Know What's Happening in Marketing
Know What's Happening in Marketing
PopSockets turns phone backs into a $169M revenue stream
The company evolved from a garage prototype in 2011 into a global brand that monetized the unused back of smartphones. By 2017, PopSockets posted $169 million in revenue, driven by a simple grip that became a daily habit and sparked word‑of‑mouth growth and celebrity visibility.
The article warns that the emerging GTM singularity is widening capability gaps for B2B leaders, who now need a cross‑functional skill stack to run a connected revenue engine. Traditional functional expertise no longer suffices; leaders must align marketing, sales, product and customer success, modernize buyer‑led processes, and leverage AI‑driven insights. To close this gap, the B2B Summit North America introduces a certification, "Activating The Modern GTM," that blends Forrester research with hands‑on workshops. The program promises structured, applied learning that translates directly into measurable GTM activation.
In a new episode of Thinking With Mitch Joel, marketing veteran Ann Handley critiques the panic surrounding AI, arguing that hype outpaces proof. She challenges the claim that AI will eliminate half of white‑collar jobs, emphasizing that technological capability doesn’t...
Dutch Bros, founded by two Oregon dairy farmers, has become the third‑largest coffee chain in the United States, trailing only Starbucks and Dunkin’. The chain’s 1,140 locations serve roughly 90% of their beverages cold, focusing on highly customizable energy drinks...
Marketers are wrestling with the optimal email cadence – the frequency and sequencing of messages that keep customers engaged without causing fatigue. MailerLite’s analysis of over one million 2024 campaigns shows that twice‑weekly sends deliver the highest click‑through rate (5.8%)...
First. Thank you. Every single message yesterday meant so much to me. We are safe, exhausted, and so grateful. We have a shelter in our apartment which makes us luckier than most. And watching videos of people dancing and singing...
If you squint some publishers do a version of this when they send 3-4 of their writers to Comic Con or another major trade event (I've done this with Del Rey) and they're signing at the booth at different times...
Identifying a primary audience is essential for focused marketing and brand advocacy. The article outlines primary, secondary, and gatekeeper audiences, explains market segmentation, and provides a step‑by‑step framework for data‑driven audience profiling. Real‑world examples, such as sustainable sneaker brands and...
Warby Parker donated over 20 million pairs of glasses through their 'Buy a Pair, Give a Pair' program. A mission baked into every sale. Meanwhile you're just selling a product with no story or purpose behind it. That's the gap.
Efficiency is the New Growth: Navigating the Post-SaaS-pocalypse by @Timothy_Hughes https://t.co/7x2TCrXKsm @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Sales #Marketing #MarketingStrategy #Strategy #Leadership #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology #Tech #TechNews #SaaS #Cloud #CloudComputing
Burger King President Tom Curtis launched a two‑week initiative where he personally fielded customer calls and texts on a dedicated work number, recording the interactions for a marketing campaign and future service improvements. The move builds on the successful "Whopper...
The thing that got you to $1M won't get you to $10M. What got you to $10M won't get you to $50M. Brands hit a ceiling when they stop testing. They find a winner and protect it instead of building...
The same ratings look better or worse, depending on the format they are presented in. Researchers find: “Cumulative formats tend to buffer negative feedback, making poor scores appear less severe. This can help reduce customer churn and maintain trust in...
Gap Inc. launched Encore, a unified cross‑brand loyalty program for Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, and Athleta, consolidating nearly 40 million members into a single points bank with three tiers—Core, Premier, and All Access. The program adds perks like extended returns,...
Another example of moving towards Jarvis, this time from Baidu. And we know Google Search and Gemini are converging... so I expect we'll see more of this -> China’s Baidu adds OpenClaw AI into search app for 700 million users "Users...
Focus on UX? Cool case study here from Cloudflare -> The most-seen UI on the Internet? Redesigning Turnstile and Challenge Pages "Our Turnstile widget and Challenge Pages are served 7.67 billion times every single day. That's not a typo. Billions. This...
Retailers are accelerating AI‑powered visual experiences to boost loyalty. Hyper‑personalisation delivers up to 16% higher commercial impact, while AR/VR try‑on lifts conversion by 94%. Brands will adopt staged, transparent AI content, focusing on complex, interactive experiences. Trust hinges on consent...
Marketers aren’t here to play with AI. We’re fiduciaries now. Agentic systems move money, shape messaging, and touch customers. Governance isn’t optional. It’s leadership. Chaos and opportunity are arriving together. Read my new Global AI Leaders article now: 🦀🤖👇 https://t.co/Gck5mTq5hy
🤯 Generated a month of video ad creatives in 30 mins 🔥 AI wrote scripts from winning formulas 🛠️ Realistic AI avatars 🤵 Perfect voiceovers 📦 Ready to upload and test This is crushing $3k video editors Want the workflow? RT + comment 'AI VIDEO'
In the latest Modern Retail Podcast, co‑hosts Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels, joined by executive editor Anna Hensel, examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping retail marketing. They note that rising customer‑acquisition costs and a more discerning shopper base are driving...
India’s leading restaurant operators are pivoting back to dine‑in by launching exclusive dishes, app‑only discounts and weekday coupons, aiming to revive footfall after years of delivery dominance. Chains such as Jubilant FoodWorks, Devyani International, Restaurant Brands Asia and Speciality Restaurants...
Billboard’s 2026 guide outlines a step‑by‑step playbook for indie musicians to amplify their online presence. It urges artists to concentrate on one or two core social platforms, build a dedicated website for direct fan interaction, and integrate streaming, email newsletters,...
If the luxury markup is really for marketing, and brands replace artist-created campaigns with AI... what are you paying for? Nothing. https://www.backrow.net/p/what-s-so-insulting-about-gucci-s-ai-slop
SpeedPro, a franchise specializing in large‑format graphics, now operates over 130 U.S. studios and generates roughly $115 million in annual sales. CEO Paul Brewster attributes the growth to a three‑pillar strategy—expanding the customer base, maintaining strong profit margins, and leveraging technology...
In this episode, Brywin (CMO) and Parker (CEO) dive into the biggest challenge brands face on TikTok Shop: how to properly incentivize creators. They outline a four‑layer incentive framework—GMV leaderboard rewards, volume completion bonuses, fast‑mover contests, and daily raffle draws—to...
Boot Barn announced its debut sponsorship of the Stagecoach country‑music festival, serving as the official boot retailer and presenting sponsor of the new Mustang Stage. The partnership includes on‑site activations, custom giveaways, and a pre‑festival in‑store loyalty event at its...
Microsoft Advertising has introduced self‑serve shared negative keyword lists, allowing advertisers to create, edit, and apply up to 5,000 negative keywords directly in the UI. The lists can be attached at the campaign or account level and support exact and...
Google has released a new help document that explains how passkeys work within Google Ads, offering a password‑less, phishing‑resistant login method. The guide details when passkeys are mandatory, such as for user‑access changes and account‑linking updates, and outlines device requirements...
Mint Velvet is turning London Fashion Week into a city‑wide showcase, deploying brand activations in Underground stations and a wrapped London cab to spotlight its Spring Leather and Suede jacket line. The retailer also hosted an intimate editor dinner with...
Influencer marketing in 2026 shifts from one‑off campaigns to systematic, repeatable programs. Brands are prioritizing micro‑communities, long‑term creator partnerships, and creator‑led ads that function as performance media. AI integration speeds up content creation while prompting new compliance and authenticity safeguards....
DemandScience has partnered with HG Insights and GTM Fabric to launch a Winnable Account System that enriches Ideal Customer Profiles with technographic, spend, competitive and buyer‑research intelligence. The collaboration introduces two new products—Propensity‑Based Audience Activation and In‑Market Buyer Activation—that score...
OpenAI announced that ChatGPT reached over 900 million weekly active users, marking its first public disclosure of this scale. The milestone accompanies a $110 billion funding round and reveals more than 50 million paid consumer subscribers and 9 million business users. The growth underscores...
Latinos in Transit (LIT) secured first place in the 2026 APTA AdWheel Awards for Best Marketing and Communications Workforce Development Initiative. The winning campaign, titled “Ignite. Empower. Evolve,” rebranded LIT as a national incubator for transit workforce development, targeting emerging...
Ecom operators are surrounded by data meant to guide them, yet they’re still operating in the dark. Plenty of brands know their ROAS. Far fewer know their: - Break-even ROAS - Blended CAC against contribution margin - CPMs relative to 2026...
DESIGNME, a Canadian vegan hair‑care brand, launched the “Rooting for All Women” limited‑edition campaign on Feb. 27, 2026. The initiative celebrates women’s personal and professional transformations and donates a portion of sales, up to $10,000, to women‑focused charities, including Montreal’s Chez Doris....
Word of mouth is not a tactic, but rather a byproduct of growth. This is an important distinction, because we tend to look at things in marketing through a tactical and operational lens, where we can take steps to predictably...
World of Hyatt announced that tennis star Jessica Pegula will continue as its brand ambassador and that the chain is the official hospitality partner for the Taste of Tennis event at Indian Wells. The activation will take place at Grand...
Bosch’s Mobility Aftermarket division launched the "Impressive Innovation" campaign featuring cute anthropomorphic robots to spotlight windshield wiper technology. The 30‑second spot, created with Bailey Lauerman, runs through March across streaming, social, audio and search platforms. Production involved a custom rain chamber,...
We surveyed 50 SMB founders on their marketing priorities and pain points. Buried in the data is a pattern nobody's talking about: Founders know their messaging is broken. And they're not fixing it. Direct quotes: "Our messaging is inconsistent and unclear. Docs site doesn't...
I replaced $26,500/month in marketing headcount with one AI platform. 37 agents. Zero full-time hires. Most agencies pay $26,500/month for SEO, content, social, competitive intel, and marketing ops. We built the AI CMO Platform. 37 agents that coordinate and execute like a full...
OpenAI closed a record‑breaking $110 billion funding round, with Amazon contributing $50 billion—$15 billion now and $35 billion later. The deal also ties OpenAI to Amazon Web Services, committing $100 billion in cloud spend over eight years and integrating Amazon’s Trainium chips. A new Stateful...
Later introduced Later 360, a unified analytics platform that merges organic content, paid amplification, and verified commerce data into a single reporting environment. The tool delivers granular visibility down to the SKU level, allowing marketers to trace every dollar, click,...
The article argues that LHF‑owned brands should study Silk Cut’s historic navigation of advertising bans, highlighting how the cigarette maker turned strict regulation into a catalyst for bold, indirect marketing. It notes that today’s alcohol and other restricted‑product marketers face similar...
New York Fashion Week FW26 generated $275 million in total media value, a 73 % increase year‑over‑year. Calvin Klein led with $81.3 million, followed by Ralph Lauren ($58.4 million) and Michael Kors ($56.7 million). Their success stemmed from distinct tactics: APAC‑focused celebrity partnerships for Calvin Klein,...
Motion’s analysis of $1.29 billion in Meta ad spend across 600,000 ads shows that only 4‑8 % of creatives become “winners,” yet they capture roughly 55 % of total budget. Advertisers that produce the most winners do so by scaling creative output, launching...
🚨 NEW 🚨 Threads now supports rich link previews for podcast video clips, making it easier for creators to drive viewers from short clips to full episodes. Podcast creators can upload a video clip and add a link that directs audiences...
ICYMI: Google tests web mentions in the reviews section of retailer store pages https://t.co/SuUPYs3fu4 https://t.co/2sQKHp9rT9
KITH announced that CEO Stephanie Craig, who joined the firm in 2021, has taken ownership from founder Bill Coletti, solidifying her leadership after launching the CrisisResilient 365 diagnostic platform. Meanwhile, Stagwell’s Marketing Cloud expanded its Agent Cloud platform with new AI partners—including...
900M+ weekly active users, but 50M consumer subscribers? For some reason I was expecting more -> OpenAI says ChatGPT has 900M+ weekly active users, 50M+ consumer subscribers, and weekly Codex users have more than tripled since the start of the...
The death of marketers, is it over for paid media?, the bear and bull case for AI https://t.co/9NjhfPjOfn
Tagshop AI unveiled a major upgrade that integrates Kling 3.0, Seedance V1 Pro and 2.0 models, expanding its AI‑driven video ad creation suite. The enhancements deliver cinematic visual quality, faster multi‑variant generation, and a library of professionally designed templates for...
