Tag Archives: customer engagement

by | Saturday, September 20, 2025 · 10:36 am

Revitalizing Retail: How Claire’s Plans to Succeed with a New In-store Strategy

Imagine walking into a Claire’s store in the early 2000s: purple carpets, sparkling jewelry, and a buzz of excitement from tweens eager for their first piercings or a BFF necklace. This was a retail formula centered on merchandising and curating products that appeal directly to young, trend-conscious consumers. However, the company’s recent bankruptcy highlights a crucial lesson in marketing: even beloved brands must adapt to survive.

Enter new ownership by private equity firm Ames Watson, which aims to revamp Claire’s by modernizing store interiors, upgrading product lines, and emphasizing real-time marketing through social media. Their strategy echoes that of their success with Lids, which doubled its store count and revenue by focusing on exclusive products, tailored store experiences, and authentic community engagement rather than solely pushing e-commerce.

This story exemplifies how competition influences merchandising decisions. Claire’s faces fierce rivalry from online marketplaces to fast fashion brands which has forced its new owners to rethink its approach and offer unique in-store experiences that digital competitors cannot replicate. By reinstating exclusive merchandise and enhancing the piercing experience, Ames Watson hopes to reclaim Claire’s former cultural relevance amid an evolving retail landscape.

For marketers, Claire’s struggle to survive illustrates the importance of offering appealing product assortments and understanding consumer loyalty. It reminds us that strong branding and customer engagement are vital, especially when competing with the convenience of online shopping and the highly sought-after tween market.

Discussion Questions and Activities:

  1. Is the Claire’s brand strong enough to pull out of bankruptcy with a brick-and-mortar retail strategy? Why is the in-store experience important for brick-and-mortar retail, especially for brands like Claire’s?
  2. How does merchandising influence a brand’s ability to compete in today’s retail environment?
  3. What are some effective ways a brand can use social media marketing during a brand revival?
  4. Create a mock merchandising plan for Claire’s renewal, focusing on product selection and store layout.
  5. Design a social media campaign aimed at re-engaging former Claire’s customers and attracting new ones.
  6. Analyze a competitor and identify strategies they use to stay relevant in the youth market.
  7. Have students watch a brief video from CNBC here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlwvsQR4xEQ.

Sources: Kapner, Suzanne (18 Sep 2025) New Owners Plot Comeback for Tween Retailer Claire’s, Wall Street Journal. Moss, Linda (19 Sep 2025) New Claire’s Owner to Attempt Rebound with Smaller Sore Fleet, CoStar News.

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by | Tuesday, April 8, 2025 · 12:39 am

A Minecraft Movie: Surprise Hit at the Box Office

Over the weekend, the new release from Warner Bros., “A Minecraft Movie,” made over $163 million in ticket sales, more than twice what analysts had predicted, resulting in the third largest opening of all time for the company. It stars Jack Black as a master crafter and Jason Momoa as part of a group making its way through a cubic world with his help. Though the movie was not particularly well received by critics, a formula for success was well implemented. Additionally, some noteworthy antics occurring in theaters across the country and shared widely on social media may also have driven young people to view the film in person.

The Minecraft film is the most recent of several successful movie adaptations of popular video games, including “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s.” Minecraft is a particularly beloved game, released in 2011. Nostalgia for the game likely played a role in strong ticket sales, with 43% of the audience being between the ages of 18 and 24. Another 35% were 13 to 17.

Warner Bros. has experience appealing to young people with nostalgia, as it was also behind the blockbuster movie “Barbie.” It’s easy to recall the massive cross-promotion for that film, yet Minecraft’s promotional campaign engaged the largest third-party partnership in Warner Bros. history. Some 45 brands were involved, from Oreo to Dorito and McDonalds. This successfully primed audience enthusiasm for the release.

But perhaps the most novel aspect of the movie’s success in its first weekend may be a social media assist. Young people were very engaged and shouting out in the theater when aspects of the game appeared in the movie. In one scene, Black’s character mentions “chicken jockey,” which elicited a big response that was filmed by some and posted to social platforms. The crowd’s wild reaction resulted in some people being removed from the theater, and many of the clips went viral. And lots of kids wanted to experience the fun themselves, so they flocked to the theater. Some are even calling “A Minecraft Movie” the gamer’s version of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” a cult classic known for audience participation.

Activities:

  1. Ask students: Did you see “A Minecraft Movie” or do you plan to? Have you heard anything about it? Do you enjoy audience participation in a theater experience?
  2. Have students visit social media sites and search for “chicken jockey” clips. Do these clips make you more likely to see the movie? Less?
  3. Ask students to form small groups and create a cross-promotion for this movie and a product they think appeals to the same target market.

Sources: Barnes, Brooks, (06 Apr 2025) ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Arrives as a Surprise Box Office Smash, The New York Times. Rubin, Rebecca, (06 Apr 2025) ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Shatters Box Office Expectations With Record-Breaking $163 Million Opening Weekend, Variety. Balao, Neia, (07 Apr 2025) Don’t yell ‘chicken jockey’ in a theater, Yahoo! Entertainment.

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