Athlete Ambassadors, Sustainability and More Consumer News Trends

A look at the consumer and retail news from PR Newswire in March and April that you might have missed.

 

 

 

PR Newswire distributed more than 4,500 consumer releases in March and April, and we sifted through all the new product, partnership and social campaigns to uncover the latest consumer news trends.

During March Madness and Women’s History Month, we saw inspiring athlete ambassadorships from brands looking to attract audiences with athletics.

And as consumers focused on the world around them in April, companies found ways to shape their sustainability stories with Earth Day and Earth Month announcements.

We’ll take a closer look at these trends and highlight the solar eclipse stories that caught our attention, but first, let’s recap the most-read consumer stories of the last two months. 

Some of the Most Popular Consumer Releases

A mix of positive and negative news drew readers in the past two months, with some clever headlines helping retailers stand out from the pack.

• Crown Royal Blackberry Flavored Whisky: Timed perfectly with the start of spring, this release drew in the most readers with an interactive Multichannel News Release (MNR) for the launch.
• 99 Cents Only Stores Going-Out-of-Business: Widely reported on by retail industry newsletters, the liquidation event included approximately 371 locations.
• KEEN Launches Last Hiking Boot You'll Buy: A concise headline caught eyes with a promise that durability means sustainability.
• Sargento Foods Corrects False Recall Reports: The cheese brand set the story straight on a listeria outbreak that ended up not affecting its products.  
• Lucky F*ck Energy dares you to search its name in the "Search at Your Own Risk" campaign: No explanation is needed for this one. 

 

Consumer News Trends

Here’s a look at a few of the trends we noticed among consumer-related press releases in March and April, with a few examples of each.

Athlete Ambassadors

Athletes have always been influencers, but now more than ever they’re becoming the MVPs in consumer marketing. Fashion experts at Neiman Marcus even called them the newest style stars in pop culture. PR Newswire distributed more than 150 consumer press releases that mentioned the term “athlete” in March and April, and we’ve identified the heavy hitters.

Notable collabs included NBA star Jayson Tatum for Coach and BMX pro Nigel Sylvester for New Era Cap. We also witnessed G.O.A.T.s like Serena Williams launch WYN Beauty and LeBron James star in ads for Taco Bell and The Shop. Olympic and Paralympic athletes helped Reese’s launch medal-shaped cups and Lionel Messi teamed up with LAY'S potato chips to sing the most fitting soccer rally cry.

Interest in women’s sports skyrocketed during March with the popularity of Caitlin Clark and the NCAA basketball tournaments. Coinciding with Women’s History Month, we saw the topics of inclusion and sports intersect in ambassador campaigns featuring female athletes:

• Athleta Partners with Katie Ledecky, the World's Most Decorated Female Swimmer, as Newest Member of its Power of She Collective
• Shein and Gold Medalist, Sanya Richards-Ross, Join Forces to Champion Women's Empowerment for Women's History Month
• Spanx Unveils First-Ever Global Brand Campaign: "We Live In Spanx"
• Molson hides its logo on new PWHL jersey designs to bring greater visibility to women players' names
• The Athlete's Foot Proudly Announces Flau'jae Johnson as 2024 Brand Ambassador in Landmark NIL Partnership

As consumer interest in women's sports continues to grow, we expect to see more athletes joining company rosters, especially during the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Sustainability

April was Earth Month and to no one's surprise, PR Newswire published more than 750 consumer articles mentioning "sustainability" in March and April. We’ll skip the ESG reports and focus on this year’s theme, Planet vs. Plastics, as well as other trending sustainable practices.

A recent NCS study found that 37% of shoppers surveyed consider the Earth when purchasing consumer packaged goods (CPGs), with 48% of Gen Z and 44% of millennials considering the Earth always or often. Since many CPGs are made with plastics, companies are challenged with providing greener alternatives to consumers who care. Here are a few brands rising to the challenge:

• Tru Earth Launches New Earth Month Campaign to Help Strip the Planet of Single-Use Plastics
• Scotch-Brite Continues to Build Sustainability into its Greener Clean Products
• Standard Textile Takes on "Planet vs. Plastics" Challenge by Eliminating Poly Bags from US-Made Products
• Alterra Joins Forces with Firstar Fiber and Hefty® Brand on Hard-to-Recycle Plastics
• Orlandi Launches EcoPro™ Paper-Wrap: A Sustainable Breakthrough in Packaging
• Dailygood Bags, the Most Eco-friendly, Heavy-duty Trash Bags for Everyday Household Use, Now Available

Beyond Planet vs. Plastics, we saw shoemakers like Dr. Martens and KEEN championing recycled materials and retailers like Gap and Carhartt promoting responsible sourcing. Many new products were announced in conjunction with donations to environmental action groups like 1% for the Planet and Surfrider. Food giants like Dole and Mars focused on reducing food waste and transforming supply chains.

Overall, sustainable practices varied by vertical, with the plastics problem being the most discussed topic during Earth Month.

Solar Eclipse

On April 8, millions in the U.S. paused their typical Monday tasks to watch the sun disappear for a few minutes during the Great American Eclipse. Obvious names like Sun Chips and MoonPie rallied around this rare event with new product announcements that earned mentions on CNN Business. Here are several other releases that hyped up the once-in-a-lifetime event:

• Raising Cane's Celebrates Total Solar Eclipse in Stellar Style with Chance to Win Free Cane's for 20 Years
• Spark Engagement with LEGO® Education Activities for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
• Introducing Eight O'Clock Coffee Black Coffee Day: A Day to Celebrate Black Coffee Drinkers Everywhere
• Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® Celebrates the Solar Eclipse with Free Pancakes
• 7-Eleven, Inc. to Celebrate Upcoming Solar Eclipse with $3 Pizza, Viewing Glasses for Customers

Looking Ahead

Twenty years will pass before we cover another solar eclipse, and it’s hard to imagine what the state of consumer media will look like then. In the short term, we predict that athletes will continue to trend on and off the field as more consumers pay attention to women’s sports. And if indeed “every month is Earth month” at some retailers, we expect sustainability to be an ongoing news trend for years to come.

 

About the Author

Mickey Mocnik is a senior editor who has worked at PR Newswire since 2018. When she's not reading retail news, she can be found on stage playing guitar or at home cuddling her pitbull, Otto.