The Indicator | June 21st, 2024

By Sonal Gandhi
Chief Content Officer at The Lead

Lots of marketing news this week, coinciding with Cannes Lions. Amazon launched a cookieless tracking alternative called Ad Relevance, while Athleta launched its first TV ad featuring Simone Biles. Meanwhile, young brands like Winx Health, Fulton and Blume, priced out of large platforms, are trying scrappy and creative tactics to get consumer attention like content marketing, flyers and sidewalk stencils.

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'Happenings'

'INNOVATION MOVES'

Foremost 50 brand, Stix, is rebranding to Winx Health and taking on Kerry Washington as investor and adviser. The brand introduced new products and achieved profitability in Q1 of 2024 by reducing reliance on paid advertising in favor of content marketing. (Modern Retail)

Young brands like Fulton, Elix, and Blume are turning to scrappy guerilla marketing tactics to get the word out about their products, as platforms like Meta now cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to get a worthwhile number of impressions. These tactics include tracing stencils on the sidewalk, giving out flyers or purchasing out-of-home ads in big cities. (Modern Retail)

83-year-old Kleinfeld Bridal introduces e-commerce for the first time with Kleinfeld Again, an online consignment shop allowing brides-to-be and one-time brides to shop or sell pre-worn wedding gowns. (Glossy)

Athleta launched its first linear TV ad ahead of the Paris Olympics, which features gymnast Simone Biles. Biles and fellow Olympian Katie Ledecky, who are both members of Athleta’s Power of She collective, will also appear in digital and out-of-home creative. (Retail Dive)

Target is launching an AI-powered chatbot tool, Store Companion, as an app on store associates’ handheld devices. The app is designed to help store associates answer process and procedure-related questions. It’s currently in pilot testing at about 400 locations ahead of a planned nationwide roll out. (Retail Dive)

Amazon is launching its own cookieless tracking alternative called Ad Relevance which uses the latest in AI technology to analyze billions of browsing, buying, and streaming signals in conjunction with real-time information, to serve relevant ads across devices, channels, and content types without needing third-party cookies. (EMARKETER

Weight-loss drugs may be driving the growth in purchases of smaller sizes and form-fitting styles. The effect is positive for manufacturers who may need less fabric due to the increased quantity of smaller sizes. (WSJ)

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'Financial Moves'

  • Avenue Stores (plus-size apparel retailer) was acquired by FULLBEAUTY Brands.

  • Primo Water and BlueTriton Brands (water companies with brands like Poland SpringDeer Park, and Mountain Valley) announced they would merge.

  • Space NK’s wholesale division was acquired by PCA Companies.

  • MAKEUP BY MARIO (makeup brand) announced the company is looking for strategic alternatives.

  • Golden Goose (Italian footwear) announced it would postpone its planned IPO as “a result of European market volatility”.
 

Financial Moves Powered by MMG Advisors

'Career Moves'

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