Wishing You Success in 2008

The month of January usually signals a fresh start for most people. Naturally, it's the first month of the new year, but it also signals the beginning of the new business travel season. January always brings a flurry of trade shows, conferences and educational workshops. I mean, have you taken a good look at the events calendar this month? You could literally be on the road or constantly in the air until well after Valentine's Day. Let's just hope for the sake of your loved ones, that it doesn't come to that.

All kidding aside, the Electronic Retailer editors often enjoy getting out of the office to attend industry conferences and expositions. These events are great resources for gathering article ideas. They also give us an opportunity to speak with industry professionals about current market trends. Often during those meetings, we discuss clients who have a great story to tell.

This is usually about the time when we editors begin to salivate over the possibility of featuring a high-profile company in the magazine. In fact, our recent cover stories highlighting Lush Cosmetics and De Beers happened as a result of conversations at trade shows. That's why it is important for the magazine staff to meet one-on-one with people in the industry, and find out the types of stories that will help inspire our readers and perhaps aid them in their own marketing pursuits.

The January issue offers readers insight into companies that have effectively used various marketing channels to build their brand and enhance product sales. Beginning on page 36, Executive Editor Tom Dellner profiles Moosejaw Mountaineering, a leading outdoor sporting goods retailer. What makes this relatively young company such a unique cover story is not just its quirky corporate culture, but also Moosejaw's innovative approach to online marketing and eagerness to test the waters in other areas, such as mobile marketing.

Another article worth reading can be found on page 44. Contributing writer David Lustig takes a closer look at the marketing campaign that transformed the Finishing Touch from a typical facial hair removing product into a DRTV hit.

In 2008, Electronic Retailer plans to showcase more success stories. We're looking for marketers or retailers who use multichannel marketing. This would include such channels as TV, radio, online, print or even interactive marketing. If the editorial staff agrees that you've got a great story worth sharing with readers, we'll feature that marketer or retailer in a future issue. Simply e-mail me at vpaynich@retailing.org.

By the way, if you're currently planning your January business travel, Electronic Retailer is hosting its very first industry event called LiveEdit Lab. It's actually quite different from your typical tradeshow, because there isn't a tradeshow floor. This is a one-day event that puts readers face-to-face with yes, the editorial staff. Why is it worth attending? Because LiveEdit Lab offers a more intimate venue that enables you to learn more about the key issues that could ultimately impact your business.

And if you're a marketer or retailer, it's a prime opportunity to tell us firsthand how multichannel marketing has worked for you. Here's wishing you great success in 2008 and hoping that you'll want to share your story with us.

Vitisia Paynich
Editor-in-Chief