1. How to Build a Digital Brand That Lasts: The internet era makes brands less durable in part because consumer habits have digitized, creating new business models that have blindsided many traditional brands. But there is nothing inherently antagonistic to legacy brands about digital lifestyles. Coca-Cola remains one of the world’s most valuable brands – and it was invented in 1892! – Read More on HBR
2. Americans show they’re eager to shop even as pandemic stretches on, retail economist says: Retail, the biggest driver of the U.S. economy, has bounced back in recent months — even as millions of Americans are out of work and cases of Covid-19 rise, but holiday spending is still expected to be lower than last year. – Read More on CNBC
3. RELATED READ: Dependent on Consumer Spending, How Can the U.S. Economy Survive a Pandemic? Today, the spending habits of American households make up 70 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product, a measurement that describes the size of the economy. U.S. companies spend about $230 billion on advertising each year, half of all the money spent on advertising globally. – Read More on TFL
4. COVID-19 Pandemic has the Fashion Industry Reeling: “We expect a large number of fashion companies to go bankrupt in the next 12 to 18 months,” McKinsey & Co. said in a report. “The interconnectedness of the industry is making it harder for businesses to plan ahead.” – Read More on Newsweek
5. Brandless is back: In an email on Tuesday, the American e-commerce company that manufactures and sells products under its own Brandless label revealed that it is back in business with new owners. Take a look back at the company’s approaching to branding. Despite its name, the startup is not actually “brandless” at all. – Read More on TFL
6. Travel has plummeted. Can your favorite luggage brands survive? A flood of venture-backed, direct-to-consumer luggage startups popped up about 5 years ago, wooing millennial travelers with trendy suitcases. Since the onset of COVID, these brands say that sales of hardshell suitcases have improved slightly, particularly in European and Asian markets, although they are nowhere near what they were before the pandemic. – Read More on Fast Co.