Big In Print
America's Hottest Brands
Uniqlo Creates a Splash in the Big Apple
November 28, 2011
How to establish yourself as a retail player in New York: Open two mammoth stores a week apart, blanket the city with slick advertising and lure shoppers with hard-to-resist prices.
Skillet Street Food Spices Up Gourmet Market -- With Spreadable Bacon
November 28, 2011
Skillet Street owner Josh Henderson, a founding father of the street-food trend, elevated lunch with dishes such as poutine and Kobe beef burgers. But it was the topping on the burger that really intrigued customers.
Sharpie Expands Product Line -- and Moves Beyond Utility
November 28, 2011
With a new campaign and raison d'être focused on creativity, Sharpie is making its business as big as its brand.
Poise Expands its Category as Well as Its Own Sales
November 28, 2011
With a small budget, Poise tapped a key consumer insight and an effective idea to spread the word that light bladder leakage is more common than women thought it was, expanding the category as well as its own sales.
JackThreads Zeros In on Profitable Flash-Sale Niche
November 28, 2011
Three-year-old JackThreads boasts 1.3 million members, is on track to do $25 million in revenue this year, and has recently partnered with brands such as HBO and McDonald's on exclusive fashion-line collaborations.
Fitness Brand Crossfit Taps its Tight-Knit Community for Fast Growth
November 28, 2011
With a non-traditional marketing focus on relationships, Crossfit, which combines weightlifting and gymnastics, sprints and rowing, kettlebells and jump ropes, is exploding in popularity.
Arizona Tea Aims to Ride Growth with Category, International Expansions
November 28, 2011
The beverage company is now tangling with PepsiCo's Lipton for control of the $5.3 billion ready-to-drink iced-tea category and expanding into other categories such as coconut water and malt beverages.
Chegg Expands from Textbook Rentals Into 'Social Education Platform'
November 28, 2011
In just four years, Chegg has become a part of the lexicon on college campuses across the country. What began as a textbook-rental company fashioned after Netflix has blossomed into a Silicon Valley darling.
Finish is Closing in on Cascade Thanks to Healthy Dose of Chutzpah
November 28, 2011
With the launch of a new, highly reviewed product -- and then the touting of those reviews in its advertising -- Reckitt Benckiser's Finish is becoming a force in the dish detergent category.
Dove's Second Act Generates Strong Sales
November 28, 2011
With soaring sales so far this year, Dove's classic packaged-goods blocking and tackling seems to have worked, brilliantly.
Kia Soul Wins the Hearts of Its Intended Young Consumers
November 28, 2011
While Hyundai drastically raised awareness this year with its revamped Sonata and Elantra, Kia Soul stole the spotlight (and the hearts of its targeted younger audience) with its CGI hamster spots upmarket sound systems, robust engines and good mileage.
'My Little Pony: The Friendship Is Magic' Gains Unexpected Audience -- Adults
November 28, 2011
For kids' cable network The Hub, a funny thing happened on the way reimagining the 1980s cult hit "My Little Pony": Adults also started watching, including a male teen-and-older demographic of webheads.
How Chevy Cruze Came to Be GM's Hottest-Selling Car Brand
November 28, 2011
Since its debut, the Chevrolet Cruze has been targeted to a dual audience of younger buyers and a middle-aged crowd. And it's found its target: the nameplate has sold more than 200,000 units in the U.S. as of October, making it GM's hottest-selling car brand.
Goldfish Rides a New Wave of Popularity
November 28, 2011
The 50-year-old brand continues to show its durability, moving up from the 10th best-selling cracker to No. 2.
DC Comics Reworks Its Heroes
November 28, 2011
You don't tug on Superman's cape. That's probably good advice -- a character like the Man of Steel is worth millions of dollars in licensing, merchandise and movies. But that's exactly what DC Comics did this year.
Five Tips for Driving Word-of-Mouth -- No Matter What Your Product Is
November 28, 2011
Is there a formula to making a product conversation-worthy? And more importantly, is there a way to keep that conversation going over time?
Shellac Brings Women Back Into Nail Salon With Fail-Proof Formula
November 28, 2011
At a time when nail polish is being hailed as the new lipstick and sales of the product are growing faster than those of its recession-indicating predecessor, CND has revolutionized the market with its chip- and dull-proof Shellac Power Polish.
Warby Parker Revolutionizes Eyewear Market by Borrowing From Apple, Zappos
November 28, 2011
By running its business as a lean, largely web-based venture with great customer service, Warby Parker has upended an established industry dominated by a few powerful players.
SodaStream Pops Up in a Big Way
November 28, 2011
In the past year, SodaStream has hit the shelves in a big way: It went from 2,500 stores in the fourth quarter of 2010 to nearly 9,500 today.
No Fancy Ingredients Here: Pickle Juice Is Latest Craze in Functional Drinks
November 28, 2011
If you're fishing during the brutal summer months in the southern U.S. and you suddenly find yourself suffering a massive leg cramp, don't be surprised if your host sticks a bottle of Pickle Juice Sport in your face.
