Marketing Currents

The toy giant Mattel is launching a collection of Fisher-Price action figures to celebrate the “everyday heroes” on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, including medical workers, grocery store employees, and delivery drivers, the company said Wednesday.   The collection includes 16 action figures, as well as five Little People Read more…

Following a stellar earnings report from Tesla, in which its earnings per share soared above analyst bets, Tesla’s stock rocketed to a monthly high on Wednesday. CEO Elon Musk, who has apparently had his fill of Earth-shattering successes, decided to snuff out the rise. Click here to read the story at fastcompany.com. Read more…

Aflac, a leader in supplemental insurance sales at U.S. worksites, today announced its new, people-centric “Not Alone” marketing campaign. Developed in partnership with Dagger, Aflac’s new advertising agency of record, the campaign reflects the insurer’s commitment to being there for consumers when help is needed most. Click here to read the story Read more…

Tony Stark may be a man of mystery, but one thing we know about him is that he drives an Audi. That fact comes to us courtesy of a long and lucrative association between the luxury auto brand and Marvel Studios, whose films can sometimes resemble the Home Shopping Network Read more…

With Memorial Day right around the corner and weather warming up, American barbecue season — and sales of grill-ready items like hot dogs — would be starting to ramp up under normal circumstances. However, coronavirus-related lockdowns and social distancing mandates stand in the way of typical summer gatherings, so Oscar Read more…

The Coca-Cola Company is looking to cushion the Covid-19-led decline of its bars and restaurants business by reducing marketing costs globally, and, in some markets, coming “off-air” entirely in Q2 2020.  Click here to read the story from thedrum.com. Discussion Questions: How do you think the COVID-19 health crisis has impacted sales Read more…

Some things were, just a month ago, so familiar that they blended into the fabric of life. Now, they stick out like your neighbor who juggles on a unicycle in their front yard. It’s things like people shaking hands on TV, a friend not being able to have their usual Read more…

Apple just announced a new, cheaper iPhone model, marking the first time it has launched a new phone without one of its glitzy in-person events as most of the country remains under lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. The new, second-generation iPhone SE carries the same name as the original Read more…

Several automakers are offering design-oriented projects to help parents keep their kids occupied at home during the pandemic.   Nissan North America is offering 23 downloadable coloring pages featuring Nissan classic cars, current models, futuristic concepts and some “cult classic” models, such as the Nissan Figaro and ChoiMobi. Nissan designers from Read more…

Disney Plus, the streaming service of Walt Disney, reached the 50 million-subscriber level last week. Disney predicted it would not hit that level until 2023. What experts cannot say is whether the rapid rise will harm larger rivals Amazon and Netflix. It will not be evident until those two companies Read more…