Marketing Tactics

New York – Aeropostale has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against rival specialty apparel retailer H&M. The suit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, alleges that H&M used the phrase “Live Love Dream,” trademarked by Aeropostale, on apparel and accessory items.

Aeropostale says it notified H&M of the infringement, but H&M did not cease using the trademarked phrase. H&M has not publicly responded to the suit yet.

Austin, Texas – Performance marketing solutions provider iProspect has launched "Search-Powered Social, a hosted service that utilizes data captured via paid search through Facebook's Website Custom Audiences offering. This allows marketers to build lookalike audiences on Facebook, which target segments resembling a brand's most loyal consumers.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. - Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. opens its newest Florida Sears Home Appliance Showroom on April 25, in Sunrise. The Sunrise location is one of six Sears Home Appliance Showrooms Michael Myers owns and operates.

By Bret Cunningham, president, BestFit Mobile

Miami – Consolidated net income at Burger King Worldwide Inc. grew 68.7% year-over-year during the first quarter of fiscal 2014, rising to $60.4 million from $35.8 million. In the same period, total revenues fell 26.5% to $240.9 million from $327.7 million.

Systemwide same-store sales grew 2%. Burger King cited severe weather as negatively affecting North American sales, as well as the net refranchising of 327 company-owned stores during the quarter. The retailer attributed its net income growth to improvement in overseas EBITDA performance.

Pittsburgh – GNC Holdings Inc. is launching a new national brand campaign: "Beat Average." The campaign is designed to open a conversation with health-and-wellness consumers about their daily personal wellness goals and how GNC can be their ongoing partner and ally in beating average.

Columbus, Ohio – Lane Bryant opens a new store at Genesee Valley Center in Flint, Michigan, on April 25. From April 25-27, Lane Bryant will give away 50 $25 gift cards each day.

Lane Bryant operates 775 stores across the U.S.


 

Philadelphia — Century 21 has signed into The Gallery in Center City Philadelphia. It is the iconic fashion retailer’s first location outside of the New York market, according to the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, the owner and manager of The Gallery.

The challenges for a small/medium CPG company today, competing against the multibillion dollar conglomerates, are greater than ever before. With the skyrocketing cost of freight, manufacturing, raw materials, sales and marketing, the small/medium CPG company does not enjoy any of the economies of scale that the established multi nationals do. Competing in the low margin highly competitive beverage category, as we do at Celsius, only accentuates the challenge.

Ale or Lager? Stout? Lambic? Pilsner? These are the questions candy makers at Jelly Belly Candy Company asked themselves before creating what they say is the world’s first beer flavored jelly bean.

In the end, the company opted to pay homage to its German ancestry with a Hefeweizen-inspired ale flavor, and Draft Beer Jelly Belly jelly beans took shape. The new flavor is now available in bulk and a single-flavor 3.5-oz Grab & Go bag.