NYSportsJournalism.com
MLB stadiums are preparing for the 2015 season, cleaning seats, upgrading facilities and enhancing menus with the likes of steaks, crab rolls, shrimp burgers and sushi. Yet when it comes to fan favorites the hot dog still rules - more than 21.4 million were eaten in ball parks last season. Foodservice companies as Aramark, Centerplate and Delaware North working with stadium chefs are going beyond the usual to create the likes of Cuban Pretzel Dogs, Taco Dogs, Steak & Cheese Dogs and Dogs Wrapped with Bacon on a Stick.
Drug Store News
Unilever's Dove has launched new film under its new "Choose Beautiful" campaign to encourage women worldwide to reconsider the choices they make about their beauty and how those choices make them feel. The film shows real women in San Francisco, Shanghai, Delhi, London, and Sao Paulo reflecting on how attractive they think they are. The film is meant to show the extent to which women can't see their own beauty, but that when they feel beautiful, they become what they feel because of their happiness and confidence. Dove will also do a global partnership in 2015 with Women in the …
USA Today
Honda is finally euthanizing a tall wagon that had the curb appeal of a nurse shark. The Crosstour, a vehicle that lends new meaning to the term "mashup" (of a car and a crossover) never caught on with consumers. The company says killing production of the Crosstour at its East Liberty plant in Ohio will free up space on the production line for two vehicles that have always sold well, namely the Honda CR-V and Acura RDX. American Honda's EVP John Mendel said the new 2016 Honda HR-V launching later this spring will be a better offer.
Cincinnati Enquirer
Procter & Gamble is looking for buyers for its Wella salon brand, its fragrance business and unnamed cosmetics brands. Unnamed sources said P&G is looking to sell them together or individually and could reap up to $19 billion. Reportedly, potential buyers including Henkel AG, Revlon Inc., Unilever, Kao Corp, and Coty Inc. P&G is dropping 100 noncore brands from its portfolio with combined sales of roughly $11 billion. The company so far has sold Iams and other pet food brands, half a dozen European laundry brands and almost 10 minor beauty brands.
Chicago Tribune
Target is going to the Windy City to open smaller-format stores called TargetExpress. The Minneapolis-based retailer plans to make its Chicago debut in October with the first of eight stores. The initial store is one-fifth the size of a traditional Target, and will house a Starbucks and carry merchandise geared toward neighborhood shoppers dropping in from biking or going to and from work. The stores include a pharmacy, grab-and-go sandwiches and salads, personal care and beauty products.
Burger Business
For,er Yum! brands fast-food chain A&W Restaurants is launching the Deli Burger, a double hamburger topped with sliced pastrami, mushrooms, onion and Swiss cheese. To tout the burger, which arrives on April 13, the company is advertising the sandwich with a TV spot, via Lexington, KY-based Cornett Integrated marketing, calling the burger/grinder "The greatest thing since sliced meat." A&W has 700 locations, many co-branded with former Yum! Siblings KFC and/or Long John Silver's.
Consumerist
Initially, the merger of Family Dollar with Dollar Tree was meant to involve the closing of no more than 300 stores. But as federal regulators get closer to putting their stamp of approval on the dollar store marriage, they're reportedly adding a few more stores to the list. The FTC has identified 340 stores for divestiture as part of its merger review. Representatives for Dollar Tree say most will be Family Dollar locations representing about $47.4 million in operating revenue.
Detroit Free Press
Chevrolet has a great new Malibu, which debuted at the New York auto show and goes on sale later this year. But the new car grabbed the baton from a late model Malibu that fell behind in mid-size race. It just wasn't great in any way, and in a segment as competitive as mid-size cars, not great is terrible. And that puts Malibu in eighth place out of ten. "We've got to get people to fundamentally think differently about Chevrolet," said Chevy cars marketing director Steve Majoros.
NYSportsJournalism.com
Michael Jordan has had many exciting teammates during his collegiate, pro and Olympic career, but none as charismatic, alluring, flippant and abrasive as Bugs Bunny, who appeared with MJ in "Space Jam" as well as two Super Bowl commercials. Now the bunny is reunited with Air Jordan as Hare Jordan for a TV, Internet, and social media campaign showing new products and apparel. The push celebrates the 30th anniversary of Nike's Jordan Brand.
Chain Store Age
Upscale footwear brand Stuart Weitzman"s first Instagram ad campaign features Cinemagraphs, which animates a portion of a photo so that it looks like a video. The digital advertising campaign features four Cinemagraphs spotlighting key spring styles, with one of the them with designer Stuart Weitzman's image flickering in a television set. To emphasize its omnichannel approach and strategy, Stuart Weitzman created the campaign around its proprietary hashtag #inourshoes.