Welcome to our new series, The Big Bounceback, exploring how industries will return as the world reopens. In this edition, we look at the travel and hospitality industry. Travel was one of the hardest hit categories over the last year of pandemic, and travel marketers are hoping that pent up demand will lead to a rebound.

State Farm has long been one of the most active brands in live sports, allocating hundreds of millions of marketing dollars into league, naming-rights and broadcast sponsorships. But it took a confluence of events for the brand to finally place its first buy in the Super Bowl this February.

Summer is on its way, and when it comes, it’s a good bet consumers, having spent the past winter socially isolated and separated, will be itching to get out to enjoy the outside. Skincare brand s Neutrogena is taking this opportunity to encourage consumers to be mindful about the dangers of skin cancer.

Casey Saran, CEO of Spaceback, reflects on Brand Innovators connections with Stephanie Browder, Associate Director at Avocados From Mexico.

After a year that seemed like a bad joke, brands are taking the signs of a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel as an opportunity to dip their toes back in the waters of April Fool’s Day. 

She has a degree in mathematics. She spent the early part of her career as a software engineer. She has never taken a formal marketing class. And yet, in some respects, Ingrid Burton may have the ideal background to succeed as a CMO in 2021. 

Hasbro brand Nerf is hiring its first ever Chief TikTok Officer, in a move that shows the brand’s commitment to targeting millennials and Gen Z through this emerging social media channel.

Brands are embracing influencer marketing as a way to organically introduce products and services in the channels that consumers already consumer media. Rather than interrupting regularly scheduled programming with a commercial or a digital ad, partnering with influencers allows brands to be a part of the story that consumers are already tuning in to hear.

In today’s society, brands can’t just satisfy consumers by putting out new products. In order to stay relevant, current brands must stand for a cause and authentically do good in the world. 

The last year has been tough for everyone, and fast-food chain Checkers is using its brand platform to honor everyday heroes.

Fast-rising financial tech app Klarna may be headquartered in Stockholm, but like many of its fellow Swedish unicorn peers Spotify and H&M, the U.S. represents one of its greatest growth markets of the past several years. In the past 12 months alone, Klarna has doubled its U.S. customer base to more than 15 million users, who use the app to pay for goods and services in installments as an alternative to traditional credit cards.

Watch the 10 most viewed video ads so far during March Madness including spots from Invesco, Buffalo Wild Wings, Capital One, Wendy's and more.

NBCUniversal has created a new platform designed to help brands buy advertising more seamlessly across all of their TV, cable, and streaming services.

The past year has been a tough one for bars and for barflies. With capacity limits, social distancing and masks, many consumers may be missing the sights, sounds and, yes, even smells of their favorite watering holes. At the same time, bar employees are feeling the pinch of lost business. 

Consumers have raised the bar on what they expect from companies they shop at and work for. They are no longer just looking to buy products or work for a paycheck, they are looking to be involved with brands that share their values, particularly in relation to social justice.At Brand Innovators’ TrendWatch livecast event last week, CMOs and senior marketing executives from leading brands talked about the importance of diversity and inclusion for their brands. 

Things must be looking up. After a year of isolation, social distancing and sanitizing everything, Mondelez International is challenging people to have a little fun on April Fools’ Day, courtesy of its Sour Patch Kids brand.