Brand Strategy

  • Boxes of sugary cereal in a store.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    General Mills outlines marketing spend increase to help return to growth

    Cinnamon Toast Crunch’s “Must Cinnadust” campaign generated a 500% increase in social engagement and drove growth, the company reported.

    By • Sept. 18, 2025
  • Image of phone showing Aldi's Instagram page
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    Peyton Bigora/Marketing Dive
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    How Aldi revamped its social media strategy — and why it’s working

    The fast-growing company has turned away from posts that just highlight its low prices and toward more playful, culturally relevant content, its marketing director said in an interview.

    By Peyton Bigora • Sept. 18, 2025
  • Artificial intelligence helping businessman make strategy and forecast. Explore the Trendline➔
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    zhuweiyi49 via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from Marketing Dive

    From the evolution of influencer marketing and paid media to the ongoing importance of data and culture, here's a look at key trends driving marketing in 2025.

    By Marketing Dive staff
  • Rendering of IKEA experience inside Best Buy store
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    Courtesy of Best Buy
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    Best Buy builds retail media chops with in-store takeovers, sports deals

    The retailer touted the strength of its advertising services for brand partners during its inaugural Best Buy Ads showcase.

    By • Sept. 18, 2025
  • Shaquille O'Neal appears in an ad for Carvana
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    Courtesy of Carvana
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    Carvana gives keys to Shaq for AI-powered brand takeover campaign

    Shaquille O’Neal voices an artificial intelligence-powered “Shaqbot” assistant as part of an effort that rebrands the company as “Shaqvana.”

    By • Sept. 17, 2025
  • A painted bottle of Modelo sits on a table infront of a blue six pack which is missing a bear. The background is blurred and a paint palette sits in the foreground.
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    Courtesy of Constellation Brands
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    Modelo honors Hispanic community to celebrate 100th anniversary

    The campaign includes out-of-home advertising, experiences and custom bottles, and comes as the brand struggles to maintain its core consumer base.

    By • Sept. 16, 2025
  • Taco Bell drive-through
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    Courtesy of Yum Brands
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    How Yum’s AI factory supercharges marketing at Taco Bell and beyond

    Execs at the fast-food giant detail an approach to artificial intelligence that is already powering in-app recommendations for Taco Bell.

    By • Sept. 16, 2025
  • An imae of a white and beige restaurant with red awnings. The center is a logo of a person wearing glasses.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    KFC hires Wingstop marketer as CMO to fire up comeback plan

    Melissa Cash takes over at the Yum chain for Catherine Tan-Gillespie, who was promoted to president in April.

    By • Sept. 15, 2025
  • Journeys' "Life on Loud" brand platform imagery
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    Courtesy of Journeys
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    Journeys remixes ‘90s hit for debut of ‘Life on Loud’ brand platform

    A reimagining of New Radicals’ “You Get What You Give” includes a music video that features micro- and mid-level influencers as background actors.

    By • Sept. 15, 2025
  • A standup comedian performs in a JCPenney ad
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    Courtesy of JCPenney
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    Q&A

    How JCPenney is preparing for the holidays with laugh-out-loud deals

    Marketing chief Marisa Thalberg discussed how marketers can engage holiday shoppers amid economic uncertainty.

    By • Sept. 12, 2025
  • A person eats Häagen-Dazs in a car
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    Courtesy of Häagen-Dazs
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    How Häagen-Dazs evolved its Super Bowl campaign into a brand platform

    The brand has worked with an agency team including Nice&Frank, The Door and Spark Foundry to find unique ways to get out its “Slow” message.

    By • Sept. 11, 2025
  • Wild Turkey campaign imagery for “When you Know It’s Right, Don’t Change a Damn Thing”
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    Courtesy of Wild Turkey
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    Wild Turkey nods to its roots in global ads targeting next-gen drinkers

    “When You Know It’s Right, Don’t Change a Damn Thing” highlights how the bourbon brand has stayed true to its heritage instead of embracing fads.

    By • Sept. 9, 2025
  • "Kittle Things" imagery.
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    Courtesy of DAZN
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    T-Mobile taps into NFL hype as top sponsor of George Kittle series

    “Kittle Things,” an original show from sports entertainment platform DAZN, has also drawn sponsorships from Little Caesars, Lysol and PrizePicks. 

    By • Sept. 9, 2025
  • Pampers
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    Courtesy of Pampers
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    Pampers prioritizes emotional storytelling for new campaign, brand ethos

    Launched with a tear-jerking ad around the NFL’s opening weekend, “Behind Every Baby” features several social-first elements like influencer partnerships.

    By • Sept. 8, 2025
  • A person on a smartphone walks by a Shake Shack restaurant
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    How Shake Shack removes friction between web traffic and app downloads

    As it begins to invest in paid media at scale, the fast casual chain teamed with Google to drive more app conversions and return on ad spend.

    By • Sept. 8, 2025
  • child with soccer ball
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    Istock.com / Frazao Studio Latino

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    Sponsored by SheerID

    From stadium to screen: How marketers can capture Gen Alpha’s loyalty at the biggest game of 2026

    The world’s biggest game is their debut. Learn how to capture Gen Alpha’s loyalty.

    By Lara Compton, SVP, Marketing, SheerID • Sept. 8, 2025
  • LeBron James plays basketball in a Nike ad
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    Courtesy of Nike
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    Nike reframes ‘Just Do It’ as ‘Why Do It?’ to engage next-gen athletes

    The effort, created by longtime agency Wieden+Kennedy Portland, furthers the brand’s work to realign around sports and encourage young athletes.

    By • Sept. 4, 2025
  • Billboards of actress Sydney Sweeney is seen outside of an American Eagle store on August 01, 2025 in New York City.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    American Eagle’s celebrity marketing drew outcry — and new customers

    The brand defended its controversial ads with Sydney Sweeney, claiming the campaign contributed to “unprecedented” customer acquisition.

    By • Sept. 4, 2025
  • Peach & Lily's New York City pop-up event celebrating its summer 2025 product launch.
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    Courtesy of Peach & Lily
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    Inside Peach & Lily’s unconventional influencer marketing strategy

    The skin care brand sent unbranded versions of its product to creators for a campaign that generated engagement five-times higher than previous efforts.

    By • Sept. 4, 2025
  • Checkers and Rally's meal
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    Courtesy of Checkers and Rally's
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    Why Checkers and Rally’s are keeping the pedal to the metal on value

    CMO Scott Johnson explains how the sister chains built on a brand platform created by Partners + Napier via a partnership with rapper GloRilla.

    By • Sept. 4, 2025
  • A man with a beard wearing a blue Modelo-branded varsity jacket and cowboy hat stands in an archway holding a case of beer.
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    Courtesy of Constellation Brands
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    Modelo doubles down on college football marketing to reach sports fans

    Representing a 20% jump in spend over last year, the brand’s latest campaign sees the return of The Recruiter, a character on the hunt for diehard fans.

    By • Sept. 4, 2025
  • A photograph of a menu with Cracker Barrel branding
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Cracker Barrel: Another case of the blanding of branding

    Restaurants must engage core and growth audiences to understand what they value and which brand equities to protect, evolve or retire, writes Jon Shapiro, chief creative officer of brand experience at PV&COHO.

    By Jon Shapiro • Sept. 3, 2025
  • NFL players Josh Allen and Justin Jefferson sit at a tailgate in a parking lot wearing blue Pepsi jumpsuits
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    Permission granted by Pepsi
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    Pepsi’s latest NFL blitz underscores larger marketing shift at soda giant

    New ads star Josh Allen and Justin Jefferson as Crashers who swap rival sodas for Pepsi, a concept that will be translated to real tailgate experiences.

    By • Updated Sept. 3, 2025
  • Close-up of a mobile phone recording a young woman vlog preparing salad in kitchen at home
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    FG Trade Latin via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    How legacy CPG brands can crack the social-first marketing code

    Ten-figure acquisitions, new agency experiments and organizational changes are underway, but the real key may be relinquishing a sense of control.

    By • Sept. 3, 2025
  • A group of people in a Dr Pepper ad
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    Courtesy of Dr Pepper
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    Keurig Dr. Pepper bets big on college football with help from Disney

    Mixed reality elements from the Dr. Pepper “Fansville” episodic campaign will be integrated into live college football broadcasts on ESPN and ABC.

    By Aaron Baar • Sept. 2, 2025
  • Sabrina Carpenter, wearing a black dress, sits on a grand piano in a black-and-white ad for Johnnie Walker
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    Permission granted by Diageo
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    Johnnie Walker strikes a bolder note with Sabrina Carpenter partnership

    Announced around the release of the singer’s new album, the multiyear pact is part of the whisky maker’s efforts to better appeal to young consumers.

    By • Sept. 2, 2025