Marketing Tactics

New York -- Apple Inc. has been granted a trademark from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its store design. The trademark covers the furniture and fixtures, floors, lighting and shelves found in Apple stores, along with the “Genius Bar.”

In addition, the trademark covers Apple’s all-glass storefront design.

Washington -- Despite some groups’ claims, the National Retail Federation said that few, if any, merchants are expected to surcharge customers for using a credit card as theoretically allowed under a controversial proposed lawsuit settlement with Visa and MasterCard being debated in the courts.

 

New York -- Cushman & Wakefield said Wednesday it represented Zero Halliburton Luggage in a lease for 3,900 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail space at 300 Madison Avenue.

Zero Halliburton leased the space for a 10-year term at the 35-story Midtown East skyscraper, which is located at the southwest corner of 42nd Street and Madison Avenue. The 1.1 million-sq.-ft. office property is owned by CIBC/Brookfield Properties.

St. Paul, Minn. -- Paster Enterprises announced Tuesday the hiring of Mike Sturdivant as a leasing agent for the company.

In his new role, Sturdivant will develop and launch marketing strategies for PE and prospective tenants. His duties will include working with existing tenants, being active in the brokerage community and researching industry trends.

Hampshire, United Kingdom -- The number of coupons redeemed through mobile and tablet devices is expected to reach 10 billion this year, up by more than 50% compared with last year, according to a new report from Juniper Research.

New York -- The Children’s Place and 1-800-Flowers.com have selected a social media management system from Sprinklr, an enabler of scalable social media management for companies. Sprinklr enables brands to be Social@Scale by engaging in a timely and relevant manner with their community from a single location, across multiple corporate functions, and in multiple social channels.

Canton, Mass. -- Dunkin’ Donuts has signed a franchise agreement with Vietnam Food and Beverage Co. Ltd. for the development of Dunkin' Donuts restaurants across the country over the next several years, with the first locations planned for the Ho Chi Minh city area.
  
“We are excited to partner with Vietnam Food and Beverage Co. Ltd., which has a deep knowledge of the Vietnamese consumer, to open the first Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in Vietnam,” said Giorgio Minardi, president, Dunkin' Brands International.”

Developments in portable technologies of all kinds have created an increasingly connected world. Aside from the obvious ubiquity of mobile phones (there are nearly six billion of them in use today), everyday objects from pedometers to thermostats are being infused with digital technologies, and networked to one another.

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. — The Ikea Foundation, with the help of its customers and employees, have donated $12 million to UNICEF and Save the Children for projects that will help create opportunities for children to have access to a quality education.

CHICAGO — An appreciation for human-crafted goods and growth in automated payment solutions are among the trends Mintel predicts will be impacting consumer behavior in the next five to 10 years.