Twenty eight years ago, McDonald’s partnered with Michael Jordan to brand, market, and sell their meals. The fast-food chain has not attempted a celebrity branded partnership since...until now. On September 8, Variety reported the brand collaboration between McDonald’s and Travis Scott. Fans of Travis' psychedelic hip-hop can now order his signature McDonald's meal: a fully loaded quarter pounder, with fries, BBQ sauce, and a Sprite. The publicity drop coincides with the release of Scott’s collaborative merchandise and clothing line flashing a vintage McDonald’s look. In this Business Casual snippet, hosts Daniel Litwin and Tyler Kern consider McDonald’s high profile attempt at influencer marketing. Will the product, a decked out burger, be enough to get target customers in the drive through? Litwin and Kern break down takeaways of this brand partnership and what marketers can take away from the collaboration.

With the pandemic drastically changing the landscape of retail, America’s largest chains have had to pivot on a dime. So who has emerged as the leader? Judging by profits alone, Target far outperformed its competitors. According to The Motley Fool, Target reported a 9.6% operating margin in the second quarter, compared to the respective 5.5% and 3.9% of Walmart and Amazon. On this Business Casual snippet, hosts Daniel Litwin and Tyler Kern consider whether Target got lucky, or whether the company strategically set itself up for success. Target's success leads to two key metrics: convenience and custom products. By rolling out a same-day curbside pickup service, Target saw massive gains amid the pandemic as customers chose a fast and convenient method of shopping in order to stay out of stores. Target also retains customers with it’s unique in-store brands like Good & Gather and Archer Farms. By being a seamless, stress-free one-stop-shop, it seems Target has set itself apart from its competitors.