Picks for 2026 color of the year reveal as much about the brands promoting them as the color trends and design landscape.
Spotify Wrapped Dials Up Coverage
There’s one new data point in the annual Spotify Wrapped feature that’s getting more attention in coverage and on social media – listening age.
The Beatles Tell Their Story
It’s a band that broke up more than 50 years ago that got different generations to agree on what to watch on TV.
The Marketing Origins of Friendsgiving
Where did Friendsgiving come from? Not surprisingly, it was a brand campaign that pushed Friendsgiving into the mainstream.
What Does the End of the Penny Mean for Marketing?
Eliminating the coin will have broader implications for brands and how they price and market their offerings.
Branding an Apple
In the late 90s, Honeycrisp apples kicked the popularity of U.S. name-brand varieties into high gear, joining the ranks of Galas and Pink Ladies.
Pre-flight Safety Stories
Pre-flight safety messages have become a defining brand feature for many airlines, reflecting an opportunity to infuse storytelling into otherwise mundane moments.
Paranormal Marketing Activity
Paranormal Activity used a smart rollout strategy and new digital tools to build buzz, leveraging social media to create demand for more screenings in more places.
IKEA’s Meatball Milestone
An iconic part of the IKEA experience is celebrating 40 years — the meatballs.
Maxwell House Rightsizes
There’s power in using recognized trends and data points to reinforce your value prop and the benefits you can deliver to your audience.
Jane Goodall and Scientific Storytelling
Jane Goodall is credited with changing how we think about chimpanzees – and making scientific research more relatable. Her use of emotion and narrative in presenting her research underscores the power of story in compelling audiences to think differently about a topic.
Social Listening Done Right
When social listening meets fast execution, even small brands can steal the spotlight.
Cooper Sharp’s Moment
Move over, whiz. There’s a new big cheese in Philadelphia. The American cheese brand Cooper Sharp has become a sought-after topping for cheesesteaks and other sandwiches.
Happy Birthday, Spam
This week marks the anniversary of the first spam email ever sent in 1978. Ultimately, if your audience thinks your email is spam, you’re not sending the right messages.
Calm’s Silence Speaks Volumes
The average person absorbs thousands of ads in a single day. Some brands are using this ad-overload to their advantage.
Golden Marketing Opportunities
When looking for news hooks to bring timeliness to your initiatives or announcements, don’t be afraid to go out-of-the-box with lesser known holidays or even by making up your own milestone. It allows you to lead the narrative around your offerings.
The Revival of April Fools’
April Fools’ is back and crazier than ever. Brands went all out, and not on their own. The most talked about pranks this year were partnerships between brands that you wouldn’t normally put together.
Catching Customer Engagement on Baseball’s Opening Weekend
As Major League Baseball’s season kicked off, Coors Light saw an opportunity to get in the game by launching its “Obstructed Brews” campaign.