Beyond Redemption: 3 Post-Holiday Gift Card Strategies That Drive Long-term Retention and Revenue

Beyond Redemption: 3 Post-Holiday Gift Card Strategies That Drive Long-term Retention and Revenue

The holiday shopping season may be winding down, but for marketing leaders in retail and hospitality, the work is just beginning. Gift cards are again a top choice for holiday shoppers. According to an International Council of Shopping Centers survey, two-thirds of...
When Lookalikes Bite Back: What the Mondelez v. Aldi Lawsuit Says About Private Labels and Retail Strategy

When Lookalikes Bite Back: What the Mondelez v. Aldi Lawsuit Says About Private Labels and Retail Strategy

A cookie is never just a cookie – especially when it’s wrapped in decades of brand equity. Last month Mondelez International Inc., maker of iconic packaged food brands like Oreo and Ritz, filed suit against Aldi supermarkets, alleging that Aldi’s store-brand cookies...
Old-school service and new-school tech: A marriage made in food service heaven

Old-school service and new-school tech: A marriage made in food service heaven

3 ways to effectively balance digital tools with the food and service your customers love Until recently, restaurants operated with a simple formula: stock up, serve fast, and keep loyal customers coming back. Fast forward to 2025, and restaurant consumers still...
The ROI Playbook: 3 ways that marketing drives incremental profit

The ROI Playbook: 3 ways that marketing drives incremental profit

For too many businesses, marketing remains an expense item—a necessary cost of doing business – not a strategic driver of profit. But what if marketing wasn’t just an expense? What if, instead, it operated as a profit center—accountable for delivering measurable,...
Let it snow, but don’t let a frozen marketing budget derail 2025 goals

Let it snow, but don’t let a frozen marketing budget derail 2025 goals

6 ways to optimize marketing ROI during economic uncertainty Depending on whom one asks, anywhere from 30 to 35 percent of North American firms plan to increase marketing budgets for 2025 – apparently the lowest number to do so of any region in the world. Why the...
Repost: Second major Burger King franchisee declares bankruptcy

Repost: Second major Burger King franchisee declares bankruptcy

Acquiring distressed assets can be a long and complex process. It is important to be realistic in expectations for immediate profits, and to plan the details of the work necessary inside the organization to turn it around. From this report, it appears Meridian...