April 5, 2016

Last year millions of Americans celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize gay marriage. But they certainly weren’t the only ones applauding the landmark ruling: dozens of brands showed their support on social media. Such an outpouring of advocacy from established companies would have been unthinkable just a decade ago. Times have changed, though, and businesses today have started to realize how important LGBT issues are to many consumers, especially young people. As a result, companies that Continue reading

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March 14, 2016

In 2005 the website Etsy launched as an online marketplace where artisans across the country could sell their wares. The Brooklyn-based company quickly established itself as a destination for handcrafted items that shoppers wouldn’t find in any stores. As the years progressed Etsy’s army of craft sellers grew into the thousands, with women accounting for a whopping 85 percent of them. The company marked a major milestone in 2012 when it became a certified benefit corporation. By 2015 Etsy’s stock Continue reading

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March 11, 2016

After enjoying decades of almost constant growth, the last few years have seen many fast food chains become stuck in a sales rut. Not only have consumer tastes changed dramatically, but people also have an array of affordable dining options to choose from. This increased competition has left the industry scrambling for ideas. Taco Bell took action in 2014 by introducing a breakfast menu, a move that some at the time viewed as unappetizing and desperate. The gamble worked, however, Continue reading

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March 9, 2016

With e-commerce now commonplace, traditional retailers are having a lot of trouble convincing customers to visit their stores. After all, online outlets allow people to order almost anything they need for the best price on the market. Brick and mortar retailers, meanwhile, must rely on promotions and holiday shopping since they can’t compete on price or selection. Even these strategies have become increasingly undependable, however. The most recent Christmas season saw sales rise by just 3 percent. In fact, the Continue reading

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March 7, 2016

Throughout the U.S., food delivery apps like GrubHub and Postmates have totally transformed takeout. These services offer eaters a variety of cuisines and restaurants to choose from, a far cry from the days when many American homes could only order pizza for delivery. And unlike other tech startups, food delivery companies have developed solid profit models based on the service fees they charge. This dependable system translates into markets throughout the world. The Berlin-based delivery service Foodpanda, for instance, operates Continue reading

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March 4, 2016

In today’s age of targeted advertising, billboards may seem like a holdover from another era. However, these seemingly obsolete roadside ads could bring about one of the latest advancements in mobile marketing. This week the media giant Clear Channel announced a plan to make their tens of thousands of billboards more effective by analyzing location data from smartphones. The idea is to aggregate demographic information about the people who travel by a particular billboard and where they go afterwards. For Continue reading

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February 29, 2016

Talcum powder is such a standard household item that most people don’t think twice about using it every day. That was certainly the case for Jackie Fox of Birmingham, Alabama, who for decades used Johnson & Johnson brand baby powder for feminine hygiene. Once she became diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2013, however, Fox soon learned that the seemingly healthy habit had actually caused her disease. Shocked by the news, Fox filed suit against Johnson & Johnson in a broader Continue reading

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February 24, 2016

For many modern eaters, food doesn’t necessarily have to be healthy as long as it’s authentic. After all, people don’t eat at popular burger joints like Shake Shack because their food is more nutritious than McDonald’s. Today’s fast casual chains draw in customers by focusing on how their ingredients are genuine and sustainable rather than simply healthy. As Chipotle’s recent troubles show, though, maintaining high quality standards in the vast food industry is a lot more difficult than advertised. Not Continue reading

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February 12, 2016

alphabetIn October 2015 Google underwent a thorough restructuring and emerged as Alphabet, a multinational corporate parent for the tech giant’s many enterprises. After all, Google has explored a variety of different fields in its 18-year history, including recent forays into self-driving cars and home automation. As these projects stacked up, however, managing them all under the Google name became difficult both for operational and marketing reasons. Now, separate companies working under Alphabet’s umbrella manage all these outside ventures. For instance, Continue reading

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February 8, 2016

Aside from being an exciting night for Denver Broncos fans, Super Bowl 50 didn’t exactly provide viewers with much entertainment on the field. In fact, the 63 commercials that aired nationally during the big event may have generated more online conversation than the game. But the impact of this year’s ads can’t be attributed solely to some sloppy play on the gridiron. After all, many brands now hype their ads with the same gusto as the NFL’s pregame festivities.

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