Brand News #9: Top 5 Articles on Brands Navigating Change
Each week, IDEON scours the web for the best branding stories. Here are this weekend’s must-reads.
Branding Change
This week’s notable stories saw brands from The Huffington Post to Uber steering their brands through often tumultuous changes.
How Sundial Brands CEO Richelieu Dennis Is Challenging Segregation In The Beauty Aisle
Dennis is breaking walls and teaching the beauty industry how to embrace multiculturalism. — Fast Company
Natural is now becoming the norm. Over the past six years, the natural beauty market has seen double-digit growth; it’s currently worth $33 billion globally, making up 13% of the overall beauty market.
Arianna Huffington Is Leaving Huffington Post
Arianna Huffington will focus on her new venture, a health-and-wellness start-up called Thrive Global. — The New York Times
Over the last year, The Huffington Post has found itself an increasingly small part of an increasingly large media and tech conglomerate. When Verizon, which announced it had purchased The Huffington Post’s parent company, AOL, in May 2015, bought Yahoo’s internet business last month, Ms. Huffington’s perch at the company seemed increasingly precarious.
Return of the shopping mall — in India.
Those who wrote off Indian malls didn’t see the foreign brands and 24X7 shopping coming in — Quartz
Demand is shooting up as foreign brands bet on India’s $600-billion retail market. What’s more, after nearly two frenetic years, investor interest in e-commerce has plateaued, giving offline retailers a reason to step it up with new store additions.
How Uber Manages Drivers Without Technically Managing Drivers
The popular car service is using apps to tell the people behind the wheel what to do. Welcome to the era of algorithmic management. — Fast Company
Whereas today, employers choose between independent contractors and staff designations, a new category would give companies like Uber a third choice, such as “independent workers,” that could provide workers some protections without turning them into full-fledged employees.
Macy’s to Close 100 Stores as E-Rivals and Discounting Hit Legacy Retailers
“We’re getting out in front of this,” said Terry Lundgren, chief executive of the country’s largest department store chain, on closing 10 percent of Macy’s stores. — The New York Times
The great American consumer is very much alive. It’s just that people aren’t shopping like they used to, reluctant to pay full price or even leave the couch — cutting deep into the business of many top retailers.
Want even more brand insights? Check out our latest short-form IDEALOG where we take a look at the branding nuances underpinning acquisitions.
Have time for a longer (yet still sharp) piece? Our most recent EIDOS column profiles the branding techniques you can learn from the presidential primary race.
Stay in the know. Subscribe to our email list.
