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HOW DO KIDS SPEND THEIR SCREEN TIME?

Video dominates kids' screen time, making up 60% of usage for children under 9, with gaming adding another 26%.

VAN LEEUWEN AND THE ART OF NOT ADVERTISING

Van Leeuwen grew from a single cart in 2008 to 50 locations across the US without spending money on advertising.

HUMANS SKIM, MACHINES SCRAPE

AI search surfaces content from Reddit, YouTube, TikTok, Substack, and other community spaces instead of brand-owned sites. Visibility comes from what people say, not what brands publish. To show up, brands need conversation in public, indexable spaces. PR, creator content, and user-generated discussion matter more than ads. Influencers must go beyond mentions to demos and explainers. Content should be structured for humans who skim and machines that scrape. The most visible brands will be those people are already talking about.

NETFLIX PARTNERS WITH AMAZON DSP FOR PROGRAMMATIC AD BUYING

Netflix is making its ad inventory available through Amazon's DSP starting in Q4 across 12 global markets, including the US, UK, Japan, and Germany. The partnership gives advertisers programmatic access to Netflix's growing ad-supported audience, while Amazon offers vast commerce and identity data for targeting. The move positions Amazon as a central hub for streaming ad buying and further pressures competitors like The Trade Desk, whose stock has already declined.

HOW INSTAGRAM HACKS PERCEPTION

Instagram grew by designing for perceived speed rather than actual speed. It used predictive uploading by starting the photo upload as soon as users selected a filter, which made posts appear instant. This UX strategy gave it a major edge over competitors like Hipstamatic, which focused on image quality instead of speed. The approach helped Instagram reach 25,000 users on launch day, 1 million in 3 months, and 14 million in 14 months.

WIN REPORT: LESS HERO, MORE PARTY (AND 5% MORE SIGN UPS)

Party Hard Travel redesigned its Ayia Napa events package webpage and saw a 5% increase in signups. Heatmaps showed that while 80% of visitors saw the package price, fewer than 30% reached the section listing everything included, which meant most missed the strongest value proposition. Interviews confirmed users often overlooked key reassurances and benefits buried further down the page. Small changes, like reducing the hero image size, adding reviews at the top, and improving navigation, increased visibility of package details by 13% and boosted trust.

WHY 60% OF ALL META AD SPEND GOES TO CATALOG ADS (60 MINUTE VIDEO)

Brands are doubling their spend on catalog ads (or dynamic product ads). Once thought of as ugly, low-value retargeting units, they now drive prospecting, brand awareness, and sales at scale. Misconceptions about frequency and design are fading as advertisers see that well-built catalogs can look polished and perform better with repeated exposure. Beyond Meta, platforms like Pinterest, Reddit, Snap, and even connected TV are expanding their catalog offerings, giving brands more channels to grow with a format that reliably works.

FROM CULTURE TO CONVERSION WITH META'S BRAND BUILDING TOOLS

Meta is expanding Reels trending ads to all advertisers after early tests showed that they boosted unaided awareness by 20%. Threads, now with 400 million monthly users, is adding new ad formats, including carousel ads, 4:5 image and video ads, and upcoming Advantage+ catalog and app ads. Meta is also introducing simplified campaign setup for Threads, allowing advertisers to run ads without a Threads profile by using existing Instagram or Facebook content. Advertisers can now use value rules for awareness and engagement objectives, and landing page view optimization has been enhanced to lower costs and improve traffic quality.

CHATGPT'S “BRANCH IN NEW CHAT” BUTTON

Use the "Branch in new chat" button to fact-check AI output without cluttering your main thread. Open a new branch from the response you want to review, then ask the AI to list all factual or verifiable claims. This gives you a clear checklist to confirm accuracy while keeping your original conversation focused.

DIARY OF A BRAND: LUCKIN COFFEE

Luckin Coffee collapsed in 2020 after admitting to fabricating revenue, but it has since staged a major turnaround. It is now the largest coffee chain in China with over 26,000 stores, more than 10 billion drinks sold, and projected 2025 revenue of $5.7B, nearly five times higher than during its bankruptcy. The company shifted from a discount-driven model to a premium strategy, creating hit drinks like the Coconut Latte and Moutai Latte that cater to Chinese tastes, and pairing them with high-profile collaborations and cultural tie-ins. Its data-driven approach to store placement increased new store survival from 63% in 2019 to 93% in 2021, while continuous product testing allowed it to launch 100+ new drinks in 2023. With its first two US stores open in 2025, Luckin now aims to challenge Starbucks and other chains in a highly competitive American market.

CONTENT IS NOW A RED OCEAN

The era of easy growth through content is over as AI and mass publishing have created a red ocean of content. Audiences are overwhelmed with frameworks and reluctant to engage with content that feels unoriginal or AI-written. Success now depends on differentiation, auditing existing content with a stop-start-continue framework, grounding stories in real experiences, and amplifying them through distinctive branding. Marketers who repurpose lived insights into skimmable, highly visual formats are more likely to maintain attention while others disappear in the noise.

PINTEREST GIVES SHOPPERS MORE PURCHASE OPTIONS FROM PINS

Pinterest is adding a “find retailers” button to Pins that lets shoppers choose where to buy products, and early tests show better performance compared to single-link referral campaigns.

LINKEDIN ADDS POST SEND AND SAVE INSIGHTS

LinkedIn users can now track “sends” and “saves” in their stats.

7 DAYS OF VIRAL CONTENT IDEAS

Ideas include lazy PowerPoint, “POV: you're getting robbed but…”, and toxic motivation.

OPEN WEB “ALREADY IN RAPID DECLINE” GOOGLE ARGUES IN COURT DOCUMENT

Google argued in a court filing that the open web is already in rapid decline, and a breakup of its ad business would accelerate that trend. It cited AI reshaping ad tech, along with growth in formats like Connected TV and retail media, as reasons ad budgets are shifting away from open-web display advertising. The filing follows concerns about “Google Zero,” the idea that Google search could stop sending traffic to third-party sites, though Google said its AI-enabled search still directs users to a wide range of publishers. WARC data shows online display advertising is stable but growing much more slowly than search and social media advertising.

WE'VE LOST PREVIEW TEXT FOR EMAIL. ARE SUBJECT LINES NEXT?

Apple, Google, and Yahoo are replacing subject lines and preview text with AI-generated summaries, deal cards, and groupings that override brand messaging. These features often misstate discounts, dates, or expirations, eroding trust and damaging customer relationships while removing opportunities for brands to convey personality. Since neither users nor brands can reliably opt out, the changes risk financial loss, legal disputes, and frustration across industries.

IS RELATIONSHIP MARKETING THE NEW MOAT?

With AI tools making automation and personalization widely available, the real differentiator is how brands invest in human connection. Relationship marketing tactics such as handwritten notes, personalized thank you videos, and participation in virtual events help build trust and reciprocity. Combining these with AI-driven analytics allows marketers to tailor follow-ups that mention previous conversations and deliver curated recommendations. These moments of authenticity promote retention and create a durable moat in a commoditized landscape.

5 STEPS TO BUILDING A CONTENT CLUSTER FROM EXISTING CONTENT

Start by identifying 2-5 core parent terms that are high-volume, competitive, and tied to conversion. Audit your content so each URL has one clear target keyword, even if it's not the one you rank for yet. Group related pieces around the parent terms using your ICP knowledge, then validate with SEO tools. Link each page to its parent within the first 100 words and to sibling pages to share authority. Continuously refine clusters as search intent and priorities shift.

WISPR FLOW

Wispr Flow is a voice-first AI dictation platform that converts speech into polished, context-aware text across Mac, Windows, and iPhone. It claims to be up to 4X faster than typing and not only transcribes but also auto-edits, applies commands, formats, and adapts to your style over time. It's useful for accelerating writing, note-taking, coding, and communication through natural voice input.

IDEOGRAM

Ideogram transforms text prompts into high-quality images using deep learning. It is known for creating visuals with readable text, making it useful for logos, posters, and typographic designs, while also supporting styles ranging from photorealistic to illustrative and 3D renderings. The freemium model allows users to generate up to 25 sets of 4 images per day.

WHY THE BEST PRODUCTS TELL MOST PEOPLE TO F*** OFF

Products that polarize users often perform better than those that try to appeal to everyone, as shown by Elden Ring, Linear, Owner, and Superposition, which each deliberately restrict features to serve their core audience. A dedicated 5% of users who love a product is more valuable than 50% who find it acceptable. Founders and marketers can employ this strategy by defining trade-offs, making products act as filters, using complaints as marketing, measuring depth of loyalty rather than width of reach, and doubling down on what makes a product unique.

DO YOU NEED A GTM ENGINEER?

GTM engineers have been (over)hyped as the hottest job of 2025, but hiring is far from widespread. Job postings remain scarce compared to RevOps or SalesOps roles, with many companies instead outsourcing GTM engineering work to agencies or consultants. The role blends system design, automation, and growth experimentation, but sourcing top talent is difficult and often limited to ex-founders or internal transfers. As AI tools become more accessible, companies are training existing teams to handle automation rather than relying on unicorn hires, suggesting GTM engineering may ultimately fold into RevOps and RevTech.

WILL THE ANTI-MONOPOLY RULING CRACK OPEN GOOGLE'S DATA?

Google's antitrust penalties stop short of breaking up its empire but still chip away at its dominance. The company must end exclusive contracts, share portions of its search index and user-interaction data with qualified competitors, and provide syndicated access to search results across verticals. However, it avoided harsher remedies such as divesting Chrome or Android, reinstating Exact Match in ads, or opening up Knowledge Graph data. This article details the implications of each of these decisions in the ruling.

2X YOUR LINKEDIN CONTENT OUTPUT

Take your top 3 performing LinkedIn posts and create variations of them every 3 months.

IS “WOKE BAITING” THE NEXT GREAT MARKETING STRATEGY?

Woke baiting involves sparking outrage to generate headlines and conversation, creating an uneven landscape for marketers where backlash is loud and measurable while support is often much smaller.

FACEBOOK AD COSTS JUMP 21% IN 2025, BUT STILL BEAT GOOGLE

Facebook ads are getting more expensive for leads but cheaper for clicks. Cost per lead now averages $27.66, while CPC fell to $0.70. Traffic campaigns saw stronger engagement, making them a better ROI play in 2025. However, lead generation is under pressure with lower conversion rates. For marketers, this means tighter audience targeting, refreshed creative, and smarter funnel planning are essential for good ROI.

THE NEXT GENERATION OF CREATIVITY: A MAXIMALIST MOMENT RESHAPING CULTURE

Gen Z (14-24) is redefining media with Creative Maximalism, a participatory, visually complex, and internet-referential style shaped by platforms like YouTube, Minecraft, and Roblox. Teens spend 26% less time on TV and movies and 54% more time on social platforms and user-generated content than older audiences. 66% believe their generation has a big impact on online culture. They favor co-creation, immersive audiovisual storytelling, and content influenced by digital cultures.

5 SMART ECOMMERCE RETARGETING STRATEGIES TO RECOVER LOST SALES

Most e-commerce retargeting focuses too much on coupons, but buyers often abandon carts for reasons unrelated to price. Marketers should align messaging to each stage of the funnel. Cart abandoners may need social proof or urgency, while browsers need education or reminders. Use dynamic ads segmented by behavior and predicted value. A/B testing formats like SKU clusters versus single product reminders can significantly improve ROAS.

LINKEDIN ADS: MAX DELIVERY VS. MANUAL BIDDING

Test manual bidding on LinkedIn Ads instead of max delivery. In repeated campaigns, switching drove a 65.5% increase in clicks and 52.7% more impressions on the same budget, with only minor shifts in audience mix. Manual bidding helps stretch spend further and reach more new buyers, which is key for growth. However, keep in mind that chasing the lowest CPC/CPM can limit access to higher-value audiences.

TIKTOK SEARCH ADS CAMPAIGN: UNLOCKING INCREMENTAL GROWTH IN THE FUTURE OF SEARCH

TikTok's Search Ads Campaign delivers stronger results than traditional mid-funnel initiatives, driving 2.0x higher purchase lift overall and 2.2x for enterprise advertisers. In retail, dedicated search campaigns achieved a 1.9x purchase lift and higher incremental ROAS compared to non-search campaigns. TikTok searches are rising sharply, up 40% year over year, with 86% of Gen Z internet users searching on the platform weekly. Aerie demonstrated the impact of TikTok search ads, achieving a 3% lift in conversions, 3,800 incremental purchases, and a $2.64 iROAS by combining them with In-Feed Ads.

CMOS SEPARATING THE HYPE FROM WHAT'S REAL (WEBINAR)

Exit Five founder Dave Gerhardt will host a live webinar on September 23 with Jennifer Delevante-Moulen (CMO of Knak) and Tara Robertson (CMO of Bitly) to cut through AI hype and share how B2B marketing teams are actually using AI today. They will discuss where AI accelerates execution, which creative work still needs humans, and how CMOs can update playbooks for AI.

WHATAGRAPH 3.0

Whatagraph replaces fragmented tools with one system. Marketers can connect 55+ sources, clean and organize data, and create branded reports in seconds using prompts or drag-and-drop. Its AI assistant delivers instant insights, summaries in 18 languages, and plain-language answers to ad-hoc questions. Reports auto-update every 30 minutes.

THE FUNNEL HASN'T COLLAPSED, IT'S COMPRESSED

Social commerce has compressed into a single scroll. Platforms like TikTok and Amazon collapsed discovery, intent, and purchase into one swipe. This isn't the death of the funnel but its evolution, where mental states still matter, only processed faster and often simultaneously. The risk is that brands overinvest in visible conversions while neglecting memory-building, even though long-term growth still depends on penetration and brand availability. The real challenge is balancing speed with stickiness so brands aren't forgotten when discovery and purchase happen in seconds.

HOW CONTENT LABELS INCREASE CLICKS

Researchers found that content labels such as “most read” and “most shared” significantly affect click behavior. Across 5 experiments, 2 surveys, and 36,679 ad clicks, people perceived “most read” content as 18.4% more informative, while “most shared” was seen as 32.5% more entertaining. When searching for information, people clicked 23.9% more on articles labeled “most read” and were 67.9% more willing to read them compared to “most shared.” For entertaining content, “most shared” labels drove higher clicks, showing that labeling content with the right signal can increase engagement.

CHATGPT PROMPTS TO REMOVE CRM DUPES

Templated prompts to scrub duplicates in your data.

1 IN 4 DOLLARS IS MADE IN PEAK SEASON, OR NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER

Despite talk of earlier holiday shopping, most ecommerce dollars still arrive in November and December.

TOP EMAIL DESIGNS FOR AUGUST

Design inspo for welcome emails, renewal reminders, and more.

the job.

* Check out the podcast episode featuring HubSpot's Scott Brinker on

AI and the martech stack.

AI THREATENS ENTRY-LEVEL MARKETING JOBS—AND THE FUTURE TALENT PIPELINE

Entry-level marketing roles are declining as AI takes over repetitive tasks. Unemployment for recent college graduates is 5.8%, matching adults without a high school diploma, while underemployment is above 41%. Without these entry-level opportunities, companies could struggle to develop mid- and senior-level talent in the coming years.

FEWER DEALS, BIGGER BILLS

40% of shoppers expect fewer discounts, and 75% anticipate higher costs for gifts this holiday season. Concerns about tariffs, supply chain disruptions, and a potential recession are prompting nearly a third of shoppers to start gift-buying earlier. Price increases are expected across categories, including a 15-20% rise in toys sourced from China. Extended return policies remain a key incentive, while about a quarter of consumers plan to spend less due to economic uncertainty.

IN COURT FILING, GOOGLE CONCEDES THE OPEN WEB IS IN “RAPID DECLINE”

Google claims the open web is in “rapid decline” in a court filing defending its ad business. It argues that forcing a breakup of AdX would damage a fragile ad-supported ecosystem. While Google maintains that AI search isn't hurting web traffic, it hasn't provided data to prove it. Instead, Google's ad revenue is increasingly driven by mobile apps and walled environments, not open websites.

CLICKUP'S SLIDING INTO DMS OF THEIR UNHAPPY CUSTOMERS

ClickUp's early growth strategy relied on a scrappy, low-cost tactic that involved tracking 1-star reviews of competitors on sites like Capterra, G2, and TrustPilot and then reaching out to frustrated users directly on LinkedIn. The personalized message framed ClickUp as a solution to the problems they faced with rival products. This approach cost nothing but time, generated the company's first 100+ customers, and helped drive $1M in ARR.

PINTEREST SHARES TIPS FOR HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN PLANNING

Holiday campaign planning on Pinterest should start now to capture rising gift-related searches that begin in October and peak by December. With 55% of users preferring personalized recommendations and saves strongly tied to purchase intent, brands should create curated festive boards by recipient or interest and prompt users to save Pins. Pinterest recommends early activation, save-driven design, and personalized content to influence gift planning behavior and drive seasonal sales.

AI & SOCIAL MEDIA (WEBINAR)

This webinar on September 10 will address how social teams balance efficiency and authenticity when using AI. The speakers will explore ways to humanize brand voice, integrate AI into workflows without losing identity, and create brand-first content. The discussion will also cover practical applications and distinguish hype from helpful tools.