NextCommerce
Analysis
Hershey’s Premium Push Tests Life Beyond Holiday Candy
New bars and a larger Cadbury campaign put Hershey’s “accessible premium” strategy in front of shoppers.
NextNow / Archive
Topic: Brand Strategy
NextCommerce
Rapid News Brief
M&S Turns Fashion Week Debut Into an Instant Retail Test
The British retailer made its first London Fashion Week collection immediately shoppable, linking a centennial brand moment to digital growth.
NextDesign
Analysis
JCPenney’s “Other September Issue” Turns Access Into Art Direction
The retailer’s new fashion campaign gives five Texas teachers the visual language of a glossy magazine—and makes inclusion part of the brand system rather than a closing tagline.
NextCommerce
Analysis
Simon Turns Mall Traffic Into a Retail Media Business
“It’s a Simon Thing” sells malls as social destinations while Simon Media Network converts visits, loyalty data and physical screens into an advertising business.
NextDesign
Analysis
Novo’s Shorter Name Turns Rebranding Into a Turnaround Test
Dropping “Nordisk” from the everyday brand simplifies recognition, but the identity will be judged against a larger operational and competitive reset.
NextDesign
Analysis
AI Discovery Is Starting to Change Where Advertisers Put Their Money
IAB raised its 2026 U.S. ad-spend growth forecast to 12.3% as marketers put more emphasis on brand equity, creator partnerships and visibility inside AI-driven discovery.
NextDesign
Analysis
Novig Bets on Provocation to Break Through a Crowded Sports Market
Sydney Sweeney’s provocative ‘Just Sports’ campaign gives Novig a sharply defined brand proposition—and a fast way to buy attention in a crowded prediction-market race.
NextCommerce
Developing
Target Pulls Offensive Halloween Costume as Shares Fall
The retailer removed an offensive children’s costume and apologized as its shares fell 3.8%, reviving questions about merchandising controls during a turnaround.
NextDesign
Analysis
Buc-ee’s vs. Small Business: When a Trademark Becomes a Weapon
There is a difference between protecting a brand and trying to own an entire creative territory. That distinction has become increasingly difficult to ignore as Buc-ee’s, the Texas-based […]
NextCommerce
Analysis
Cheap Deals Aren’t Fixing Fast Food’s Value Problem
Low-priced menus can generate attention, but diners are judging the full meal, experience and price—not a promotional item in isolation.