Out of toilet paper? For a few days there, you might have had a hard time finding some at a store.

Consumers panic-bought toilet paper and other goods at retailers like Costco and Walmart after the dockworkers strike earlier this month. While the strike lasted only three days, it threw yet another curveball at brands that ship goods and import items from overseas for production ahead of what is projected to be a busy holiday season.

Even before the shutdown, supply chains and delivery infrastructure had already been facing increasing pressure, thanks to everything from geopolitical tensions to an influx of packages from Shein and Temu. And that’s not the only challenge brands are grappling with. Thanks to the fast-approaching US presidential election, some brands anticipate increasing ad rates, creating an additional layer of complexity when it comes to marketing their wares.

With a holiday season that is expected to see $240.8 billion in domestic online retail sales alone, according to Adobe Analytics, brands are adjusting their production and marketing strategies accordingly.

“We’re definitely in preparation mode for all of these supply-chain issues,” Kristin Olszewski, founder and CEO of Nomadica Wine, told us.

Continue reading here.—JS

The WNBA’s 2024 season seems to have reverberated around the country—and not just because of New York Liberty mascot Ellie’s signature stomp.

Sunday’s Game 5 of the WNBA Finals, which saw the Liberty secure its first championship in franchise history after an overtime battle with four-time champs the Minnesota Lynx, brought in 2.15 million viewers on ESPN, plus record crowds at both Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and Minneapolis’s Target Center made it the most-attended WNBA Finals in history.

The record viewership follows a season defined in part by the repeated viewership and attendance records that were set and broken, along with a round of new sponsors, including Bumble and Delta Air Lines. Before basketball fans transition into watching the NBA, the WNBA’s brother league that some might be familiar with, here’s a look at some of the standout stats from the W in 2024.

Not-so-regular season: The season tipped off in May with much fanfare in the wake of a record-breaking Women’s NCAA Tournament, which was quickly followed by the draft viewed by 2.4 million people, a 307% increase from last year.

• Much of the hype at the start of the season surrounded powerhouse rookies like Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese and Indiana Fever guard and Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark.
• In the first week of the season, the W said four out of the five moments that drove the most engagement on its social channels at that point featured highlights of rookies including Clark, Reese, Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink, and Las Vegas Aces guard Kate Martin.

Read more here.—AM

It’s been a big year for basketball in the US, between the men’s and women’s USA Basketball teams’ Olympic golds, a massive March Madness, a riveting NBA Finals (for Boston Celtics fans, at least), and rapid growth in the WNBA leading up to the finals.

Brands have been scoring big from the sport this year, too, according to a new report from measurement company EDO.

• Across the NBA, WNBA, and NCAA, more than 1,000 brands spent an estimated $2.1 billion to air more than 100,000 ads, EDO found, and those ads averaged higher engagement rates and delivered a bigger impact than other broadcast and cable prime-time programming.

The NBA Finals was the best-performing basketball event for advertisers, per the report, and brands are also winning in the women’s game, with several women’s basketball events proving more effective this year than last.

Big ballers: Impressions, ad impact, and engagement rates were largely up across the board for basketball on TV this year, and the NBA Finals were the most effective of the bunch, according to the report. (EDO defines effectiveness as how likely an ad is to motivate consumers to engage with a brand online.)

• Ads that ran during the NBA Finals were 86% more effective than ads that ran during the average broadcast or cable prime-time program, meaning that commercials running against the NBA Finals were 86% more likely to engage consumers.
• Ads that ran during the NCAA men’s basketball championship game were 64% more effective than the prime-time average.

Continue reading here.—AM