In place of the monthly retailer rankings, “Behind the Numbers” has launched the Unofficial Monthly Retailer Awards (UMRAs). Each month, the awards will spotlight retailers that stand out in three key categories: Most impactful campaign, best in-real-life initiative, and best under-the-radar move. Analysts will nominate standout brands, and host Suzy Davidkhanian will select the winners based on their cases.
Here are January’s picks.
Most impactful campaign: Dr Pepper's TikTok jingle
Dr Pepper earned top honors for transforming a fan-created TikTok jingle into an official commercial within weeks.
- On December 23, a TikToker named Romeo shared a video saying, "Hey, Dr Pepper, I've got a theme song for you," and performed an original jingle.
- By January 19, Dr Pepper had turned it into an official commercial, working with the creator to develop the content.
The campaign demonstrates how major brands can successfully leverage user-generated content and respond quickly to cultural moments.
"For such a big brand, I think we tend to think about bigger brands having a little less agility when it comes to capitalizing on pop culture moments," said our analyst Arielle Feger. "It showed kind of that really agile thinking from them."
By embracing a fan's creativity and amplifying it through official channels, Dr Pepper created an authentic connection with consumers while showcasing its ability to move quickly on emerging trends.
Best in-real-life initiative: Nespresso's Fifth Avenue flagship
Nespresso's new flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City won for creating an immersive coffee destination that prioritizes experience over transactions.
- The multi-level store features a "coffee speakeasy" with exclusive drinks, a coffee theater for masterclasses, and multisensory experiences including tactile elements where visitors can interact with different aromas.
- The space includes comfortable lounges, workspaces, and educational areas designed for extended visits.
As retailers fight for foot traffic, creating destination experiences that offer more than just shopping opportunities becomes crucial. Nespresso's approach demonstrates how brands can transform retail spaces into community hubs that educate, entertain, and engage consumers, giving them compelling reasons to visit physical locations.
"It's a great example of what retailers can do with physical retail and also what they increasingly need to do to stand out in a very competitive and tough landscape," said our analyst Rachel Wolff.
Greatest under-the-radar move: Gap's chief entertainment officer
Gap's creation of a new C-suite position, the chief entertainment officer, signals a strategic organizational commitment to merging content, commerce, and entertainment.
- While the announcement received some media coverage, the podcast panel noted that the deeper implications of this structural change weren't fully appreciated.
- The move represents a shift from reactive cultural engagement to proactive cultural creation.
By institutionalizing this connection at the highest organizational level, Gap is positioning itself to develop more integrated approaches to product development, marketing, and customer engagement, a strategy other retailers will likely follow.
"I think a lot of retailers in the past have been more reactive to what's happening in culture. And now this is an example of a retailer that's really trying to shape it in a more active way," explained Wolff.
Other notable nominees from January included: Coach's partnership with The Sims, Fanatics' content studio launch, Levi's "Wear Longer Project" teaching Gen Z repair skills, Albertsons' expanded in-store retail media network, Amazon's upgraded Dash Cart, and Wild Planet's miniature billboard campaign.
Listen to the full episode.
This article was prepared with the assistance of generative AI tools to support content organization, summarization, and drafting. All AI-generated contributions have been reviewed, fact-checked, and verified for accuracy and originality by EMARKETER editors. Any recommendations reflect EMARKETER’s research and human judgment.
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