• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, January 1, 2019

One of my favorite things about Marketing Daily readers is that they are always looking for new ideas.

As much as I cover the predictable world of marketing -- new campaigns, new CMOs, line extensions -- what gets readers clicking the most are stories about brands tiptoeing into new arenas.

This year, for example, two of my Top 10 stories involved retailers looking to build on consumers’ strong desire to waste less, recycle more. The first, Walmart, Target Recycle Baby Gear, focuses on earth-friendly parents trying to get used car seats out of landfills. 

And the second, Hello Recommerce: The North Face Launches Used Clothing Line, shows how one sportswear brand is looking to muscle in on territory owned by rival Patagonia.

Likewise, while Nike made many big moves throughout the year, the one our readers read and shared most wasn’t about work showcasing athletes like Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James or Serena Williams, but 'Just Do It’ Turns 30; Nike Celebrates With L.A. Pop-Up, part of its masterful new retail strategy. 

And as brands look to expand and build out ecosystems that catch consumers in a web of novel experiences, unexpected partnership stories are a hit, including Ikea Teams Up With Adidas, Lego. 

And the customer experience itself continues as a topic attracting readers, especially when an upstart brand like Wayfair explains why it’s essential for growth: Wayfair: Experience, Not Marketing, Drives Sales.

The impact of online grocery sales continues to intrigue, especially when it includes beefy forecasts: Online Global Grocery Shopping To Double To $334 Billion.

But best of all, Marketing Daily readers like stories of brands linked to sports, including a piece about up-and-coming tennis phenom Naomi Osaka Set To Land Adidas’ Biggest Female Payday. 

The best-read story of all? It was also my favorite to write, even though this year it meant watching my beloved New England Patriots stumble, since it was all about fan feedback on the ads that scored during the Big Game: Time, Amazon, Pepsi Win Super Bowl; Ram, Diet Coke Are Duds.