The San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick doesn’t play or look like a prototypical quarterback along the lines of Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. And the fact that Kaepernick is so different has been great for merchandise sales.
Companies & Industries
Strange Brew: When the Bottle Matters More Than the Beer Inside
If the biggest selling point for a new beer is the bottle that it comes in, what does that say about the beer itself?
How to Get Friends and Family — And Perhaps Some Generous Strangers — to Buy You a New Car
How’s this for a millennial-friendly mashup: Take the gift registry and online crowdfunding concepts and apply them to the purchase of a new car. Dodge is trying out the idea with a new registry service that promises something …
Goodyear’s French Nightmare
US tire company spent five fruitless years trying to cut costs at its Amiens plant and being blocked. Now it’s shutting down the plant altogether, sparking political outrage
Super Bowl Sunday: What We’re Eating, Where We’re Watching, How Much We’re Spending
It’s almost time for that most American of semi-holidays, the Super Bowl. The football-championship-turned-media-spectacle automatically conjures certain images in most people’s minds: bars overflowing with drunken fans; pizza, …
Reality Check: There Is No Chicken-Wing Shortage — Prices Haven’t Really Soared Either
Hey wing nuts: relax. Despite reports to the contrary, buffalo wings, chicken wings or whatever you want to call them will be widely available during Super Bowl weekend. And you won’t have to pay through the beak to enjoy them.
The Most Buzzed-About Super Bowl Ads of 2013, A Sneak Preview
Forget the days when you were totally surprised by the ads airing on Super Bowl Sunday. More than ever, companies are releasing ads weeks before the big game, often creating ad teasers (yes — that’s an ad for an ad) as part of …
Bad Driver? That’s OK — If You’re Rich
In its new study of car insurance rates, the Consumer Federation of America reports that lower-income people pay higher premiums, even if their driving is better than that of their rich neighbors.
5 Top Trends for 2013 Super Bowl Commercials
The cost of advertising in the Super Bowl is rising, running an average of $4 million for a 30-second spot—up from $3.5 million last year and just $42,000 back in 1967. To justify the expense, advertisers aim to present fans with something more than just another entertaining but ultimately forgettable commercial.
JCPenney Brings Back Sales, but What’s the Deal with Those ‘Suggested’ Prices?
A year ago, JCPenney promised an end to “fake prices” and the usual retailer mind games played to make customers think they’re getting a deal. Now that the ambitious attempt to wean customers off endless discounting and markdowns …
Tempting the Young: New Efforts to Get Younger Consumers Hooked on Guns, Luxe Cars, Soda and More
Youths are also sought after as customers because consumption habits are often ingrained at a young age—and because they will be money-spending consumers for many, many years to come.
It’s Freebie Season: Now’s the Time for Free Coffee, Free Pancakes, Free Pizza, Free Ice Cream
In what’s become an annual trend, the beginning of every year is marked by a flood of fast-food discounts, followed by national giveaway days when consumers can scoop up pancakes, bagels, ice cream and more for free.
