February 12, 2025
Peloton is ditching the “come find us” approach by taking its athleisure line straight to shoppers—landing on Nordstrom, Target Plus, and beyond. After launching its apparel in 2021, the fitness brand noticed that even if members spot stylish workout wear during a class, they rarely click over to Peloton.com. By showing up on familiar retail platforms, Peloton is testing a new playbook: meeting customers exactly where they are to spark those authentic connections. Early results, especially with men’s gear on Nordstrom, hint that smart visibility might just be the best strategy for converting casual interest into long-term loyalty.
Olipop just shook up the scene by raising $50M, blasting its valuation from $200M to a sparkling $1.85B. With 2024 sales poised around $400–450M, this isn’t just soda—it’s a masterclass in mixing bold branding with smart capital. Backed by heavy hitters like JPMorgan Growth Equity Partners, Olipop proves that a dash of humor and a fearless growth strategy can turn fizz into fortune. The takeaway is simple: dare to stand out, invest in your narrative, and always keep things refreshingly real.
Sponsored by Omnisend
2025 isn’t for guesswork—it’s for knowing what works. Omnisend analyzed 24 billion emails, 230 million SMS messages, and 413 million push notifications sent in 2024. Here’s the scoop:
Email shines: Open rates rose +6% YoY to 26.6%, as consumers embrace email over noisy social ads.
SMS surges: 31% more sent YoY, generating $25M in US sales.
Automation wins: 2% of emails drove 37% of orders.
Fashion flops: Lowest click-to-open rates of any industry.
See how 2024 reshaped the game—and what’s hot for 2025.
With Target dialing back its DEI initiatives—rebranding its supplier diversity team and softening its big diversity promises—Black beauty founders who once flourished under Target’s accelerator programs are now on edge. Kyle Frazier of Hue for Every Man, among others, is watching customer sentiment and potential boycotts closely, questioning if this shift could mean fewer shelf opportunities and lost connections. The takeaway: know your audience, be ready to pivot, and consider diversifying your retail channels—because in today’s market, a solid, authentic customer bond is the real game-changer.
For its 25th Super Bowl run, Doritos isn’t just dusting off the old “Crash the Super Bowl” contest—it’s morphing it into a full-blown creator content engine. With 2,200 entries fueling fresh, authentic voices, marketing lead James Wade is betting that long-term relationships with creators—from micro-influencers to campus trendsetters—will do more than just spark a TV spot; they’ll build a year-round buzz that redefines cultural relevance. The takeaway: today’s creative economy, shifting your mix to genuine, creator-led storytelling isn’t just a trend—it’s the future of smart, engaging brand strategy.
YouTube conquers TV; Google Ads gets snippy
YouTube is officially going big on big screens—logging 1 billion daily watch hours in the US and rolling out features like Watch With and multiview to keep viewers hooked. It’s a clear cue: shift your focus beyond mobile and tap into emerging shopping and podcast monetization opportunities. Meanwhile, Google Ads is set to auto-generate shorter video ads to match the short-form trend—just be sure these quick cuts still pack your brand’s punch (opt out by March 10 if they don’t).
Shopify just wrapped up a standout Q4—31% YOY revenue growth, a 24% jump in GMV, and its seventh straight quarter of 25%+ growth—all while tapping into a diverse revenue mix from international, offline, and B2B channels. With 875M unique shoppers and a 12% share of the US e-commerce marke. In an economy that’s still throwing curveballs, this solid performance is a reminder: a well-rounded commerce strategy can keep the growth engine humming, no matter the challenges.
