During the month of September, there were many news stories that reflected brand identity, brand naming, brand storytelling, brand strategy, co-branding, digital marketing, personal branding, product packaging, product pricing, social media usage, and more.
KRISPY KREME AND BARBIE DOUGHNUTS
To celebrate the 65th birthday of Barbie, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts partnered with Mattel and launched the limited-edition Barbie Collection featuring four doughnuts: the Barbie Pink Doughnut, the Barbie Berries ‘n Kreme Doughnut, the Malibu Dream Party Doughnut, and the Barbie Sweet 65th Doughnut.
According to Dave Skena, Global Chief Brand Officer for Krispy Kreme, “We’re excited to celebrate the Barbie brand’s 65th birthday with a collaboration that’s full of fun and flavor. We’re bringing Barbie’s iconic fashions to life through delicious doughnuts that are sure to thrill Barbie and Krispy Kreme fans alike.”
According to Meredith Norrie, Mattel’s Vice President of Global Licensing and Consumer Products, “Barbie and Krispy Kreme are two brands that immediately spark joy and elicit sweet memories. As we continue to celebrate Barbie's 65th anniversary this year, Krispy Kreme is the perfect partner to join us, inviting fans across generations to enjoy the perfect blend of flavor and style with nods to Barbie sprinkled into every bite.”
ADIDAS AND SWAROVSKI
Adidas sneakers brand has partnered with jewelry brand Swarovski and is launching a Swarovski-crystal covered edition of its Impact baseball cleat with a retail price of $440. The shoe comes in two choices, either Light Purple or Ice Lavender. Despite the crystals, the shoe features cushioning and support for on-field performance. But who would wear these shoes anywhere other than on a red carpet?
COSTCO MEMBERSHIP DUES
For the first time in seven years, Costco members will see a $5-$10 increase in their membership dues depending on their membership plan. According to Costco, “The price change will help to offset operational costs to keep prices low.” But the fee increase comes after the company announced it would crack down on card sharing by requiring shoppers to scan their membership cards to enter stores.
VOLKSWAGEN PLANT CLOSURES
To cut costs amid rising competition from China’s electric vehicle makers, Volkswagen announced that it might close factories in Germany. The company employs almost 683,000 workers worldwide including 295,000 in Germany. According to Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume, “The European automotive industry is in a very demanding and serious situation. Germany in particular as a manufacturing location is falling further behind, in terms of competitiveness.”
CHIPOTLE AND SPIRIT HALLOWEEN
Chipotle and Spirit Halloween announced that the two brands will launch a Halloween collection. According to CNN, “The fast-casual chain announced a costume collection with Spirit Halloween, the seasonal Halloween costume store that pops up every year in abandoned storefronts. The collection is made up of bodysuits that are meant to resemble a Chipotle napkin, fork, water cup, burrito, and to-go bag...[It’s] a clever marketing ploy mean to garner social media attention.”
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
Ryan Seacrest ushered in a new chapter for the TV game show “Wheel of Fortune” when he joined Vanna White to start the new season in early September. Gone was host Pat Sajak, who retired after 41 seasons and more than 8,000 episodes. According to Seacrest, who’s known White (the lady who wears fancy dresses and taps the letters) for twenty years, “The show’s fun. It’s about giving cash and prizes to people every single night.”
WASHINGTON POST WEBSITE
The Washington Post launched an updated homepage for its website in early September. According to newly-installed executive editor, Matt Murray, who wrote to the newsroom, “The new iteration is the beginning of several planned enhancements.”
DEATH OF JAMES EARL JONES
The award-winning actor passed away at his New York home at age 93. His lengthy career led him to create two larger-than-life roles that cemented his Hollywood legacy: Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” franchise and Mufasa in “The Lion King.” He received an Honorary Academy Award, a tribute for lifetime achievement and exceptional contributions to film, as well as a Golden Globe, two Tony’s, and two Primetime Emmys. He said that he was often quiet as a child because of a stutter, but in high school, he discovered that he did not stutter when reading aloud. We can all be grateful for that discovery, because it led to his interest in performing and his study of drama at the University of Michigan followed by a stint in the Army and then auditioning for parts in New York City.
HOME DEPOT NEWS
While Home Depot did not admit wrongdoing and has since taken steps to correct violations, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon announced that Home Depot will pay nearly $2 million to settle a civil law enforcement complaint alleging that the company engaged in false advertising and unfair competition. The civil complaint alleged that Home Depot charged customers prices higher than their lowest advertised or posted price. Often called a “scanner violation,” the problem occurs when the price on an item, or on an item’s shelf tag, is not the same as the UPC code that is scanned at the point-of-sale register.
KEURIG AND RECYCLING
Keurig has agreed to pay $1.5 million in penalties after the Securities and Exchange Commission charged the company with making misleading statements as to how recyclable its popular K-Cup single-use coffee pods are. The Keurig website said that since the end of 2020, 100 percent of its K-Cup pods were recyclable, but that statement, according to the SEC was misleading. How can a brand mislead its customer and fans? In this case, the SEC stepped in. Time will tell if future sales are impacted.
HERSHEY’S FORAY INTO FITNESS MARKET
While everyone associates the Hershey brand with chocolate and its own town in Pennsylvania, the company is now expanding into the fitness market with a new product line of energy drinks and protein powders. Will the flavors be chocolate? Time will tell if this will be a successful line extension or a bad idea.
VISA LAWSUIT
The United States Justice Department filed a lawsuit accusing Visa of illegally monopolizing the debit card market. According to CNN, “For more than a decade, the US Justice Department alleges that Visa has abused its dominant position in the debit card market to force businesses to use Visa’s network instead of competitors’ and to stop new alternatives from entering the market.” Will this lawsuit damage the brand?
KAMALA HARRIS'S SHOES
Vice President AND Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris often wears a pair of Converse All-Stars tennis shoes with her power suits. Her Chuck Taylor All-Star Sneakers can be found at Norstrom for less than $100.
STARBUCKS NEWS
With Starbucks revenues on the decline, the new CEO has a plan – and it starts with comfortable chairs. Brian Niccol, on his second day at head of Starbucks, said in a letter to employees and customers that he wants the company to return to its roots as a “community coffeehouse” with comfortable seats, design, and a clear distinction between “to-go” and “for here” service. However, something to consider, the original concept for Starbucks was to copy European coffeehouses where people ordered their coffee and stood to drink it at tall tables. That is different than this idea. And secondly, how comfortable have the chairs ever been at Starbucks? Sounds like a very different brand refresh versus a return to the brand’s core.
AUSTRALIA AND SOCIAL MEDIA
According to CNN, Australia intends to “set a minimum age limit for children to use social media, citing concerns about mental and physical health. The plan has sparked backlash from digital rights advocates who warn that the measure could drive dangerous activity underground.” It will be interesting to see how this plan moves forward and the impact on social media platforms in Australia.
CAMPBELL SOUP COMPANY NAMECHANGE
Remember when Dunkin’ Doughnuts dropped the word “doughnuts” from its name? Or when Kentucky Fried Chicken became KFC to move away from the “fried chicken” emphasis in its name? Well, the 155-year-old Campbell Soup Company has announced that it will drop the word “Soup” from its name and will rebrand as The Campbell’s Company. The company owns snack brands including Goldfish, Snyder’s of Hanover, Cape Cod, Pepperidge Farm, and others. Therefore, the brand wishes to move away from the idea that it is only soup.
MOVIE THEATER UPGRADES
According to USA Today, “The eight largest movie theater chains in the United States and Canada announced plans to invest more than $2.2 billion in the next three years in an effort to upgrade entertainment experiences at their facilities. The announcement came in a news release from the National Association of Theatre Owners, an organization that represents theater owners from around the world. Eight chains involved in the commitment represent over 21,000 screens across 1,600 locations in all 50 states and Canada. The eight companies include AMC, Regal Cinemas, Cinemark, Cineplex, Marcus Theatres Corp., B&B Theatres, Harkins Theatres and Santikos Entertainment. The investment comes as the movie theater industry has been hampered by the boom of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic that prompted theaters to shut down for months during 2020.”
According to the association, the funds will be used on an "array of projects to modernize and improve theaters of all sizes including adding the latest laser projection technology and immersive sound systems, installing more comfortable seats, and creating family entertainment options, such as, arcades and bowling.”
WARNING LABEL FOR GAS STOVES
In California, gas stoves may soon come with a health warning similar to the warning label found on cigarette packages. Since a stove’s blue flame releases air pollution into kitchens, California lawmakers have passed a bill that would require warning labels on stoves, and Governor Gavin Newsom has until the end of September to sign the bill into law.
The American Public Health Association has labeled gas stoves as “a public health concern,” since they can increase the risk of asthma, can leak methane even when they’re off, and emit benzene which is linked to cancer. Similar bills have been introduced in Illinois and New York, but unlike California’s version, lawmakers did not send them to their Governors.
According to Politico, “California Governor Newsom vetoed a bill (on September 27th) that would have made California the first state in the country to mandate labels on gas stoves warning of health risks.”
Governor Newsom wrote, “I am returning Assembly Bill 2513 without my signature. This bill would prohibit a person from selling or offering for sale a gas stove that is manufactured or sold online on or after January 1, 2025, or sold in a store on or after January 1, 2026, unless that gas stove contains a specified warning label. While I appreciate the author's intent to provide consumers with information about the products they purchase, I am concerned that this bill codifies highly prescriptive labeling content that could only be changed by a future statutory amendment. This static approach falls short in enabling timely updates to the labeling content that should align with the latest scientific knowledge so that consumers are accurately informed about their purchases. For these reasons, I cannot sign this bill.”
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
When Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump met for their first and only Presidential debate of the 2024 Presidential campaign – following President Joe Biden’s surprising withdrawal from the race – many observers called Trump’s performance as dismal as Biden’s in the June Biden-Trump debate. Some stand-out comments include: Harris’s handshake and introduction at the outset of the debate, the concise responses provided by Harris, the fact that Trump never looked at Harris, and the fact that – despite the promise from the moderators that the microphones would be turned off when one candidate was speaking – Trump ignored the microphone rule and kept talking.
TAYLOR SWIFT
Within minutes of the first and only Presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on September 10th, singer-songwriter-businesswoman Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris. Due to her enormous following, it will be interesting to see how the support of this “childless cat lady” will impact the election.
19TH AMENDMENT GOES ON DISPLAY
The National Archives will soon add the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, to its permanent display of the Charters of Freedom in the Rotunda of the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., in March 2026. The addition to the Rotunda will be part of the nation’s 250th celebration on July 4, 2026.
According to the National Archives, “Passed by Congress on June 4, 1919; ratified on August 18, 1920; and certified on August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment is celebrated as the culmination of over eight decades of advocacy by the women suffrage movement.”
PANDA DIPLOMACY AND FINLAND
Finland announced that it will return two pandas to China in November, more than eight years ahead of time, since the Finnish zoo where they live can no longer afford their upkeep. According to NPR, "The panda pair was China's gift to mark Finland's 100 years of independence in 2017, and they were supposed to be on loan until 2033. But the zoo has experienced a number of challenges, including a decline in visitors due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as an increase in inflation and interest rates. The upkeep of Lumi and Pyry, including a preservation fee to China, cost the zoo 1.5 million euros (approximately $1,675,658) annually. And the bamboo that giant pandas eat was flown in from the Netherlands."
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CHANGES BUSINESS MODEL
Known as the airline that offered open seating and no frills, Southwest Airlines announced substantial changes to its business and boarding process. Open seating will be going away but not until early 2026. The delay is due to the fact that premium seating (with more legroom) will take time to reconfigure on the airplanes. According to Southwest, “80 percent of its customers and 86 percent of its passengers who choose other airlines want assigned seats.” In addition, Southwest will start partnerships with foreign airlines to offer passengers the chance to book overseas flights. Its first partnership will be with Icelandair in 2025, connecting with it at its Baltimore-Washington International Airport hub. And lastly, the airline confirmed that it will continue to allow passengers to check up to two bags for no fee. According to Southwest CEO Robert Jordan, “The fact that (and brand tagline) “Bags Fly Free” is cited as the number one reason why customers choose to fly Southwest.”
SHAKE UP AT NBC’S TODAY SHOW
Broadcaster Hoda Kotb announced that she will leave the morning show in early 2025 to spend more time with her two daughters. This departure leaves a hole at the morning show. Kotb has worked at NBC for 26 years and joined the Today show in 2007. Who do you think will take her place and re-create the TV show brand? Will a new celebrity host improve or damage the TV brand? Time will tell.
JORDAN CHILES OLYMPICS CONTROVERSY – THE SAGA CONTINUES
While the Olympic bronze medal that was originally awarded to American gymnast Jordan Chiles was re-allocated to a Romanian gymnast, the controversy continues, adding a sad asterisk to the very successful Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
NATIONAL COFFEE DAY
Did you know that September 29th was the date to celebrate coffee? All you had to do was consider all the brands that have appeared since the re-invention of the beverage as a brand? There’s Starbucks, Coffee Bean, Dunkin', and that list doesn’t even include all the local and small town specialty coffee cafes! Chimney Coffee House is a downtown Los Angeles coffee house with a very cute logo.
What other recent marketing buzz caught your attention? There's always something happening that impacts marketing, so tune in to #DebbieLaskeysBlog for the scoop!
Image Credits: Chimney Coffee House, Krispy Kreme, and Fashion News.
