Marketing Tactics

New York -- CBX announced the appointment of Marco Marcellini as a creative director in the retail environments group.

Marco, a native of Florence, Italy, brings over 12 years of experience as an architect and interior designer working on a wide range of high-end projects including retail, educational, cultural, corporate interiors, hospitality, and residential. In this new position at CBX he will be specializing in translating identities and brand strategies into 3D environments.

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Co. has announced a partnership to open a store inside each of the six Disney properties in California and Florida.

The first will open this summer, at Disneyland California Adventure in Anaheim, Calif. Starbucks will be located in the Fiddler, Fifer and Practical Café on Buena Vista Street, which is designed to transport patrons to 1920s Los Angeles. The store’s location plays off the Spanish/Mexican architecture of the period, and Starbucks baristas will wear 1920s-inspired attire.

New York -- Ann Inc., the parent company of Ann Taylor and Loft, announced the launch of AnnCares360, a program in partnership with Good360, a nonprofit leader in product philanthropy. The program will facilitate the donation of available displays, marketing items, and fixtures to local charities that support women and children.

CINCINNATI — Ahead of Earth Day, a number of retailers have been touting their sustainable efforts. The latest example is Kroger, which has released a video highlighting some of its accomplishments and showcasing some of its future goals.

The video features both store associates and customers who speak about how much Kroger has already done--from reducing waste and plastic bag use--and what the company can do more of--from making it easier to find organic products to donating more fresh produce to charity.

San Bernardino, Calif. -- In celebration of Earth Day, Stater Bros. said that six of the company's newest supermarkets in California have earned the prestigious EPA GreenChill Gold Award for meeting tough environmental standards and using ozone-friendly refrigerants. The certifications are good for one year. Four of the locations also received GreenChill Gold Awards in 2011 (Grand Terrace, Moreno Valley, Cathedral City and Carlsbad).

Stater Bros. is the only Southern California grocer to have six stores that are certified at the Gold Level.

NEW YORK — Ann Inc., the parent company of Ann Taylor and Loft, has launched AnnCares360, a program in partnership with Good360, the nonprofit leader in product philanthropy. The program will facilitate the donation of available displays, marketing items, and fixtures to local charities that support women and children.

Through the program, all Ann Inc. stores can enter valued, reusable goods into a tracking system that will link to Good360's online product donation marketplace and its network of more than 26,000 charities.

Atlanta -- The Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council has published the final installment of its five-part report on social media, which suggested that grocery marketers significantly can leverage any social media participation by simply responding to tweets on Twitter and exploring the potential of professional networking site LinkedIn.

AUSTIN — While 46% of consumers are more inclined to purchase a product if it is eco-friendly, nearly 60% are unwilling to pay more money for that eco-friendly product or service, according to new research.