It’s been a summer for the girls, at least from an economic perspective. Content that drew predominantly female audiences has ruled the box office and live events space: Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has earned over $1.28B at the box office since its release in July Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour impacted inflation rates in the U.K. and Sweden and is expected to bring in over $2B, the highest generated by a female act Taylor Swift’s Eras tour has already earned $1B and is expected to help circulate $5B across the global economy Major publications have attributed this renaissance (pun intended) of female consumer […]

Admittedly, I’m all too familiar with girl dinners. Sometimes (often) after a long day at work during a hot summer, the last thing you want to do is cook an elaborate meal — and that’s where girl dinners come in. Is it a charcuterie board? A snack plate? A random assortment of whatever can be found in the kitchen to make a haphazard meal? The answer is yes to all of the above. The term girl dinner took off on TikTok earlier this summer after creator Olivia Maher used the term in a video. Since then, girl dinner has since […]

Last month Elon Musk announced that Twitter’s new name is X. The name change is supposed to mark the platform’s evolution from a social media tool to an “everything app” that includes banking, e-commerce, and expanded social features. According to author Walter Isaacson, Musk has been on a mission to make fetch X.com happen since 1999. That year he launched the site offering a range of digital finance products, and the site eventually merged with another company becoming PayPal. Since the initial version of X.com didn’t exactly revolutionize the financial system Musk is hoping to try again, this time using […]

Snapchat created an immersive experience for fans watching the 2023 Women’s World Cup. When the games kicked off last month, Snapchat launched a suite of augmented reality (AR) features and exclusive content to connect soccer fans with National Teams across the globe. The content package includes: An AR “Team Tracker” Lens that allows fans to create team-oriented content Up-to-date stats and highlights A feature that lets users dress their Bitmoji characters in their favorite team’s Adidas uniforms Unique stickers and filters commemorating the World Cup A twice-weekly Snapchat-exclusive show covering various elements of women’s soccer A series of challenges encouraging […]

Among listeners, podcasts are more popular than ever. But from a business standpoint, the industry has lost its way. The golden age of podcasting spanned from 2015 to 2022. During this time, shows like Serial popularized the medium, and the COVID-19 pandemic led to a boom in podcast production and engagement. Media companies began putting a lot of money into the medium. For example: Spotify invested over $1 billion into podcasting, acquiring Anchor and Gimlet, and inking multimillion-dollar partnerships with public figures including the Obamas, Joe Rogan, and Meghan Markle. Amazon purchased Wondery, incorporating content from the podcast network into […]

Earlier this month, Kim Kardashian’s apparel company Skims made headlines after closing a $270 million fundraising round, reaching a valuation of $4 billion. In a business climate where VCs are pulling back investment from direct-to-consumer brands, this accomplishment is quite the feat for a four-year-old business. Skims initially launched in 2019, offering shapewear and intimates. The company has since expanded its product line to include clothing, loungewear, swimwear, and kid’s items. This year, Skims is on track to bring in $750 million in sales, up 50% from 2022. The brand experienced mega-growth through smart positioning in front of its ideal […]

Duo, Duolingo’s big green mascot, might be the most famous owl of the post-tootsie roll pop commercial era. The language-learning app first established a TikTok presence in early 2021 and found its stride by sharing funny videos featuring the sassy owl Duo. Since then, Duolingo’s TikTok account has grown to nearly 7 million followers and accumulated over 147 million likes from various viral videos. How did Duolingo do it? By embracing “unhinged” marketing. What is unhinged marketing? When brands take less of a polished, perfect approach to social, and embrace more chaotic conversational moments, it’s often referred to as unhinged […]

Since getting purchased by Elon Musk, Twitter has been in a highly-publicized tailspin. Between staff cuts, unpopular feature changes, public disputes with reputable media entities, and declining traffic and ad revenue, the platform has had a tumultuous year. One thing Twitter hasn’t had to deal with in its 17-year history is direct competition. While there are plenty of other popular social media platforms, they all serve different purposes. Instagram, traditionally a photo-based app, is a place to share visual content. Facebook is for communicating with people you already know and engaging in groups. TikTok has a unique hybrid of video […]

It’s shaping up to be a big month at the box office as the highly anticipated films Barbie and Oppenheimer gear up for release on July 21. When the initial Barbie trailer dropped this spring, we covered why the film’s online selfie generator was a nod to nostalgia marketing. As we get closer to the release date, the film’s marketing engine has gone into overdrive leaning heavily into partnerships and experiential marketing. Here are just a few (yes, a few) of the tactics deployed by the Barbie marketing team: A “DreamHouse” in Malibu hosted by Ken on Airbnb A giveaway […]

So far, 2023 has been a challenging year for Bud Light. In April the beer brand partnered with transgender actor and TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney on a sponsored social media post promoting Bud Light’s “Easy Carry Contest.” Mulvaney’s video (her second post in collaboration with Bud Light) featured a custom can of beer with her photo on it that read “Cheers to 365 Days of Being A Woman” as a nod to Mulvaney’s “Days of Girlhood” TikTok series that documented her transition. Since going live, the ad drew criticism from conservative audiences, with some social media users posting footage of […]