Branding/Marketing

As the COVID-19 Delta variant starts to spread throughout the United States, particularly among the unvaccinated, it seems time is of the essence to promote the benefits of vaccination to those remaining skeptical. 

Several brands are looking to short films as a tactic for connecting with customers. Infiniti has tapped Kate Hudson to star in its short film introducing the QX60 SUV. Its target customer is busy dealing with myriad issues, Infiniti says. That customer will relate to the multi-talented Hudson and the film reveal, Infiniti’s GM for global marketing Phil York says in an interview with PRNEWS.

With cannabis legal in a growing number of states, it’s no longer surprising to see pot products and messaging within the mainstream. 

In the past year, as calls for social justice have increased, a growing number of organizations found themselves re-branding, changing their names or packaging in attempts to leave behind legacy narratives.

The PRNEWS staff encounters many examples of brand communication.  We compile assessments of some of the best and not-so-great examples. Our intent is to provide a learning experience about what works or doesn’t. You can find previous examples here. In this Valentine’s edition, we examine some of the sweetest brand campaigns.

In years past, launching product was a boon for publicists. It was fairly easy. In 2020 and beyond, not so much.

In addition to breaking through the noise of COVID-related news, brands with product launches were forced last year to compete with stories about social justice and the election. Combine that with shrinking newsrooms and an inability to host live events and the appetite for product launches was just not the same.

The PRNEWS staff comes across many examples of brand advertising and communications every day. We have compiled an assessment, with staff members providing their choices of the most notable, good or bad. This week, we placed a special focus on 2020 brand pivots.

Illness, job losses, a divisive presidential race and semi-isolation have battered consumers this year. As such, they are seeking bright spots in an otherwise dark climate. It will be an atypical Thanksgiving, potentially opening new doors for brands that embrace the change.

[ Editor’s Note: As the holidays near, we spoke to Kristin Berlew, senior manager, PR, B&G Foods , which owns Green Giant. We asked about the brand’s holiday plans amid uncertainty surrounding

PRNEWS Live welcomed Dave Skena, chief marketing officer and global director of brand at Krispy Kreme. We discussed how the delectable doughnut brand flipped the script on Halloween and Election Day for 2020.