Here’s what we learned this week…
Molson’s social media barrage is either awesome or awful
It didn’t take long for a debate to start in our comment section when we reported on Molson’s social media throw down. Some claim Canadian is being “whiny and petulant” when it calls out Bud’s cross-border hockey conundrum. Others say it’s a smart move. Bud must find itself in this situation more often these days, being simultaneously such an American brand but one that’s also associating with cultural events beyond its borders (i.e. the World Cup).
[Read More]
Tim Hortons has had a busy week
Fourth quarter financial announcements. Announcements about its partner brands (so long Cold Stone). Further U.S. Expansion. A renewed focus on customer service. Can you imagine how frazzled their communications team must be today? Amid all that news was a slightly overlooked announcement that the chain was launching a credit card loyalty program with CIBC. With same-store sales not where they should be, it’s a move to get people lining up more often. But with McDonald’s having recently launched a broader reaching coffee loyalty program of its own, we wonder if this one-bank partnership is enough to move the needle.
[Read More]
Loblaw sees dollar signs around new online shopping program
Research from McKinsey & Co shows the ‘click-and-collect’ model of online grocery retail (shopping and paying from home then driving to the store to pick up the goods) can bump up margins by as much as 20%.The grocery sector has just come through a very tough year (a 17-year sales low), so it’s no surprise Loblaw is looking for alternatives to the status quo.
[Read More]
Hootsuite is the next big Canadian celebrity
It might not get Bieber-scale attention, but a new study shows this Vancouver-based social service provider has tremendous brand recognition. “For 50.6% of readers, it was the first company of its kind that came to mind. For perspective, Google won the analytics category with 50.4% of votes.”
[Read More]
