With retailers, influencers and the culture at large encouraging shoppers to “treat themselves” and upgrade, Back Market is telling people to do the opposite — and buy used. Its tagline, “Downgrade Now,” challenges U.S. consumers to buy refurbished products at a lower price without having to sacrifice quality.

It’s also communicating a sustainability message through its marketing and advertising campaigns. "At the heart of this is shifting people's mindset towards tech," said Amanda Michel, U.S. Director of Marketing. "Part of this is about actually impacting culture and really being able to speak to people about how they use tech and what their tech needs are.”

In some ways, however, breaking into the U.S. market — which is saturated by a steady stream of new releases and product upgrades — is a challenge. Back Market’s strategy has been to lead with out-of-home ads that convey a message rather than focus on a product and to increase brand awareness through pop-up activations. Read our deep dive into Back Market’s marketing strategy, challenges and growth as the brand expands its U.S. footprint.

Women’s apparel brand Lands’ End has hired its first chief marketing officer in more than a decade. As of April 1, Sarah Sylvester — a 20-year veteran of Victoria’s Secret — now heads up the brand’s marketing team. We sat down with Sylvester to discuss her plans for the role, her experience with brand transformation and how she envisions connecting more deeply with consumers.

Lastly, we’ve announced the 2026 Top Women in Marketing honorees, an accomplished group of leaders driving innovation, growth and transformation across the marketing industry. This year’s crew is a powerful cross-section of talent spanning brand marketing, media, technology and communications. Please join us as we celebrate them at the annual Top Women Awards gala on June 4.

See you there.