Unlike last year’s historic comeback, Tom Brady wasn’t able to turn around the fortunes of his New England Patriots to win Super Bowl LII. The Philadelphia Eagles ultimately left as champions after a thrilling game that saw plenty of action on the field. The tone during the commercial breaks was far less tense, however, as marketers largely relied on humor for 2018’s crop of Super Bowl ads. Among the top spots on USA Today’s annual Ad Meter poll are Continue reading
As one might expect from a centuries-old art form, the world of ballet doesn’t adapt to change all that quickly. For instance, many ballerinas depend on a type of pointe shoe designed more than 100 years ago consisting of paper, glue and fabric. While this style is certainly reliable, it can also create a great amount of discomfort or even injury for dancers. After all, the “pointe” in the shoe’s name refers to the ballerina’s need to stand readily on Continue reading
A few weeks ago, Tide’s official Twitter account posted a quick video of New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski talking about one of the brand’s best-selling products. While this would normally be standard procedure for a company spokesperson, the clip didn’t feature any footage of Gronk encouraging people to buy laundry detergent. Instead, he actively discourages the public from taking part in the “Tide pod challenge,” a dangerous viral dare that centers on ingesting containers of concentrated detergent. “No no Continue reading
By the end of the year, companies around the world will generate an estimated $11 billion in revenue by selling baby products like diaper bags and infant carriers. Despite the size of this booming industry, though, many baby businesses are continuing to overlook a growing target market: dads. Of course, this is largely due to the fact that mothers remain the primary caregivers in many American families. But dads have made great strides in recent times to involve themselves further Continue reading
For Facebook’s more than 2 billion users, the News Feed serves as a gateway to what’s going on in their world. People can spend hours scrolling through the photos and videos that pop into their feeds from friends and media companies they follow. In fact, for years Facebook ensured that content posted by brands received prominent placement in the News Feeds of its users. At one point the company even developed a partnership program that allowed media firms to take Continue reading
If you’ve ever owned an iPhone, you may have noticed that the device tends to slow down as it gets older. At first glance this might seem like a natural occurrence. After all, any piece of technology inevitably grows to be obsolete, no matter how advanced it appeared when it was first introduced. But the way that iPhones drop in performance has frustrated customers since the iconic product launched in 2007. Then last month, a group of Internet investigators discovered Continue reading
Much like the retail industry, Hollywood studios did not particularly enjoy 2017. Ticket sales at the nation’s cineplexes fell by an estimated 4 percent, representing the movie business’s lowest attendance in 22 years. What’s more, experts say those numbers would have been even worse without the help of December blockbusters like the new Star Wars and Jumanji films. But as sales at the traditional box office fell last year, business began booming for the subscription-based ticket service MoviePass.
For Continue reading
For many traditional retailers, 2017 was not a good year. Along with the more than 20 chains that filed for bankruptcy, established brands like Sears and J.C. Penney also announced that they’d be closing hundreds of locations. Unfortunately, the outlook doesn’t look much better for 2018. As Amazon continues to disrupt the industry by dominating e-commerce, experts predict that more bankruptcies and store closings could be on the way. “I think the early part of next year will be Continue reading
In recent years, a number of startups have quickly grown into powerhouse operations by selling certain products directly to customers. From the eyewear seller Warby Parker to the razor maker Harry’s, these companies have disrupted traditional industries by cutting out unnecessary middlemen from their supply chains. They’ve also inspired startups like Hubble, a subscription-based service that sells contact lenses. For just $1 per day or $30 per month, customers receive a supply of Acuvue Moist daily disposable contacts, one of Continue reading