The Super Mario Bros. movie was highly profitable on its own, generating massive consumer impressions for the core gaming franchise. This creates a scalable, self-funding marketing machine where Nintendo gets paid to advertise its own games.

After receiving a $50 million tariff refund, Elf Beauty is reversing price hikes on its products. This move fulfills a public promise the CEO made on this podcast, turning a financial event into a powerful demonstration of brand integrity and customer loyalty that was broadcast directly to its target audience.

A company with a buyback program can create a more powerful brand story by donating returned products instead of just recycling them. For a baby gear company, giving used items to families in need is also more cost-effective and emotionally resonant with customers.

Brands should be transparent about price increases due to external factors like tariffs. Unlike airlines that permanently added fees, businesses that remove surcharges when costs decrease build long-term trust and avoid commoditization.

Despite having no legal claim, large retailers like Walmart are pressuring their suppliers to share tariff refunds. They use their immense purchasing power as leverage, threatening to delist products if suppliers don't share a portion of the government payout.

Instead of running sterile, price-focused promotions, Ally first launches a creative, on-brand campaign to build cultural momentum. The performance-driving incentive is then introduced later, making the entire effort brand-accretive rather than brand-dilutive.

Instead of pocketing tariff refunds, companies should pass them on to consumers. In an era where customers feel nickel-and-dimed, this act of goodwill would be a powerful, high-ROI marketing campaign, building immense brand loyalty and driving store traffic, especially for the first mover.

Costco is suing the Trump administration over tariffs, not just as a legal strategy, but as a public relations move. It signals to customers that Costco will fight anyone, even the president, to uphold its core value proposition of saving people money.

Brands like Lululemon that passed tariff costs to consumers now face lawsuits for not refunding them after the tariffs were reversed. Instead of fighting it, proactively returning the money could generate significant customer loyalty and positive press.