Branding

You'll be hard-pressed to find an uglier quarterly report out of the retail sector than what J.C. Penney (JCP) delivered on Tuesday night. Investors figured that new CEO Ron Johnson's "Fair and Square" pricing strategy wouldn't be a hit right away, but no one assumed that the recently remodeled department store chain would be this earnings season's biggest disaster.

The dynamic mobile landscape offers many opportunities, but it will take a smart retailer to cut through the noise, capture consumers’ attention and drive action. Branding through excellent ad experiences, connecting consumers to deals, and targeting critical ad times will enable retailers to place themselves where the consumer is already browsing and keep their brand relevant.

Liz Claiborne Inc. said Tuesday that it's officially changed its name to Fifth & Pacific Cos., following an initial announcement in January that it would do so. The company sold the Liz Claiborne and Monet brands to J.C. Penney in November, freeing it up to concentrate more fully on its Juicy Couture, Lucky Brand and Kate Spade labels. “As we say a final goodbye to the iconic Liz Claiborne name, we know the time is right for a change, and we welcome our bright new future as Fifth & Pacific Companies,” CEO William McComb said.

Babies"R"Us today announced the launch of a multilevel partnership benefiting families of the United States armed forces in collaboration with Operation Shower, an organization that hosts baby showers for military wives to ease the stress of their husbands’ deployment. Beginning today, Babiesrus.com/OperationShower will serve as an online information portal where visitors can learn how they can support this charitable program and ensure that military moms-to-be, who are often far away from friends and family, receive basic essentials for their newborns. To kick off the partnership, the Toys"R"Us Children's Fund, a public charity affiliated with Toys"R"Us, has donated $100,000 to Operation Shower.

French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, maker of Louis Vuitton handbags, Moet Champagne and other high-end brands, beat revenue expectations Wednesday, but doubts remain about the sustainability of the sector given the poor economic climate in Europe. The company said it “will continue to focus its efforts on developing its brands, will maintain a strict control over costs and will target its investments.” One of the ways it manages those brands is through a carefully managed social media campaign, primarily focused on Facebook pages.

Unlike Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites, Pinterest is primarily image-based. Engagement is all about leveraging visual images to establish quick connections between brands and consumers while promoting social sharing and ultimately driving traffic to the brand's website.

Target, Costco Wholesale and Gap are among 15 retailers recognized on the Ethisphere Institute's 2012 "World's Most Ethical Companies" list. The other retailers honored were Safeway, Whole Foods Market, Starbucks Coffee Co., Patagonia, Wegmans, Marks and Spencer, Best Buy, eBay, Timberland, OfficeMax, Petco, and Ten Thousand Villages. Ethisphere evaluates hundreds of companies, naming only those that surpass their industry peers to the "World's Most Ethical Companies" list. The 2012 list features 145 companies in more than three dozen industries that show leadership in promoting ethical business standards.

Greg Rivera, president and co-founder of Mishka is featured in the next Grovo Expert Series giving viewers an inside look at  how his T-shirt company quickly grew into a global streetwear brand with stores through blogging, social media and viral branding. 

Overstock.com has acquired the naming rights to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for a reported $7.2 million. The Coliseum is now known as Overstock.com Coliseum. The six-year deal covers the stadium facility that is home to both the NFL's Oakland Raiders and the MLB's Oakland Athletics.

The art of brand building still remains a mystery to many companies. During these tough economic times, business leaders are searching for ways to grow their brands, expand their reach and influence their bottom lines.