TNS has launched the world’s largest study of digital behavior Digital Life based on responses from 72,000 consumers in 60 countries. The study’s size, scale and detail makes it the most comprehensive view of how consumers behave online and why they do what they do.

Key findings:

• Many brands are wasting time and money trying to reach people online even though many resent big brands invading their social networks
• 57% of people in developed markets don’t want to engage with brands online
• Misguided digital strategies are generating mountains of costly ‘digital waste’, from friendless Facebook accounts to blogs no one reads, because companies are acting without understanding consumer attitudes

You can explore the data and generate your own data visualizations at www.tnsdigitallife.com.

Retailers are hiring college students to represent brands on campuses across the nation.

On Campus, It’s One Big Commercial

IT’S move-in day here at the University of North Carolina, and Leila Ismail, stuffed animals in tow, is feeling some freshman angst.

A few friendly upperclassmen spring into action.

But wait: there is something odd, or at least oddly corporate, about this welcome wagon. These U.N.C. students are all wearing identical T-shirts from American Eagle Outfitters.

Turns out three of them are working for that youth clothing chain on this late August morning, as what are known in the trade as “brand ambassadors” or “campus evangelists” — and they have recruited several dozen friends as a volunteer move-in crew. Even before Ms. Ismail can find her dorm or meet her roommate, they cheerily unload her family’s car. Then they lug her belongings to her dorm. Along the way, they dole out American Eagle coupons, American Eagle water canisters and American Eagle pens.

Abercrombie and Fitch has offered “substantial payment” to Jersey Shore’s Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino to stop wearing brand in “Jersey Shore”. Now, in my view, this is the first time a brand pays someone to stop wearing their clothes.

Abercrombie to 'Jersey Shore': Ditch our brand

"We are deeply concerned that Mr. Sorrentino's association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image. We understand that the show is for entertainment purposes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans," an Abercrombie & Fitch spokesperson said in a statement. "We have also extended this offer to other members of the cast, and are urgently waiting a response."

Amazon is now the most-valuable retail brand in the world, according to Millward Brown's 2011 BrandZ study of the most-valuable global brands. Amazon edged out Walmart to attain this feat.

Amazon edged out Walmart as the most-valuable retail brand by Millward Brown's accounting, with its brand value rising 37% to $37.6 billion as Walmart's fell 5% to $37.3 billion. Walmart parent Wal-Mart Stores still has more than 10 times the sales and more than five times the market capitalization of Amazon. But BrandZ's calculation subtracts tangible assets from market value to help estimate brand value. Amazon, with no physical stores, fares well in that process. The Walmart brand value also doesn't include Sam's Club or other overseas affiliates with different brand names owned by Wal-Mart Stores.

Even so, Amazon's rise, combined with declines in brand value not only for Walmart but also for other top global retailers Tesco and Carrefour last year, marks the shift toward e-commerce.

"Amazon benefits incredibly by having user reviews integrated into its site," said Eileen Campbell, global CEO of Millward Brown. "Everybody does that now, but Amazon was the first, so it's done an incredibly good job of building trust."

On April 9, 2011, the 5th fastest growing Facebook page in the world was the page for "Kissing." On its heels, in the number 6 spot, was the Kirkland's Facebook page from redpepper.

Just two days earlier, agency redpepper launched Kirkland's Cha---ching! promotion. This promo included a $25,000 cash prize and a chance to win Kirkand's merchandise in a swap game where people force other players to trade merchandise they have in their virtual possession. 

Everyone who plays the game gets a coupon for a future purchase at Kirkland's. (Kirkland's customers LOVE their coupons. The more they play, the more they can save. The number of fans nearly doubled from 73,000 fans at launch to over 140,000 four days in. 40,154 people were entered to win. 36,709 people were playing the swap game.

The Holy Grail of any social media effort is to engage the audience versus simply getting them to click a "like" button. Much to our delight, new fans showed their enthusiasm and passion for the brand through telling posts on the Kirkland's Facebook wall like"Kirkland's and I are BFFs."

This group of consumers is predominantly comprised of 25-55 year old Females.

Not only are they the fastest growing segment on Facebook, games like Farmville & Cityville are the kinds of online social activities they engage in the most. And, what's more, this consumer group is identical in make-up to the average Kirkland's customer.

When players engage in the promo, a wall post appears on their profile and in their friends' news feed. This post announces their participation in the game and invites other players to do the same. 11 days into the promotion, 54,875 people have entered the sweepstakes, 50,021 are playing the swap game and the number of total Facebook Fans has grown to 165,229, and is on-track to hit the 200K goal.

And, while a million Facebook "likes" is certainly noteworthy, redpepper believes that 200K impassioned brand advocates is a much truer measure of social media success.

Nielsen reports on how consumer perception of store brand quality is getting stronger; nearly three-quarters of U.S. households believe store brands are a good alternative to name brands, and nearly two-thirds of households say that store brand quality is just as good as that of name brands.

According to Nielsen, three-quarters of U.S. households believe store brands are a good alternative to name brands and nearly two-thirds of households say that store brand quality is just as good as name brands. In a recent Progressive Grocer Store Brands article, the depth of store brand buying reveals just how much consumer’s behaviors and attitudes have aligned.

With nearly 70% of store brand dollar sales coming from consumers who are “variety-seekers,” retailers can encourage deeper levels of store-brand buying by:

• Rewarding key consumers with continuity-based promotions.
• Implementing repeat stimuli efforts
• Targeting specific shoppers through direct mail efforts

For more details and tactical examples, continue reading at Progressive Grocer Store Brands.