Tag Archives: consumer behavior

by | Monday, November 3, 2025 · 7:10 am

Driving the Future: Solar Cars are Here

Imagine the marketing potential of solar-powered vehicles—an innovative fusion of sustainability, cutting-edge technology, and consumer appeal. Recent developments, like Aptera Motors’ sleek solar EV, exemplify how early adopters are pushing the boundaries of product adoption. These passionate innovators and environmentally conscious consumers are not just interested in eco-friendly transportation, they’re actively shaping it by preordering and advocating for the technology’s mainstream potential.

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge through the Australian Outback, featuring student teams from universities like the University of Michigan, showcases a unique marketing angle: student competitors are not just racing for victory but demonstrating student-led, tangible proof of innovation. Their futuristic, aerodynamic solar cars with fins and radical designs embody a bold brand image which is perfect for capturing the imagination of early adopters eager to embrace sustainable mobility. Watching students engineer, race, and perfect these vehicles opens a window into a new market segment that values innovation, environmental impact, and youthful energy – elements that can be harnessed into compelling marketing narratives.

The market trends point to an exciting future: the global solar-powered car market is projected to grow significantly as governments and consumers prioritize sustainability. This growth creates a ripe opportunity for marketers to target early adopters who are tech enthusiasts, eco-conscious urbanites, and students. This target market is receptive to new, environmentally friendly mobility solutions. As students, your understanding of this tech-driven shift can give you an edge in crafting innovative go-to-market strategies that resonate with these early trendsetters in other product categories.

Discussion questions and activities:

  1. Watch NBC’s report about the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moZIvT8gHw0
  2. How do early adopters influence the mainstream acceptance of products? Will this be applicable to solar-powered vehicles?
  3. What strategies could automakers use to accelerate consumer adoption of solar-enhanced EVs?
  4. In what ways does sustainability influence consumer behavior and purchase decisions in this market?
  5. Design a marketing plan targeting early adopters for a hypothetical solar EV.
  6. Create a comparison chart of traditional EVs and solar-powered vehicles highlighting pros and cons.
  7. Develop a marketing campaign targeting early adopters for a hypothetical solar-powered vehicle inspired by the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.

Sources:

Corbley, Andy (28 Aug 2025), Solar-Powered Cars Race Across Australian Outback – with Fins to Also Harness the Wind, Good News Network. Mims, Christopher (18 Sep 2025) Solar-Powered Cars and Trucks Are Almost Here, Wall Street Journal.

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by | Monday, October 13, 2025 · 7:13 am

Soda Wars 2025: Is Pepsi Losing Its Fizz?

For decades, the “Cola Wars” were simple: Coke vs. Pepsi. But in 2025, the battlefield looks very different. Pepsi, once Coke’s fiercest rival, has slipped to fourth place in U.S. soda sales behind not only Coca-Cola, but also Dr Pepper and Sprite. What happened?

Part of Pepsi’s challenge is strategy. Coca-Cola slimmed down years ago by spinning off its bottling operations, freeing up money and attention for marketing and brand building. Pepsi kept its bottling business in-house and has been weighed down by trucks, warehouses, and complexity. Coke’s sharper focus has paid off: bigger ad budgets, leaner operations, and stronger brand loyalty.

But Pepsi’s decline isn’t just about Coke. Smaller challengers and new products are reshaping the market. Dr Pepper leaned into quirky flavors and TikTok buzz. Sprite reinvented itself with Gen Z-friendly campaigns and a new hit product, Sprite Chill. Meanwhile, health-focused upstarts like Olipop and Poppi are doubling sales with prebiotic sodas marketed as better-for-you alternatives. Even celebrities like Ben Stiller are entering the soda space, banking on nostalgia and personality-driven branding.

For marketers, the lesson is clear. Competition is no longer just “big vs. big.” A strong distribution system matters, but so do brand positioning, innovation, and the ability to connect with consumers’ changing values, whether that’s health, fun, or belonging to a cultural moment. Today’s soda aisle shows how brand strategy, innovation, and cultural relevance decides who wins and who fizzles out.

Discussion Questions and Activities

  1. How has Coca-Cola’s decision to spin off its bottling operations helped its brand stay strong?
  2. What factors explain why Dr Pepper and Sprite have overtaken Pepsi in market share?
  3. How do health-focused startups like Olipop position themselves differently than legacy soda brands like Coke and Pepsi?
  4. What risks and opportunities come with celebrity-led brands like Stiller’s Soda? Watch Ben Stiller’s ad for his new soda here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WwWg0Hf38Y.
  5. If you were Pepsi’s CMO, what would you do next to regain market relevance?
  6. Brand Battle Map. Students create a product perceptual map of major soda brands, plotting them by “traditional vs. health-conscious” and “mass-market vs. niche,” then discuss positioning strategies.
  7. Ad Campaign Remix. In groups, students redesign a past Pepsi ad campaign to target Gen Z more effectively.
  8. Startup Pitch. Students role-play as founders of a new soda brand, pitching their product’s positioning, target audience, and marketing strategy to the class.

Sources: Miller, Merlyn (23 Sep 2025), Ben Stiller Is Launching a Soda — and We Got a First Taste, Food and Wine. Wainer, David (12 Sep 2025) If Pepsi Wants to Win, It Has to Play Coke’s Game, Wall Street Journal. Roche, Calum (30 Jul 2025) Pepsi’s free fall to 4th place in the Soda Wars: These 3 soft drinks now top the list in the U.S., Diario, AS. Doering, Christopher (8 Jul 2025) Olipop doubles down on health claims as Pepsi, Coke enter better-for-you soda space, Food Dive.

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by | Monday, October 6, 2025 · 2:25 pm

From Gate Stress to Spa Bliss: Marketing the Airport Lounge Life

Airports used to be about long lines, uncomfortable chairs, and overpriced snacks. Today? Airport lounges have become a battleground for luxury experiences and marketers are leading the charge.

Priority Pass just unveiled Priority Pass Private, an invitation-only service that mimics flying private: chauffeured rides to the plane, private lounges, and expedited security. Meanwhile, at JFK Airport, banks and airlines are competing to outdo each other with spa-like lounges, craft cocktails, artisanal cheese tastings, and even Peloton workout rooms.

What’s happening here is more than just fancy perks for certain customers, it’s a masterclass in branding, co-branding, and customer loyalty. Credit card companies like Amex, Chase, and Capital One know that access to these lounges is so desirable that customers will pay nearly $900 a year for a card that grants entry. Airlines benefit too. Delta made $7 billion last year just from its Amex partnership.

This is luxury marketing at its finest: exclusivity, status, and experience. But it’s also smart segmentation. Lounges once targeted older, male business travelers. Today, they’re designed like boutique hotels to attract all generations of affluent travelers. Whether it’s a brasserie with three-course meals, an arcade or a secret cocktail bar, the goal is the same: make customers feel valued, pampered, and loyal.

For marketers, this raises big questions. When does a perk become a brand’s competitive advantage? And how do brands maintain exclusivity when everyone wants in? Airports may still be stressful, but thanks to innovative marketing strategy, the lounge has become the new luxury destination.

Discussion Questions and Activities

  1. How do airport lounges demonstrate the power of branding and co-branding?
  2. Why are credit card companies willing to spend millions building lounges when they don’t charge customers inside?
  3. How does exclusivity create loyalty, and what risks come with making luxury experiences too accessible?
  4. How has the target market for lounges shifted over time, and what does that say about changing consumer behavior?
  5. Hold a Lounge Design Challenge. In groups, students choose an airline or credit card, then design their own branded airport lounge focusing on target market, amenities, and branding strategy.
  6. Loyalty Ladder Mapping. Students create a diagram showing how perks like lounges move customers from casual users to loyal brand advocates.
  7. Schedule a Debate. Half the class argues that lounges create true customer loyalty, while the other half argues they are simply expensive “status symbols.”

Sources:

Nadworny, Katie, (17 Sep 2025), Priority Pass Just Launched a Private Luxury Airport Experience for Travelers—With VIP Lounges, Private Boarding, and Chauffeured Transfers, Travel and Leisure. Sider, Alison (19 Sep 2025), At the Airport, There’s a Fancy New Lounge Everywhere You Look, Wall Street Journal.

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