Category: retail
ConAgra Foods’ frozen meals brand Marie Callender’s is presenting mealtime as a respite from the day's worries in a campaign themed "Time to Savor" that portrays the brand's products as comfort food. Adweek 8/29/10
Asian models have been added to represent the brands of Estee Lauder and Maybelline to appeal to the fastest-growing market in the world. SifyNews 8/28/10
A study of YouTube videos for tobacco brands including Marlboro, Benson and Hedges and Winston, says most had pro-tobacco content, using themes like celebrities and movies, sports, music or archival footage (such as an ad using the Flintstones smoking Winston cigarettes), and noted that some videos seemed to be professionally made. A World Health Organization treaty requires participating countries to ban all forms of tobacco advertisements and sponsorships but YouTube is a user-generated site that is not regulated for content control. Pagingdrgupta.com 8/27/10
Federal regulators are looking at Google Inc.'s plans to buy travel technology company ITA Software Inc., which could position Google to compete with travel brands Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz. Huffingtonpost.com 8/27/10
Two teenagers are suing Facebook, claiming their names and images were sold to advertisers without parental permission as part of a Facebook feature that allows members to ‘like’ a service or product. Facebook broadcasts likes to the user's friends. Huffingtonpost.com 8/27/10
Apple has set the date of its next "big announcement" for Sept. 1. Speculation is that the company will unveil a cloud-based music service. Brandweek 8/27/10
Nissan's Infiniti luxury brand plans to launch its first performance sub-brand in December, a version of its G coupe, to compete with BMW's M-series, Cadillac's V-series and Mercedes-Benz's AMG. Detroit Free Press 8/26/10
Japanese fast-fashion brand Uniqlo has named Charlize Theron and Orlando Bloom global brand ambassadors for its new “Made For All” philosophy. The company’s new tagline, emphasizes its commitment to provide clothing for everyone, regardless of nationality, age, occupation or gender People 8/26/10
Google has rolled out the “Call Phone” feature to all US Gmail users enabling them to call people directly on their phones. The service is free for calls in the US and Canada for the remainder of 2010. Gmailblog 8/26/10
RIM falls to 17-month low as India plans to ban BlackBerry messaging services Aug. 31 unless RIM resolves concerns the smart phones could be used for terrorist attacks or other illegal activities. Bloomberg 8/26/10
Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors Co. are recalling 1.3 million 2005-2008 model vehicles because of engine stalling complaints. Autonews.com 8/26/10
Tiffany & Co. is launching a collection of handbags in a dozen U.S. stores on Sept. 1. The move will help Tiffany to drive sales through accessibly priced goods while maintaining the brand’s luxury image. WSJ.com 8/26/10
GM is launching the Chevrolet Cruze in September. As part of GM’s effort to achieve long term profitability the Cruze will be priced higher than previous compacts. WSJ 8/26/10
Four Points by Sheraton has reached a milestone of 150 properties in 24 countries.The Four Points’ brand positioning of “uncomplicated comfort” and value has helped the brand become one of the fastest growing brands within the Starwood portfolio. MarketWatch 8/25/10
American Eagle Outfitters Inc. plans store closings and layoffs in the wake of weaker margins, higher overhead and losses related to its failed Martin + Osa chain. The company points to inconsistent business trends and unpredictable consumer behavior as contributors to losses. WSJ 8/25/10
McDonald’s has named Steve Easterbrook evp, global chief brand officer, a new position at the fast-food giant. Reuters 8/24/10
Sweet ‘N Low is introducing a new campaign to relaunch the brand to consumers and differentiate it in an increasingly crowded category. NYTimes 8/23/10
Retail brands are exploring futuristic digital technologies to reawaken shopper interest in brick and mortar stores. WSJ.com 8/26/10
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Saks (SKS), Bebe, Winn Dixie, Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF), and Blockbuster are among larger retailers that have announced store closings. DailyFinance 8/20/10
Ford says it may expand its upscale Lincoln brand outside North America, for the first time, to markets around the world. wsj.com 8/21/10
AT&T is rebranding its homepage as YP.com with the tagline "Click Less. Live More." YP.com is focused on helping users "eat, play, and live" locally. webpronews 8/20/10
Some institutional shareholders have protested Target’s and Best Buy’s donations to a conservative Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate who opposes gay marriages saying the donations are inconsistent with corporate values and could harm the companies' brands. Huffingtonpost.com 8/20/10
Cadillac is launching a CTS Coupe that will compete against vehicles like the BMW 335i Coupe, Mercedes-Benz E350 Coupe, and Audi A5. Media Post 8/20/10
Whole Foods Market is launching an iPad/iPhone/iPod touch app designed to help people live healthier lifestyles. "Mission App," offers 70 challenges/missions that involve users engaging in a series of steps to earn "badges and bragging rights." MediaPost 8/20/10
Anheuser-Busch Budweiser share of the U.S. market in 1988 was 26 percent, but was 9.3 percent last year. Some observers say the Budweiser brand risks being forgotten by an entire generation; four out of 10 people in their mid-20s have never tried Budweiser. stltoday 8/20/10
Levi Strauss & Co has launched dENIZEN, a new global brand aimed at young consumers in emerging markets starting in China, Singapore and South Korea. Associated Press 8/19/10
Facebook has announced new location-based capabilities that will allow its 150 million mobile users to check in when they arrive at bars, restaurants, and clothing shops through its new Places platform. Facebook advertising partners Foursquare, Gowalla, Yelp, and Booyah could get a boost in campaign distribution to Facebook's 500 million users. Clickz.com 8/19/10
Fashion espionage is allegedly to blame for the new Gucci bag seen on the shoulder of Jersey Shore star Snooki in recent photos. Sources claim that a Gucci rival gave Snooki the bag in a counter-branding move to damage the brand’s image. Seriously. GraziaDaily.com 8/19/10
Hearst Magazines has established The App Lab to address the explosion of consumer usage of mobile devices and related platforms and applications. The App Lab will offer educational sessions and previews of emerging mobile content, applications and platforms, including iPad and other tablets; advertiser and agency roundtables on new ad formats and models; and consumer insight panels, among other programming. webwire.com 8/19/10
The Old Spice advertising campaign featuring Isaiah Mustafa as a towel-draped ladies man has boosted sales for Old Spice body wash by 55% says Wieden + Kennedy. AgencySpy 8/19/10
Starbucks Corp's (SBUX.O) announcement of $100 million in global sales of Via brand instant coffee is being questioned by reports that numbers are inflated by free drinks and crediting non Via sales to Via. The company says the instances were limited and had no impact sales. Reuters 8/18/10
Volvo says no longer being tied to a major manufacturer will enable it to react quickly to market demands and enter "the top league of premium brands.” autospies.com 8/18/10
Haim Saban has purchased Paul Frank Industries, the company that owns brands including Julius the Monkey, Lip Smackers lip balm, and about 150 characters, which are licensed for use in toys, apparel, and accessories. Thewrap.com 8/17/10
BMW has branded its new concept car the Megacity Vehicle or MCV, an all-electric car--similar to the Nissan Leaf or the Chevy Volt. Fastcodesign.com 8/16/10
MAC has cancelled the MAC Rodarte limited edition makeup collection, which was inspired by the impoverished Mexican town of Juarez, which has one of the highest murder rates in the world with many victims young women and children. Elle 8/17/10
Controversial urban hipster brand American Apparel is close to bankruptcy after numerous woes including a 66% share drop in 12 months, the exit of auditor Deloitte and a federal subpoena investigating the change from Deloitte to Marcum. NYTimes.com 8/17/10
McDonald’s is the current winner of the quick-service breakfast wars, attracting 37 percent of adult consumers who have eaten breakfast at a quick-service chain in the past month. McDonald’s and other quick service chains have attracted breakfast customers with wireless Internet access at their stores, coupons and online offers says Scarborough Research. nrn.com 8/16/10
Levi’s has launched a new lined called Levi's Curve ID that offers women jeans that complement their body type. Freep.com 8/14/2010
Kellogg Co.has debuted Pop-Tart World, a pop up store in Times Square, where customers can eat Pop-Tart “sushi,” order a customized pastry, create a custom box filled with a mix of their favorite flavors, suggest new types of Pop-Tarts, select a Pop-Tart T-shirt made by specialty artists or get “frosted” and “wrapped in foil” by a light show. The State.com 8/14/2010
Jaguar Cars has created the XJ75 Platinum Concept a demonstration of the design customization potential of the XJ luxury sedan, as part of their year long celebration of the Jaguar brand’s 75th anniversary. PRNewswire 8/14/2010
Kroger Co. has doubled its number of store-brand beauty products this summer and plans to continue to launch more products this fall and next year. Their Mirra brand beauty line contains natural ingredients and is priced below brands such as L’Oreal, Aveeno and Olay. Associated Press 8/13/10
Walgreens (WAG) is rolling out its DR Delish private brand line of snacks and beverages nationally; they acquired the line as part of their purchase of Duane Reade Drugstores. Marketwatch.com 8/13/10
The East India Company, world’s first multinational trading company, known for bringing exotic foods from the east to the west, beginning in 1600, has been relaunched as a luxury brand. The company ceased operating in 1874; intellectual property rights to the company were purchased by an Indian-born importer and entrepreneur in 2005. CNN.com 8/13/10
An advocacy group claims that Ben & Jerry's All Natural ice cream and frozen yogurt contains ingredients that either don’t exist in nature or have been chemically modified such as alkalized cocoa and corn syrup. The company says it abides by federal guidelines in using the term natural. Boston.com 8/13/10
Hyundai has replaced Nissan to become one of the top five most considered automotive brands among new-car shoppers, according to the Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence Brand Watch Study. NYTimes.com 8/12/10
David Lauren, son of fashion brand founder Ralph Lauren, tells Blogher conference attendees that his father was born in the Bronx as Ralph Lifshitz and was a salesman, not a trained fashion designer. But his idea was to dress for the life you wanted, and who you wanted to be: "It's not about fabric. It's about dreams." The Recessionista 8/12/10
Lay's Kettle Cooked potato chip brand is using handcrafted wood billboards to reinforce their "all natural ingredients, crafted with care,” and to launch new flavors Crinkle Cut Spice Rubbed BBQ and Harvest Ranch. BrandFreak 6/4/10
The New York Times wants the Wall Street Journal to stop using the slogan “Not Just Wall Street. Every Street” in its advertisements because it owns the line. The Wall Street Journal says they are within their rights to use the adding “We never intended to run the ad for long. We think we’ve made our point. And to get rise out of you is a special bonus.” PaidContent 6/4/10
“Toning shoes” are driving market share gains for Adidas AG’s Reebok unit and Skechers U.S.A. Inc. as Nike’s lead in U.S. women’s athletic footwear shrinks. Nike, the world’s largest athletic shoemaker, says the shoes don’t work, and women thinking of buying toning shoes should buy its Free brand, which simulates barefoot running to strengthen feet and muscles. Bloomberg 6/3/10
The Federal Trade Commission has scolded the Kellogg Company for making “dubious claims” that Rice Krispies cereal provides children with health benefits. The company was recently told to stop making similar claims about Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal. The Consumerist 6/3/10
”McDonald’s is not releasing or testing a new boneless rib product called “McRibble.” The company says that a supposedly leaked ad for the new product is a hoax. The Consumerist 6/3/10
Ford Motor announces that it will discontinue selling Mercury models this fall. Originally conceived by Edsel Ford, Henry Ford’s son, the Mercury brand was launched in the 1930s to fill the gap between basic Fords and luxury Lincolns. New York Times 6/2/10
British Airways says a fictitious boarding pass pictured in an employee publication, and bearing Osama Bin Laden’s name and flight details was a mistake, and has apologized. The Daily Mail reports the gaffe may have been the result of "sabotage" by a "dissatisfied staff member,” and may be related to “a standoff with cabin crew that has led to mass strikes." USA Today 6/3/2010, The Daily Mail 6/1/10
The National Basketball Association has signed licensing deals to enable NBA team logos made of sugar, starch and food cloring to be placed on pizzas after they have been baked. Consumers will also be able to purchase toasters $34.99 toasters that "burn" golden brown team logos onto bread as it toasts. USAToday 5/26/10
Kraft is launching a new campaign that “centers on the moments of exultation moms and children alike derive from eating the cookie, that will replace its eight-year-old “Cookie Guys” campaign. The new tagline: “There’s a lotta joy in Chips Ahoy!” Brandweek 5/23/10
7-Eleven is launching a six week promotion, beginning June 1, with Zynga, a maker of social games, to offer FarmVille, Mafia Wars ad YoVille-branded items on Slurpee and Big Gulp cups, bottled water, signature ice cream and more in its 7,000 stores. Techcrunch 5/23/10
Burger King is offering bone-in pork ribs for a limited time, priced at $7.19 for an eight-piece meal, in an attempt to wean customers off the heavily discounted budget deals that have become common among many quick serve brands. Brandweek 5/21/10
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) has launched eStore, an online shopping site featuring P&G brands including Tide, Pampers, Olay, CoverGirl, Swiffer and Febreze. The main function of the new site, which is owned and operated by PFSweb, is to “act as a ‘living learning lab’ for developing e-commerce innovation to win with shoppers.” The eStore offers a single flat rate for standard shipping of $5, regardless of quantity or product size. The Procter & Gamble Company 5/20/2010 via Techcrunch
Staples has incorporated Twitter into their customer communications, establishing a “Tweet Team” of 20 reps and giveaway promotions for technology products like netbooks, to grow their follower base to 32,200 in about a year. Clickz.com 5/6/10 Image from twitter.com/staplestweets.
Google, The WPP Group, Motorola and venture capital firms are investing in Invidi Technologies. Invidi Technologies says it's the world's only truly addressable targeted television and marketing solution for cable, satellite and IPTV service providers at the headend, household and individual viewer level. NBC and Microsoft teamed up to offer targetable ads last year. Clickz.com 5/5/10
7-Eleven convenience stores are teaming up with Blip.tv for the “7-Eleven Road Trip Rally,” a Web-based reality series that will follow the road trip adventures of two teams headed to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and living on what they buy at 7-Eleven stores. The trip will be chronicled at 711RoadTrip.com. NYTimes.com 5/3/10
Financial Services brands are improving in consumer perception but have not yet returned to 2007-2008 levels says Harris Interactive. AIG has experienced a significant increase in brand equity, along with Merrill Lynch; Visa ranks highest in brand equity among financial services brands included in the report. Marketing Charts 5/3/10
Bank of America (BAC) wants to show that the company has always enabled opportunities and always will so the company is sponsoring the History Channel’s” America, the Story of Us,” and including two-minute spots that show how the bank helped finance such notable projects as San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge and the Erie Canal. Businessweek 4/29/10
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More proof that social networking isn’t just for the young; a new survey from Arbitron and Edison Research says 51% of 35 to 44 year olds have personal profile pages compared to 78% of 18-24 year olds. Also, for the first time in the survey’s history, the majority of Americans (42%) chose the Internet as "most essential" to their lives versus television (37%). MediaPost 4/9/10
Worth a Look:
White paper from JWT and Advertising Age shares insights from proprietary research on Moms 18-44 and how marketers can better target them. November 2009.
