Like dozens of other “Twitter killers,” Bluesky has sat in limbo since its launch– thanks mostly to an invite-only policy. But when the micro-blogging site went public last month, it skyrocketed to an estimated 4 Million users almost overnight. That kind of growth can be chum in the water for marketers. But is the social media startup worth your time? I sat down with HubSpot’s Manager of Brand Social Strategy and Analytics to find out. But first, let’s jump back a bit for those who don’t know what Bluesky is. What is Bluesky? Bluesky is one of dozens of social […]

If you’re a marketer, you cannot ignore meme culture. No, I’m not talking about making tone-deaf corporate memes that shout “How do you do, fellow kids?” I’m talking about real, organic viral trends. They might seem silly on the surface but– when timed right– jumping on the right meme can mean marketing magic. Case in point: The Gen Z caviar bump. A TikTok trend that’s helping brands tap a $465 million global market. A caviar what now? If you’re not familiar with the caviar bump, you’ll be thankful to know it has nothing to do with snorting fish roe. A […]

“Google is getting worse” is almost a meme at this point. Go into any forum or subreddit that mentions search results, and you’ll find someone complaining that SEO has ruined Google Search. Joke’s on them. SEO has been ruining Google Search for 26 years. I was there for keyword stuffing, cloaking, and link farms. The idea that Google is somehow getting worse is a claim I’ve rolled my eyes at in both my official capacity as a marketer and as a consumer. Only now, marketing news headlines are breathlessly claiming that a study from Germany has proven Google is getting […]

Dry January. It sounds like the next scary impact of climate change. In reality, it’s part personal challenge and part social movement. Dry January refers to the growing trend of taking the month off from drinking alcohol. Consider it a four-week vacay for your liver. But it’s not meant to be a detox. Instead, the creators say the goal is to reframe your relationship with alcohol as “a conscious choice, not a default.” It might seem like bad news for alcohol sales– already reeling from the post-holiday slump– but actually, Dry January is one way booze sellers can tap into […]

It was an interesting year to be a marketer. Expectations were high, budgets were low, content moved at the speed of light, and marketers had to make magic happen through it all. As 2023 comes to a close, I polled the HubSpot Media Team to see what their favorite marketing campaigns of the year were. Check out the full run-down below. HubSpot Media’s Favorite Marketing Campaigns of 2023 The Barbie Movie Let’s start with the obvious: Barbie owned the first half of 2023. To promote the summer blockbuster, Warner Bros. and Mattel teamed up to execute one of the most […]

Content makes the world go ’round (at least for marketers), but it can’t create itself. This week we’re exploring the top creator economy predictions for 2024 that marketers need to know. Chances are, your brand has worked with creators in the past and likely will again. Currently valued at $250B, the creator economy is expected to reach $480B by 2028. This growth is fueled by increased cash flow from brands and higher demand for content. Per a recent study by IAB: 44% of advertisers plan to increase spend with content creators in 2024 Brands anticipate increasing creator content budgets by […]

It’s been an eventful week for Spotify. As reported by our sister newsletter The Hustle, the company announced a round of layoffs just days after the launch of its annual campaign Spotify Wrapped. While The Hustle talked about the business and employee implications of Spotify’s recent layoffs immediately following Wrapped, I’d like to take a look at this series of events from a marketing perspective. The Marketing Power of Spotify Wrapped Wrapped is to Spotify what “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is to Mariah Carey — a sure bet for engagement at the end of each year. Since […]

A car fire ignited a viral marketing moment for the Stanley brand. On November 15, TikTok user @danimarielettering posted a video showing the aftermath of her car catching on fire. Though the car was totaled, her Stanley Quencher tumbler was intact and still had ice in it. @danimarielettering Thirsty after you catch on fire? @Stanley 1913 is like no problem i gotchu #fyp #carfire #accident #stanleycup ♬ original sound – Danielle The video quickly went viral and has gone on to rack up more than 84 million views. Two days later, Stanley President Terence Reilly stitched Danielle’s original video offering […]

The instrumental to Missy Elliott’s “Pass That Dutch” is blaring through your speakers while Lindsay Lohan is on your screen walking through the halls of North Shore High School. Did you just transport back to the early 2000s? No, chances are you were just served Walmart’s latest Black Friday ad. The movie Mean Girls has been a pop culture classic since its release in 2004. Nearly 20 years later, Walmart is capitalizing on the film’s enduring popularity with a Mean Girls-themed Black Friday campaign. Walmart’s series of ads features five of the film’s original cast members reprising their roles and […]

The social media boom of the last decade is over. It’s not that people are no longer using social media — they are. They’re just using it less, and engaging differently. In 2022, the average daily time spent on social media declined globally leading to a drop in organic reach for brands and creators. Per GWI, 54% of people use social media to connect with friends and family, and 27% of people use social media to keep up with news. What they aren’t necessarily hopping on social media to do is be sold to. However, social media platforms need users […]