TLDR MARKETING 2026-07-20

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IS THE AGE OF READING ACTUALLY OVER?

Nearly 400 independent bookstores opened in 2025, and print book sales are higher than a decade ago. Readers also spend more time with books daily than they did twenty years ago. Claims that reading is dying dismiss this growth as niche while treating declining attention spans as proof of collapse. Yet people still consume more words across digital formats. The shift is intentionality. Long-form reading is becoming a deliberate choice, raising the bar for creators to earn sustained attention.

CONTENT IS NO LONGER ENOUGH

As content becomes more saturated, brands are focusing less on producing more and more on building communities. Dentsu, NFL Mexico, and Warner Bros. Discovery argue that fandom and belonging create stronger connections than reach alone. Audiences want to participate, not just consume, making creators and fan communities valuable partners. The opportunity for brands is to build spaces where people can engage with shared interests beyond the content itself.

+39% CONVERSIONS BY REMOVING A PROMINENT CALL-TO-ACTION

Removing a prominent homepage CTA increased conversions by 39% because it guided first-time visitors through the service before asking them to request a quote. The original CTA sent people straight to a form that asked technical questions many could not answer, so many left before converting. The updated journey introduced service details, trust signals, and expert credentials before visitors reached a quote CTA on the relevant service page. Match each CTA to the visitor's level of understanding so the next step feels simple and appropriate instead of asking for a commitment too early.

STOP MARKETING TO STRANGERS

Most marketing over-focuses on acquiring new audiences while neglecting people who already know you. With declining external traffic, visitors now arrive with context, yet brands still treat them like strangers. The real opportunity is “step-two” marketing, guiding engaged users toward clear next action and deeper content. Growth comes from improving experience, not just reach. Small execution gaps like broken promises or poor follow-through quietly erode retention over time.

USE AI TO FIND YOUR FASTEST ROUTE TO CULTURAL TRACTION (WEBINAR)

Attention today goes to the brands that are part of the conversation, not the ones interrupting them. In this webinar, Vanina Schick will walk through how to connect your brand into POVs with strong cultural energy and use AI to find where you can enter cultural conversations online. It will take place on July 23 at 9 AM PT.

THE 2026 PAID PLAYBOOK: AUDIENCE, CHANNELS, AND AI

AI made producing ads nearly free without creating any new attention to fill, so more ads now chase the same finite audience and simply raise the price of being seen. That moves the advantage to the audience layer, which a competitor cannot reverse-engineer the way it can copy creative or messaging. Resolving buyer identity before uploading lists opens the cheaper broad-reach channels that most B2B teams avoid, and running holdout experiments alongside attribution reveals which channels actually drive incremental conversions.

NETFLIX: THE BATTLE FOR ATTENTION

Netflix spent years dismantling scheduled television, and now it's rebuilding pieces of the same bundle it once disrupted. Live sports, third-party channels, and short-form video are being layered in to turn the app into a daily habit rather than a destination for a single hit show. The tentpole approach, a handful of NFL and MLB games instead of full season packages, produced six of Netflix's 10 largest sign-up days over five years despite consuming just over 5% of content spending. If those additions do not feel cohesive, Netflix risks becoming the bloated bundle it once replaced.

THE $400,000 CHIEF OF STAFF IS THE CEO'S SECRET WEAPON IN THE AI AGE

AI-era CEOs are increasingly hiring chiefs of staff as strategic partners, not just assistants. The role has grown as leaders face greater complexity, with chiefs of staff helping execute initiatives and build workflows. While AI may automate some administrative tasks, skills like judgment, communication, and influence remain difficult to replace. The position is also becoming a leadership pipeline, with many chiefs of staff moving into executive roles.

ENGLAND VS THE INTERNET: WHAT DID REDDIT MAKE OF THE NIGHT IT ALL FELL APART AGAINST ARGENTINA?

Redditor sentiment often evolves through debate and social proof instead of a single viral opinion.

NETFLIX SAYS LIVE EVENTS BOLSTER ADS BUT AFFECT VIEWER ENGAGEMENT

Netflix is using live events to win subscribers and grow ad revenue even though they generate fewer total viewing hours than on-demand content.

ZARA'S ‘DEATH PANTS' ARE TRENDING BECAUSE PEOPLE KEEP TRIPPING ON THEM

Zara's wide-leg pants became “death trousers” after viral injury videos turned a design flaw into a social media trend.