By Rob Walker Branded is a weekly column devoted to the intersection of marketing, business, design, and culture. This month, Modelo Especial became the top-selling beer in the United States, surpassing longtime sales-champion Bud Light. So far, Modelo Especial’s crowning has largely been explained less in terms of Modelo’s rise than in terms of the … Continue reading How Modelo Especial quietly became America’s top beer brand
By Yannise Jean June 15, 2023 For years, Hollywood has claimed that it has fixed or made gains toward fixing its diversity problem. But while the industry has made small movements toward change, its monolithic misconceptions about marginalized communities still reign as the dominant narrative, and stories are still largely created for white audiences. … Continue reading How Hillman Grad became the home for emerging talent
By Joey Cappelletti—Associated Press March 24, 2023 Michigan, long known as a mainstay of organized labor, on Friday became the first state in decades to repeal a union-restricting law known as “right-to-work” that was passed over a decade ago by a Republican-controlled legislature. The state’s “right-to-work” law had allowed those in unionized workplaces to opt out … Continue reading Michigan just became the first state in 58 years to repeal a ‘right to work’ law—a win for unions
By KC Ifeanyi March 11, 2023 Tom Ryan is used to being an underdog. In fact, he prefers it. When Ryan launched Pluto TV on April’s Fools Day in 2014, most people thought it was comically apropos given that he was entering a streaming video on demand space dominated by Netflix with … Continue reading How Paramount+ became a top contender in the streaming wars
By Sarah Lynch January 07, 2023 There was an owl in the room. Zaria Parvez entered Duolingo’s Pittsburgh headquarters for the first time in September 2021 and spotted a human-size green and orange owl costume slumped on an empty table. Before the pandemic, this mascot had only been trotted out to promote the language … Continue reading How Gen Z social media managers became the new CMOs
By James I. Bowie November 08, 2022 Elon Musk’s newly unveiled plan to allow Twitter users to sport the social media platform’s coveted blue check for a mere $7.99 per month has focused unprecedented attention on the symbol. In some sense, the fate of the company—financially, culturally, and politically significant as it is—hangs on … Continue reading Behind the design of Twitter’s blue check—and how it became a polarizing symbol
By Elissaveta M. Brandon August 14, 2022 If you’ve spent any time on TikTok lately, you may have noticed a sudden obsession with color—or rather the absence of it. “There’s been a disappearance of color variety everywhere in the world,” one user says. “Now I’m insecure about liking neutrals,” another comments. It all … Continue reading How gray became the king of color
By Moises Mendez II July 21, 2022 A weird, bubblegum-pink condiment has taken hold of the internet. Dubbed Pink Sauce, the controversial product got its start on TikTok this summer when a woman began selling and shipping out the $20-per-bottle mystery substance with allegedly few precautions taken for food safety or regulations. Where … Continue reading How Pink Sauce became TikTok’s most viral—and controversial—condiment
Microsoft Teams, Verizon and Facebook all played key roles. Rodric Bradford on November 10, 2020 When people think of the United Service Organizations (USO), they think of Bob Hope hosting elaborate overseas concerts, comedy shows, and sporting events starring the best that U.S. entertainment has to offer. In the nearly two decades since Hope’s passing, … Continue reading How the USO became a veteran at hosting virtual events
Jim Moliski — March 24, 2020 Are your salespeople prepared for the unique challenges of virtual selling? Before this month, at least 70 percent of sales calls were virtual, according to a study from Inside Sales. With the effects of the current pandemic, that number has skyrocketed. Great web conferencing platforms are within everyone’s reach, … Continue reading Virtual Selling Just Became Vital to Your Business
