TLDR MARKETING 2026-10-30

Explore the winners and get the checklist

GOOGLE AI MODE SENDS 57% OF PRODUCT LINKS TO GOOGLE SHOPPING

Google's AI search experience keeps shoppers within its own ecosystem, especially for fashion and beauty products. A study of 55,198 AI answers found that 57% of product links led to Google Shopping and 46.5% of US product answers linked only to Google pages. Brands may gain visibility in AI search without receiving website traffic.

WHAT MARKETERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE LEGAL RISKS OF ALGORITHMIC PRICING

Dynamic pricing, where every customer sees the same demand-driven price, is relatively safe, but pricing that changes based on the shopper carries much greater legal risk. A promo code sent to one segment or a retargeted offer that undercuts the public price can count as personalized pricing. Dozens of bills are pending across more than 20 states, and the FTC has drafted a policy statement on when the practice is misleading or unfair. False-advertising laws also apply, since a sale price only some shoppers see may misrepresent the discount.

DRIVE MORE APP DOWNLOADS FOR $0

Turn high-engagement UGC comments into app downloads by replying to questions about problems your app solves. Read the comment on camera, answer it, show the relevant app feature, then tell viewers where to download it. One family meal-planning app used this tactic to generate 100K+ views on a reply to a post with 8M+ views and 16K comments.

INSTAGRAM JUST LAUNCHED LONG-FORM VIDEO…BUT I DON'T THINK BRANDS SHOULD USE IT

Instagram's new long-form video format isn't a priority for brands that haven't mastered short-form content. Brands should first create Reels over 60 seconds that earn strong watch time and engagement, then turn successful formats into consistent series that build an audience. Long-form is worth exploring only when short videos can persuade viewers to watch more. Create content that builds brand influence and drives action, not just views.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT & MEASURE VIRAL LOOPS: STORIES FROM SAAS GROWTH EXPERTS

The most sustainable viral loops in SaaS come from invites the product already requires, not from asking users to refer someone. A QR code generator labels every free code so each real-world scan exposes the brand, while an assessment tool reaches new users whenever a recruiter invites a candidate. K-factor sums every loop into one growth rate, and the useful inputs are invite-accept rate and invitee activation rather than opens or clicks. Gating rewards on activation and fixing activation first keep the loop fueled, since users who never reach value have nothing to share.

B2B EVENTS: WHAT TO START, STOP, AND SCALE IN 2027 (WEBINAR)

9 B2B marketers share what worked and failed at their 2026 events and what they'll change in 2027. They'll cover booth design, meeting bookings, and success metrics. In a blitz format, speakers get 2 minutes to make their case before the audience votes on finalists, who get 4 minutes to elaborate. This event will take place today at 12 PM ET.

AS SEARCH TRAFFIC DRIES UP, REDDIT ANNOUNCES IT'S SHIFTING TO A LOGGED-IN EXPERIENCE

Reddit is shifting toward a primarily logged-in experience as AI-powered search reduces traffic from Google and other search engines. The move aims to limit AI scraping and encourage data-licensing deals while giving Reddit more user data to personalize feeds and target ads. Search referrals fell by more than 1M per week in October, while daily active users in the US dropped 2% year over year to 50.7M. Reddit will test the change in select markets outside the US in Q4.

HOW BRANDS MAKE BORING INDUSTRIES DESIRABLE

Categories where shoppers once bought whatever was cheapest or on the shelf leave more room for a brand to change how the whole category feels. Jolie positions its filtered showerhead against skincare rather than plumbing, while Scrub Daddy's smiling face doubles as the sponge's grip and its social personality. Making a commodity feel premium, designing it to be left out, or turning its use into a ritual gives buyers a reason to care which brand they pick in a category where that choice barely mattered.

THE HORROR MOVIE MARKETING HALL OF FAME

Horror campaigns have to hook audiences without giving the scare away, usually on small budgets. The Blair Witch Project and Longlegs built worlds with fake websites and real-world touchpoints that turned curiosity into word of mouth. Backrooms tapped a fandom that already existed online rather than starting from scratch. Smile planted actors with creepy grins at sports broadcasts and earned about 170 million trackable impressions without buying airtime. Obsession made its villain feel real with a text-me billboard and her own Letterboxd account, turning a $750K budget into $522M worldwide.

BUYERS TYPE THE CATEGORY

61% of B2B buyers start AI vendor research with broad category questions, while 18% search for alternatives to tools they already use.

THE BEST CMOS THINK LIKE CFOS

CMOs should use incrementality tests to identify which marketing channels drive growth and deserve more budget.

SHORT-FORM AUDIENCES ARE RENTED ATTENTION

Brands are prioritizing deeper audience relationships over views and follower counts through long-form content and smaller creators.