legal action it takes to find fraudsters?

Changing customer acquisition strategies was a big area of discussion last week at The Lead Innovation Summit in Brooklyn, NY, particularly as it relates to direct-to-consumer (DTC) performance marketing.  Have performance marketing prices on mainstream channels like Facebook, Instagram and Google hit their peak?

Retailers are not faring as well in their acquisition marketing efforts this year as they have in recent years, according to a new study. What’s the best path for digital marketers to overcome the customer acquisition cost challenges related to paid social?

An FMI study finds that, while Americans are still cooking at home more than ever before, enthusiasm for doing so has waned to pre-pandemic levels. What are the most effective methods for grocers to inspire home cooks and help them overcome cooking fatigue?

TikTok might be the most downloaded social app both in the U.S. and globally, but American consumers will not be using it to shop anytime soon. TikTok is abandoning its plans to expand livestream shopping capabilities into U.S. and European markets. What will TikTok’s change in plans mean for the future of livestreaming in the U.S.?

A new study finds consumers are seeking humor from brands as they emerge from the pandemic era. Yet only 16 percent of brands surveyed use humor to sell, with 95 percent fearing using humor in customer interactions. Do you think the surveys are accurate in finding consumers want more humor at this time?

Twitter recently launched a new feature, Product Drops, that allows online merchants to tease their upcoming product launches. Will “Product Drops” offer Twitter a path to become more of a shopping platform?

Customers visiting the websites of Albertsons and some of its banner grocers will soon get to see what other customers thought about the products they are browsing. Do you think product reviews are as important in areas like online grocery as they are in other segments of retail?

Many brands, especially in the apparel and beauty space, have embraced body positive messaging in recent years, although critics charge the movement focuses too much on appearance. Is body neutrality any better? Do you see messaging around body neutrality eventually replacing body positivity for many brands and retailers?

Short videos like those found on TikTok are a major source of entertainment today, especially for generations Gen Z and younger. Now an online grocery startup is utilizing the model on a platform of its own to get engage customers. Do you think the inclusion of TikTok-style, user-generated videos will boost engagement and sales?

L.L.Bean is taking a vacation from social media. The retailer on Monday hit pause on making any social media posts for the month and left a “Gone fishin’ – See you on June 1” message on its Instagram page. What do you think of L.L.Bean’s decision to hit pause on its social media posts for the month of May?

Dave Wendland’s journey to gaining recognition as a thought leader did not begin by accident, nor did it occur overnight. What advice would you have for someone seeking to establish themselves as a thought leader within the retail industry?

In a survey by audio research platform Veritonic, Ace Hardware’s jingle, “ACE is the place with the helpful hardware folks,” was the only tune by a retailer landing on the top-ten list of “audio logos.” Why are most U.S. retailers and brands no longer investing in developing strong jingles?

Pacsun is going all in, virtually speaking, on Roblox. The retailer, which began introducing digital items on the online game platform last June, has introduced PACWORLD, a fantasy interactive game that enables users to own and operate their own mall with the goal of making it more profitable than others in the space. Is Pacsun on the right track with its metaverse efforts?

Macy’s has updated its dress code to encourage associates to dress according to their personal styles so they can be better seen as experts for style advice. What do you think of the “Own Your Style” platform’s overall effort to position Macy’s as the go-to place for fashion guidance?

Walmart has scored an exclusive deal on seven new flavors of ice cream from Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, including Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.  Does Walmart’s exclusive partnership with Van Leeuwen Ice Cream point to a bigger opportunity for grocers around limited-edition offerings?

Outdoor apparel brand Eddie Bauer is launching a new content hub for all of its in-house and user-generated content. How likely is content creation à la  Eddie Bauer and REI to become table stakes in the outdoors retail space?

Recent university research finds that the decision to use dogs or cats in advertisements should depend on how the product links to the stereotypical temperaments and behaviors of each pet species. How should brands decide whether to feature a dog or cat for an advertisement or social media post?

A new study finds 76 percent of consumers have already used augmented reality one way or another. Of the 24 percent who haven’t, half hope to do so in the future. Do you expect the use of augmented reality (AR) to take off this year in efforts to elevate the smartphone shopping experience?

Senior influencers — nicknamed “granfluencers” — continue to earn heaps of media coverage, possibly offering brands opportunities to reach older and younger social media users. Do elder social media influencers offer big opportunities for brands to reach older consumers?

Facebook lost daily users in a quarter for the first time in its 18-year history. Mark Zuckerberg, the platform’s founder and CEO of Meta, blamed heightened competition from the short-video platform TikTok, particularly for the younger demographic. Is the decline in Facebook’s daily usage a harbinger of difficult times ahead?

New research finds low levels of perceived loyalty by consumers towards brands and concludes that at least some brands are confusing repeat purchasing with loyalty. Have habitual purchases become a less reliable indicator of brand loyalty?

Previous research has determined that there really isn’t a boost in sales for brands after their Super Bowl ads air. A new university study, however, finds Super Bowl ads bring immediate spikes in online searches and word-of-mouth impressions, although short-lived. What payback should and shouldn’t marketers expect from Super Bowl ads?

Fashion Nova last week was ordered to pay $4.2 million to settle allegations that it concealed unfavorable reviews on its website. What do you think is fair play versus crossing the line setting policies for reducing negative online reviews?