By November 2025, we’re well into the era where generative AI, automation, and data‑driven personalization are not “nice to have,” but table stakes. For marketers, this shift means reevaluating not just tools, but strategy, organization, and how you engage your audience. What’s changed: AI and automation are increasingly baked into marketing workflows — content generation, campaign optimisation, data analysis. PollPe Blogs+2J Media Group+2 The decline of third‑party cookies h

Consumers in 2025 expect to interact with brands across channels, devices, and contexts — seamlessly. Whether they are browsing on mobile, talking to smart speakers, in‑store, watching connected TV — the lines are blurring. For marketers, this means elevating your omnichannel game and layering in immersive experiences to stand out. What we’re seeing now: The marketing funnel is morphing into continuous journeys — awareness, engagement, purchase, retention — across digital + p

As we move further into  2025, the “how” of marketing is no longer just about reach or clicks. Audiences increasingly care about who you are , what you stand for , and whether they feel part of something. For marketers, building trusted communities , being transparent about data & privacy , and aligning with solid values  are critical. The context: Privacy regulations and changing consumer attitudes mean brands can’t rely on opaque data‑collection practices. LinkedIn+1 Consum

How TikTok turned college sorority recruitment into a viral marketing and cultural moment What Is RushTok? Every fall, universities across the U.S. hold sorority recruitment, or “rush.” Traditionally, it was a highly personal, in-person process. But starting around 2020, TikTok transformed it into a social media phenomenon now known as RushTok. On September 5, 2024, RushTok was at its peak: thousands of students and recent graduates posted videos about outfits, tips, funny mi

How a classic American brand learned the hard way that nostalgia is a marketing superpower—and a minefield The Big Change That Broke the Internet In mid-2025, Cracker Barrel—the southern-style restaurant chain known for its rocking chairs, biscuits, and front-porch aesthetic—rolled out a sleek new minimalist logo. The redesign dropped familiar elements like “Uncle Herschel”  and the phrase “Old Country Store.” The new look was simple: modern fonts, muted tones, no old-timey i

How one controversial campaign turned attention into engagement—and what it teaches about risk in marketing The Setup: When a Campaign Becomes a Conversation In 2025, American Eagle launched a bold denim campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney  with the tagline, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.” Playful? Yes.Provocative? Definitely. The internet lit up instantly—some praised it for being clever and confident, others accused it of objectifying its star. But either way, every

Why Gen Z buys energy, not objects—and how brands sell feelings instead of features What Is  a Vibe, Anyway? You’ve probably heard someone say, “That’s such a vibe.” But what does that mean in marketing terms?A vibe  is a mood—a feeling that goes beyond logos and taglines. It’s how a brand makes you feel, instantly, without needing words. Today’s teen consumers don’t just buy products—they buy energy.  They want brands that match their humor, their playlists, and their self-e

How Star Wars built a galaxy-sized marketing legacy—and why brands still orbit around it From Movie to Movement Back in 1977, Star Wars  wasn’t just a film—it was a marketing revolution. George Lucas built a universe that didn’t end when the credits rolled. From action figures to LEGO sets, lunchboxes to video games, Star Wars  became the blueprint for how storytelling could fuel a billion-dollar brand. Today, decades later, “May the Fourth” (a pun on “May the Force be with y

Last week I had the incredible opportunity to spend a full week at a local middle school working directly with students and introducing them to the world of marketing. It was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had because I got to see curiosity, creativity, and excitement in action every day. Day One: The Four P’s We kicked off the week by exploring the four P’s: product, price, place, and promotion. I started with examples that were familiar to the students, like t

How Google turns doodles into lessons in representation, creativity, and brand storytelling When a Logo Becomes a Lesson Every March, as the world celebrates Women’s History Month , Google quietly transforms its famous logo into something more: a piece of storytelling. Those colorful Google Doodles—special homepage art celebrating pioneers, inventors, and artists—are tiny masterpieces of marketing and meaning. But here’s the genius part: they’re not selling a product. They’re

Why the biggest game of the year is also the biggest ad class you’ll ever watch The Real Game Happens Between the Plays Sure, the Super Bowl is about football—but for marketers, it’s the Olympics of advertising.  Every February, brands compete not just for touchdowns, but for your attention. With 100+ million people watching, every 30-second ad is a $7 million gamble. But it’s not just about who can spend the most. It’s about who can connect  the best. For teen marketers, the

How marketers use psychology to grab your attention—and what you can learn from it The Hidden Psychology Behind Every Scroll Have you ever opened TikTok “just for a second” and suddenly an hour’s gone? That’s not an accident—it’s marketing science at work. Every ad, product, and post you see is designed to trigger responses in your brain that make you curious, excited, or emotionally connected. In marketing, understanding how people think is just as important as what you’re s

In late 2024, Jaguar unveiled a bold new branding campaign that broke every rule of car advertising. The reveal featured a redesigned logo, high-fashion visuals, models in avant-garde clothing, and abstract imagery. What it didn't feature? A single car. Not one. The internet absolutely lost its mind. The campaign racked up over 160 million views on YouTube and sparked intense debate. Critics called it "woke," "pretentious," and "disconnected from reality." Supporters called i

Black Friday has become an almost mythical event in American culture. People camp outside stores overnight. News coverage shows crowds rushing through doors at dawn. Social media fills with haul videos and deal screenshots. Families plan elaborate shopping strategies like they're preparing for battle. It's absolute chaos, and retailers have spent decades perfecting the marketing that makes it happen. Let's break down how Black Friday became the biggest shopping event of the y

Spirit Halloween is everywhere in the fall, then completely disappears. Empty storefronts transform into massive costume warehouses overnight, dominate for a few months, then vanish without a trace. It sounds like a terrible business model, but Spirit Halloween makes over $600 million annually and operates over 1,400 stores. They've turned "only existing for three months" into one of the most successful seasonal retail strategies ever. Let's break down how they did it and wha

Every summer, your feeds get flooded with back-to-school ads. Backpacks everywhere, school supply hauls, and stores dedicating entire sections to notebooks and pencils. It's annoying, but here's why it matters: back-to-school is the second-biggest shopping season in America, with families spending over $40 billion every year. For retailers, this is their Super Bowl. And one company absolutely dominates: Target. Let's break down how Target became the back-to-school champion an

So you want to take your brand international? Cool. But here's the thing: what works in New York might bomb in Tokyo. Before you start translating your website and shipping products overseas, you need to understand both WHERE you're going and HOW to get there successfully. Part 1: Know Your Regions North America: Bold and Direct Americans love individualistic messaging, celebrity endorsements, and direct comparisons. "Be the best version of yourself" and "We're better than th

The internet is full of opportunities. From social media and apps to websites and online games, teens today are more connected than ever. But with this connectivity comes risks, especially when it comes to marketing and advertising. Companies spend billions every year trying to grab attention, influence decisions, and collect personal information. Learning to navigate this digital world safely is just as important as knowing how to create content or build your own brand. Unde

AI is everywhere now, from generating images and videos to predicting what products you might like. Brands are using it to make ads...

Sometimes brands look like they care about the planet or social causes, but they don’t. This is called greenwashing  (fake...