People are serious about the pumpkin spice latte (PSL). So much so that this year, Starbucks has launched a members-only Facebook group to foster love and appreciation for its famous seasonal drink.
Which mobile payments app has the most users? If you guessed Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay – hereafter referred to as the Three Pays – you guessed wrong.
Despite the efforts of three of tech’s biggest names to drive adoption of their mobile payments solutions, it’s a retailer that has the most widely used mobile payments solution as measured by users.
Following Brexit and the US presidential election, many brands have responded to the polarized times by choosing to weigh in on political and social issues.
But brands face numerous challenges in trying to do this successfully. Chief among them: how do brands connect with consumers at a time when so many of them don’t see eye-to-eye on some of the most important issues of our time?
Starbucks is one of the brands that isn’t afraid to get political in an increasingly polarized world.
Its most recent political statement: it announced plans to hire 10,000 refugees following US President Donald Trump’s enactment of a temporary travel ban targeting individuals from a number of predominantly Muslim countries.
From Brexit to the US presidential election, it would seem that we are living in one of the most politically-focused and politically-polarized times in recent memory.
Increasingly, the political discourse is finding its way into the brand world. Or, to be more accurate, brands are joining the political discourse.
It’s still sometimes difficult to think of brands that have managed to seamlessly join online and offline experiences.
In this post we look at three such brands doing just that.
Loyalty programs are everywhere.
But while a recent study (PDF) conducted by Bond Brand Loyalty and Visa found that these programs appeal to the majority of consumers, actually building loyalty requires more than just the launch of any old program.
Online dating services might not seem like ideal platforms for marketing.
After all, many are monetized primarily through paid subscriptions, and users, for obvious reasons, are probably more focused on finding a date than clicking on ads.
But in recent years, brands have found ways to insert themselves into the online dating experience. Here are four examples.
The past year has been tough for Chipotle Mexican Grill.
After multi-state E. coli outbreaks infected dozens of customers, the high-flying American fast food chain fell back to earth and has been struggling to heal its brand and encourage consumers to stay loyal.
Last week saw three of the strangest brand tie-ups for a while.
The first was that Nike Starbucks shoe, retailing at $100, the second, a strained Wayne Rooney cameo (see below) in an X-Men adventure (and some blue-faced mascots at a United game), the third, green and red Angry Birds burger buns at McDonald’s.
This got me thinking – what are the best brand tie-ups of the past few years?
Although they aren’t guaranteed to drive loyalty, loyalty programs have become a staple for many companies.
But as the largest coffee chain in the US is learning, loyalty programs can be a source of frustration and criticism when changes are made.