Debbie Laskey's Blog

Welcome to Debbie Laskey's insights and commentary about BRANDING, MARKETING, LEADERSHIP, SOCIAL MEDIA, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, and CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES. Debbie has worked in high-tech, the Consumer Marketing Department at Disneyland Paris in France, nonprofits, and insurance. Expertise includes strategic planning, brand development, marketing plans and audits, competitive positioning, websites, communications, public relations, employee engagement, customer experiences, and social media marketing.

Monday, June 8, 2026

Let's Celebrate the World's Oceans!

Each year on June 8th, we celebrate World Oceans Day. Established in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the day was officially recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in 2008. From the air we breathe to the food we eat, the ocean plays a vital role. It produces over half of the oxygen on Earth, regulates climate, and supports ecosystems.

More than a date on the calendar, World Oceans Day has grown into a powerful international movement with a call to action!

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

(1) Participate in or organize a beach cleanup.

(2) Reduce plastic waste.

(3) Choose sustainable seafood options.

(4) Learn more about ocean conservation.

(5) Support policies that protect marine habitats.

And now, let's pivot to marketing and check out some brands that have made - and continue to make - a difference in saving our oceans. Join me in celebrating their efforts!

OCEANA: Founded in 2001, Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. According to the brand's website, "Oceans face many threats — from overfishing, habitat destruction, oil and plastic pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles, whales, and sharks. What does Oceana do? We win science-based policies in important coastal countries that rebuild abundant and biodiverse oceans. With more than 350 victories, Oceana's campaigns are delivering results. A restored, healthy, and abundant ocean can help fight climate change, sustain livelihoods, and feed more than 1 billion people a healthy seafood meal every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world."

ADIDAS: In 2015, Adidas partnered with Parley for the Oceans with the goal to turn plastic pollution into sportswear. By 2019, Adidas produced 11 million pairs of shoes made with recycled ocean plastic. Currently, more than 40 percent of Adidas' apparel uses recycled polyester.

PATAGONIA: In 1993, Patagonia was the first outdoor clothing manufacturer to transform trash into fleece. Since then, the brand has been a leader in using recyclables such as used soda bottles to create new clothing. Nearly 70 percent of all Patagonia materials are derived from recycled materials.

BUREO: With end-of-life fishing nets, the company produces a material called NetPlus, which it uses in a wide array of products ranging from sunglasses to skateboards. Patagonia took note of Bureo's efforts and invested in the company. Currently, Patagonia is collaborating with Bureo to integrate NetPlus into all of Patagonia's hard goods and textiles.

UNITED BY BLUE: As the brand's website states, "We believe that businesses not only have the ability to be a part of environmental solutions, but a moral responsibility to address them. For every product purchased, we remove one pound of trash from oceans and waterways. So far, we've removed 5,410,975 pounds of trash from the world's oceans and coastlines."

GIRLFRIEND COLLECTIVE: In 2016, Girlfriend Collective was among the first to make performance activewear from recycled materials. Its LITE collection utilizes recycled fishing nets because, as its website states, "OId water bottles and fishing nets look better on you than they do clogging landfills and polluting oceans."

WATERHAUL: Founded in 2018, Waterhaul is a Cornish social-enterprise that recovers, recycles, and redesigns end-of-life fishing gear and transforms this "waste" into sunglasses. According to the brand's website, "Our rigorous traceability standards mean that we can account for every kilogram of material we recover and recycle. A digital, QR-code enabled system allows our customers to trace their products and view the exact details of the recoveries behind them." And in addition, "Waterhaul transforms plastic waste into products that are built to last, and we are so confident in the durability of our recycled eyewear that we offer a lifetime warranty on all Waterhaul sunglasses frames. We understand that anything can happen on your adventures, so if your frames have been broken beyond repair and are no longer wearable, we will repair or replace them for free, forever."

SELFRIDGES: Open since 1909 and the only store to be named the "Best Department Store in the World" four times, Selfridges is "a landmark destination" that "provides unmissable experiences" at its locations in London, Manchester, and Birmingham. In 2015, Selfridges banned all single-use plastic water bottles. The ocean conservation initiative, part of a partnership with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the Marine Reserves Coalition (MRC), aimed to reduce plastic waste and help facilitate a change in behavior around the use of plastic. Selfridges had previously sold 400,000 single-use plastic water bottles a year in its food halls and restaurants.

And lastly, how will you celebrate today? You might choose to watch an ocean-related movie or read an ocean-related book. Check out some ideas below:

MOVIE IDEAS:

*THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989)

*FINDING NEMO (2003)

*THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN (franchise)

*TITANIC (1997)

*CASTAWAY (2000)

*THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972)

*THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990)

*20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (1954)

BOOK IDEAS:

*Moby Dick by Herman Melville

"The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway

*The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery

"The Silent World" by Jacques Cousteau

"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne

"War of the Whales: A True Story" by Joshua Horwitz

"The Secret Life of Lobsters" by Trevor Corson

"The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

To quote Twinkl, "World Oceans Day acts as a reminder that everyone has a role to play in protecting our waters. Whether through education, conservation efforts, or small daily actions, celebrating this day helps raise awareness and drive meaningful change for the future of our oceans."

Friday, June 5, 2026

Happy National Donut Day!

Celebrated annually on the first Friday of June (and on June 5th this year), this day honors the "Donut Lassies" of the Salvation Army who served doughnuts to soldiers during World War I. Many local shops and national chains offer free doughnuts or special deals today to celebrate. And some locations, such as the USS Midway Museum, hold special events.

Here's a quick refresher about the word's spelling. According to Merriam-Webster, "Doughnut is the original, traditional spelling. It is the preferred choice in the United Kingdom, Canada, and international English. Major authorities like the Merriam-Webster dictionary and the AP Stylebook list this as the primary or preferred spelling. Embraced by Benjamin Franklin and Noah Webster, "Donut" is the phonetic, Americanized variation. It was popularized by brands like Dunkin' Donuts in the mid-20th century, is considered more casual, and is widely accepted in the United States."

Let's take a stroll back through history and then pivot to look at today's celebrations from a marketing lens.

According to NationaDayCalendar.com, "In 1917, a group of women, often referred to as Lassie's, were sent to the front lines in France by the Salvation Army. They were directed to set up field bases near the front lines to try to boost morale among troops. The makeshift "huts" were a place where soldiers could stock up on necessities and get a small break from the fighting. Little did they know that the Salvation Army Lassie's would not only boost morale, but make history in the creation of one of the most celebrated food holidays.

The women who were working at the field bases wanted to do more than simply re-stocking troop supplies. They began making home-cooked food for the troops in hopes that the food would give them a small taste of home. During this time, the Lassies began handing out a sweet baked treat that would become known as the Salvation Army Doughnut. According to the story, doughnuts were cooked inside the helmets of the troops, dubbing them as "doughboys," which was a standard term used for donut. The Donut Lassies are said to be the reason we have National Doughnut Day today!"

And now, here are eight brands with publicized celebrations today:

DUNKIN'

According to the brand's website, "Since opening in 1950 in Quincy, Massachusetts, Dunkin' has become a go-to destination for donuts and coffee across the country. Today, as America’s largest donut and coffee brand, Dunkin' serves more than 2 billion donuts annually. At Dunkin', the love for donuts runs deep – and National Donut Day is the perfect time to go all in. As the holiday returns on Friday, June 5, the brand is delivering even more ways for donut lovers to celebrate.

Ahead of the big day, Dunkin' is kicking off the week with a limited-time Dunkin' tote bag giveaway – available with the purchase of a half dozen donuts or more on Monday, June 1st at participating Dunkin' locations, while supplies last. On National Donut Day, guests can enjoy a free donut with any beverage purchase for the 16th year in a row, alongside the return of a sweet collaboration with customizable lifestyle and accessories brand Stoney Clover Lane."

Following last year's sold-out collaboration, Dunkin' and Stoney Clover Lane created a new limited-edition collection for this year inspired by Dunkin' staples: a Dunkin' Iced Coffee Crossbody Bag ($98), a Dunkin' Donuts Small Pouch ($98), a Dunkin' Donut Pouch ($88), a Dunkin' Donuts Micro Pouch ($68), a collection of playful bag charms ($18 each), and collectible patch set ($58).

KRISPY KREME

MSN reported, "Get a free doughnut of your choice. Any doughnut, all day. No purchase necessary. This is valid for in-store customers only (not valid on online orders)."

VOODOO DOUGHNUT

MSN reported, "Fan club members will get an email for a free doughnut. Valid at all locations except Universal CityWalk and airport locations."

RANDY'S DONUTS

MSN reported, "Any guest can get a free doughnut (from the classic category) from 6 am to noon. All locations are participating except Resorts World in Las Vegas and the LAX airport."

7-ELEVEN

National Convenience and Fuel Retailing reported, "On June 5th, 7-Eleven will offer 7Rewards and Speedy Rewards members classic glazed donuts for 50 cents each, available at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes stores nationwide. The single-day deal is for loyalty members only. The company said 7-Select Mini Donut packs are also available for $1 in honor of the celebration. The yellow cake donuts are coated in chocolate, cinnamon sugar, toasted coconut crunch or powdered sugar."

According to Brandon Brown, senior vice president, fresh foods and beverages at 7-Eleven Inc., "Sometimes the best celebrations are the simplest ones, like a fresh donut and a great deal. National Donut Day gives customers a fun reason to treat themselves, and these offers make every coffee run, snack stop, or midday break a little sweeter."

SHIPLEY DO-NUTS

MSN reported, "Shipley Do-Nuts is celebrating all month. Shipley Rewards members can get a free glazed donut with purchase every Friday in June (valid June 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th from 5 am to close)."

DUCK DONUTS

MSN reported, "Get a free cinnamon sugar doughnut when you visit Duck Donuts, in-shop only. There's no purchase necessary to get the freebie."

STAN'S DONUTS CHICAGO

According to the brand's website, on June 5th, EVERYONE gets a free chocolate-dipped donut with any purchase, but some will get extra lucky. Bite into it, and if your donut is pink, you get FREE donuts for a year! If it's green, you get free donuts for the rest of your LIFE! Every location will have ONE winner of donuts for a year."

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Let's Celebrate Some Famous Cats on "Hug Your Cat Day"

If you're an ailurophile (like me), or in other words, a cat fan, then today is a purrfect day because it's HUG YOUR CAT DAY. However, since cat guardians don't need a special day to hug their cats, let's celebrate some famous cats today who excel at personal branding.

THE CAT IN THE HAT

According to Wikipedia, "The Cat in the Hat is a 1957 children's book written and illustrated by American author Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel. The story centers on a tall anthropomorphic cat who wears a red and white-striped top hat and a red bow tie. The Cat shows up at the house of Sally and her brother one rainy day when their mother is away. Three years after its debut, the book had sold over a million copies. In 2001, Publishers Weekly listed the book at number nine on its list of best-selling children's books of all time; and in 2020, The Cat in the Hat placed second on the New York Public Library's list of "Top 10 Checkouts of All Time." The Cat himself became one of the mascots for Dr. Seuss Enterprises."

FELIX THE CAT

According to Felixthecat.fandom.com, "A kind and wonderful cat that first appears in Feline Follies. While Felix's personality varies, he is generally portrayed as mischievous, good-hearted, and willing to help others in need." According to Wikipedia, "Felix's expressive tail, which could be a shovel one moment, an exclamation mark or pencil the next, serves to emphasize that anything can happen in his world. Given the character's unprecedented popularity and the fact that his name was partially derived from the Latin word for "happy," some notable individuals and organizations adopted Felix as a mascot. The first of these was a Los Angeles Chevrolet dealer named Winslow B. Felix, who first opened his showroom in 1921. The three-sided neon sign of Felix Chevrolet, with its giant, smiling images of the character, is today one of LA's better-known landmarks, standing watch over both Figueroa Street and the Harbor Freeway. Others who adopted Felix included the 1922 New York Yankees and pilot and actress Ruth Elder, who took a Felix doll with her in an attempt to become the first woman to duplicate Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic crossing to Paris...For Felix the Cat's 100th anniversary in 2019, Universal Pictures dubbed November 9th as "Felix the Cat Day" and released new merchandise, including Skechers brand shoes, a PEZ dispenser, shirts, and more."

CHESHIRE CAT

According to Wikipedia, "The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat popularized by Lewis Carroll in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and known for its distinctive mischievous grin. While now most often used in Alice-related contexts, the association of a "Cheshire cat" with grinning predates the 1865 book. It has transcended the context of literature and become enmeshed in popular culture, appearing in various forms of media, from political cartoons to television, as well as in cross-disciplinary studies, from business to science. Often, it is shown in the context of a person or idea that is purposefully confusing or enigmatic. One distinguishing feature of the Alice-style Cheshire Cat is the periodic gradual disappearance of its body, leaving only one last visible trace: its iconic grin."

GARFIELD

According to Wikipedia, "Garfield is a fictional American cat and the protagonist of the comic strip of the same name, created by Jim Davis. He was born on June 19th, 1978 (the day the first Garfield strip was published), in the kitchen of Mamma Leoni's Italian Restaurant. Garfield is portrayed as a lazy, fat, cynical, and self-absorbed orange tabby Persian cat. He is noted for his love of lasagna, pizza, coffee, and sleeping, and his hatred of Mondays. As a kitten, Garfield developed a taste for lasagna, describing it as "Nature's most perfect food." Because of his large appetite, the owner of Mamma Leoni's had to choose between giving away Garfield or closing down his restaurant; so Garfield was sold to a pet shop. On August 19, 1978, Garfield was adopted from the store by Jon Arbuckle, a cartoonist by trade, who was frequently yet unknowingly mocked by Garfield."

HELLO KITTY

According to Wikipedia, "Hello Kitty, also known by her real name Kitty White, is a fictional character created by Yuko Shimizu, designed by Yuko Yamaguchi, and owned by the Japanese company Sanrio. According to her backstory, she lives in a London suburb with her family, and is close to her twin sister Mimmy, who is depicted with a yellow bow. Hello Kitty is a British anthropomorphic white cat with a red bow and no visible mouth. Sanrio decided to make Hello Kitty British because foreign countries, in particular Britain, were trendy in Japan at the time of Hello Kitty's creation. Sanrio already had several characters set in the US, and it wanted Hello Kitty to be different. UNICEF named Hello Kitty as children's ambassador to the United States in 1983, children's ambassador to Japan in 1994, and gave her the title of UNICEF Special Friend of Children in 2004, a title unique to her. By 2010, the character was worth $5 billion a year, and The New York Times called her a global marketing phenomenon."

Monday, June 1, 2026

Best Social Media Post of the Month of May 2026

How many social media posts do you recall? Do some go viral because they are for charity, like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge? Or do some go viral because they happened at the right moment in time, like my favorite tweet of all time, the Oreo tweet when the lights went out at the 2013 Super Bowl? Or do some go viral and become memorable simply because they're funny?

In a monthly series on my blog appearing during the first week of each month (hard to believe I've been writing these posts since February 2025), I share the best social media post of the preceding month. My choice may appear on Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.

According to Google, "The best social media post of the month is typically one that effectively combines high engagement with relevance to current events, holidays, or trending topics, while also aligning with your brand identity and authentically connecting with your audience; this could include a thought-provoking question, a relatable story, a visually appealing image, a timely meme, or a behind-the-scenes look, depending on your platform and target demographic."

Without further ado, the post that earns my recognition as the best social media post of the month from May 2026 was a post on May 1st by candy brand M&M's, that appeared on Instagram. With all the buzz and co-branding surrounding the movie sequel "The Devil Wears Prada 2," that arrived in theaters on May 1st, this post about a new color of M&M's in "cerulean blue" was hysterical! The message was "Everybody wants them. Get M&M's All Cerulean while supplies last." This post followed two previous posts featuring the limited-time candy color that quoted the movie's main character Miranda Priestly, who originally described the color as "not just blue. Not turquoise or lapis either."

If you haven't seen the original movie from 20 years ago or cannot recall the Cerulean Sweater Monologue, a link is provided at the end of this post.

Brands that can align their products or services to an event, holiday, or trending news that everyone is talking about have the potential to be memorable. And M&M's definitely succeeded in my book!

However, on a related note, ice cream brand Baskin-Robbins shared a similar post also on May 1st on Instagram with the message, "Miranda would approve." In the image, there were two ice cream cones and the message, "It's a tough call, they're so different." One was labeled BLUE, and the other was labeled as "CERULEAN." What do you think?

Which brand will stand out during June, and why? Swing by #DebbieLaskeysBlog during the first week of July to read about my choice.