Consumer Marketing News & Views: June 22, 2021

With the arrival of summer, life under Covid is looking better after a tough year-plus. So as consumers return to shopping in person, eating at restaurants, and releasing all that pent-up demand, we dig into what’s new, what’s trending, and what’s happening in franchise consumer marketing and related news.

MARKETING TECH, TRENDS, TOOLS, & REPORTS

Potential Replenishment of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund in the Works?

Exercise Caution with Covid-19 Vaccine Incentives To Avoid Running Afoul of Gambling Laws

Restaurant Sales Continue Improvement in May, But Guest Traffic Worsens (Black Box)

Revenge Spending Will Drive Consumer Trends this Year

Post-Covid: The Impact of Lockdown on the Foodservice Industry in the U.S. & Canada

Q+A with Greg Creed, Ex-CEO of Yum Brands, on How To Market a Business

How a Sales & Social Media Partnership Helps Brands Win More Business

5 Easy Tips To Maximize Gift Card Sales

Webinar, June 23: Digital Transformation – Have Gift Cards Been Left Behind?

Research Reveals Consumer Sentiment Around Social Media Post-Covid

5 Universal Customer Frustrations – and How To Fix Them

Opinion: I Just Watched McDonald's New AI Drive-Thru and Lost My Appetite

Generational Marketing (Cartoon)

Account-Based Marketing Initiatives: A Research-Based Guide for Marketers

IBM: What Is Conversational Marketing and Why Do Brands Need It Now?

5 Critical Skills All Marketers Must Develop

McDonald’s Coffee Cups, Times Square Billboard Join Vaccine Awareness Campaign from Biden Administration

Twitter Launches “I Wish I Knew” Podcast To Provide Insight into How It Uses Audience Research

Emailers, Beware: Gen Z Is Far from Loyal to Brands

Google Is Changing How Ads Track People Around the Internet: What You Need To Know

9 Restaurant Companies Tackling Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in the C-Suite

COMPANY NEWS

Luby’s Sells 92-Unit Fuddruckers to a Franchisee for Approx. $18.5 Million

IFA Names Matt Haller President, CEO

Inspire Brands Names Former Dunkin’ Brands CFO Kate Japson as New CFO

Popeyes Launches 1st Rewards Program

Why Wendy’s Is Re-Entering the UK

Smoothie King CEO Wan Kim on Transforming a Smoothie Shop into a Lifestyle Brand

Former Tropical Smoothie Area Developer Launches PowerSoul Cafe Smoothie Concept

Burger King Tests 2-Week “Prank” Campaign in Brazil To Promote Drive-Thrus

White Castle, Puma Launch Branded Retail Line

Nathan’s, Rocket Restaurant Group Launch 1st US Roxbury Pizza

California Pizza Kitchen Grows Hong Kong Footprint

Taco John’s Inks 10-unit Colorado Deal with QSR Veteran Dara Dejbakhsh

El Pollo Loco Is Testing Drone Delivery with “Air Loco”

Dickey’s & Combo Kitchen Partner To Open at Least 100 Ghost Kitchens in the Next Year