Who: Kristen Regine, DBA, is a professor of marketing at Johnson & Wales University. She teaches courses in marketing, advertising and retail for both the College of Business and the College of Online Education.

I grew up in the world of local TV news. My mom worked at an ABC affiliate scheduling advertising, and I have vivid memories of my sister and me doing homework in the station’s break room next to the studio, the “on-air” light glowing red as I munched on Captain’s Wafer crackers or Bugles from the snack machine and the video crew put on another pot of coffee, knowing they’d be there until after the 11 o’clock broadcast.

Recently the World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled the whirlwind of talk around COVID-19 as an infodemic, calling it an “over-abundance of information—some accurate and some not—that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it.”

When thinking about football and the Super Bowl, a person’s mind typically goes to the obvious: who’s going to take home the Lombardi Trophy? But with a game that had 98.2 million people glued to the television for hours in 2019, kick-off for advertisers starts a whole lot earlier than it does for the actual players. After all, it would be a missed opportunity for advertisers to skip running ads during an event that garners so much attention.

Are you a fan of Pura Vida bracelets?  Do you drink your beverages out of Hydro Flasks? Do you wear scrunchies, both in your hair and on your wrist? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be a VSCO girl.

Advertising through the holidays can be challenging on several levels. The fourth quarter is a critical time for businesses, many of whom rely on the season to become profitable. Radio stations, television stations, newspapers, and digital media are crowded with messages for retailers attempting to gain attention. 

Whether you are a fan of Christmas or you feel more like the Grinch, it cannot be denied that Christmas generates a lot of waste with all of the food, gifts, and decorations.

Some love it more than others but, for most, holiday shopping is inevitable. Black Friday has become a tradition for many shoppers who kickoff the season in the early-morning hours in hopes of snagging the best deals. But in recent years, Black Friday has become more of an opening act of shopping "holidays" to come rather than the momentous occasion it once was. Instead, it’s come to share the spotlight with some other retail holidays looking for their slice of post-Thanksgiving-feast pie.

You may have heard the news, it's back. The Popeyes Chicken Sandwich that polarized the internet, forcing people far and wide to pledge their allegiance to their sandwich of choice has finally returned. For those unaware of the fast-food phenomenon that took place throughout August, here’s a quick debrief.

The Start of a War

For most, fast-food slang when ordering has become almost a second language. “I’ll get a number two with an extra side of fries but hold the pickles on the burger” or “one iced venti with two pumps of caramel and whole milk, please” is common lingo these days. But sometimes if you listen closely, you might catch something out of, well, order. 

“I’ll get the Land, Sea, and Air Burger with a McAffogato, please.”

As it turns out, there’s an entire world of fast-food ordering that most people don’t know about ... the world of secret menus.