TLDR MARKETING 2025-08-05

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LABUBUS, GEN Z, AND THE COLLECTION OBSESSION

The Labubu craze shows Gen Z's fixation on collectible trinkets as symbols of identity, nostalgia, and affordable luxury. Rather than toys for play, Labubus are customized, displayed, and shared online. They're now social and aesthetic statements. Limited editions, influencer endorsements, and platform-driven hype fuel demand and overconsumption. Like Beanie Babies or Tamagotchis, they tap into emotional buying habits, but today's trends move faster due to digital culture. Collectibles now function more as lifestyle markers than playthings.

MORE ADVERTISEMENTS ARE COMING TO GOOGLE AI MODE

Google is encouraging advertisers to buy ads in its AI Mode, which integrates sponsored text and shopping ads into AI-powered search results. These ads appear in banners under AI responses and are currently labeled as an experiment. Google has already begun rolling out these ads and claims to have seen strong performance.

B2B LEAD GENERATION SEO: HOW TO GET 20X THE CONVERSION RATE

B2B SEO works best when targeting high-intent keywords rather than top-of-funnel traffic. These keywords can convert up to 20X better, with category terms converting at 3.2%, comparison keywords at 8.4%, and jobs-to-be-done terms up to 12.5%. SEO should be measured by leads from content pages, with results typically seen in 3-6 months and accelerated by link building, PPC, and content promotion.

YOU HAVE TOO MANY METRICS

Only track metrics that prompt action when outside expected bounds. Because they are costly to set up and maintain, each must justify its existence. Effective metrics are reviewed regularly, have clear expectations, and trigger responses when they deviate. Without this, metrics become noise or vanity data. A small set of well-maintained, actionable metrics is more valuable than large dashboards of unused numbers.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR A GROWTH MARKETING LEAD TO HELP GROW TLDR! (FULLY REMOTE, $150K-$200K)

TLDR is hiring a Growth Marketing Lead [9] with deep expertise in Meta ads to help us grow our subscriber base. If you're excited to work with the latest AI tools, discover and scale non-obvious growth channels, and work with a fast-paced fully remote team to grow our newsletters beyond 7 million subscribers, please apply here [9]!

30+ AI VISIBILITY TOOLS THAT TRACK YOUR BRAND IN CHATGPT AND LLMS

Traffic from generative AI has grown 165X faster than traditional organic search. The fast growth is driving high demand for AI visibility tools, which track how brands appear in responses from platforms like ChatGPT, AI Overviews, and Perplexity. Companies are adopting both legacy SEO platforms with LLM add-ons and standalone tools (ie. Otterly, RankRaven, and Profound) to measure share of voice, brand mentions, and sentiment across AI-generated content.

GOOGLE ADS ADDS ‘LOCATIONS OF INTEREST' TARGETING TO AI MAX FOR SEARCH

Google Ads introduced “Locations of Interest” for AI Max for Search campaigns. It lets advertisers target users based on the geographic areas they are interested in, not just where they currently are. It is an optional setting at the ad group level and allows multiple locations of interest that can differ from the overall campaign targeting. It also brings advanced location intent targeting, previously available in Display and YouTube campaigns, to Search campaigns.

ELON MUSK SAYS HE'S BRINGING BACK VINE'S ARCHIVE

THE RISE AND FALL OF PRIME - LOGAN PAUL AND KSI'S MARKETING MADNESS

Launched by Logan Paul and KSI in 2022, Prime Hydration became a Gen Alpha status symbol through artificial scarcity, viral stunts, and social media hype. Bottles were resold for hundreds as kids treated launches like exclusive drops. However, once Prime became widely available, its appeal faded and sales dropped sharply. The brand lacked the fundamentals—product quality, loyalty, and consistent demand—that support long-term success. While influencer marketing can drive quick wins, lasting brands require more than visibility and hype.

THEMED LEARNING

Morgan Stanley, Chime, and Quest are using themed learning experiences to improve customer engagement and retention.

BANK “STEALS” FAMOUS LOGOS IN GENIUS AD CAMPAIGN

TD Bank's ‘Own A Piece of It' uses green billboards with cutouts that cleverly frame parts of other iconic brand logos.

ETSY: A CASE OF FEWER BUYERS BUT A BIGGER MARKETING BUDGET

Etsy is investing heavily in Depop ads to establish itself in the secondhand economy.