‘DTC is running cover’: Inside Farmer’s Fridge’s omnichannel pivot

Farmer's Fridge makes fresh salads in plastic bottles that used to be distributed via push-button machines in highly-trafficked areas -- like airports or hospitals. Its model was essentially business-to-business. When the pandemic hit, the company was forced to build out a direct-to-consumer sales channel -- and fast.

Despite the return of travel, brands aren’t rushing to run airport ads again

Last March, airports became ghost towns and as a result, airport advertising ground to a halt. While some brands are exploring airport advertising again, some are waiting until closer to the holidays, which will be the biggest advertising season for them anyways.

Ready-to-drink cocktail brands are vying to be the next spiked seltzer

For years, hard seltzer has dominated the ready-to-drink alcohol space, especially among young consumers. Now, brands offering elevated packaged cocktails are hoping the success of spiked seltzer will spill over into their growing category.

Modern Retail Marketing Leaders Forum Recap: Lessons learned from a year of chaos

Modern Retail rallied a squad of marketing leaders and entrepreneurs from top brands to come together for the Marketing Leaders Forum. The speakers brought their varied talents to the table to share their experiences and offer suggestions for marketers on how to ride out the storm to succeed in 2021 and beyond. Here are the highlights.

Olympic athletes are posting on TikTok and bringing fashion brands along for the ride

In 2018, during the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, TikTok had only just been introduced to the U.S. a year before. It hadn’t caught on as the sensation it is now, growing nearly 800% in monthly active users from 2018 to 2020. Throughout the last two weeks, Olympic athletes like Ilona Maher of the U.S. women’s rugby team have been taking to TikTok to show what life is like inside the Olympic village. And fashion brands are benefiting from it.

‘Collab culture is the way to innovate’: McCormick’s Alia Kemet on the company’s influencer strategy

While McCormick has previously partnered with other brands to co-launch a product -- Frank’s RedHot Goldfish is one example -- this is the first time an influencer has created an original McCormick product. That is important because, although fashion and beauty brands have forged similar influencer partnerships for years -- the D’Amelio sisters’ fashion line with Hollister is one rough equivalent -- that model of influencer-branded products is spreading into other industries.

CMO Summit Recap: How marketers are adjusting to the delayed phase-out of third-party cookies

Digiday Media’s CMO Summit on July 19-20 covered some of the big issues facing marketers in this pivotal year, including the new timeline for the phase-out of third party cookies.

Inside Yes Way Rosé’s seasonal marketing strategy

For brands that focus on seasonal products, marketing efforts can be tricky to balance throughout the year. Rosé makers, for example, often have to plan for quiet winter months and demand surge during the summer. Yes Way Rosé, which primarily focuses on French-made rosé, is testing out new strategies so that it doesn't rely on only the summer months for sales.

Marriott is preparing for the return of travel with a new Pinterest partnership

On Tuesday, Marriott Bonvoy and Pinterest teamed up for the latest activation in Marriott’s broader “The Power of Travel” campaign, a multi-platform investment across streaming platforms, social platforms and even gaming platforms like Twitch. The hotel chain is adapting to a new travel landscape, moving away from its traditional business-traveler consumers and instead shifting platform spend to appeal to younger and leisure-focused travelers.

‘An everyday purchase’: How startups are trying to stand out in the crowded beverage space

After a year of vying for shelf space and digital customers, premium beverage companies are strategizing how to retain their newfound customers. Startup brands like Olipop, Sunwink and Swoon are looking for new long-term ways to keep shoppers replenishing as the pandemic winds down.

Grocery brands are increasingly advertising on Nextdoor

As retail brands migrate their ad dollars toward commerce-focused sites like Amazon or Instacart, or up-and-coming social apps like TikTok, outlets like Nextdoor, are also getting a second look. Brands like Stop & Shop, Imperfect Foods and Hershey’s have all invested in Nextdoor ads over the past year, and the social platform is especially gaining interest among grocers looking to run heavily local campaigns.

Car brands are promoting new models on digital platforms like Twitch and Instagram

The auto industry is famous for its pricy television commercials: during the 2020 Super Bowl LIV, for example, auto manufacturers invested $77 million in television ads, outpacing any other product category, according to data insights firm Kantar. However, brands like Honda, Hyundai and Toyota are increasingly shifting investment to digital platforms like Twitch, Pinterest and Instagram, for new campaigns.

Report: The state of online marketplaces