Marketing winners and losers of the week

This week’s marketing winners, losers and newsmakers. 40 under 40 entries are open The final deadline for nominations is Aug. 2 Enter here Winners Chipotle: Along with posting strong second-quarter earnings, the burrito chain pleased customers this week when it said it will work on staff training to ensure all portion sizes are generous. The decision, which carries a price tag of an extra $50 million in costs, comes after many complained on social media about inconsistent and skimpy portions. One analyst responded positively to Chipotle’s news. TD Cowen’s Andrew Charles was “pleased management grabbed the bull by the horns and addressed negative publicity surrounding portion sizing that has been weighing on the investor narrative,” he wrote in a research note. Hyundai: Plenty of brands will go with emotional ads during the Olympics—but few will do it as smartly as Hyundai and its agency Innocean USA. The automaker on Thursday released a spot that sends a message to parents—when it comes to sports, it’s OK to give your kids a break. While other brands have taken care to pay attention to mental health (see Powerade’s “Pause is Power” campaign), Hyundai’s message gets at the heart of what is often a tricky situation—parents so often want their children to excel at everything, but sometimes the best advice is to back off, and give them a breather. Agency Review Tracker Stay up to date with the latest account reviews Click here Beauty retailers: Sephora and Ulta Beauty topped the Ad Age-Harris Poll Gen Z brand tracker, the list of 20 brands resonating with younger consumers. Clever loyalty programs, inclusive marketing and trendy products and brands that appeal to both Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers are helping both cosmetics giants make inroads with shoppers. Read more: 20 brands catching Gen Z’s attention right now Losers Delta: The airline came under scrutiny this week for its handling of flight cancellations and delays in the aftermath of the CrowdStrike IT system failure. Harder hit than competitors because it uses Windows software for crew tracking in addition to other operations, Delta’s issues affected more than half a million passengers and prompted an investigation by U.S. regulators. Meanwhile, CrowdStrike invited backlash when it doled out $10 Uber Eats gift cards to its partners. Read: How Delta is handling its Olympics push as issues persist Conn’s HomePlus: The home goods retailer, which operates 170 locations primarily in the southern half of the country, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week amid declining sales and consumers’ waning interest in furniture. The chain plans to close 73 of its stores as it restructures. Stellantis: The Jeep, Dodge and Ram marketer is having a rough year, especially in North America. The automaker this week reported a 48% drop in net income for the first six months of 2024, with North American margins falling significantly. The problems are “most acute in the U.S., where the company has seen high inventory levels, a string of executive departures and quality issues weigh on profit,” according to Bloomberg News. In June Stellantis hired former Sysco Corp. Chief Marketing Officer Rajoielle Register as senior VP for North American marketing. She replaced Marissa Hunter, who has left the company, according to people familiar with the matter. Register previously held various roles at Ford. Quote of the week “Historically, Nike has been one of the largest sellers of discretionary goods, but beyond simply being the largest, Nike has been one of the strongest marketers—there’s always been stories to tell about the stories Nike tells. But it seems like in the last several years, Nike has become more obsessed with where it’s selling than what it’s selling.” —Simeon Siegel, a managing director and senior analyst at BMO Capital Markets, about Nike’s recent sales declines. Read more: How Nike’s marketing could fuel a comeback Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs Social post of the week Obsessed with how prominently the Bermuda Tourism Authority's logo features a triangle best known for killing people pic.twitter.com/CH4VRmaayI— Katie Deighton (@DollyDeighton) July 25, 2024 Number of the week 250: The number of advertisers that will be part of the 2024 Paris Olympics across NBC and Peacock, up from 100 in past Games, according to NBCUniversal. Read more: 2024 Olympics—How brands plan to stand out On the move Savage X Fenty, Rihanna’s intimates and sportswear brand, hired Vanessa Wallace as CMO. She previously spent nearly two decades at Nike, most recently leading Jordan Brand marketing in North America. Shoe brand Kizik hired Elizabeth Drori as CMO. She had been global chief marketing officer and general manager of e-commerce at Sperry. Pfizer promoted Susan Rienow from U.K. managing director and country president to CMO. She replaces Drew Panayiotou, who is leaving the company after two years. Summit Hill Foods hired Kyle Peterson as CMO. He had been senior VP of marketing at InnovAsian Cuisine. 40 under 40 entries are open The final deadline for nominations is Aug. 2 Enter here

Marketing winners and losers of the week

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