Marketing Currents is a weekly current events news service that highlights unique and relevant business and marketing campaigns throughout the school year. The questions provided for student discussion will help to create a bridge between industry strategies/trends and the topics you are covering in class.
It’s a tough week to be a Southwest Airlines influencer. Take Kody and Kyler McCormick, brothers who have been making videos and social media posts boosting Southwest for years, in exchange for vouchers or cash from their favorite airline. Click here to read the story at nytimes.com. Discussion Questions:
When they’re good, they’re iconic. When they’re bad — well, at least you can usually laugh. We’re talking destination campaigns — when travel hotspots make a bid for your hard-earned vacation cash by producing extravagant videos and entire websites to grab your attention. Click here to read the story at Read more…
McDonald’s new test restaurant near Fort Worth, Texas could be the future of fast-food operators: Instead of human workers handing you a bag at the drive-thru, an automatic conveyer belt brings your order to the window. Click here to read the story at cbsnews.com. Discussion Questions:
“There’s a reason why it’s such a company priority,” said Alex Bodman, Spotify’s global vp of creative. “We don’t just see an increased user base day on day. We also see a lot of people coming back to the platform.” (Bodman declined to offer further details around growth and usage.) Read more…
Kia has a logo problem: namely, that people can’t quite read it. The recent revelation that the company’s new logo causes 30,000 people a month to Google “KN car” sent the design world into a minor tizzy, resulting in a number of proposals to “fix” the logo by restoring the missing crossbar to its Read more…
Last holiday season, McDonald’s leaned on singer Mariah Carey’s star power and discounts to drive customers to its mobile app. Click here to read the story at cnbc.com. Discussion Questions:
One of the most innovative ideas to gain momentum is the concept of the metaverse. For marketers, it’s critical to understand what the metaverse is and how it will impact the way brands promote their products and services. Click here to read the story at entrepreneur.com. Discussion Questions:
If the shoe fits, stay right inside of it! DJ Khaled is unlocking one of his most treasured rooms — his shoe closet. Click here to read the story at nypost.com. Discussion Questions:
Finnish fashion label VAIN has just taken the art of upcycling to the next level, utilizing discarded McDonald’s uniforms to create an all-new collection of workwear. Click here to read the story at yahoo.com. Discussion Questions:
Starbucks entered the world of NFTs with the beta launch of the web3-enabled extension of its loyalty program. Click here to read the story at axios.com. Discussion Questions: