Thought Leadership

Supermarkets and food banks complement one another in the U.S. food supply chain, a Northeastern professor studying food waste says. By donating less-than-perfect fruits and vegetables to food banks, supermarkets replenish their shelves with higher-priced, higher-quality goods, thus boosting profits.

An Adidas ad for its new line of sports bras, featuring a photo grid of topless women, made a splash online recently, prompting a mix of praise and criticism. But it may not be so black-and-white. Northeastern experts in body image and marketing weigh the pros and cons.

Rebrands are rare, says Paul Fombelle, who worked at one of the world's biggest advertising agencies before teaching marketing at Northeastern. For the franchise most recently known as the Washington Football Team, a new name and logo won't matter as much as the play on the field, he says.

Artists signing over the publishing rights to their songs for a pretty penny isn't new. But the latest trend is driven by a few important factors, say Northeastern professors with deep knowledge of the music industry.

Father Isaac Keeley, a 71-year-old Trappist monk who lives in a monastery in central Massachusetts, didn't know the first thing about using social media to take his beer business national. Then he received a call from the Digital, Analytics, Technology and Automation (DATA) Initiative team at Northeastern.

Despite rising inflation, supply-chain disruptions and pandemic lockdowns, business is booming for well-known luxury behemoths like Louis Vuitton, Cartier, BMW, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Economic and marketing experts at Northeastern explain what's behind the sudden surge in spending on some of the finer things in life.

A record volume of import cargo is anticipated for the Port of Los Angeles this year, but relief for overburdened supply chains may be on the horizon. AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

The compounding effects of inclement winter weather and the wildly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19 left airlines in a bind at one of the busiest times of year for travel. AP Photo/LM Otero

Hopes for the digital media industry were elevated when co-founder and chief executive officer Jonah Peretti celebrated BuzzFeed's Listing Day at Nasdaq in New York City last month. Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images