Consumer Marketing Roundup: January 26, 2021

As we enter the latest phase of Life Under Covid (“Yeah, the vaccines are here, but where’s mine?!”) along with a new President and Congress, we dig into what’s new, what’s trending, and what’s happening in the first month of 2021. As someone pointed out after the invasion of the Capitol, “2021 has been a hell of a week.” Moving ahead, here’s this month’s roundup of news, trends, and predictions for the coming year. Take what you need and leave the rest. And best wishes to us all for a better 2021!

COPING WITH COVID – REOPENING & RECOVERY

Covid-19 Propelled Businesses Into the Future, Ready or Not

Research: 67% of U.S. Retail Companies Reported They Are Under Stress

6 Surefire Opportunities for Restaurants in a Post-Covid World

NRA: 10 Trends That Helped the Restaurant Industry Survive in 2020

Pandemic Recovery Will Be Uneven, But Restaurants Will Emerge Stronger

Third-Party Food Delivery: From Consolidation to Reconciliation?

Restaurant Stocks Rose in 2020 Despite the Pandemic

Small Businesses, Hit Hard by the Pandemic, Are Being Starved of Credit

Webinar: 2021 and Beyond: What’s In Store for Retail?

Webinar – Jan. 26: Thinking Beyond, with Panera Bread & Paytronix CEOs

Webinar – Feb. 24: Managing Change in 2021: Systems, People, and How They Must Work Together

MARKETING TECH, TRENDS, TOOLS, & REPORTS

Why Penn Station East Coast Subs Killed Its App

A Beginner’s Guide to Performance Marketing: Everything You Need To Know

5 Consumer Trends Performance Marketers Must Watch in 2021

Forrester: How Consumer Expectations for Brand Experiences and Personalization Are Changing

Report: 9 Tech Trends for 2021 (Deloitte)

What’s on Digital Marketers’ Minds Entering 2021: 5 Key Trends

How Subscription Services Are Helping Revive Restaurants

You Can’t Be Customer-Centric If You Can’t See Customers’ Journeys

Why Attribution May Be the Secret to Tripling Your Marketing Budget

Creating the Right Omnichannel Strategy for Today’s Consumers

6 Top Ways To Market Sustainably on Social Media in 2021

Applebee’s Now Testing Its First Drive-Thru Location

McDonald’s Officially Joins the Chicken Sandwich Wars on Feb. 24

Vitality Bowls Launches Social Media Contest Through Its Loyalty Program

Email Marketing Optimization: A Research-Based Guide for Marketers (Ascend2)

Proven Website Marketing Tactics—6 Quick Case Studies (Marketing Sherpa)

Covid’s Home-Workout Trend May Be Here To Stay

Why Marketers Must Evolve Their Outlook on Gender — Or Lose Out

Webinar – Jan. 28: 2021 SEO Predictions (Searchmetrics)

COMPANY NEWS

Sale of NPC’s Pizza Hut & Wendy’s to Flynn Restaurant Group & Wendy’s Corporate Approved for About $800 Million

Capriotti’s Acquires Wing Zone, Creates $150 Million Company

Peak Rock Capital Buys 300-Unit Shipley Do-Nuts

BoxUnion Acquires Title Boxing Club

Neighborly Acquires Precision Door Service, Grows to 28 Brands

Saladworks Parent Centre Lane Partners Buys Garbanzo Mediterranean for $1.2 Million

Driven Brands Launches IPO: 38 Million Shares at $17 to $20 Per Share

Smoothie King Opened a Record 263 Stores in 2020

Wow Bao To Add 100 Delivery-Only Locations in Partnership with Franklin Junction

Burger King Unveils First Complete Rebrand in More than 20 Years