by | Monday, June 1, 2026 · 7:13 am

Baby Yoda Sells More Than Movie Tickets

What happens when a brand lifts more than just awareness? In the case of The Mandalorian and Grogu, marketers are literally making ads float and partnering with unexpected brands to reach fans in fresh ways.

In Madrid, Disney and Havas Creative stunned passersby with levitating billboards powered by Andtonic’s magnetic technology. These weren’t optical illusions, but rather actual posters hovered over city streets to promote the new film. It’s a bold example of marketing activation, designed to turn sidewalks into unforgettable touchpoints.

At the same time, Archer Meat Snacks launched its first entertainment partnership by teaming up with the very same movie. The campaign spans streaming ads, retail promotions, co-branded packaging, QR-code incentives, and even a Fandango reward for purchasing snack products. It’s a textbook case of co-branding with a rising CPG (consumer packaged goods) brand borrowing the cultural power of a legendary franchise to expand its audience.

Meanwhile, Disney faces a strategic challenge to bring Star Wars back to theaters after a 6½-year break. The stakes are high, and the marketing must appeal to both lifelong fans and new viewers. Floating posters, cross-category partnerships, theme-park integrations, and gaming tie-ins all support one goal: reigniting excitement for a franchise navigating a rapidly shifting media landscape.

Together, these efforts show how modern marketers must blend creativity, technology, and cross-platform strategy to activate fans across generations. Whether it’s a hovering billboard or a bag of co-branded jerky, the Force is in the marketing.

Discussion Questions and Activities

  1. Why do you think Disney invested in dramatic outdoor activations like floating billboards? What marketing objectives do they support?
  2. How does Archer benefit from co-branding with The Mandalorian and Grogu, and what risks and benefits might come with that partnership for Disney and Archer?
  3. Which parts of Disney’s multi-platform strategy (theme parks, streaming, gaming, merchandise) do you think matter most for revitalizing the franchise? Why?
  4. How do promotions like QR-code movie rewards influence consumer behavior? If movie theater attendance continues to decline, how should studios rethink their marketing mix?
  5. Ad Intelligence. Using the free social media ad tracking tool Ad Library, ask students to search Disney’s “The Mandalorian and Grogu” ad partnerships to locate active or recent ad creatives across Meta platforms. For each brand, identify the visual style and tone of the ads and the target market.
  6. Marketing Activation Breakdown. In small groups, create a short “activation map” showing every customer touchpoint used in this campaign including Out-of-home (OOH), digital, retail, etc. Identify which touchpoints work best for younger audiences.
  7. Co-Branding Pitch. Students pair up and pick a snack brand. Their task is to design a co-branding idea with a major entertainment franchise. Present the target audience, the creative concept, and a promotional reward.

Sources: Kelly, Chris (13 April 2026), Archer Meat Steaks and The Mandalorian and Grogu, MarketingDive; Masunaga, Samantha and Greene, Sean Greene (23 May 2026) Can Disney recapture the Force with ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’? Los Angeles Times; Nudd, Tim (22 May 2026), The Force is strong with Havas Creative’s new Star Wars billboards in Spain, Ad Age.

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by | Tuesday, May 26, 2026 · 11:46 pm

When Doing Good Isn’t Good Enough

What happens when a brand built on doing the right thing gets bought by a company that represents everything it stood against?

That’s exactly what happened to Everlane – the clothing brand that launched in 2011 promising “radical transparency” about its factories, pricing, and ethics. For a decade, it was the poster child of conscious consumerism: the idea that shoppers could vote with their dollars and change the world one ethically sourced crew-neck sweater at a time. Millennials ate it up. Investors poured in hundreds of millions. Stores opened in New York, San Francisco, and beyond.

Then, in May 2026, Shein, the ultra-fast-fashion giant criticized for its labor practices and environmental footprint, bought Everlane for $100 million, a fraction of its $600 million peak valuation. Everlane wasn’t alone in its fall. Allbirds, once the shoe of choice for Silicon Valley sustainability lovers, sold for just 1% of its peak value. Beyond Meat watched revenue collapse as consumers chose actual burgers over plant-based promises at premium prices.

So what went wrong? Forrester Research put it bluntly: brands “ran out of steam when their promises ran afoul of the economics of consumer preference.” Translation – values-based marketing can attract customers, but it can’t keep them if the core product doesn’t deliver superior quality, price, or convenience. Research consistently shows that factors like price, reliability, and design outweigh sustainability when consumers actually open their wallets.

There’s a term for the gap between what consumers say they value and what they actually buy: the values-action gap. Survey after survey shows shoppers claim to prioritize ethics then choose the cheaper option at checkout. For marketing students, this story is a lesson in the limits of purpose-driven branding. A mission can differentiate you. It can build buzz. But it can’t substitute for a genuinely compelling value proposition. The brands that thrive long-term? They do both.

Discussion Questions and Activities

  1. Look up the ethical ratings of three fashion brands on Good On You. Discuss how the ratings might influence a marketing strategy. Conversely, are marketing campaigns influencing the ratings?
  2. Why do you think consumers say they value ethical products but often choose cheaper or more convenient options instead?
  1. How might influencer culture and TikTok impact the future of conscious consumer brands?
  2. Does a brand risk losing credibility when acquired by a company with different values?
  3. What signals should marketers watch to anticipate when a trend is starting to fade?
  4. Brand Authenticity vs. Positioning: Everlane called its approach “radical transparency.” After its acquisition by Shein, the CEO said the brand would stay “true to its values.” Do you find that credible? What makes a brand’s ethical claims feel authentic versus hollow?
  5. Brand Audit (Pairs): Choose a brand known for sustainability claims. Evaluate whether its messaging aligns with its actual practices. Students present findings to the class.
  6. Consumer Behavior Survey: Create a short poll asking classmates what matters more when shopping: price, quality, or ethics. Analyze how responses compare to industry findings.

Sources:

Koss, Hall and Urwin, Matthew (11 Jan 2024), Conscious Consumerism. What is It? Where Did it Come From? Builtin.com; Schube, Sam (23 May 2026) Why the Dream of the Feel-Good Millennial Brand Didn’t Last, Wall Street Journal; Wahba, Phil (23 May 2026) The Quiet Death of Conscious Consumerism, from Everlane and Allbirds to Beyond Meat, Fortune.

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by | Monday, May 18, 2026 · 7:10 am

Your Marketing Degree Is More Valuable Than Ever – If You Play It Right

What if the very technology threatening to disrupt your future career is also your fastest path to standing out in it? That’s the paradox facing marketing students right now and understanding it early gives you a significant edge. The 2026 job market for marketers is neither the doom scenario some predicted nor the smooth on-ramp it once was. It’s something more nuanced and perhaps more interesting.

Here’s what the data actually shows: marketing layoffs are up 30% over two years, and the average job search for displaced marketers now stretches past five months. Companies are cutting entry-level hiring at nearly 2.5 times the rate they’re adding it. If you’re about to graduate, that’s a headwind worth taking seriously. But here’s the flip side. Overall marketing team growth is net positive in 2026. Salaries are outpacing inflation – up roughly 16% in two years. Unemployment rates for marketing analysts (3.8%), marketing managers (3.3%), and advertising professionals (2.6%) are all well below the national average of 4.4%. Employers aren’t abandoning marketing, rather they’re becoming far more selective about who they hire.

The shift is clear: companies want experienced, specialized talent who can direct AI outputs, not just execute tasks that AI can now handle. That means your time in school is an investment in becoming irreplaceable, not just employable. So, what skills will set you apart? The 2026 market rewards proficiency in marketing analytics, automation platforms, A/B testing, data visualization, and AI-powered marketing tools. Equally important are the human capabilities that AI cannot replicate including storytelling, creative strategy, and critical thinking. Employers are actively seeking professionals who combine technical fluency with these higher-order skills.

The marketers thriving right now are the ones who learned to use technology, challenge it, and outthink it. That’s the opportunity sitting in front of you.

Discussion Questions and Activities

  1. . How might a new graduate strategically build specialized, demonstrable skills before entering the job market and what role does your coursework play in that process?
  2. AI is automating repetitive tasks but also enabling strategy and creativity – sometimes simultaneously. Can you think of a marketing task where AI both threatens and creates opportunity? How would you position yourself to own the opportunity side?
  3. How does the paradox described in the blog post – that AI can both threaten marketing jobs and accelerate career differentiation – change the way students should approach skill-building during college?
  4. The blog post emphasizes storytelling, creative strategy, and critical thinking.
    Which of these “uniquely human” capabilities do you believe will be most critical in 2026—and why? Skill Gap Audit:Have students review the in-demand skills list from the Robert Half 2026 Demand for Skilled Talent report (marketing analytics, A/B testing, marketing automation, AI-powered marketing, data visualization, storytelling, personalization). Ask each student to rate their current proficiency in each area on a 1–5 scale, then writes a one-paragraph “upskilling plan” identifying their top two gaps and how they’d address them. Share and compare in small groups.
  5.  LinkedIn Job Market Analysis:Instruct students to search for three entry-level marketing roles on LinkedIn Jobs in a city or industry of their choice. For each posting, they should identify: (a) which technical skills appear most frequently, (b) whether AI or automation tools are mentioned, and (c) what “soft skills” or qualifications appear in the language. Students compile findings into a brief presentation and share findings with the class.
  6. Marketing Tool Exploration. Using the free, hands-on demo tools from HubSpot, ask students to pair up and choose one tool (email builder, landing page builder, form builder, etc.) to explore. Teams then present their findings on the following topics: What kind of tasks does this tool automate? What strategic decisions must a human still make? Which skills would strengthen your ability to use this tool effectively?

Sources: Stahl, Stephanie, (8 April 2026), How Long Will Content and Marketing Careers Remain Viable? Content Marketing Institute; 2026 Marketing job market: In-demand roles and hiring trends, (3 Feb 2026), RobertHalf.com.

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