This episode delivers critical lessons for ecommerce operators, dissecting Touchland's $880 million acquisition by Church & Dwight and Target's recent struggles. It also offers a deep dive into successful brand pop culture collaborations, providing a strategic blueprint for leveraging entertainment IP to generate significant hype and drive consumer engagement.
Key takeaways
Strategic brand collaborations, especially with major entertainment IPs, offer significant
free media value
and can create substantial consumer hype, as evidenced by Truff's 20,000-person waitlist for a Super Mario Bros. Movie tie-in.
When considering IP collaborations, prioritize strategic alignment over personal preference. Focus on how the partnership fits into your broader marketing plan and whether it allows for a compelling story.
Even with a compelling product, external factors like consumer spending pullbacks and boycotts can significantly impact retail giants like Target, underscoring the need for adaptable strategies.
Successful brand collaborations can also serve as educational tools, helping to introduce new concepts or product benefits to a wider audience, as Truff did with truffles through the Super Mario campaign.
The acquisition of a direct-to-consumer brand like Touchland for a substantial sum ($880 million) by a personal care conglomerate highlights the continued value placed on agile, innovative brands within the larger retail landscape.
On this week’s Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporters Melissa Daniels and Gabriela Barkho discuss the acquisition of sanitizer brand Touchland. The startup was bought by Church & Dwight, the personal care group that owns Nair and Arm & Hammer, in an $880 million deal. The staff also discusses the rise and fall of Target in the past couple of years, with the retailer marred by pullback in consumer spending and boycotts.
In this episode, Daniels and Barkho also welcome Michelle Gabe (18:40), the director of marketing and partnerships at IFG, the parent company of King's Hawaiian, Grillo's Pickles, and Killer Brownie. Gabe joins the show to discuss what goes into brands’ collaborations with entertainment franchises and other pop culture moments, especially in film and television.
The trend was kicked into high gear during 2023’s summer of “Barbie,” when brands of all sizes went pink. Last year, a similar wave was brought on by the “Wicked” movie. Even prestige TV series are getting in on product tie-ins through brand collaborations, as this past season of “White Lotus” showed.
During her previous role at truffle sauce startup Truff, Gabe helped bring these types of partnerships to life, such as a collectibles collaboration with the “Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which garnered a waitlist of 20,000. Here is what she had to say about the best way to approach major IP tie-ins.
Frequently asked about this episode
What does this episode say about brand strategy?
Strategic brand collaborations, especially with major entertainment IPs, offer significant
What does this episode say about marketing & partnerships?
free media value
What does this episode say about mergers & acquisitions?
and can create substantial consumer hype, as evidenced by Truff's 20,000-person waitlist for a Super Mario Bros. Movie tie-in.
What does this episode say about retail trends?
When considering IP collaborations, prioritize strategic alignment over personal preference. Focus on how the partnership fits into your broader marketing plan and whether it allows for a compelling story.
What does this episode say about brand strategy?
Even with a compelling product, external factors like consumer spending pullbacks and boycotts can significantly impact retail giants like Target, underscoring the need for adaptable strategies.
