Marketing Tactics

A new partnership with Hendrick Motorsports has 3M off to the races. The company has signed a three-year contract to become the primary sponsor of NASCASR driver Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 car, starting in 2015.
 
The brand will use its sponsorship — which includes 11 Sprint Cup races every year — in product launches and promotions.
 

Foothill Ranch, Calif. – The Wet Seal Inc. is launching its new Wet Seal + Plus banner with 30 new stores opening Aug. 16. The stores are opening in California, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

The smart home phenomenon is coming to dinner this Thanksgiving and Jennie-O and smart thermometer manufacturer iDevices are bringing the technology.

Nordstrom has launched its first-ever private label give-back brand, Treasure&Bond, which will be available in the T.B.D. clothing department at 86 stores around the country and on nordstrom.com.

Five percent of net profits of Treasure&Bond will go to nonprofits that work to empower women and girls.

Brooklyn, N.Y. -- Home furnishings retailer West Elm is launching what it calls “We Love Local Small Business Grant” contest, designed to support U.S.-based artists, makers and designers as they grow and scale their businesses.

The contest launches Aug. 12 with open online submissions, followed by in-store portfolio reviews in five stores across the country. The public will vote online for one of 20 finalists selected by West Elm, and the winner will be announced on Nov. 19.

The Walgreens Charity Classic, presented by the Seagate Country Club, is set for Nov. 6 to 9, 2014 in Delray Beach, the Country Club announced Friday. The Charity Classic will showcase the talents of 48 former LPGA Tour stars now playing the Legends Tour, the official senior tour of the LPGA.

The four-day event will also raise funds for three area charities: The Dan Marino Foundation, Achievement Centers for Children & Families and Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse.
 

Austin, Texas -- A Shoppers Trend report released by RetailMeNot found that, once kids leave the nest, parents are just as ready as their kids to start a new chapter in life. In fact, nearly three-in-four parents (74%) surveyed indicated they would do things differently once their kids leave the house, with traveling (42%), spending time with friends (37%) and pampering themselves (33%) topping the list of changes.

GameStop plans to offer customers more for their pre-owned video games with a new, streamlined trade-in program that will launch nationwide August 18.

The program will feature four price-points depending on whether a customer chooses cash or in-store credit for their items and whether they are a PowerUp Rewards Pro member.

For example, a customer who is a PowerUp Rewards Pro member who sells a game valued at $20 for credit could get $22, whereas a customer who sells that game for cash and who is not a PowerUp Rewards Pro member would get $16.