Bricks & Sausage

On the same day that Macy’s announced plans to close 15% of its doors next year, Seth Rogen’s repulsive little opus, Sausage Party, opened in theaters throughout the US. What’s the link between a movie about talking wieners and an iconic retailer? Actually there is none, because while Macy’s and other big box dinosaurs remain chained to technology and ideas that are centuries old, nimble, tech-savvy startups are eating their lunch.

Sausage Party, the world’s first R-rated, full-length animated film, pulled in a surprising $33.6 million in its opening weekend in the US and Canada. That’s well above analyst projections of $20 million. It is also the best debut of all time for an animated movie in August—not bad at all for a flick with a $19 million budget.

Sausage Party is aimed not so much at Millennials, as the Peter Pan Generation, you know, 18 to 25 year-old males who never want to grow up. To reach them, Sony Pictures deployed the largest digital marketing campaign in its history, much of it spent on social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter and Snapchat. Sony normally spends 12% of a film’s marketing budget on digital promotions, but online efforts ate up nearly half of Sausage Party’s promotional spending.

“We doubled down on digital,” said Rory Bruer, Sony’s distribution chief, told Variety. “That’s what propelled us into the zeitgeist.”

Even Walmart, the 800-pound gorilla of retail, understands the power of digital; that’s why it’s spending more than $3 billion to acquire Jet, an online shopping tool that promises “prices drop as you shop.” It’s just the latest example of old-school businesses trying new ways to attract an audience. It all comes down to successful execution of new ideas in an increasingly complex world.

Some companies do a great job of jumping on the next big thing while it’s still in its infancy. For cosmetics, the next big thing often involves a little known ingredient. To find out what’s hot, see p. 48 in this issue. To find out how surfactant suppliers are navigating a brave new world that includes terms like sulfate-free and RSPO, read our annual review of the market that starts on p. 60. Also, this month, we  report on the latest fragrance trends in air care (p. 55). Finally, if private label is a part of your business, find out how the Private Label Manufacturers Association is educating its members (p. 72).

Tom Branna
Editorial Director
tbranna@rodmanmedia.com