Branding

More than 50,000 college student athletes will be eligible to become paid Adidas spokespeople after the sports brand announced a new "name, image and likeness" network for NCAA Division 1 schools. The announcement, made Wednesday, allows the 109 partner schools included in the network to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL) across 23…

The growth of local supermarkets, an increase in the use of e-commerce for food and CPG products, and a focus on value were just three of five trends born during the pandemic that are here to stay, at least according to Steven Williams, CEO of PepsiCo Foods. Williams, who oversees all aspects of PepsiCo’s nearly…

In episode 323 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Andre Persaud, chief retail officer of Rite Aid, the trusted, everyday care connector operating over 2,500 retail pharmacy locations across 17 U.S. states. Persaud discusses Rite Aid's RxEvolution strategy, how the business is redesigning the in-store experience for its customers, and the internal cross-functional…

Retailers invest a lot of money into what they think consumers want to see — offering pristine professional photos and partnering with mega-influencers to promote their products. However, a new report by Stackla finds that what consumers most want to see from brands is the same real and relevant content they’re seeing and sharing on social…

Consumer expectations have become increasingly high, putting the pressure on retail and e-commerce brands to create more meaningful experiences. An abundance of choice makes it difficult to cut through the clutter — and maintain loyal customers. The path forward? Offering personal, functional and collective benefits that actively improve people’s lives and our broader society. Customers…

What do the terms Taser, Escalator, and Aspirin have in common? They were once protected marks that have become generic. The term “Tiffany” likely has joined their ranks at least with regards to the name of a particular diamond ring setting. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently made clear that Tiffany’s 73 trademarks — many registered in connection with jewelry — will not protect it against others using “Tiffany” when that term has become commonly used to describe a particular six-prong diamond ring setting. Thus, anyone — even a discount retailer like Costco — can use it to describe that particular ring setting.

Retail has had it tough. As consumers, we may be emerging from the pandemic with pent-up demand and a clutch of savings ready to spend, but it’s come too late for many businesses. No one was too big to fail. From Francesca’s to Century 21, big names tumbled among the 128 national retailers to declare bankruptcy…

The buzzword right now is agile — but without context it’s just a verb. Take a deep dive into why an agile brand strategy and consumer-focused tone of voice are essential to building and maintaining a brand for the future and discover how to find your niche to position your brand. Evolving your brand doesn’t…

Various studies show there's an undoubtable uptrend around sustainable consumer products. What’s new is that increasing consumer demand is going beyond targeting only special interest categories, such as apparel or natural foods. Sustainable and responsible products are becoming the new norm. What happened? Retailers and brand managers can remember the circumstance as if it was…

Retailers, and brands in general, have had to weather several storms in the past year. And on a personal level, every one of us has had to face a revolution in our day-to-day life. Adapting to this new way of living has impacted how consumers feel and think about brands in a deep and fundamental…