Marketing News

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week told a group of food industry leaders that they must eliminate artificial dyes in their products, adding that if the industry doesn't take action on its own the Trump administration will do so.

Mr. Peanut, the beloved Planters mascot, makes his acting debut in the upcoming Netflix movie "The Electric State." In the film he takes on a more mechanical iteration than his typical cartoon one, playing a robot in the aftermath of a robot uprising in the 1990s.

Score one for gen Z influencers. The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) late last week announced a new partnership with Unwell, a beverage company founded by podcaster Alex Cooper, a former Division I soccer player, who has 3.4 million followers on Instagram and 1.2 million subscribers on YouTube.

Sponsorships of women's sports is up 12 percent, compared to 8 percent for men's sports leagues, according to a new report. A wide array of companies, including B2B firms, are starting to sponsor women's sports leagues, which continue to expand at a rapid clip.

Clothing brand Banana Republic has partnered with Max's hit series, "The White Lotus," for a new collection inspired by the show's accessible yet aspirational themes (along with a dash of tropical climes).

President Trump is reversing course on new tariffs, writing on social media that he was suspending new tariffs on most imports from Mexico and Canada until April 2.

Crystal Light announced earlier this week that it is debuting a line of low-calorie, low alcohol-by-volume vodka refreshers after noticing online that consumers like mixing its products in cocktails.

U.S. President Donald Trump's new 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada that took effect on Tuesday — along with a doubling of duties on Chinese goods, to 20 percent — has caused retaliatory measures by America's three largest trading partners that could spark a full-blown trade war.

Amazon last week announced that it would soon roll out Alexa+, a new generation of its voice assistant powered by generative AI. The upgrade, which features more personalization tools, is designed to help consumers make purchases more seamlessly than ever.

Ratings for this year's Oscars fell 8 percent from the 19.5 million people who watched last year's show. However, despite the overall dip in ratings, the Oscars posted gains among the advertiser-coveted demos of adults 18 to 49 and adults 18 to 34, for a post-pandemic high in the latter demographic.

The Gap last week dropped a new ad campaign, "Feels like Gap," that celebrates self-expression and comfort with a new line of clothing focusing on soft fabrics. The campaign features actor Parker Posey, who's in the third season of "The White Lotus," now running on Max.

Chipotle is joining forces with singer-songwriter Halsey and gaming platform Roblox for its new short film, "Unfolded," which emphasizes Chipotle's efforts to support sustainable farming practices.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of IHOP's National Pancake Day on March 4, the restaurant chain specializing in flapjacks is looking to break the Guinness World Record for the most pancakes served in an eight-hour period. For every pancake served during the attempt, IHOP will donate $1 to Feeding America.

C-level executives are losing faith in CMOs. Just 34 percent of CEOs and CFOs are aligned with their CMOs about how marketing supports growth, according to a recent Gartner study. Despite a lack of confidence in their CMOs' ability to spike growth, CEOs and CFOs anticipate an ever-widening scope for the marketing remit.

The AI arms race is starting to accelerate. X announced late last week that it was debuting two new AI features, including tools to create ads in seconds. The move comes on the heels of rival ChatGPT launching two new e-commerce AI tools and Meta saying that it was expanding its generative AI tools to encompass video content.

Consumer confidence in February saw its sharpest monthly decline since August 2021, according to new information released Tuesday by the Conference Board.

Beyoncé and Levi's teamed up for the second chapter of the Levi's campaign "REIIMAGINE." The spot, titled "Pool Hall," features an all-denim-clad Beyoncé sidling up to a pool table to show her opponent, played by actor Timothy Olyphant, how things are done.

Apple says it plans to spend more than $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years including plans to spike investments in artificial intelligence (AI). It's the largest-ever spending commitment by the tech giant.

A new Gallup poll reveals that 9.3 percent of U.S. adults identified as LGBTQ+ in 2024, up from 7.6 percent in 2023. Despite the current retreat from DEI among several major brands, the growth trajectory of the LGBTQ+ population presents enormous opportunity for companies that want to expand their tent demographically.

Walmart posted solid quarterly earnings, with revenue up 4.1 percent, to $180.6 billion. But, as expected, the big-box store was beat by Amazon, which earlier this month announced that fourth quarter net sales increased 10 percent, to $187.8 billion, eclipsing Walmart revenue-wise for the first time.