Category: Marketing
-
Was the Leaked Labs launch overpriced?
How much should flexi-eye shadows cost? Is $34 enough or too much? I don’t personally have any idea about product development costs, marketing costs, and the expected profit margins for beauty brands. But what I do know is that a lot of people have come out to say that this first drop from Leaked Labs…
-
If Leaked Labs had an ideal customer
If I was to guess the original customer profile that Leaked Labs started with, it would be a beauty innovator. This viral influence beauty brand likely began with the early adopters in mind. They imagined the person who wants to be ahead of the curve and is willing to pay to stay there. It would…
-
Hot chicken and hot water: Revisiting a Shake Shack controversy
In 2021, Shake Shack decided it was time to innovate. They did the work to partner with Korean brands. They did the research to understand the Korean market on food and fried chicken. And the result of all of that effort was in the Gochujang Chick’n Sandwich which previously launched in Korean in the fall…
-
Old ideas are where it’s at
Yesterday, I was shaking my head at the idea of Scentbird starting a subscription box as it were a new thing. But now with my critical thinking ahead of my cynicism, I can see it now. It is a new thing… for them. Sometimes, that is all it takes to innovate. I, and maybe you…
-
Know your competitors
When Victoria’s Secret pushed their beauty assortment in the 90s, they added this key element to their approach: Know your competitors. When customers came in store, they met with knowledgeable salespeople who knew the full assortment of Victoria’s Secret Beauty. They also knew something else. They knew their competitors. They knew who their customers were…
-
Flashback to when Sol de Janeiro made a spider balm
In 2024, Sol de Janeiro decided to get in on the joke. After months of people questioning whether their newest fragrance was a spider attractant, they chose to play on that trend. Instead of fighting the strange public relations controversy that had people assuming their fragrance was attracting wolf spiders, they decided to “make something…
-
What Victoria’s Secret knew
I was doing a deep dive to learn more about the initial launch of Victoria’s Secret Rapture, and then I landed in a pile of marketing info. While there I came across a 2003 article in Brandweek about Victoria’s Secret Beauty. Writer Christine Bittar interviewed executives in Victoria’s Secret Beauty and made this observation about…
-
If were an airline right now
It’s 2026. The U.S. federal government is in a partial shutdown, with funding paused for the TSA. That means travelers have endured unheard of wait times. Some have waited in lines of four hours or more. That starkly contrasts with the past where a 1 hour wait was ridiculous. Travelers are getting to the airport…
-
Did you notice this one thing about the new Starbucks loyalty program?
I scanned my Starbucks app at the counter. “Oh, you’re a reserve member!,” the barista exclaimed. I sheepishly accepted the statement, while I did the calculations in my head. “Just how much do I spend here every year?” We’ll save that budget crisis and point out a specific feature of the new Starbucks loyalty tier…
-
Leave a review
Just a quick reminder: It’s okay to reach out directly to brands. Maybe you had a bad experience. Or an amazing one. Or one that was so-so. You can use the contact page on the brand website, call the phone number on your package, or leave a review. You can provide the feedback directly to…
A Wren Says 