Editor’s Letter

Just as societies are grappling with issues related to the globalisation of markets, multiculturalism, social (r)evolution and  ongoing debates over the definition of morality, marketers of retail destinations are facing challenges of their own. No matter which corner of the globe you live in, it will be hard to escape the reality that consumers are no longer born out of a traditional mould.
Before they are transformed into target demographics, shoppers are people first like it or not. And they shop, too, on the street and at shopping centres. It is up to marketers to decide if they are ready to acknowledge them, without exception.
In our cover story, we delve into the always interesting and often controversial world of advertising to explore diversity. We not only discuss why diversity in advertising has become a necessity, but also present examples of retailers and shopping centres that have chosen to step out of the time warp and into contemporary reality in their approach to advertising creative design and placement.
Also in this issue, we bring you shopping centre and retail schemes which aim to attract shopping tourists to new destinations. Find out how the American tourism industry, backed by unprecedented funding from the US Department of Commerce, has rallied to develop a marketing campaign focused on international travellers, particularly those coming from the UK.
Other articles in this edition range from the role of PR in a shopping centre's marketing mix to online schemes to food court services for
children's birthday parties.
For those of you who have grown accustomed to hearing from us weekly, thanks to the wonders of the Web, we¹re pleased to announce that our email newsletter has changed and grown. Now called Link, the publication will bring even more retail and shopping centre ideas straight to your desk, every Friday. Happy reading.

Myriam Beaugé

Editor in Chief