Shop Talk

RadioShack ditching Radio in favor of The Shack

Nicole Maestri

Aug 4, 2009 19:03 UTC

RadioShack is giving itself a new, shorter nickname – The Shack.

The gadget retailer is introducing a new ad campaign and intends to refer to itself as The Shack – something it says customers have already been doing.

“Our customers, associates and even the investor community have long referred to RadioShack as ‘THE SHACK,’ so we decided to embrace that fact and share it with the world,” said Lee Applbaum, RadioShack’s Chief Marketing Officer, in a statement.

While consumers often think to go to RadioShack to buy cables or batteries, the retailer said it is “critically important” that customers also think to go to it for mobile products.

“You will see a real focus on mobility and wireless products from leading brands in our new advertising,” Applbaum said.

Cola truce? Coke and Pepsi trade niceties on Twitter

Cola rivals Coke and Pepsi gave their long-standing feud a rest last week after a user-provoked experiment on Twitter prompted the two pop makers to trade friendly greetings on the popular social networking service.

Coca-Cola responded first to a clever user’s message suggesting that the two make nice on Twitter, offering “A gracious (yet competitive) hello” to Pepsi. In return, Pepsi extended a Twitter-style olive branch of sorts to its competitor: “Can rivals and tweeps coexist? We’re willing to find out. ” Tweeps, for those unversed in the lingo, is a cutesy term for Twitter users.

Macy’s celebrates the next 150 years

Macy’s is still finding ways to celebrate in what could be a dark winter for retail this year. Customers entering Macy’s flagship store in New York City’s Herald Square it opened today were met by the pounding beats of the Soul Tigers Marching Band, lots of red balloons and a barrel full of exploding ribbons.  

CEO Terry Lundgren was there cutting a ribbon promising another 150 years for the department store, to tack onto its current 150th birthday. A gaggle of employees sang “Happy Birthday Macy’s!”, threw confetti and danced.

In your face, Wheaties!

Brad Dorfman

Aug 19, 2008 20:15 UTC

Michael Phelps, the  U.S. swimmer who won eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics (perhaps you have heard of him), is taking his rightful place amongl U.S. sports stars: on a cereal box.
 
But not on a box of Wheaties, the General Mills cereal that began putting athletes on the box of “The Breakfast of Champions” in 1934 with Lou Gehrig.
 
Phelps, instead, will appear on rival Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes boxes.
 
Kellogg said that Phelps will be featured on boxes that are expected to hit store shelves in mid-September. The announcement came in a news release that also told us “He’s Gr-r-r-eight!” 
 
Marta Cyhan, Kellogg’s ice President, global promotions, said in the release that Kellogg sponsors both the U.S. Olympic team and Phelps.
 
A spokeswoman also said that company has also featured past U.S. Olympians like Peggy Fleming, Bonnie Blair and Kristi Yamaguchi on its boxes.
 
By the way, the first swimmer shown on  a Wheaties box on the Wheaties website? Esther Williams on a 1959 box that promoted the opportunity to win an Esther Williams Swimming Pool.

 (Reuters photo)