Dive Brief:

• Craft products retailer A.C. Moore is partnering with television network Create and Craft to give consumers multichannel access to "a continuous stream of inspiration and materials," a news release announced. 
• The collaboration will give consumers the opportunity to access A.C. Moore products online, on air, on mobile devices or in-store. The retailer will receive dedicated airtime on Create and Craft's broadcasts beginning in early 2018. 
• Create and Craft broadcasts 24 hours a day across three channels in the U.S. and U.K., reaching more than 70 million homes worldwide. A.C. Moore operates 135 brick-and-mortar locations in the U.S. and offers more than 60,000 arts and crafts products. The retailer recently acquired e-commerce company Blitsy and announced a partnership with handcraft marketplace Zibbet.

Dive Insight:

A.C. Moore's partnership with Create and Craft might help the retailer to reach consumers across multiple channels including TV, mobile and in-store to offer educational content featuring its own products. The strategy fits into a broader trend of brands trying to deliver high-quality experiences that provide relevant, useful information without sacrificing reach. 

With the popularity of online craft and design platforms like Pinterest and Etsy, A.C. Moore, a longtime brick-and-mortar retailer, is making moves to ensure it stays competitive with a stronger digital presence. The new partnership, coupled with the brand's recent acquisitions, aim to offer a multichannel shopping experience where consumers can discover A.C. Moore's products, learn how to use them and make purchases.

Live video broadcasts on both TV and digital channels help marketers engage audiences in real time. Most brand and retail executives reported live video would be an important part of their marketing strategy in 2018, and 60% planned to pilot live e-commerce sales for the first time this year, according to recent findings from Brandlive.