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Back on December 15th, Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg became the youngest player in NBA history to score more than 40 points in a game. It was also just the third time a teenager had 40 points, five rebounds, and five assists in the leagues 79-year history. The only other two players to achieve that last stat line were LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Given that elevated company, and the fact that James, Durant, and about 65% of the NBA wear Nike shoes, it is still a bit of a shock to see Flagg donning New Balance. View this post on Instagram The privately-owned, Massachusetts-based shoemaker has gradually built a comparatively small, but elite roster of athlete ambassadors over the past decade. Despite its sizeNew Balances 2024 sales were about $7.8 billion, compared to Nikes $51.4BFlagg shares the shoe brand with reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen, and Major League Baseball MVP Shohei Ohtani. Not to mention WNBA standout Cameron Brink, as well as fellow NBA stars Tyrese Maxey, Kawhi Leonard, Jamal Murray, Darius Garland, and Zack Levine. Many star in the brands newest ad that dropped on January 5th. CMO Chris Davis says the goal is not to be the biggest, but to be the best, most boutique sports marketing brand in the world. We had to find that core component of our identity that enabled us to succeed for the first 110 years of our existence, says Davis. And it was rooted in the idea of being the ultimate challenger brand. We always say internally that we’re a brand with heritage, not a heritage brand. A heritage brand purely relies on its past. A brand with heritage honors its past, but is obsessed with innovating into the future. That mentality has fueled New Balance as it’s disrupted streetwear, fashion, and sports. But as its business has grown by 20% or more in each of the past five years, the challenge now is maintaining that boutique challenger status amid the significant growth. Pushing forward with new design As Flagg, Ohtani, and Allen are scoring in sports, New Balance is also able to maintain and build on its streetwear and fashion bonafides with innovative looks like the new Gator Run (a flat style trainer), and of course the snoafer (aka 1906L). Meanwhile, the Abzorb 2000 and SC Elite V5 have been named among the best sneakers of 2025. Davis says that the original seeds for its current star-studded athlete roster were its heritage in running combined with its ties to streetwear and sneaker culture. In those early stages, it was certainly about resonating with our ascension, particularly in the streetwear space, he says. And then of course, it was about the trusted innovations that we’ve been putting forth in running for decades. Now, the driving force is the brands commitment to its independence and what that affords them in how they work with athletes and other collaborators. The fact that we are privately owned certainly facilitates a unique mindset, says Davis. And the fact that we don’t have to make decisions based on Wall Street or quarterly earnings reports, it enables us to take a long-term vision, build a strong foundation, and primarily to do things because we believe that they are the right thing to do, the right thing for the brand, the right thing for our people internally and the right thing for all our partners. The evolving brand of New Balance He credits the brands independent identity with attracting the first in its wave of new athletes over the past decade. But another pillar to Davis athlete strategy is partnership over sponsorship. Athletes arent silod in a single sports category of basketball or tennis, but part of the brand as a whole. This is embodied in launches like the recent collab between fashion label Miu Miu and Gauff. We work collaboratively on everything that our major athletes touch, he says. So we co-author our storytelling, we co-author our product, and we co-author our business strategies together. They have a massive input on how we’re coming to market collectively. That not only enhances their sphere of influence, but it makes them more connected to our brand.” As 2026 kicks off, the challenge facing Davies is the same as it was 12 months ago: Continued growth without sacrificing the culture that got it here. But New Balance recognizes that perception of its brand has changed, and that’s helpd their momentum. Years ago, it was New Balance pitching athletes and other partners to team up, now the company turns down about 99% of inbound requests. The best indication of future behavior is past behavior, and success breeds success, says Davis. At the end of the day, being the best version of ourselves is one of our major goals. But, I don’t think it’s gotten easier because our expectations have gotten higher.
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E-Commerce
A group of former government workers are developing a plan that a future administration can use to rebuild government services damaged by DOGE. Tech Viaduct, an initiative launched by the left-leaning think tank Searchlight Institute, is made up of former senior government officials with experience in agencies including U.S. Digital Service (USDS), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and General Services Administration (GSA). Its goal is to create a plan for how the federal government might repair and improve its digital presence, services, and processes. And fast. The group’s thinking is that actual implementation of government reform requires a long lead time, but political party mandates only last until the next electionso the next administration can’t afford to spend two years studying the problem. Instead, the next president needs to hit the ground running. “It’s the combination of rigid short deadlines, such as legislation or election calendars, and every action happening extremely slowly,” Mikey Dickerson, a former administrator of USDS from 2014 to 2017 who’s now working in leadership for Tech Viaduct, says of the slow pace of government work. “It’s good to slow down and be careful when figuring out how a change is going to impact people,” he tells Fast Company. “It’s not good when minor technical decision requires approval from 35 committee members, representing 40 different agendas. That second type of slowness needs to be pruned way back.” A tactical plan for the future Tech Viaduct’s objectives are to draw up a tactical plan for a future administration with options that vary based on political circumstances, including day-one executive actions and wider ambitions that could pass with support from Congress. With three more years left in President Donald Trump’s final term, the scope of their work is a moving target. Part of their work is administrative, technical, and boring to the average civilian, like reforming government procurement, personnel, and oversight systems. But another part is public-facing: building visibility in order to drive adoption and support for the initiative. Americans often compare government services to that of the private sector, and the government is often found wanting. A brand rehab has long been in order. Before it folded last year, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), was created out of USDS, the executive branch’s digital office. In place of those entities is the National Design Studio, a new office that launched last August and is headed by Airbnb cofounder Joe Gebbia. The office has given Trump initiatives the sheen of Silicon Valley web design, masking an agenda of government cuts in a shiny wrapper. This initiative is less interested in such window dressing, according to the plan it’s outline so far. Tech Viaduct’s idea for day-one digital repair Dickerson says he imagines a future president’s day-one executive orders could include a direction that agencies cooperate with a “triage team” to determine digital risks and needs, or stabilize and restore government programs so that they an perform their intended purposes. Other executive orders could instruct agencies to stop illegal or unsafe abuse of private data. He says hed like to see a transparent accounting of what happened to public data under DOGE. His bigger goal is the long-term, systemic improvement to government procurement and the civil service. “It won’t be an overnight miracle,” Dickerson says. “It’s not possible to build, fix, or repair as quickly or dramatically as you can do demolition.” Project Searchlight says it will take years to correct DOGE’s damage, but the group also learned something from DOGE’s efforts: Changing government fast is possible if there’s sufficient political will. “What could be done if the mandate and power of and urgency of DOGE was used to build more effective government services instead of tear them down?” Dickerson asks. Tech Viaduct seeks to find out.
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E-Commerce
Want more housing market stories from Lance Lamberts ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. Among the 24 price forecasts tracked by ResiClub in our final 2026 home price forecast roundup, the average prediction is a +1.43% increase in U.S. home prices in 2026. Keep in mind that roundup mentioned above looks at forecasts for nationally aggregated home prices. On a regional and neighborhood basis, home price swings can vary greatly from the national figure. For example, on a year-over-year basis, U.S. home prices as measured by the Zillow Home Value Index are up +0.1%, while home prices in the Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, Connecticut metro area are up +4.6% and home prices in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas metro area are down -6.0% during that same timeframe. To better understand how regional home prices may vary in 2026, ResiClub reached out to economists at Zillowwhose forecast of U.S. home prices rising by +2.1% in calendar 2026 is slightly above the average modeland economists at Moodys Analyticswhose forecast of U.S. home prices rising by +0.8% in 2026 is slightly more bearish than the average modelto gather their metro-level home price forecasts. Lets take a look at the metro-level forecasts. window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}); When we published our final roundup of national home price forecasts for 2026, Zillow was forecasting +1.2% for 2026; however, over the weekend they slightly upgraded that to +2.1%. Zillow economists write the following: With supply no longer as tight as it was during the pandemic, price gains are likely to stay modest. Buyers should see a bit more time and leverage when they shop, while sellers can still build equity, just at a slower pace than in past boom year(s) . . . Looking ahead, Zillow projects sales will strengthen in 2026 as mortgage rates trend lower and affordability improves. Existing home sales are forecast to reach 4.3 million next year, a 5.2% yearoveryear gain. After two slow years, the recovery is expected to be led by the Southeast and West, where demand is more ratesensitive and is starting to rebound as borrowing costs ease. window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}); The forecast by Moodys chief economist Mark Zandi has U.S. home prices, as measured by the Moody’s repeat sales index, rising just +0.8% in calendar year 2026, followed by +1.5% uptick in 2027. When I recently reached out to Moodys Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi for his updated home price forecast, he said his long-term outlook for the U.S. housing market remains largely unchanged: He expects a prolonged period of stagnation as affordability gradually improves. Following the historic run-up in prices during the pandemic housing boom and the subsequent mortgage rate shock, Zandi believes resale activity/existing home sales will likely stay frozen for several more years. Affordability has to be restored for housing to regain its mojo, Zandi told ResiClub a few months ago. Flat home prices [adjusted for inflation] is the healthiest path forwardits the only way for incomes to catch up. Zandi expects nominal national home prices to move sideways over the next 12 to 18 months, with local variation: markets in the South and West, where building has been stronger, seeing some modest declines, while tight-inventory markets in the Northeast and Midwest remain more stable. The worst of the pain in the housing market might be now and in the next six to nine months. After that, things will begin to feel a little betterbut not good, Zandi told ResiClub in October. The housing market will heal . . . but its going to take timeand a lot of patience. Over the next decade, Zandi projects U.S. home prices will rise roughly in line with inflation, meaning no real [adjusted for inflation] house price gains for around 10 years. We expect homes for sale to steadily increase as more existing homeowners need to sell for demographic reasonsdeath, divorce, children, job changeand lower mortgage rates help ease their interest rate lock. The [potentially] lower rates will also support housing demand, but the increase in housing supply will be even more significant, weighing on house price gains, Zandi tells ResiClub. What is ResiClubs take? The housing market is still working through a cyclical cooling phase, with many of the nations fastest-growing Sun Belt boomtowns undergoing a deeper recalibration after experiencing greater overheating during the pandemic housing boom. This adjustment period wont last forever, and the long-term growth fundamentalssuch as rising populationin many of these Southern markets remain attractive. However, in 2026, ResiClub believes the market is still within that normalization window (but weregetting closer to exiting it). Broadly speaking, housing markets where inventory (i.e., active listings) has climbed well above pre-pandemic 2019 levels have experienced softer/weaker home price growth (or event outright declines) over the past 42 months since the pandemic housing boom fizzled out. Conversely, housing markets where inventory remains far below 2019 pre-pandemic levels have, generally speaking, experienced more resilient home price growth over the past 42 months. Using active inventory/months of supply as a short-term guide, we expect the greatest pricing resilience in 2026 to be in Midwest and Northeast markets, while the greatest pricing softness is still likely in Gulf markets such as Austin and Punta Gorda, Florida. (I think both Zillow and Moodys are a little too optimistic about Southwest Florida in particular, which I believe is still in correction modealthough it is starting to create some interesting buying opportunities.) Regardless of how regional inventory (see our latest monthly inventory update here) or regional home prices (see our latest monthly home price update here) perform in 2026, well be closely tracking the trends to keep you informed of any shifts.
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E-Commerce
Ozempic-maker Novo Nordisk turned to the actors from Apple’s 2000s “Get a Mac” ads to differentiate its GLP-1 medication amid a rising sea of competitors. On January 20, the Danish pharmaceutical company announced its “There’s Only One Ozempic” campaign starring Justin Long and John Hodgman. The actors are reprising their roles from Apple’s Mac vs. PC ads playing the personifications of a name brand and the alternativebut now for weight-loss drugs. [Video: Novo Nordisk] Long personified Mac in the original Apple campaign by dressing in a more youthful, casual way than Hodgman, who personified a stuffy, dorky PC by wearing glasses and a suit and tie with a closely cropped haircut. (Think Steve Jobs versus Bill Gates.) In the Apple ads, Mac was always portrayed by Long as more cool and capable. In the new Ozempic ad, Long personifies Ozempic, facing off in a mock game show against Hodgman, who plays all of Ozempic’s competitors wrapped up in one dull brown T-shirt. (His hardworking name is “Other GLP-1s for Type 2 Diabetes.”) Hodgman’s character gets the game show’s single question right after the host asks which GLP-1 is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to lower the risk of worsening chronic kidney disease. The answer is, of course, “Ozempic,” which ultimately makes his win bittersweet. The “Get a Mac” campaign was created by Apple’s ad agency TBWA\Media Arts Lab; 66 total spots aired from 2006 to 2009. In 2010, Adweek named it the best ad campaign of the 2000s for connecting technology to humanity. Now Novo Nordisk is hoping some of that magic can rub off. The new campaign aims to reassert Ozempic’s brand equity in the public sphere as it faces business headwinds. It follows both layoffs and lower sales growth at the company, even as its U.S. competitor Eli Lilly is ascendent. The ad also drops shortly after Novo Nordisk’s other GLP-1, Wegovy, hit the market in pill form. In such a competitive landscape, Novo Nordisk is working to make its brand name the standard. “There’s Only One Ozempic” plays up Ozempic’s unique selling proposition in a practical sense, as a solution to chronic kidney disease. But with a jingle based on the song “Magic” and a pair of actors remembered for selling computers, it’s also positioning its drug as the most desirable GLP-1.
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E-Commerce
In the world of business, we tend to believe that success is a direct result of talent, resources, and a “great idea.” We expect that if a company has a track record of dominance, like Google, Amazon, or Apple, they are a sure bet for the next big thing. Yet, the history of innovation is littered with the wreckage of unexpected flops launched by industry giants. From the futuristic promise of the Segway to the early dominance of MySpace, these failures prove that even a massive war chest and a visionary concept cannot guarantee market survival. Here are some of the traps that companies fall into. The ‘Solution in Search of a Problem’ Trap One of the most common reasons for failure is based on “technology push” versus “market pull.” This happens when a company develops a sophisticated piece of technology and then hunts for a problem to solve, rather than starting with a genuine consumer need. Google Glass is a fine example. Technically, it was a marvel, an engineering feat that brought augmented reality to a wearable form. However, Google failed to articulate why the average person needed it. It lacked a defined purpose. The device made people uncomfortable regarding privacy (the “Glasshole” effect), leading to it being banned in bars and theaters before it even hit mass-market shelves. Similarly, the Segway was heralded by Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos as a revolution in urban transport that would “reshape cities.” But for the consumer, it was an expensive, bulky solution to a problem that didn’t exist. It was too fast for sidewalks and too slow for roads. It was a great idea in theory, but a failure in the real world. The Arrogance of Success Trap When a company is dominant in one field, it can become blind to its limitations. They try to force the approach of their successful core business into a completely different field. Amazons Fire Phone failed because Amazon treated hardware like its retail platform. They packed the phone with “Dynamic Perspective” (a 3D effect) and “Firefly”a button to scan products to buy on Amazon. These were clever technical features, but they served Amazons needs more than the users. Users wanted a robust ecosystem of apps and a reliable interface; they didn’t want a shopping cart in their pocket. Amazons immense success in e-commerce blinded them to the specific needs of the smartphone market. The ‘First Mover’ Trap It is a common precept that being first to market is an advantage. However, Friendster and MySpace prove that being first is a double-edged sword. Friendster had the great idea of social networking long before Facebook. It failed because it couldn’t handle its own success. The servers crashed constantly, and the site became unusable. This technical failure allowed MySpace to take the lead. But MySpace eventually fell into the same trap: It became cluttered with ads and customizable profiles, failing to evolve its user experience as the audience matured. These companies didn’t fail because their ideas were bad. They failed because they couldn’t scale as demand grew. The Timing Trap Bill Gross has studied what makes some start-ups succeed and so many fail. He analyzed the histories of 200 startup companies and compared five factors: the idea, the team, the business model, the funding, and the timing. You can see him relate his findings in his Ted talk, The single biggest reason why start-ups succeed. His findings were striking. The most important factor was timing, then the team, and then the idea. Many startup companies with great teams and innovative business ideas fail because the timing of their launch is unfortunate. And this can be down to luck. The timing trap applies to big companies too. If you launch a product too early, you have to educate the market which is expensive. If you launch too late, youre fighting for scraps. An idea might be great, but the world isn’t ready yet. For example, the online grocery business Webvan failed during the dot-com bubble (Webvan) because high-speed internet and mobile logistics weren’t mature. Twenty years later, the same idea is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Similarly, Google Glass might have succeeded today in an era of TikTok creators and remote assistance, but in 2013, the culture was far more sensitive to “always-on” cameras. Is it Just Luck? In his book The Black Swan, Nassim Taleb argues that we often underestimate the role of randomness in success. A sudden shift in the economy, a competitors unexpected move, or even a global pandemic can make a “great idea” look like a disaster, or a “mediocre idea” look like a stroke of genius. Luck plays a role, but “luck” depends on preparation and timing. Successful companies that fail usually have the preparation but miss the timing. They are so focused on their internal roadmap that they lose sight of the external environment. Lessons for Todays Leaders These failed ventures can teach us some powerful lessons: Solve a Real Problem: You should be able to explain the problem your product solves in one concise sentence. Leave out buzzwords like revolutionary, ground-breaking, or next-generation. Social Context Matters: Technology does not exist in a vacuum. How will people feel when they use it? How will others feel around them? Minimun Viable Product: Build a small cheap prototype or model and show it to discerning customers. Ask, Does it solve your problem? Would you pay money for it? What needs to change? Kill The Losers: Successful companies often suffer from “sunk cost fallacy.” They keep pouring money into a failing venture because they are too proud to admit the “great idea” isn’t working. Agility Over Ego: The ability to pivot is critical. When Slack found that their video games was a flop they switched to producing a communication tool. A great idea is just a hypothesis. The failures of Google Glass, the Fire Phone, and the Segway teach us that the market is a harsh laboratory. Success requires more than just a breakthrough in engineering. It requires an alignment of cultural timing, user-centric design, and the humility to adapt when reality contradicts your vision. Even the giants can fall. It is vital to look at the world through the eyes of the user and stop admiring your own designsno matter how brilliant they appear.
Category:
E-Commerce
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