Hunger Games: How Gamified Loyalty Programs Help Restaurants Win
“Gamification has an impact on behavior due to the reward it gives the user in the immediate. This also leans into cognitive biases that change our behaviors accordingly, like our need to be consistent and keep streaks,” said Reilly Newman, founder of Motif Brands.
The Food Institute
Chicken Chains Leading Fast Food’s Next Wave
“This is due to the experiences the brands are creating as well as the variety of chicken and how you can enjoy it,” Motif Brands founder Reilly Newman told The Food Institute. “This comes to no surprise, as the experience economy has been taking root across the globe.
“Chicken allows for (ample) customization, sauces, and forms, depending on the buyer’s preferences.”
Newman told FI that these popular QSRs tend to boast limited menus that increase the perception of value.
“Just as McDonald’s focused on the Starbucks and Dunkin’ crowd with CosMc’s to increase relevancy while leveraging their brand awareness and abilities, KFC has done the same with Saucy,” Newman said.
“Similar to a retailer’s private label, the [chicken-centric] brand is able to extend to meet a need in the market while maintaining its position,” Newman added.
“If the new brand fails, they can simply subtract it and not harm the perception of the main brand. This optimizes the launch, increases marketability, and avoids any audience confusion because the meaning of these brands is well-established.”
The Food Institute
Walmart's big 2024 is partly thanks to an age-old strategy
This loyalty is closely tied to rising prices and inflation, which have made value a crucial factor in purchasing decisions. Reilly Newman, founder of marketing firm Motif Brands, explains that for consumers seeking affordable alternatives, private labels offer a way to maintain quality without paying a premium for name brands.
“During these difficult times, private labels don’t carry the stigma of being budget options,” Newman says. Some consumers, in fact, are willing to trade quality for price, opting for private labels when their preferred brand names are too expensive.
The recent rise of private labels is more than just a trend – it’s a fundamental shift in how we shop and perceive value, says Motif Brands’ Newman. As these products continue to offer better quality at comparably lower price points, consumers will likely continue to embrace them, especially if they “address a need or a reason” in the market.
Quartz
Costco Beats Earnings Estimates on Strong Online Sales, Opens 897th Store
Still, brand strategist Reilly Newman is optimistic about the company’s future.
“Costco is a powerhouse,“ he stated in an email to The Epoch Times. ”It is quite possibly one of the most underrated brands.”
Just as it is only starting to flex its e-commerce muscle as the brand evolves, it is, most importantly, staying true to its brand.
Newman believes the crackdown on the multi-use of membership will continue to lift Costco’s profitability, as membership directly reflects its profit.
“As a brand, their focus will remain on their members,” he said. “This strategy will continue to prove effective as it evades the theft issues most retailers are desperately trying to solve while continuing to provide value. Fortunately for Costco, these are all naturally baked within their strategy.”
For Newman, focusing on members will increase value in the warehouse or digital, driving better selection and attracting more members.
“This membership creates a pull for more value and directly impacts profitability,” he said.
“The brand has stayed true to its promise and perception even as it has evolved. This is compounding on many fronts and will continue to drive value for both members and shareholders.”
The Epoch Times
Jaguar’s Miami EV launch invites new wave of criticism, but CCO says brand is undeterred
“Yes, the attempt and direction were daring, but so far, it hasn’t lived up to the dramatization,” says Reilly Newman, founder of branding consultancy Motif Brands. “British heritage was given a small nod with the color chosen for their prototype, but the leaping Jaguar now looks more like Puma’s leaping predator and the wordmark feels similar to the trend of ‘blanding’ seen in the fashion world.”
“The event tonight that the brand hyped up was a desperate attempt to pull an iconic Steve Jobs moment or maybe squeeze out a Tesla reveal moment,” says Newman. “Sadly, this didn’t work for the brand and only dug the hole deeper.”
The Drum
What Executives Can Learn From Jaguar’s New Rebranding Campaign
“When a rebrand gives the consumer whiplash, it can either be a nice unexpected surprise like a roller coaster or it can be a trip to the ER,” Reilly Newman, a brand strategist and founder of Motif Brands, and commented via email.
In an effort to stand out from the competition, it is possible to try too hard.
“Unfortunately, it appears Jaguar went too far in its attempt to be bold. The rebrand has created a crisis because they have successfully denounced what the brand has become known for and respected. This challenge is hard for humans because its a ‘redefining’ moment where they have thrown out the preexisting ‘meaning’ assigned to the perception of the automaker and then told the same audience a new ‘meaning’ that lacks substance and appears to be progress for the sake of progress,” he noted.”
Forbes
Home Depot Sales Improve on Seasonal, Hurricane-Related Demand
Reilly Newman, founder and brand strategist at Motif Brands, likes Home Depot’s strategy.
“Home Depot has always had a great position in the market as it focused on the contractor,” he told The Epoch Times in an email.
“Yes, they do have DIYer appeal, but to the extent that these buyers want to feel like the contractors they see who truly know what they’re doing. Home Depot doesn’t focus on the facade like other options, but they still offer a great selection and aren’t covered in frills.”
Newman sees Home Depot taking a path similar to Costco’s.
“They are transparent brands that avoid outrageous mark-ups and are true to their customers,” he said. “This has allowed these brands to create a lasting trust that surpasses any marketing stunts.”
The Epoch Times
What Killed Kmart? Key Retail Missteps Led to Demise
“The greatest component that Kmart missed was focusing on the customer experience. The Blue Light Special was a success because it did just that; it created an amazing in-store experience,” said brand strategist Reilly Newman, founder of Motif Brands.
“They got comfortable, and their market was gobbled up by Target on the accessible designer side of the market and Amazon/Walmart on the value side of the market.”
“Kmart’s story is a valuable lesson for retailers to focus on the brand experience and invest in creating something memorable for their shoppers that connects digital to the physical store through emotions,” Newman added.
The Food Institute
Is the DNC’s Taylor Swift campaign powerful or ‘popular by association’?
This sentiment is echoed by other experts who warn that celebrity appeal alone may not be enough to win over more skeptical or less engaged voters. “This could create confirmation bias, as you have a loud public voice like Swift saying one side, which will bolster the belief of the Democratic voters,” explains Reilly Newman, a strategist at Motif Brands.
Newman, like Waite, remains skeptical, suggesting that undecided voters tend to look for more concrete policy positions rather than celebrity endorsements. “It’s past the point to sway undecided voters as those aren’t your voters who will simply choose via celebrity endorsements,” he says.
Newman cautions that younger generations may see through the strategy completely. “The younger generations may see this [campaign] as the marketing ploy that it is and simply lose more faith in our democracy due to its commercialism,” he says, noting an increasing cynicism among young people, who are becoming more skeptical of celebrity endorsements and their role in politics.
Newman is more critical of this approach. “At a time when America feels extremely divided, entertainment isn’t what the people want. These tactics lack substance,” he states. He suggests that a more issue-driven campaign would have been more effective, particularly when addressing important topics such as reproductive rights and economic opportunities.