Under Armour, Steph Curry Launch 'Curry Brand' to Rival Nike's Jordan Brand
Two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry and his endorsement home, Under Armour, have launched the standalone "Curry Brand" to better compete with Nike's Jordan Brand. The new brand will feature gear for several sports, most notably basketball and golf. While speaking with Sports Illustrated's Jarrel Harris, Curry said, "Obviously, basketball is the no-brainer and my expression of what I do best, but when it comes to golf and when it comes running and training and when it comes other sports, that is part of my experience growing up."
He continued: "I always played other sports, got exposed to a lot of different skill sets and people, and that was big in my development. I feel like whatever a kid is interested in, we want to be able to present an opportunity to kind of live that out. We are going to start with basketball, and we want to make sure we have the product, programming and the arenas they would be able to go to and participate and hopefully scale out and brand out from there."
The brand will also focus on youth sports initiatives. Their first investment will be $1 million to the nonprofit, Positive Coaching Alliance, to better prepare youth coaches. Under Armour CEO Patrik Frisk said:
7-Eleven Parent Company to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Seven & i Holdings, 7-Eleven’s Tokyo-based parent company, has debuted plans to cut its greenhouse gas emissions to close to zero by 2050 at its stores, both in Japan and the U.S., according to Nikkei Asia.
Over the next five years, the company has committed to spending at least 5% of its capital investment in the environmental field, for a total investment of 100 billion yen, or about $960 million USD.
Testing New Release Strategy, ‘The Croods' Opens to $14.2M
Testing a novel release strategy, Universal Pictures' animated sequel “The Croods: A New Age” had one of the best opening weekends of the pandemic, grossing $14.2 million over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Whereas new releases have traditionally lasted around 90 days in theaters, Universal has mapped out a shorted theatrical window in deals with major chains AMC and Cinemark that gives the studio the option to move new releases to premium video-on-demand after just 17 days. “The Croods: A New Age” is expected to shift to the home before Christmas for a $20 rental. For an industry reeling from the pandemic, it's part of wider changes seeping through the industry.
USDA opens AskUSDA to Improve, Streamline Customer Experience
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the official launch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's AskUSDA Contact Center program. The AskUSDA Contact Center will serve as the "one front door" for phone, chat, and web inquires, transforming how the public interacts with USDA and providing an enhanced experience for the public.
The public can contact AskUSDA by phone at 833-ONE-USDA, which is 833-668-8732, with representatives available 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. The website, https://ask.usda.gov/, is available 24/7 and includes live chat agents available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Inquiries can also be sent via email at any time to [email protected].
The launch of AskUSDA delivers a centralized contact center that offers customer service and consistent information for the public. With over 29 agencies and offices, USDA's mission impacts every single person in the U.S. and hundreds of millions around the globe.
Tips For Safe Online Holiday Shopping
Experts at AARP ElderWatch, which is a program with the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, want to make sure you are aware of possible fraud this holiday season. The experts say they have been seeing more retail scams recently involving fraudsters putting up fake websites to take advantage of the influx in online shopping.
First, be careful when it comes to buying items you see featured in advertisements on Facebook, Instagram and other social media sites. AARP ElderWatch says you should research the companies to make sure they’re legitimate.
“A lot of people either are not getting the products that they are ordering or they're getting something they're unhappy with, so it's really important to take one extra step,” says Mark Fetterhoff, the program manager for AARP ElderWatch.