Material World

The holiday season is almost upon us. But these days it feels as if we're always celebrating. When it's not Halloween or Thanksgiving or Christmas, it's Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, National Margarita Day, National Siblings Day or National Pet Day. Companies have even created their own corporate holidays to get in on the action, such as Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day. This week, Jenny and Lindsey dig into a phenomenon they call celebration inflation. People may be skipping the mall these days, but they're happy to shop if it means snapping the perfect Instagram picture or throwing a "Pinterest perfect" party. We're spending more on events, whether they're nationally recognized days or other celebrations such as birthdays, weddings and bachelorette parties. Jenny and Lindsey explore the growing industry surrounding celebrations to find out why our partying patterns have changed and who is benefiting.

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Celebrities, they're just like us! Or rather, marketers have long relied on the fact that we want to be just like them. Slapping a famous name and image on to products has been a sales tactic for more than a century. But consumers's thirst for authenticity and attachment to social media have changed the ways that fame can be used. Join us as Jenny and Lindsey dive into the world of celebrity to find out why the relationship between companies and stars increasingly revolves around investments, not endorsements. Khloe Kardashian tells us why she no longer feels obliged to accept every product offer dangled her way. The comedians behind the Fat Jewish and Babe Walker on Instagram and Twitter explain the origins of White Girl Rose. And Jody Levy, co-founder and creative director of WTRMLN WTR tells us what one famous backer -- Beyonce -- brings to the table.

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Cats and dogs have never had it so good. Hosts Lindsey Rupp and Jenny Kaplan explore the $63 billion U.S. pet industry. As Americans wait longer to have kids, they're spending more on their furry relatives instead, from pet insurance and premium diets to Halloween costumes. To break down the changes in the industry and find out if all this money actually makes a difference to our speechless friends, our hosts talk with celebrity chef Rachael Ray, who launched her own pet-food line called Nutrish, a New York City veterinarian and representatives from Petco and PetSmart.

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Hosts Lindsey Rupp and Jenny Kaplan are talking patriotic marketing. In an Olympic and election year, consumers have been overwhelmed with red, white and blue. Budweiser actually branded its iconic beer "America" during the summer. Do these ploys attract buyers? What about items that are made in America? For more insight the hosts talk with Wrangler Jeans, Bloomberg reporter Shannon Pettypiece on Wal-Mart and Budweiser.

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Having a baby costs more than ever. The average American parents will pay about $245,000 to raise a child born in 2013 through the age of 18 -- and that's just for basics! It isn't just higher costs that are changing the business of raising babies, industry experts tell Jenny and Lindsey in this episode. These days, new parents rely more on technology, care less about brands and are more attuned to product ingredients than previous generations. Mainstream companies such as Johnson & Johnson, once the only option for new parents, are struggling to keep up with changing demands as customers flock to upstarts like the Honest Co. for products they can trust.

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Marketing to women is getting more nuanced than the stereotyped, often sexist, efforts of the past -- mostly. How are companies that sell typically macho-things like beer and guns appealing to the fairer sex? Some do it better than others with inclusive messages. The toy industry is making stereotypically masculine toys more palatable for girls. The internet is allowing marketers to target customers based on their interests. Will advertisers ever really know what women want?

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For many years, packaged vegan foods were expensive, sometimes unappealing, knock-offs of animal products and byproducts made for diet extremists. Not any more. Companies that make plant-based fare, such as Treeline Cheese and Beyond Meat, want their products to go mainstream. They're working hard to appeal to meat-eaters, not just vegetarians. Others, like Santa Margherita Wine, call being vegan more of a perk than a goal. But will Americans ever really be willing to spring for a more expensive cashew-based cheese or skip beef for an imitation burger?

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Skinny jeans have dominated the denim world for 10 long years and the fashion industry has had enough. Apparel companies are eager for pant styles to change, prompting customers to spend more on updating their entire wardrobe. Yet the skinny silhouette has serious staying power, according to Nancy Zhang, chief operating officer of New York boutique chain Otte. Sid and Ann Mashburn, who own a retail chain, describe how skinny became a style staple, from denim to athletic apparel to menswear. And Bloomberg's Matt Townsend bets the time has come for skinnies to meet their end. Are trends finally starting to show signs of change?

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Attitudes toward the sex toy industry have changed dramatically thanks to the Internet, making what was once a taboo subject pervasive in popular culture. In this episode, Lindsey and Jenny take a closer look at the $15 billion "adult product" market, with guests including Phil Harvey, who founded the adult store chain Adam & Eve in 1970 and explains to them how the industry has blossomed during the past 40 years. Challenges persist, however. As Babeland founder Claire Cavanah says, sometimes it's tough just to do basic banking. And Dame Products founders Alexandra Fine and Janet Lieberman tell our hosts that they used crowdfunding to make a new toy, but faced hurdles trying to advertise it.

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