Mars Gum, BBDO Target Young Demos, Chew On 'Overthink'
Mars’ OEFY gum portfolio—including Orbit, Extra, Freedent and Yida—has launched a youth‑focused campaign called “Total Overthink of The Heart.” The BBDO Chicago creative remixes Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and runs across memes, social, digital and OOH under the “Chew Good” platform. Additional elements from adam&eve TBWA feature an OOH “Chew Ratings” scoring system and a TikTok “Channel Your Inner Goat” experience where users feed worries to live goats. Mars executives say the effort is designed to embed the gum brands in contemporary culture and drive growth among younger demographics.
The Scoop: Hershey’s Goes Back to Real Chocolate After Criticism From Reese’s Grandson
Hershey announced it will revert to real chocolate in all its candies by 2027, a move accelerated by public criticism from Brad Reese, the grandson of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups creator. While the company says the switch was already in...
‘The Era of Link in Bio Is Finally over’: Meta
Meta is piloting product tagging on Instagram Reels in five markets, allowing creators to embed up to 30 catalog items or affiliate links directly in videos. The feature targets creators with public accounts, at least 1,000 followers and age 18+,...
Go Figure: 3 Big Marketing Numbers From March
In March, forecast data showed Instagram’s ad revenue growth could fall from 27% YoY in 2026 to just 15.5% by 2027, a drop of over ten percentage points, while Facebook faces sub‑10% growth. Papa John’s announced a $22 million investment in...
Fairlife Unveils New Packaging
fairlife is rolling out refreshed packaging for its Core Power protein shakes and 52‑oz ultra‑filtered milk, emphasizing a cleaner shelf look and clearer nutrition messaging. The new designs showcase 50% more protein and 50% less sugar for the milk line...
Minnesota Bets on ‘Neighborism’ to Rebuild Tourism After ICE Crackdown
Minnesota's tourism board unveiled a new “Come Visit Your Neighbors” campaign built around “neighborism” to counteract the reputational damage from a recent ICE immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. The initiative spotlights stories of residents providing food, coats, and groceries to families...
How MLB Is Leveraging Automation and Data to Enhance Fan Messaging
Major League Baseball has deepened its partnership with Adobe to automate fan‑engagement marketing across all 30 clubs. The expanded deal adds Adobe's GenStudio performance‑marketing platform, Firefly Services creative tools, and an LLM Optimizer for AI‑driven search visibility. Teams will use...
The Body Shop Marks 50 Years with ‘Rebellious by Nature’ Campaign
The Body Shop has launched a "Rebellious by Nature" campaign to mark its 50th anniversary, featuring Indian celebrities Mandira Bedi, Sumedh Mudgalkar and Diksha Singh in a Hinglish‑driven film. The spot spotlights flagship products such as Edelweiss serum, British Rose...
How Sali Christeson Launched the Go-To Luxury Workwear Brand for Women in Power
Sali Christeson, a former finance and tech professional, launched Argent in 2016 to address the lack of luxury workwear for women in leadership. The label began with neutral suiting and quickly added vivid hues, gaining high‑profile wearers such as Gloria Steinem,...
Alstone Joins Punjab Kings as Official Cladding Partner for IPL 2026
Alstone has signed on as the official cladding partner for Punjab Kings during the 2026 Indian Premier League season. The agreement will see Alstone’s branding displayed on stadium cladding and integrated into a suite of on‑ground and digital campaigns. Executives...
ChatGPT Ads: New Acquisition Channel Or Just Another Brand Tax? Via @Sejournal, @Brookeosmundson
OpenAI is set to roll out a self‑serve ChatGPT Ads platform in April, expanding the pilot beyond the U.S. to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The initial limited test generated an annualized $100 million revenue run‑rate and attracted roughly 600 advertisers, but...
Bhumika Realty Signs Rohit Sharma & Ritika Sajdeh as Brand Ambassadors
Bhumika Realty has appointed Indian cricket star Rohit Sharma and fashion executive Ritika Sajdeh as its new brand ambassadors. The partnership is part of a broader push to raise brand visibility and accelerate expansion in North India’s real‑estate market, especially...
Accounts in Transit: ELMNTL Picks Up Bruneis Tourism Development Department
ELMNTL, a Denver‑based tourism marketing firm, has been appointed global agency of record for Brunei’s Tourism Development Department, marking the Sultanate’s first use of an international agency for digital storytelling and content strategy. The firm will oversee social media, creative...
Clevertize Elevates Saumya Agrawal to Co-Founder
Clevertize has promoted Saumya Agrawal, a trainee who joined at the agency’s inception, to co‑founder as it marks eight years in business. The move formalises her long‑standing leadership role and signals a deeper commitment to AI‑enabled marketing and creative services....
HarperCollins’ “Canadian Classics” Is an American Side Hustle
HarperCollins Canada announced a seven‑title "Canadian Classics" line debuting May 5, 2026, featuring recent works by authors such as Emma Donoghue and Heather O’Neill. The series is timed to coincide with HarperCollins' larger "American Classics" campaign, sharing the same designer,...
PMI Builds Commerce Engine to Glean Customer Insights
Philip Morris International (PMI) has launched an omnichannel commerce engine in South Africa to reach informal‑market retailers that account for up to 75% of counterfeit tobacco sales. The solution uses USSD short‑codes on feature phones, multi‑language support, and low‑cost scooter...
Chinese New Year: In 2026, Luxury Brands Put Spectacle Centre Stage
Luxury houses dramatically elevated their Chinese New Year 2026 activations, turning festive symbolism into immersive, culturally resonant experiences. Brands such as Céline, Loewe, Valentino and Miu Miu staged multi‑city installations that blended traditional rituals with contemporary storytelling and technology. The campaigns...
Ayushmann Khurrana Fronts Red Chief’s New Brand Campaign
Red Chief has unveiled a new brand film starring Ayushmann Khurrana, anchored by the "No Shortcuts" positioning that celebrates persistence over quick fixes. The campaign spotlights the brand’s footwear while signaling a strategic push into sports shoes and sneakers alongside...
Google Answers Why Some SEOs Split Their Sitemap Into Multiple Files via @Sejournal, @Martinibuster
Google’s John Mueller explained why SEOs sometimes split XML sitemaps into several files instead of using a single document. He noted that large sites often hit the 50,000‑URL or 50 MB limit, prompting proactive division. Additional reasons include grouping URLs by...
Belgian Shopping Center Is Embracing ‘Livestream Commerce’ on TikTok
Waasland Shopping in Saint‑Nicolas, Belgium, has launched a monthly livestream commerce series on TikTok, featuring influencer Jaël Ost and guest creators. The inaugural broadcast on April 2 attracted roughly 12,500 live viewers and generated an equal number of likes, while shoppers...
‘There’s No Place Like Home’: How Justlife Turned a Brand Promise Into Real-World Support
Justlife, the UAE‑based super‑app for at‑home services, launched the “There’s No Place Like Home” campaign to turn its “We Got You” promise into tangible community aid. The initiative offers free AED 10 (~$2.70) home‑cleaning sessions, support services for small businesses, and...
The Body Shop Marks 50 Years Globally, 20 Years in India; Eyes 20%+ Growth
The Body Shop celebrated its 50th global anniversary and 20th year in India, announcing a goal of more than 20% revenue growth this fiscal year and a plan to double its Indian business within four to five years. The retailer...
Only 8% of Brands Use AI for Campaign Optimisation: The B2B SaaS Affiliate Opportunity This Creates
A Supermetrics study released March 24 reveals that while 70% of e‑commerce and B2B SaaS brands list marketing‑spend optimization as a top priority, only 8% currently use AI for campaign optimization. The shortfall stems from fragmented, siloed data rather than...
Best AEO Agencies in the USA: Leading Answer Engine Optimization Experts Driving AI Discovery
The article outlines the emergence of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) as a critical evolution beyond traditional SEO, driven by conversational AI platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini. It profiles the five leading U.S. AEO agencies—AnswerManiac, NoGood, Avenue Z, iPullRank, and Siege...
Makers PR Offers Dubai SMEs Free Advisory Services
Makers PR has introduced MENA Makers, a free advisory program for Dubai‑based small and medium‑sized enterprises that runs through mid‑2026. The initiative delivers structured 1:1 sessions and closed‑door workshops covering media positioning, founder storytelling, crisis preparedness, and messaging clarity. It...
Homebase Taps Henry Agg to Front Garden Centre Push in The Range Stores
Homebase has appointed garden designer Henry Agg as its first ambassador for the Garden Centres by Homebase, now operating inside more than 200 The Range superstores across the UK. Agg will host a monthly “Plant of the Month” in‑store series beginning...
Quick Fire 🔥 with Semiloore Akoni
Semiloore Akoni, a growth and product‑marketing leader in African fintech and digital commerce, argues that retention must be engineered before a user even signs up. In his most recent role he slashed the time to a user's first transaction, lifting...
Boathouse’s New Chief Strategy Officer Says It’s Time For Agencies To Take The Reins Of Measurement
Boathouse appointed Sonia Chung as its first Chief Strategy Officer, tasking her with dismantling data silos that tie marketers to Big‑Tech platforms. Chung argues agencies should build their own measurement infrastructure, using AI to fuse structured and unstructured signals across paid,...
Ads of the Week: 12 Campaigns That Caught Our Eye, From KFC to Pringles
Weekly roundup spotlights 12 standout ad campaigns, from KFC’s animated Colonel Sanders to e.l.f.’s true‑crime parody and Verizon’s suspenseful “Look Behind You.” The piece highlights unconventional collaborations such as McDonald’s with K‑Pop Demon Hunters and Liquid Death teaming with real‑estate...
How Samsung Ads And Crumbl Got Their CTV Campaign To Perform Like Social
Samsung Ads partnered with Crumbl for a seven‑week CTV acquisition push in Q4, delivering over 16,000 app installs and five‑figure revenue while achieving a 23% conversion rate that outperformed the brand’s social campaigns. The integration with AppsFlyer gave Crumbl transparent,...
How Samsung Ads And Crumbl Got Their CTV Campaign To Perform Like Social
Crumbl partnered with Samsung Ads for a seven‑week CTV acquisition campaign in Q4, leveraging Samsung’s integration with AppsFlyer to track performance. The effort generated over 16,000 app installs and a 23% conversion rate, slightly higher than the brand’s typical social‑driven...
How Brands Can Connect with Consumers Even Through Crises and Conflicts
Danube Home’s marketing leader argues that brands in the Middle East must be instantly understandable, using simplicity as a core value. He outlines four pillars—innovation, happiness, ease and passion—to create human‑centered positioning that resonates across diverse consumer lifestyles. Community‑focused initiatives,...
Exclusive: Can Skims’ Marketing Whiz Make Columbia Sportswear Cool?
Columbia Sportswear announced the appointment of Skims’ former chief marketing officer to spearhead a brand revamp aimed at younger, fashion‑forward consumers. The new executive will shift Columbia’s messaging from pure performance gear to a lifestyle‑centric narrative, leveraging influencer collaborations and...
Transparency Brought Down The Trade Desk’s Publicis Deal but It May Not Be Enough to Win Its Other Clients
The Trade Desk’s relationship with Publicis collapsed after a leaked transparency audit, prompting rivals to tout their own openness. However, agency buyers largely dismissed transparency as a decisive factor, focusing instead on margin and control. Competitors such as Nexxen are...
Stone Island Shows Up To Support Earl Sweatshirt, MIKE, and SURF GANG's 'POMPEII / UTILITY'
Stone Island leveraged its Stone Island Sound division to support the debut joint album *POMPEII/UTILITY* by Earl Sweatshirt, MIKE and SURF GANG. The brand hosted free, invitation‑less listening parties in Los Angeles, New York and London, each limited to 70...
Marriott Bonvoy Renews Hong Kong Sevens Partnership
Marriott Bonvoy has renewed its partnership with Hong Kong China Rugby to serve as an Official Partner of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2026, marking the brand's return after a 2019 exit. The tournament, celebrating its 50th anniversary, will run...
How DeFacto Increased Experimentation 4x & Unlocked Data-Driven Growth
DeFacto partnered with Papersource to deploy Amplitude, consolidating web, mobile, and campaign data onto a single analytics platform. The unified system cut reporting cycles from weeks to days and boosted monthly experimentation by four times. Self‑service dashboards now let product,...
Malaysia: Youth on Social Media Shaping the Digital Economy
Malaysian youth are turning social media platforms into engines of commerce, generating an estimated $4.7 billion in gross value added and supporting 147,000 jobs by 2025. The government highlighted this trend at the launch of a socioeconomic impact report, linking it...
Report Shows Document Posts on LinkedIn See More Engagement
Socialinsider’s 2026 LinkedIn Benchmarks, analyzing 1.3 million posts from 16,645 business pages (Jan 2024‑Dec 2025), reveal that native document posts—PDFs displayed in a carousel—generate the highest engagement on the platform. Video and image updates trail behind, a reversal of trends seen on most...
Instagram Allows Creators to Schedule Trial Reels
Instagram introduced a scheduling feature for Trial Reels on April 2, 2026, allowing creators to set future publish times for videos shown to non‑followers. Trial Reels, launched in December 2024, already boosted non‑follower reach by 80 % and prompted 40 % of users to increase...
AI Is Now Deciding Which Emails Get Seen. Here’s How to Stay in the Inbox in the Gemini Era
Google’s Gemini integration turns Gmail into an AI‑driven inbox assistant that decides which messages surface for users. The change means email volume alone no longer guarantees delivery; engagement signals now dictate placement. Marketers must prioritize segmentation, human‑like copy, and continuous...
HD Expo Reveals a New Brand Identity Ahead of Las Vegas Event
HD Expo, the flagship event of Hospitality Design magazine, has launched a refreshed brand identity created with global agency forceMajeure. The new visual system centers on an arch‑shaped "portal into possibility" and a vibrant coral‑magenta palette. The event’s name has...
Power Growth With Synthetic Data — Lessons From Qualtrics X4
At Qualtrics X4, the company highlighted synthetic data as a transformative tool for market research. Synthetic data creates virtual respondents that mimic real‑world behavior without direct personal links, allowing far more complex studies at a fraction of traditional costs. Early...
FMG Acquires Testimonial iQ to Add Another Piece to Its Offering
FMG announced the acquisition of Testimonial iQ, a client‑testimonial platform launched in 2023, and will rebrand it as FMG Testimonials. The tool will be sold both as a standalone product and as part of FMG’s broader digital‑marketing suite, which already spans website...
I Was a Broke American Living in New Zealand. A Viral TikTok Turned My Taco Stand Into 3 Restaurants.
American expatriate Sean Yarbrough turned a TikTok‑fueled taco stand into three New Zealand restaurants within three years. After quitting a burger‑flipping job, he launched Broke Boy Taco with a three‑item menu and leveraged a revenue‑share kitchen partnership. A viral TikTok...
LinkedIn Pulse Lost 89% of Its Google Traffic.
LinkedIn’s long‑form Pulse articles have seen a dramatic drop in Google visibility, falling from a peak of 33 million monthly visits in March 2024 to just 3.6 million in March 2026 – an 89 % decline. In contrast, the platform’s shorter Posts have surged, climbing...
Singular ROI Index 2026 Introduces First-Ever Multi-Touch Attribution Leaderboards
Singular released its 2026 ROI Index, the most extensive mobile‑marketing benchmark built on trillions of impressions, billions of clicks and installs. The report adds the first multi‑touch attribution (MTA) leaderboards, revealing that Meta delivers up to 50% higher ROAS and...
We Analyzed 12,154 Pages. The Most Popular B2B Content Format Has a 44.8% Fail Rate.
A new analysis of 12,154 pages across 24 B2B brands finds that thought leadership accounts for 37% of all content but only generates 27.5% of referring domains, resulting in a 44.8% fail rate. The format’s efficiency score of 0.74× places...
Never Stop Disrupting Yourself; Introducing the Fin API Platform
Fin announced its new Fin API platform, exposing its high‑performing customer‑service AI models via a scalable API. The service offers three options—a fully managed agent platform for most firms, a flexible API for custom integrations, and the Apex specialized LLM...
Tech Companies Are Churning Out Agentic AI Tools, but Agencies Are Still Scratching Their Heads
Tech giants are rapidly releasing agentic AI tools aimed at reshaping commerce and advertising, highlighted by Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol and Meta’s new agents. Brands are urged to enrich product data to enable seamless AI‑driven shopping experiences, while retailers like...
