Marketing Tactics

Target has further strengthened its marketing organization with the hiring of Kristi Argyilan as SVP, media and guest engagement, effective June 2.  

Argyilan will be responsible for leading and integrating the company’s paid, earned, owned and shared media initiatives.

Argyilan comes to the Target from IPG Mediabrands where she was most recently the president, Magna Global, North America. She has also held senior positions with advertising and integrated marketing agencies including Arnold, Hill Holiday, and Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.

Miller Lite will use festive photos from Twitter to generate content to be used in a television commercial this fall, according to a report from AdWeek.

While the brand's "Show Us Your Miller Time" summer-themed campaign includes components from both Twitter and Facebook, it's focusing more on Twitter to reach a specific demographic — guys ages 22 years to 27 years old.

The Lovely Candy Company has expanded its gluten- and GMO-free line with a gluten-free licorice, which it touts as the first gluten-free extruded licorice product in North America.

Branded as Lovely Licorice, the product is marketed to consumers with food sensitivities such as celiac disease. The gluten-free licorice is the brainchild of company founder Mike Nakamura, whose wife has not been able to have licorice because of her gluten-free dietary restraints. Nakamura founded the company in 2013 as a result of her request for licorice she could eat.

Mars Chocolate has announced a slew of new products, which range from Mars Bites to Dove Whole Fruit Dipped in Dark Chocolate.

Mars Bites give consumers a taste of their favorite candy bars in bite-size pieces. Mars is adding Twix, Musketeers and Milky Way bites to the portfolio. The suggested retail price is $1.49 for a 2.83-oz. sharing size. A 6-oz. stand up pouch is available for a SRP of $2.99.

Despite bad weather and a challenging retail environment, Ross was able to post net income increases in the first quarter of fiscal 2014 by controlling inventory and expenses.

Net income increased 4% to $243.9 million from $234.6 million in the prior-year quarter.

Total net sales in the quarter increased 6% to $2.68 billion, up from $2.54 billion in last year’s first quarter. Same-store sales rose 1%.

Boston - Cone Communications has launched its new social impact tool to help companies assess, communicate and prove their progress against addressing critical social issues. The Cone Social Return Assessment is a proprietary, diagnostic tool that uncovers gaps and opportunities within three elements critical to a company's successful program: awareness, engagement and impact, and provides a plan to optimize its business and social return.   

San Francisco – Williams-Sonoma had a strong first quarter of fiscal 2014, with net income climbing 17% to a better-than-expected $46.16 million from $39.17 million.

Net sales grew 10% to $974.33 million from $887.8 million, also topping estimates.

Total same-store sales grew 10%. Williams-Sonoma credited much of its success during the quarter to market share gains and advantages conferred by its multichannel operations.

Chesapeake, Va. – Dollar Tree Inc. slightly exceeded Wall Street estimates with net income of $138.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2014, up 4% from $133.5 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2013. Net sales rose 7% to $2 billion from $1.87 billion, and same-store sales increased 2%.

Columbus, Ohio – L Brands had a successful start to fiscal 2014. The company reported a 10% increase in net income to $156.9 million in the first quarter from $142.5 million the first quarter of the previous fiscal year.

Net sales rose 5% to $2.39 billion from $2.27 billion, and same-store sales grew 2% across its retail banners. Higher pretax income and operating income helped boost net income, while especially strong growth in sales at the Victoria’s Secret banner helped drive overall net sales growth.

Minneapolis – Best Buy Co. Inc. swung to a net profit in the first quarter of fiscal 2015 from a net loss in the same period a year earlier, but missed estimates with a drop in sales. The retailer posted net income of $461 million, a big turnaround from a net loss of $81 million.