Any seasoned direct marketer the importance of understanding the numbers side of the business. You have to know both the left-brain (analytic) and right-brain (creative) rules for maximum success. My philosophy is “know the rules before you break them.” People often ask me for the most important direct marketing metrics. As we have evolved to a wider use of selling channels (Websites, e-mail campaigns, search engines, in-store selling), do the tried-and-true tenets of catalog marketing still hold up? see more at: https://www.jschmid.com/blog/5-crucial-omnichannel-metrics/

Media buyers expect to spend 11.8% more on ads in 2024 -- up 2.3 percentage points from the 9.5% they projected last November. Paid search is forecast to rank third in terms of percentage of growth behind connected television (CTV) and social media.

As the summer comes to a close, hot-button issues like tariffs, manufacturing and pricing are continuing to dominate conversations at fashion brands. After the chaos of the last few months, some companies are managing to find a way forward. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. recently reported record net sales of $1.2 billion for its second fiscal quarter. Urban Outfitters, Inc. reported a record $252.2 million in net income for its first half of the year. Gap Inc., too, is continuing to reap the rewards of its larger turnaround, reporting positive comparable sales for the sixth straight quarter. Still, the fashion industry — like much of retail — remains on somewhat shaky ground when it comes to predicting demand and sales. Many apparel and footwear brands manufacture abroad, where new, higher tariffs threaten to throw a wrench in their growth plans. Global supply chain costs are on track to rise up to 7% above inflation by the fourth quarter, per Kearney. And apparel and footwear are considered discretionary categories — meaning that, for many shoppers, clothes or shoes may take a backseat to essentials like food and gasoline.