Don’t finish off that tequila just yet. With socially distanced backyard barbecues no longer an option for much of the country as we head into fall and winter, the looming threat of stricter shutdown measures could have an effect on alcohol sales in 2020’s last quarter. According to a report by BevAlc Insights, the consumer…
Halloween is supposed to inspire fear–but not among the candy-makers who supply the treats. With the nation still in the midst of a pandemic, Mars Wrigley plans to take one of the season’s most beloved traditions online this year. Today, the company behind M&M’s, Snickers and Skittles unveiled an app called Treat Town, which lets…
Brands don’t need much of an excuse to trot out a limited-time promotion, and when that excuse happens to be National Coffee Day (as today officially is), it’s a given that most every restaurant you can name has some kind of java offer underway. Members of Krispy Kreme’s rewards program can get a free coffee…
If you’re at all squeamish about loud eating sounds–complete with bits of food flying and lips being licked–turn away now. But first, it may be important to know that dogs, not humans, are responsible for this specific instance of egregiously lacking table manners. Does that make it better? For many canine fans, the sound of…
Barefoot is combining music and augmented reality for its latest strategy to reach consumers, with help from the Black Eyed Peas. The wine and bubbly brand has partnered with the pop-rap group for Band Together, a campaign inviting fans to download a custom AR app to activate an animated remix of the group’s new song…
Key Insight Unwanted hair around the house is a major obstacle to pet adoption. Everything is going to the dogs these days–in a lighthearted, literal sense. An increasing number of Americans consider the furry creatures members of the family and adoption rates have spiked across the country during the pandemic. With that, brands are catering…
Key Insight: Price becomes a bigger factor in the decision-making process during an economic recession. CPG favorites from Campbell’s soup to Charmin toilet paper have seen a sales surge during the pandemic as Americans spend more time in their kitchens and bathrooms. Despite all the talk of shoppers seeking comfort and stability in major household…
Paper-based packaging is having a moment. As the consequences of a climate crisis become more top of mind for consumers, brands in different categories are looking for ways to reduce their ecological footprint by making adjustments to their packaging. Brands are taking one of two routes: creating reusable packaging that can be maintained by the…
Key Insight: Packaged-food brands have an opportunity to keep momentum going during the holiday season, when cooking, baking and family meals occur more frequently. With plenty of people sticking around the house this summer, General Mills reported another solid quarter. Net sales for the maker of Cheerios, Pillsbury and Progresso climbed 9% to $4.4 billion…
Food giant Mars announced its Uncle Ben’s brand will change its name to Ben’s Original, which “[signals] the brand’s ambition to create a more inclusive future.” The rebrand will also include removing the image of Uncle Ben from packaging to “create more equitable iconography.” A spokesperson said the brand is “still in the process of…
With the release of a new short film featuring former NBA star Dwyane Wade, Budweiser is launching an initiative to increase diversity in brewing–an industry where only 0.6% of brewers are Black. The brand has committed $1 million to a new scholarship fund named after the first Black female brewmaster at Budweiser’s flagship St. Louis…
The J.M. Smucker Company is closely associated with its namesake line of jellies and jams. Its longstanding corporate logo, which features two red strawberries under a Smucker’s banner, only reinforces the connection. In an effort to remind investors, consumers and potential employees that it is much more than just its signature fruit spread, today the…
In an ode to individuality, men’s care brand Harry’s has debuted the biggest ad campaign in its history. A series of 15- and 30-second spots appearing on TV, digital and streaming platforms shows men being themselves–whether that means walking around a park carrying a well-coiffed standard poodle or sitting into a truck bed reimagined as…
Key Insight: Consumers see their pets as part of the family and want to make their well-being a priority. Sweet potato fry chews for dogs, freeze-dried minnows for cats and compostable waste bags are among the products in a new line of sustainable goods for pets from DTC brand Public Goods. A generation ago, these…
Growing up in Napa, Calif., Emily Meyer’s two brothers had a history of fainting whenever they visited the doctor. But not Emily. Given her ability to handle blood and needles, her mother suggested she look into a career in healthcare. She ended up choosing nursing because it appealed to her social side. After completing UCLA’s…
WD-40 is one of those rare successful products that defies basic branding conventions. Nobody agrees on exactly what’s it’s good for, since the product has over 2,000 documented uses (among them debugging windshields and removing chewing gum). Few people know what the name means, either (but just for the record, it’s Water Displacement, version No….
With the NFL season kicking off during a pandemic, few stadiums will be able to host fans let alone pregame tailgates. So Frank’s RedHot is hoping to bring the tailgate atmosphere to fans’ homes with some help from Eli Manning. The McCormick-owned hot sauce brand has teamed with the New York Giants quarterback to hold…
Key Insights: Effective marketing starts with understanding what consumers are going through. Brands should strive to make people’s lives better. Take action on social issues. General Mills has been around for over 150 years, but it’s not focused on the past these days. Restaurant closures and shelter-in-place orders during the pandemic have led to a…
Last month, the Harris Poll surveyed 34,000 American consumers and asked which companies enjoyed the best reputation with them. Skulking at the bottom of the list were Facebook, e-cigarette maker Juul and the Trump Organization. And at the very top, even above Hershey’s chocolate and much-loved grocery chain Wegmans, was Clorox. Granted, were Americans not…
Thanks in part to a long deal with The Simpsons, everybody knows the old Butterfinger tagline, “Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger.” But since the height of that partnership in the late ’90s and early 2000s, the brand’s visibility and popularity have taken a hit. Ferrero, which bought Butterfinger (and the entire chocolate…
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