McDonald’s Revives Celebrity Brand Collaboration with Travis Scott Burger
Twenty eight years ago, McDonald’s partnered with Michael Jordan to brand, market, and sell their meals. The fast-food chain has not attempted a celebrity branded partnership since...until now. On September 8, Variety reported the brand collaboration between McDonald’s and Travis Scott. Fans of Travis' psychedelic hip-hop can now order his signature McDonald's meal: a fully loaded quarter pounder, with fries, BBQ sauce, and a Sprite. The publicity drop coincides with the release of Scott’s collaborative merchandise and clothing line flashing a vintage McDonald’s look.
In this Business Casual snippet, hosts Daniel Litwin and Tyler Kern consider McDonald’s high profile attempt at influencer marketing. Will the product, a decked out burger, be enough to get target customers in the drive through? Litwin and Kern break down takeaways of this brand partnership and what marketers can take away from the collaboration.
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Target’s Business Model Proves More Profitable Than Its Competitors
With the pandemic drastically changing the landscape of retail, America’s largest chains have had to pivot on a dime. So who has emerged as the leader? Judging by profits alone, Target far outperformed its competitors. According to The Motley Fool, Target reported a 9.6% operating margin in the second quarter, compared to the respective 5.5% and 3.9% of Walmart and Amazon.
On this Business Casual snippet, hosts Daniel Litwin and Tyler Kern consider whether Target got lucky, or whether the company strategically set itself up for success.
Target's success leads to two key metrics: convenience and custom products. By rolling out a same-day curbside pickup service, Target saw massive gains amid the pandemic as customers chose a fast and convenient method of shopping in order to stay out of stores. Target also retains customers with it’s unique in-store brands like Good & Gather and Archer Farms. By being a seamless, stress-free one-stop-shop, it seems Target has set itself apart from its competitors.
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Why Uber & Lyft Threatened to Leave California For Good
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Payless Returns from Bankruptcy as an Online Retailer
Millennials saw another piece of their childhood die off last year when news revealed the reliable back-to-school staple, Payless Shoesource, was filing for bankruptcy. The affordable shoe store chain could not survive the ecommerce boom and shuttered over 2,000 brick and mortar locations.But, an announcement on Tuesday revealed Payless is making a phoenix-like comeback. The brand is returning to the market with the same values, community and affordability, but with an all new range of products including shoes, apparel, and accessories. Reflecting the expansion in merchandise, the company plans to drop “shoesource,” from the name. Payless intends to start online in ecommerce, with plans to open 300-500 new stores. The stores will reflect the shift toward the experience economy and feature technology like touch screens, smart mirrors, and augmented reality.Hosts Daniel Litwin and Tyler Kern on this Business Casual snippet as they analyze Payless’s new business model, as well as how they plan to reach consumers looking for value in the middle of a pandemic.
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Microsoft Finally Retires Internet Explorer
Right around the 25th anniversary of Internet Explorer, Microsoft announces the final end to the company’s hallmark proprietary browser. To take its place, Microsoft offers a new version of Edge, the browser powered by Google open source software, Chromium. Though these changes won’t take effect immediately, the phase out plan eliminates Internet Explorer use completely by August 17, 2021. Business Casual takes a look at the end of a Microsoft era and what it means for the future of internet browsing.According to The Independent, Microsoft’s complete move to a Google fueled browser may have larger ramifications. Google's Chromium already powers a number of leading browsers. Adding to the Chromium arsenal gives Google more influence over browser best practices like new features, usability, and privacy practices.Join hosts Daniel Litwin and Tyler Kern on this Business Casual snippet as they consider how the thinning of the browser market will impact users and tech giants. As more browsers gather under one umbrella, for there to be any further shake-ups, it may be up to users to demand what they value in a browser, or more realistically, another major tech company with the resources and capital to challenge Google's dominance.
Business Casual is your B2B morning radio show, hosted by Daniel Litwin and Tyler Kern, talking all things B2B. Trends, tech, culture, news, and unique perspectives on weekly shifts in our ever dynamic global economy.
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