In an effort to expand their customer base and capitalize on their recent expansion efforts in the fashion sector, Walmart partnered with startup subscription service Kidbox. Like Stitchfix, Kidbox offers curated, monthly boxes of clothes customers can choose to keep or return. In this case for kids. Kidbox’s strategic partnership with Walmart allows the major [...]
It may seem counterintuitive for Hardee’s to celebrate the return of their iconic roast beef sandwich by planting 10 million vegetables nationwide, but that’s just what they’ve done. The “Save the Veggies” marketing initiative offers several promising benefits to the popular fast food chain.Hardee’s “Save The Veggies” Commercials Promote Their Sandwiches In An Unexpected WayIn [...]
Last year’s changes to the Starbucks Rewards program yielded significant gains for the ubiquitous coffee chain. A recent update from Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson detailed Starbucks Q2 growth with some interesting details about the ways in which their app-based rewards program scaled revenue and increased memberships.Continued Changes To The App Refine Rewards And Increase Brand LoyaltyRecent [...]
Every April 30th, news feeds across the land are littered with pictures of a young Justin Timberlake promising that soon “It’s Gonna Be May.” A play off of his unique pronunciation of the famous *NSYNC lyric “It’s gonna be me.” Appliance brand Maytag cleverly co-opted the meme’s popularity to create “It’s Gonna Be Maytag,” a [...]
Despite a seemingly bottomless well of shopping options offered out of the home and online, consumers still actively seek deals in the form of coupons, and many consumers are turning to digital coupon options. Digital coupons offer deals for consumers and opportunities for consumer packaged goods (CPG) and other categories of brands to increase their [...]
Pantene, a Proctor & Gamble (P&G) brand, has launched a new search tool called S.H.E. – Search. Human. Equalizer., as the first step in their “Power to Transform” campaign.What Is S.H.E.?In an effort to tackle the biased algorithms of typical search results, Pantene created S.H.E. According to the P&G press release “S.H.E. is a search [...]
Despite evidence to the contrary, like the latest Avengers film grossing over $2 billion at the box office, there is an audience for smaller, artistic films. The latest streaming service from Criterion and WarnerMedia hopes to appeal to that niche group.The Criterion Channel Is The Latest Effort From Warner Bros. Digital Networks To Reach Niche [...]
More and more shoppers are merging their online and offline shopping habits. A recent study from RetailMeNot, Inc. found that, though 85% of Americans shop in brick-and-mortar stores every week, 69% prefer to use their phones in-store for reviews and 53% for coupons or promotions, in lieu of speaking directly to store associates. This highlights [...]
It’s wedding season! The majority of weddings take place from May to October, and planning for the big day starts months in advance. According to The Knot 2017 Real Wedding Study, the average wedding costs $33,391, with $1,800 spend on attire. The study also revealed that personalization has become a priority for couples as they [...]
Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) generates 2.9 million searches monthly on YouTube. The fourth highest ranking search term on YouTube. Leveraging this new wildly popular trend for recreational web surfers looking for different ways to relax, brands are incorporating the soothing technique into their marketing campaigns.Brands Bank On Psychological Reactions To ASMR-Techniques In MarketingThe use [...]
Americans are very connected. More than 90% have mobile phones, over 6 billion texts are sent per day and a quarter of Americans are online “almost constantly.” The desire to have unfettered access to information is pervasive, and home security is no different. The rise of smart homes and other internet-connected security systems has led [...]
That feeling when a song comes on the radio and you’re taken right back to riding your bike around the cul-de-sac a million times with your friends or sitting in a hot car stuck in beach traffic. That jingle that reminds you of school mornings when you had to be pried from your cartoons. The [...]
Many brands have recently embraced marketing campaigns that drive in-store traffic through app usage. Whether via a strategic campaign, partnership or rewards program, brands like H&M and Starbucks are finding success with optimized app-focused marketing initiatives. Burger King implemented a strategic app-centered campaign earlier this year with their geo-targeting 1¢ Whopper promotion, and the burger [...]
Ibotta, an app in which mobile users earn cash rewards, has expanded their services to include a payment feature called “Pay with Ibotta.” Ibotta, downloaded 30 million times since 2012, has delivered $525 million in rewards to its users. Pay with Ibotta is expected to expand their user base.Mobile Payments Are Popular With Younger Consumers [...]
Alcohol and beverage companies have a long record of success partnering with the hip hop community. (Sprite was among the first beverage brands to implement this connection with their Tribe Called Quest campaign in the early nineties.) The latest company to capitalize on this effective strategic partnership is Courvoisier Cognac, which teamed up with Def [...]
For soda drinkers of a certain age, memories of the New Coke debacle remain a pivotal pop culture moment of their childhoods. Considered among the most catastrophic launches of a new product ever, New Coke faded into obscurity after a mere 79 days, surviving only as a memory of what a brand should never do. [...]
Did you get those Hamilton tickets yet? Because somebody certainly did, to the tune of a record breaking $4 million in sales over the 2018 winter holidays. Broadway as a whole – plays, musicals and special acts – had a blockbuster season, with a combined gross of $1.83 billion in the 2018/19 season — a [...]
A recent research effort from Think With Google, partnering with Kantar, a data, insights and consulting company, revealed the many ways in which search is a useful tool for understanding consumer behaviors. The changing marketing funnel is in part a result of nuanced, multi-faceted, multi-implemented searching, and understanding what drives searching can provide insights for [...]
The rise of direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands hasn’t stopped consumers from wanting to glimpse, taste or feel the products they are buying. A recent survey from consumer intelligence platform Toluna found that one-in-four shoppers would be more likely to consider DTC brands that include free trial periods or provide some kind of freebie.Free Trials Can Highlight [...]
An investigation by the House Judiciary Committee, with hearings already underway, is the latest development in the antitrust oversight inquiry of the tech sector. Primarily focused on the big four, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google, the potential probe could get unwieldy given all the areas these companies encompass and it has already been divided among [...]
Hertz, one of the leading rental car companies in the country, entered the car subscription business with a limited pilot program in Atlanta and Austin called Hertz My Car. The car subscription plan is similar to others that have been launched by startups and car manufacturers, with tiered membership and bundled services that may make [...]
If you’re “Mr. Guy Who Used To Love Those Real Men Of Genius Bud Light Radio Spots” that ran from 1998 to 2007, then you’re in for a treat, because the commercials are back. The original campaign, called Real Men Of Genius, has been re-introduced by Bud Light as Internet Heroes of Genius. The new [...]
After Toys R Us closed in 2018, many toy manufacturers were left trying to figure out the best way to get their products to consumers. Big box stores like Target and Walmart are still viable options, and Amazon of course, but restocking issues and limited shelf space have altered the reach of some major toy [...]
Iconic brand Vans recently launched a partnership with Harry Potter, continuing their tradition of tapping into cultural juggernauts for design collaborations. In the past, Vans has partnered with Marvel, and paid tribute to David Bowie and Led Zeppelin with capsule fashion and shoe collections. This recent partnership with Harry Potter shows the enduring power of [...]
Summer is finally here! And with it, much fun memory-making — and nostalgia-fueled, sun-soaked marketing campaigns that remind us to make memories. The latest partnership to tap into the blissed-out summer feels is L.L. Bean and Uber. One, an iconic outdoorsy brand that could outfit your entire summer camping trip. The other, a very convenient [...]
Land Rover has launched a new campaign, “Live for the City,” in conjunction with the release of the 2020 Range Rover Evoque. This smaller, sleek Range Rover model has been successful with younger, more diverse city dwellers and women. Since the introduction of the Evoque more than three years ago, women have grown to 62% [...]
For the seventeenth consecutive year, Brand Keys, a brand research consultancy, conducted their Brand Keys Patriotism Challenge Survey. The survey identifies brands that American consumers feel best exemplify patriotism, and it also measures the state of patriotism across generations.“Part of being patriotic is being seen as successful, and to do that you’ve got to be [...]
If you have a commute of any kind, you've probably listened to a podcast. Since their launch in 2005, Podcasts have become a popular cultural touchstone and entertainment outlet, continuing to reach a mix of demographics and implement new innovations. In fact, a 2017 Nielsen study found more than 50% of the U.S. population listened [...]
The “global wearable electronics market will grow by USD 35.67 billion during 2019-2023,” according to a study by Technavio, a market research firm. Brands have been taking advantage of the opportunities that wearables offer for several years, but the increasing dominance of digital life is driving wearable sales to new levels. The larger wearable market [...]
Toys R Us is back. The toy industry underwent a seismic change a year ago when iconic brand Toys R Us shuttered after more than 70 years in business, but now the beloved toy company looks likely to be resurrected in time for Christmas, with an ecommerce site and six new brick-and-mortar locations.How Will Toys [...]
LinkedIn continues to evolve its advertising platforms to meet the needs of marketers and evolve as a destination for digital advertisers. The social platform’s latest updates include new call-to-action (CTA) buttons for LinkedIn Pages and several other changes offering increased usability for businesses.What Are The New CTA Buttons?Most advertisers on the LinkedIn platform are interested [...]
In April 2019, Bing Ads became Microsoft Advertising. While the name change was largely cosmetic, it ushered in the introduction of several new products and updates. The most recent addition to Microsoft Advertising is position-based impression share metrics. These metrics will help advertisers get a more precise idea of where their ads are appearing on [...]
The rise of subscriptions across industries has been a growing story in the digital sector for the last several years. Mozilla is the latest company to consider creating a subscription offering for their users.What Is The Mozilla Subscription?Mozilla recently sent surveys and invites for a possible beta-launch of what they are currently calling “Firefox Ad-Free [...]
Twitter recently announced the launch of Twitter ArtHouse, which “connects brands with the creative capital and talent of influencers, artists and editors who can add a new dimension of relevance to their content.” ArtHouse functions similarly to an in-house studio, bringing talent together to “develop ideas and assets” for brands, offering a Twitter-first approach to [...]
Superstar Ariana Grande’s “Sweetener” tour is bringing her fans the best bops and a chance to register to vote ahead of the 2020 presidential election. In March, Grande took to Instagram to announce her partnership with non-partisan voter registration group HeadCount. Concert goers can register to vote at tour stops (and get a #thankunextgen sticker) [...]
As of July 31, 2019, parallel tracking for Google display ads will be mandatory. Advertisers using third-party tracking parameters will be required to make the switch, if they haven’t already. Google has been moving all ad types over to parallel tracking throughout the year – search ads made the switch last fall – and announced [...]
Uber, like many tech companies, is turning to subscriptions to increase recurring revenue streams and awareness of additional products. The latest opportunity for users to streamline their bill paying and make one-touch decisions easier than ever is a bundled service from Uber. For now, it’s called Pass, and it allows users to pay $24.99 a [...]
Effective August 19th, Facebook will implement an update to their mobile news feed. Earlier this year, Facebook introduced a new “look and feel” for the social network, and mobile ads and page posts will now match that iteration with a few minor changes.What Are The Updates To The Mobile News Feed?The changes to the mobile [...]
Summer snacking just hit another level with the launch of the Cheez-It X House Wine pairing, conveniently available in one box. Beginning July 25th, everyone’s favorite tiny cheddar cracker and a pleasant red wine blend can be purchased at the House Wine website for a ready-made summer picnic. It is a limited edition product, however, [...]
With an election right around the corner, cause marketing is on the rise. Brands and charities are eager to harness the activism that can thrive around political campaigns, while also asserting their own values. Younger consumers respond strongly to brands with a point of view, and brands are finding success by taking a stand, often [...]
Summer is the season to kick back, meet up with friends, enjoy the beach and for many Americans, spend a little money in the process. In fact, 87% of Americans spend more money socializing during the summer than they do the rest of the year.All of the goodwill and fun energy consumers feel during the [...]
By the time everyone got to Woodstock, they were half a million strong, to paraphrase Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s famous song about those historic three days of mud, music and mayhem in Upstate New York. August 15th, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair, and though the planned concert [...]
It’s hard to turn a corner and not bump into a subscription service. While not a new idea, the rise of subscriptions is a significant digital marketing story in 2019 for brands looking to diversify their consumer bases, capitalize on trends and increase revenues. How to most effectively facilitate a subscription service that is frictionless for consumers [...]
Marketers love a buzzword, especially if it can be used to describe a new trend. BOPIS, which means “buy online pay in store” and is sometimes also called “click and collect,” is the latest shopping trend – and buzzword – to take hold. And the trend is impacting the way retailers do business in a [...]
A billion U.S. passengers fly every year. There are estimated to be 4.5 billion scheduled passengers worldwide in 2019, 130% higher than in 2004. International tourist arrivals to Europe have grown by more than 400 million since 1990. People are traveling more than ever, and airlines are constantly evolving to meet the needs of travelers. [...]
As younger consumers continue to refine how they want to receive advertisements, and reconsider car ownership, car brand marketing campaigns adapt with new innovations and strategies. The latest notably innovative car campaign is from Infiniti, which has launched an “immersive Instagram experience” for the Q60 Coupe. The Infiniti activation on Instagram creates the sensation that users are driving a [...]
Back-to-school shopping is well underway, as kids nationwide present their parents with wish lists and brands strategize to meet consumer needs. Just in time to get in the mix, Nike has officially launched their subscription sneaker plan Nike Adventure Club for kids ages approximately 2-10.Nike Tests Out The Subscription Concept For Nike Adventure Club Before [...]
In the beginning, there were apps for everything. Many of the apps had limited purposes and were not at all aligned with sales or marketing objectives. Those days are (mostly) gone.Apps are much more sophisticated and user-friendly now, offering the seamless integration of technology and real life that should have always been their intention. As [...]