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Oreo’s Unique Marketing Strategy Has Kept It Relevant For Over A Century

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By Persy House

Oreos are a staple of any grocery store’s cookie aisle. Known as “milk’s favourite cookie,” the brand has used strategic advertising to stay relevant in the over one hundred years since its inception in 1912. Oreo’s marketing has always changed with the times, and part of the reason the brand is still relevant today is because it relies heavily on the internet and social media, a very easy and convenient way to target specific consumers.

As social media became more and more relevant, Oreo began to focus much of its advertising on online ad campaigns that played into popular culture. In 2013, Oreo responded to the lights going out during an NFL game with a X (then called Twitter) post saying, “You can still dunk in the dark.” In addition, Oreo began to collaborate with other popular brands and notable figures, including Supreme, Marvel, Sour Patch Kids, Post Malone, and Lady Gaga. At the time of this article’s writing, the brand’s site is advertising its Selena Gomez cookies, which are chocolate & cinnamon flavoured. These collaborations and creative social media posts keep the brand on the cutting edge of pop culture and draw in fans of certain brands and celebrities who may not usually buy Oreos. The brand has created a fun, playful image of itself, which helps to attract its desired customer base.

Oreo’s marketing historically

JRomero04/Shutterstock

Even before its current strategy of online marketing came around, advertisements were a huge part of Oreo’s success. While Oreo cookies may seem unique, they were actually preceded by Hydrox cookies, a treat that sandwiches cream between two chocolate wafers. They were created by Kansas City baker Jacob Loose in 1908. Loose ended up in a war against his brother Joseph, one of the founders of Nabisco, because Joseph had formed the company against his wishes several years prior. With Hydrox gaining popularity, Joseph created Oreo to compete against Hydrox and heavily marketed it in order to outsell his brother’s product.

Oreo brought in the brilliant marketing campaign of “twist, lick, and dunk” in 1923, which started to bring the brand more recognition. The brand continued to outperform Hydrox in marketing in subsequent years. While Oreos were originally cheaper than Hydrox at 30 cents per pound, in the 1950s, Oreo employed another innovative marketing strategy — making its products more expensive to seem like the superior, premium option when compared to Hydrox. This paid off, and Hydrox is now seen as a rip-off despite being the original cream sandwich cookie.

In 1991, the first Halloween Oreo was created, pioneering the idea of seasonal Oreos that is still relevant in its marketing to this day. Seasonal releases and frequent drops of new flavours keep customers coming back to Oreo, and some seasonal releases are still talked about years after being discontinued. Every time Oreo faces a hurdle, it seems to conquer it through clever marketing, and the brand will likely continue to succeed with this strategy.

By Persy House

Sourced from TastingTable

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AI Is Taking Over Our Social Media Feeds, but Maybe Not How You Expect

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By Katelyn Chedraoui

AI is the new social media intern, even if it isn’t creating the posts and images we see on our feeds.

You don’t have to be chronically online to know that generative AI has infiltrated nearly every part of our online lives. Social media is no exception: Meta’s AI chatbot pushes its way into search on Instagram and Facebook, and Grok offers chat and content creation on X. AI video generation features have emerged on Snapchat, YouTube and TikTok.

Beyond its reach to users, artificial intelligence is increasingly significant behind the scenes as a professional tool for social media brands and creators.

According to a new global survey from the social platform management company Metricool, the majority of social media managers (96%) use AI tools to help them with their work. Nearly three-quarters of social media marketers use AI every day.

“All of us are trying to figure out the best way to use [AI], the right tools, and how to really hone it into our own brand voice,” said Anniston Ward, US PR events and education manager for Metricool. “Everyone’s trying to understand the best way to use it.”

While AI can bring time-saving benefits to the people behind the posts, generative AI comes with worrisome risks in shaping our online and offline realities. As our favourite brands and creators find new ways to harness AI, it’s bound to reignite the debate around how to take advantage of valuable AI use cases while prioritizing human connection.

An AI-enabled social media future also raises concerns around deterring AI slop — mass-produced, junky and superficial content that clogs up the web and social media accounts.

Here’s how creators are using AI and what pitfalls lurk.

How AI is used in social media marketing

In many cases, social media jobs involve several roles in one: content creator, customer service representative, data analyst, trends spotter, and external communications. As teams and budgets shrink, social media professionals are bound to feel more stretched, as they face high expectations to post multiple times a day on several different platforms. The industry is no stranger to burnout.

And therein lies the great appeal of AI, which promises to speed up workflows and automate mundane tasks.

“The reality is, if you’re managing multiple accounts and churning out endless content, you do need an extra pair of hands. I think AI has basically become that extra pair,” said Matt Navarra, a social media industry expert and founder of the Geekout newsletter.

AI can be thought of as a “super-powered intern,” Navarra said.

According to the Metricool survey, the most common use of AI is content idea generation or brainstorming (78%), followed by writing posts, captions, and copy (72%), and adapting existing text for different tones or channels (68%). Reflecting those use cases, most of the popular AI tools are chatbots. ChatGPT nabbed the top spot, followed by Canva, Gemini and Perplexity.

Professional photographer Gissel Arbelaez relies heavily on social media to reach new customers for her business in Buenos Aires. To make sure those channels are picture-perfect, she uses AI to correct and improve her English.

“Since English is my second language and around 70% of the people I work with are English speakers, I need to make sure my grammar is spotless. Nothing goes on my social media without being checked by AI first,” Arbelaez said via email. She also occasionally turns to AI editing tools in Adobe Creative Cloud, like generative fill and remove.

AI has also come into play among bigger teams focused on social media and marketing. Alba Benítez, director and founder of marketing firm Plural Agency, said her team uses AI to unify their knowledge bases and files to “save us from the small frictions” and streamline processes.

“[AI] has freed up mental space for creativity. I can now dedicate more energy to developing fresh projects and pushing our communication further, instead of being stuck in the noise of operations,” Benítez said.

Creating original content through photo and video shoots can be expensive and time consuming. AI can help stretch or adapt one piece of content to work for multiple channels, whether that’s clipping a video, resizing visual assets or generating different versions of the same message to match the tone of each platform’s audience.

This behind-the-scenes AI usage isn’t immediately apparent in the feeds of scrolling viewers. Just as AI can alleviate administrative burdens for creators, it can also elevate our social media experiences, if managed appropriately.

When (and why) not to use AI

AI is not always suitable or useful for social media professionals. Quality is a big concern, with 45% of Metricool’s survey respondents reporting it as the primary reason they hold back on AI.

Quality issues can range from chatbots hallucinating and making up false information to more dangerous things like replicating biases in their training data. A content creator wouldn’t use an AI-generated product image if the program misspelled the company’s name, for example.

“There’s a constant battle of ‘Is AI-generated content the same quality as human voices?'” Ward said.

Even if AI tools improve accuracy and match content quality, maintaining a unique voice and personality is key for big brands and small creators. If they rely too heavily on AI for content creation and editing, they risk losing their individuality. As Navarra put it, AI can draft, but humans must polish.

“If a brand sounds the same because they’re all using the same [AI] model, social media becomes incredibly boring and ceases to be a platform for connection,” said Navarra.

If the entirety of your X or Instagram feed is AI-generated garbage, you’re more likely to miss posts you find valuable and eventually be persuaded to ditch the platform. Even as social media gets more fragmented, we’re still looking to be informed, entertained and connected. Badly done AI threatens that.

Reputational harm and backlash

Apart from AI slop, which is pretty widely hated, there’s an inherent risk in using the tech at all. Generative AI is controversial, from worries about job security to legal, ethical and environmental concerns. Using AI for content creation or marketing comes with the risk of alienating an AI-wary audience, especially since not all platforms require labels to be added to AI content, and many can’t flag AI usage on their own. It’s not just low-quality, biased or misleading AI content that can upset users; it’s more subtle AI usage and a lack of disclosures.

Recently, Duolingo announced an internal AI initiative, prioritizing AI over human translators. Vogue included a Guess ad in its July print edition, and readers later learned that the model wasn’t real but created with AI. Followers and fans of both brands immediately took to social media to tell the brands directly why they were so unhappy with those pivots to AI.

“We’re all in this limbo period right now where we’re pressured to use AI. It does help a lot with the content ideation and generation, but I think there are some missing gaps in how to use it thoughtfully,” said Ward.

Those gaps can quickly become obvious and detrimental to a brand. To put it in perspective, Arbelaez said all her social media efforts are to build trust with potential and existing customers. Any social media expert will tell you that it’s easy to lose an audience’s trust and much harder to earn it back.

Finding the right balance of AI for everyone

Every creator I spoke with highlighted places in their work where they wouldn’t use AI. The specific tasks varied, but the common denominator was drawing the line before AI could infringe upon or replace human creativity. Strategy, decision-making and sensitive communications are areas where AI has no place, Benítez said. Navarra echoed that sentiment, adding that AI might be the intern, but it shouldn’t be the creative director.

We’re in a new reality where the internet seems to be as much human as AI. While AI slop is pretty widely hated, there is a new spectrum gauging how much AI we will tolerate on our feeds. A big part of that is if we know AI is being used, whether the platform labels it as such or the creator discloses it themselves.

There is a not-small segment of social media users who won’t tolerate any AI. Some are totally pro AI. Finding the right balance is the challenge for social media managers.

For the rest of us, we have to hope and trust that brands and creators understand that we don’t want them all to sound and look the same.

“Social media’s always been about connection, and I think AI can help with the media part, but the social part, the trust, the humour, the empathy, that’s still human,” said Navarra. “Brands that remember that will be the ones that serve their customers well and win.”

Feature image credit: Andriy Onufriyenko via Getty Images

By Katelyn Chedraoui

Sourced from CNET

 

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This Social Media Expert Predicts That 1 Influencer Strategy Will Soon Be Everywhere

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BY ANNABEL BURBA

This content lends brands much-needed authenticity, says creator economy expert Keith Bendes.

TikTok, Instagram, and X posts are familiar sights in text conversations, news articles, and even Slack messages. Soon, they’ll also become mainstays of TV and billboard advertisements, according to creator economy expert and Linqia chief strategy officer Keith Bendes.

“We’re entering influencer 3.0,” he says. During the first era of influencer marketing—which Bendes calls “1.0”—companies started paying content creators to post branded content on their popular social-media pages. Influencer 2.0, he says, came about once brands started posting creator-made content on their own pages and paying to promote it.

Bendes characterizes the third era of influencer marketing as brands realizing creator content does better than their own “in basically every single channel” and starting to use it “literally everywhere.”

Some brands have already done this. Better-for-you soda maker Poppi put flattering X posts on billboards for its “Soda’s Back!” campaign in 2023. McDonald’s debuted a TV commercial in Switzerland last year made “entirely” from TikTok videos about its limited-edition sauce containers, according to advertising agency TWBA, which created the campaign.

Bendes adds that Dunkin’, luggage brand Away, canned water brand Liquid Death, and social-media management platform Hootsuite have also used social-media content for real-world ad campaigns.

He says brands are using this content as “social proof of, like, these people really love our product. They’re talking about it online—like you should do—they look just like you, they act just like you. These aren’t hired celebrities.”

Anticipating demand for this kind of ad campaign to grow, Linqia recently released a tool that helps businesses leverage creator-made content across different mediums. TikTok introduced a tool with a similar function in 2023.

“The world wants more authenticity,” Bendes says. “Trust of brands is at an all-time low. Trust of creators and influencers is at an all-time high. Brands realize, ‘OK, maybe I want to put people on every screen that look and act more like the everyday person.’ ”

Feature image credit: Getty Images

BY ANNABEL BURBA

Sourced form Inc.

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AI is putting intent at the heart of social search

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By Annaleis Montgomery,

When someone searches on social, what do they really want? Annaleis Montgomery at Tug Agency explains how AI is helping brands to deliver on customer expectation.

Social search has moved beyond just a concept and into an actuality that agencies are fighting to nail. It’s becoming a primary way audiences discover brands and products, with search behaviours shifting from traditional engines like Google to platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. In fact, according to a study by Tint, over 75% of consumers have used social media to search for or discover new brands and products.

AI is at the heart of this transformation. Gone are the days when a simple keyword match was enough to surface relevant content. Today, AI delves into the very essence of user intent, context, and human emotions to deliver a more nuanced, effective experience. This shift means marketers can’t afford to stick to traditional SEO strategies, but need to embrace an intent-focused approach to authentically connect with audiences at all steps of their user journey, which includes social searches on social media platforms.

Deciphering intent

A sophisticated interplay of data analysis ius needed to go beyond surface-level queries. AI reviews user behaviour, engagement patterns, and content to paint a big picture. AI can detect user intent in a number of ways.

One of these is through sentiment analysis. This allows AI to understand the emotional tone behind a user’s language. Are they expressing frustration, curiosity, excitement, or a need for information? Sentiment analysis identifies nuances in phrasing, emojis, and even the pace of interaction to infer underlying emotions and ultimately intent.

Then there are contextual cues. AI doesn’t just look at individual keywords; it considers the surrounding conversation, the user’s past interactions, and their demographic information. If someone consistently engages with content about sustainable fashion, AI understands their ‘search’ for a new pair of jeans isn’t just about finding a piece of clothing, but likely one that aligns with their eco-conscious values.

And lastly, there’s behavioural data. Every click, like, share, comment, and reach provides valuable data. AI algorithms analyse these engagement patterns to understand what resonates with a user. If a user consistently watches long-form videos on a specific topic, AI learns they prefer in-depth content for that subject, influencing future search results.

Although keywords still play a role in the initial analysis, they can’t capture the fluidity and complexity of human communication on social platforms. A user searching for ‘best coffee’ might be looking for a local cafe, a recipe for brewing at home, or even a review of a new coffee machine. Traditional keyword matching would struggle to differentiate these intents, leading to less relevant results.

Content for intent

Given this strategic evolution, marketers must shift their focus from stuffing keywords to creating content that truly resonates with diverse user intents.

What exactly does this involve? Firstly, SEO teams need to understand the ‘why?’ behind the search. Instead of asking what users are searching for, they need to focus on why they’re searching for it. What problem are they trying to solve? What aspiration are they pursuing? What emotions are being expressed?

Secondly, thorough user journey mapping needs to happen. Teams need to acknowledge that users have different needs, questions, and intentions at different points in their search journey. Because of this, different stages of the user journey require different types of content. For example, a user in the awareness phase might need informative blog posts, while another in the consideration phase might be looking for product comparisons or testimonials.

And lastly, there needs to be a prioritization of value and empathy. Content that provides genuine value and demonstrates empathy for the user’s situation will perform better in an AI-driven search environment. SEO teams must focus on solving problems, answering questions, and inspiring action.

Measuring success requires moving beyond traditional KPIs. SEO teams now need to look at metrics like sentiment shifts (as mentioned earlier, we’d want to prioritize content that had a ‘positive’ sentiment), as well as the more classic metrics like comments and shares that help understand engagement. We can draw similarities between a ‘like’ and a ‘click’, which we use to measure SEO performance, and ‘estimated reach’, which is similar to an organic impression, as it shows how many unique users have seen the content without it being paid for.

Like SEO, social search comes with a whole host of performance metrics and touchpoints we need to understand to help us pinpoint gaps, opportunities, and instances of growth.

Stay relevant

AI-driven social search is the new way to connect with users by understanding their deeper motivations. To truly succeed, marketers need to know how to achieve this. Traditional marketing and SEO no longer accurately represent a user’s search journey. Going beyond the norm and exploring other organic search methods, as well as using AI-powered searches, can help us understand a user’s intent and facilitate that journey to conversion.

If your content isn’t optimized for this intent-driven AI, you’re essentially invisible to a significant portion of your target audience. Users are increasingly interacting with search in conversational ways, expecting immediate, relevant answers, often directly within the search interface itself. Additionally, if your brand isn’t producing content that AI can ‘feature’ – such as structured FAQs, how-to guides, or comparative analyses – you’re sacrificing your visibility.

For Tug, understanding and leveraging this shift is paramount to keeping our competitive streak and clients happy. Our proprietary Helpful Content Tool allows us to audit content at scale, score helpfulness, and identify areas to optimize in line with how AI search algorithms reward helpfulness with greater search visibility. Providing users with a specific scoring criterion, the tool helps overlay content optimization efforts with search and business performance KPIs.

As we look forward, social search is no longer a prediction but our reality. By embracing the evolution of AI-powered search and adapting our strategies, marketers can unlock opportunities to connect with their audiences on a deeper, more meaningful level.

By Annaleis Montgomery,

Sourced from The Drum

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‘Every piece of social content is an ad’: Beth Thomas on a decade online

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By Amy Houston,

The social media director just launched a new venture with Michael Corcoran following the abrupt closure of Frankly amid allegations its financial controller misappropriated company funds. We reflect on her career so far and what the future holds in store.

Born and bred in Wales, Beth Thomas dreamed of working in the beauty space. What that might look like, though, she wasn’t sure. Social media was still in its infancy at the time and blogs were thriving. Inspired by Brit Crew members such as Zoe Sugg, or ‘Zoella’ as she was known then, Thomas began writing about beauty brands and posting on YouTube in 2013. “I’ve always really enjoyed storytelling, creating content and connecting people,” she explains. “Social media, accidentally, gave me a career where I could do that.”

Thomas still creates content today, though it’s more “thoughtfully” curated and draws on over a decade of experience in the industry. Along with her friend Molly, she has amassed 1.2m likes on TikTok and 35,200 followers.

“The people who are best at social always have their hats in the ring,” she adds. “Because there are certain things that you would never know unless you were literally in the back end of TikTok.”

Her next dream was to move to London, which seemed a “magical” place for a young creative. In 2019, she began working at Birchbox, a beauty subscription service, and would go live once or twice a week on Facebook to host a “game show” for a few hours. “It was the first idea that I felt confident in pitching and making happen,” Thomas recalls. “And it ranked in the top three lives globally that year; it ended up with 1,600 comments a minute.” Building this relationship with customers (Thomas doesn’t use the word community lightly) laid the groundwork for everything that would come next in her career.

“I don’t think brands build communities, but I think in this case we really did. And that was from spending so much time live with audiences every week, with the same people. I knew about people getting married, people having babies. People in the chat were becoming friends, so it really was such a special place.”

Toothpaste brands don’t have ‘communities’

The topic of communities on social media is a hot one. “Community management,” as it is sold, means that people need to reply to comments, says Thomas. “If you’re a toothpaste brand, what do you mean you have a community?” Thomas believes that a true community on social media forms when people in the comments share a common interest or belief.

“I think a community on social is where people in the comment section actually have something in common with each other and share this thing they believe in,” she says. “So if you’re a fan of a football team or Call of Duty… If you’re in places where people have this passion and shared love, then, yes, I think people are part of those communities.”

She says that while brands strive to have a personality online, more often than not that is just the personality of the admin managing the account. She’s a firm believer that social shouldn’t sit apart from the brand; the tone-of-voice, so to speak, should be consistent throughout the entire business.

She emphasizes the importance of strategic thinking in social media, noting that many brands still treat it as a siloed space. In her view, there is often too much focus on being different on social platforms without considering how those efforts contribute to the broader goals of the business.

Social media managers face ‘tough’ questions

While standing out can be effective, she believes brands should take a step back and evaluate the bigger picture. Increasingly, those working in social media will face tougher questions about the real impact of their work and how it supports the overall business strategy.

Over the past week, in typical fashion, we’ve seen brands jump on the ‘Astronomer CEO’ meme, which Thomas has thoughts about. “Every piece of social content is an ad – and not in the sense of paying money, but you creating something to show to an audience,” she explains. “If you wouldn’t put that on the TV – obviously, social content and TV content are very different – but if you wouldn’t confidently as a brand put it somewhere else, why do we think it’s OK for it to live on social?”

In 2022, Thomas joined TikTok as its UK live content and campaign operations manager. It was a dream role that came at a time when she felt incredibly confident in her abilities. With a boss who truly believed in her vision, Thomas helped grow the Live team from 13 people to 130 in two years.

“At the time, live content was the biggest revenue maker for the platform,” she says. “It wasn’t this kid dancing app any more. That perception had already shifted. But the live content team was so new. And that was quite cool.”

Working at Frankly with Michael Corcoran

In 2024, Thomas left TikTok to join social media consultancy Frankly as director of social media. There, she worked closely with Michael Corcoran, known for his standout marketing work with budget airline Ryanair. While there, Frankly partnered with global brands across the industrial goods, pharma and finance sectors.

However, just two weeks ago, on Friday the 13th, the company made headlines for alleged financial misappropriation. According to The Irish Times, liquidators were appointed to Frankly’s parent company, Frank & Bear. The company, which employed 12 people, was reportedly “unable to meet its debts” and “two of its three directors” were said to be involved in “promoting a petition through the courts for the winding up of the firm.”

Thomas was gutted. “€1.75m. That’s how much our company’s financial controller is alleged to have misappropriated. According to the reports, it funded house renovations, holidays, cars and even a Premier League season ticket,” she wrote on LinkedIn to her 17,000 followers.

Thomas says the news was “unexpected” and tells The Drum she was “gutted.”

“Frankly was a business I helped build and then for it to all crumble and us not have a chance to do anything about it was a hard pill to swallow.”

Legal proceedings are still ongoing, so it’s a touchy subject for Thomas. She explained that, after she posted the news on social media, she received so much support from people in the form of messages and calls, even from people she didn’t realize had been following her career.

“I’ve spent my whole career trying to build a ‘network,’ a ‘community,’ because I didn’t have one starting out. I didn’t intern at a big name. I didn’t know the right people. I didn’t grow up around this world – as I’ve said 63,939 times, I really thought The Apprentice was what this world was like. But I do love people.”

A look to the future

From the ashes of Frankly, Thomas, Cochoran and Chris Barton have rebounded this week to open a new social media consultancy, Slice. “We’re here to slice through the BS,” she laughs. “We know that, when you do social right, you can actually have an impact for businesses. And Michael is the poster boy of that. How he changed Ryanair is insane, building this cult brand that Gen Z and Millennials now love. So we decided to do it together. We wanted to create a consultancy that helps brands get more serious about how they think about social because it’s still not taken very seriously.”

In addition to developing a strategy that genuinely drives business impact, the team recognizes that many social media managers and heads of social often aren’t operating at the level they need to be. As part of their approach, they not only deliver the strategy but also work closely with internal teams, coaching them, running workshops and holding weekly meetings. The goal is to upskill everyone involved so that, by the time the engagement ends, the team is in a significantly stronger position than when it began. A key part of that process is also building confidence within the team.

“By having a strategy, this one pager that everybody buys into, it gives social teams the ability to push back,” Thomas adds. “Because if you don’t have it – which most don’t, they have some content pillars and a little tone of voice document – you don’t get the respect from people [within brands]. They just see it as a channel on which to dump whatever messages they want. And we know that, so it’s about giving everyone confidence to deliver something better for the brands.”

Thomas says she’s excited to do something different now and feels that will set Slice apart in the industry. It will operate as a consultancy rather than a traditional agency. She explains that, unlike many agencies that push for retainers or encourage clients to produce large volumes of content, this team often advises the opposite. It focuses on what’s truly effective, often recommending that clients create significantly less content but with greater strategic impact.

“Having my own name as part of it, that was so far away from anything I imagined, being from this little Welsh valley. Even working at the brands I’ve worked at was so far out of whatever I had previously thought was possible. So now to co-found a company doesn’t seem real, but I’m really excited.”

Feature image credit: Beth Thomas / Slice

By Amy Houston,

Sourced from The Drum

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What’s really changing in social media? Start with these 10 trends

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Sourced from The Drum

From unhinged content and creator chaos to community-powered growth, big shifts are happening in social and marketers can’t afford to scroll past them. This cheat sheet breaks down 10 of them.

Social media never sleeps. While you were scheduling your next brand post, entire trends popped off, platforms rebranded and Gen Z decided the algorithm was a vibe or a villain depending on the day. But while the formats change and the filters glitch, one thing holds true: social is still where culture starts.

We’ve decoded 10 trends shaping social right now and, because this is Social Media for Drummies, we’re not stopping at observation – we’re giving you a tactical tip for each one. So, keep scrolling the feed to discover what’s trending and what it means for you.

1. Unhinged authenticity is in

What’s happening: Perfect is out. Personality is in. From Ryanair’s sassy airplane to Duolingo’s chaotic owl, brands are ditching the polish and embracing self-aware, lo-fi content.

What to do about it: Ditch the corporate script. Test reactive, personality-driven content – especially in comments or TikTok duets. Bonus points for in-character responses.

2. Creators > influencers

What’s happening: It’s not about who has the most followers but who has the most influence. Niche creators with tight-knit communities are winning trust and conversion.

What to do about it: Audit your creator roster. Shift budget toward micro and niche creators who genuinely align with your brand values, not just aesthetics.

3. AI as your social sidekick

What’s happening: Generative AI is helping brands write captions, edit videos and ideate campaigns faster, but authenticity still rules.

What to do about it: Use AI for speed, not tone. Let it generate first drafts, but always humanize and sense-check. Start small: repurpose existing posts into new formats using AI tools.

4. Social search is the new SEO

What’s happening: TikTok, Reddit and even Instagram are now search-first platforms for Gen Z. Traditional search is losing relevance for lifestyle and product queries.

What to do about it: Optimize your posts like you would a blog – strong hooks, keyword-rich captions, relevant hashtags. Create Reels or TikToks answering real user questions.

5. Short-form video is the default

What’s happening: Reels, Shorts and TikToks dominate discovery and engagement. Attention spans are short, scrolls are infinite.

What to do about it: Go vertical. Use captions on screen. Hook in the first three seconds. And always design your videos for sound-off and sound-on.

6. Reactive listening = real-time wins

What’s happening: The trend cycle is faster than ever. Brands such as Chipotle, Ulta, and Dove win when they act fast, not when they overthink.

What to do about it: Set up daily trend tracking. Use tools such as TrendTok or TikTok Creative Center. Empower your social team to act in hours, not weeks.

7. IRL x URL = maximum reach

What’s happening: Social isn’t just reflecting events, it’s driving them. IRL activations are being designed for TikTok-first moments.

What to do about it: Treat every event like a content shoot. Create Instagrammable sets, brand filters, creator invites and social-first storyboards before doors even open.

8. Digital detox is real

What’s happening: The rise of ‘dumbphone’ minimalism and burnout culture is shifting how audiences want to engage. Slow, intentional content is gaining traction.

What to do about it: Test longer-form posts, emotional storytelling or series-based content. Meet your audience where they are, even if they’re slowing down.

9. Community is the new currency

What’s happening: Brands such as Glossier and Discord-based communities are winning by treating followers like co-creators, not passive audiences.

What to do about it: Invest in community managers. Launch private spaces (Discord, Geneva, IG Close Friends). Build loyalty by involving fans in product ideas or creative direction.

10. Social = commerce (yes, still)

What’s happening: Live shopping may be stalling in the west, but shoppable content and in-app checkout are still booming across TikTok and Instagram.

What to do about it: Simplify the path from discovery to checkout. Use TikTok Shop or Instagram tagging. Partner with creators who know how to demo, not just promote.

One thing’s for sure, social doesn’t stand still – and neither should your strategy. Trends are tools, not just noise. When you understand where the culture is going, you can design content (and campaigns) that don’t just ride the wave, they help make it.

Feature image credit: dole777 on Unsplash

Sourced from The Drum

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How To Prevent A PR Crisis: 20 Comms Leaders Share Their No. 1 Rule

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Sourced from Forbes

In the always-on world of social media, a single corporate misstep can quickly escalate into a full-blown public relations crisis. Preventing long-term brand damage, however, starts before issues ever arise. Companies that take a thoughtful, proactive approach to reputation management by building positive PR are going to be better equipped to maintain and restore trust and credibility among stakeholders when challenges do surface.

Here, 20 members of Forbes Communications Council each share their No. 1 rule for clearing potential pitfalls to avoid a PR crisis. Follow their advice below to lay the foundations of a solid crisis response, including clear communication, smart planning and strong internal practices.

1. Contextualize And Mitigate Issues

Let’s establish first that every crisis starts as an issue—and those are two distinct points in crisis management. My top rule is to make sure we have the media intelligence and monitoring data to flag and contextualize the issue, which then allows us to address and resolve it before we get to full crisis mode. We need to do everything to mitigate the issue before it swells. – Gerry Tschopp, Experian

2. Adapt And Act With Integrity

The ability to foresee every PR crisis is a fallacy. Your ability to adapt and act with integrity, not clairvoyance, is the ultimate safeguard of your brand’s future. The sensible and strategic way to assess and prepare is to foster a crisis-ready culture. Focus on foundational frameworks and proactive reputation building by risk type. This operational muscle, fuelled by transparency, empowers true readiness. – Destiny Chambers

3. Keep Lines Of Communication Open

We make sure that leadership and our community understand that talking to the PR team is not the same as talking to the public. In fact, talking to us all of the time is a great way to allow us to help shape the discussion, pitch and secure coverage. Policy should always drive PR, but pitfalls are important to point out throughout policy creation, so open lines of communication are key to success. – Sayar Lonial, NYU Tandon School of Engineering

4. Proactively Identify ‘Red Flag’ Issues

The key is to proactively identify potential issues from the perspective of all key stakeholders—internal and external. Anticipate how decisions or communications might be interpreted differently and flag “red flags” early on. When PR is embedded into core business functions, it becomes a strategic tool, not just a reactive one. It strengthens trust, protects brand reputation and ensures brand consistency – Mabel Adeteye, Wema Bank

5. Pressure-Test Messaging Before It Goes Public

Always pressure test messaging before it goes public. Do not assume your audience will interpret your message the way you intended. Pressure-testing internally across teams—such as legal, comms, DEI, product and even frontline employees—and externally with friendly customers helps identify potential misinterpretations and avoid language that could be perceived as misleading or problematic. – Ritu Kapoor, Observe.ai

6. Create An Absolutely Transparent Culture

They say that “loose lips sink ships.” If there is something that keeps CEOs up at night, it’s a reputational crisis. My No. 1 rule for preventing such a crisis is to be absolutely transparent in everything that you do. I always tell my team to “raise the red flag” at the first instance, because if you aren’t aware of it, then you won’t be able to manage it. PR crises could have serious consequences. – Fahad Qadir, Haleon

7. Prepare Internally First

B2B crisis comms starts with employees, not the media. Prepare with cross-functional training, clear updates and strong stakeholder ties. Don’t exploit rivals, but reinforce your strengths. Always be ready so no one is caught off guard. – Mike Neumeier, Arketi Group

8. Understand Your Organization

Preventing a crisis isn’t possible. However, by truly understanding your organization—your purpose, your values, your brand pillars and your people—you’ll have the foundation you need to walk through crises safely and calmly. From there, you can create a robust plan that allows you to mitigate an issue before it reaches crisis status, minimizing business disruption and maintaining brand trust. – John Jorgenson, Cambium Learning Group

9. Plan Before You Need To

My No. 1 rule for preventing a PR crisis is to plan before you need to. Companies that wait to react often lose control of the narrative. A strong crisis plan—clear roles, prepared messaging and defined channels—gives you speed and clarity when it matters most, protecting both your credibility and your brand. – Nicole Tidei, Pinkston

10. Proactively Track And Correct Unwanted Stories

Proactively track and correct unwanted stories. Be vigilant of what’s being written about your brand and prevent any potential PR crisis with strong online reputation management programs. Leveraging the proliferation of online media channels and highlighting positive stories to counter a negative one are the keys to course-correcting – Namita Tiwari, Namita Tiwari

11. Own It Early

Own it early. That’s the No. 1 rule. When things go wrong—and they will—swift and transparent accountability can prevent a full-blown PR crisis. Communicate directly, fix the issue and explain how you’ll prevent it next time. Crises test character. Brands that lead with honesty and action build lasting trust. – Sara Payne, Inprela Communications

12. Listen Early And Often

Listen early and listen often. The best way to prevent a PR crisis is to spot the signals before they spike, whether that’s by monitoring customer feedback, employee sentiment or digital chatter. Silence is rarely a good sign. – Yael Klass, Similarweb Ltd.

13. Build Trusted, Cross-Functional Relationships

My No. 1 rule is to build trusted, cross-functional relationships early on. It ensures the communications team is part of decision-making, not damage control—reducing risk, aligning messaging and enabling swift, credible responses that protect reputation and build long-term brand trust. – JoAnn Yamani, Future 500

14. Lead With Transparency To Build Credibility

Truth builds trust. Most PR crises don’t erupt because something bad happened; they erupt because a company was perceived as hiding something, spinning facts or reacting too late. When organizations lead with transparency, they earn credibility with stakeholders. This makes it easier to manage difficult news when it does arise because audiences believe the company is being honest and accountable. – Kurt Allen, Notre Dame de Namur University

15. Prioritize Internal Alignment Before External Action

Most PR crises start when teams move fast, without shared clarity on messaging, values or risk. When everyone’s on the same page, you spot issues early on and build trust that lasts beyond the moment. – Cody Gillund, Grounded Growth Studio

16. Listen Before You Speak

The No. 1 rule is to listen before you speak. Proactively monitor internal sentiment and external conversations. Most PR crises stem from ignoring early warning signs. When you’re tuned in, you can address issues with authenticity and agility, protecting trust before it erodes. – Kal Gajraj, Ph.D., CAN Community Health

17. Treat PR As A Strategic Function

My No. 1 rule is to treat PR as a strategic function, not just an execution arm. PR leaders must have a seat at the table with the C-suite to flag reputational risks before decisions are made. Without that safeguard, early warning signs can be missed, leading to avoidable crises that damage brand trust and business viability. – John Schneider, Betterworks

18. Be Human Before Being Polished

My No. 1 rule is to be human before being polished. If something feels off internally, it’ll land worse externally. I always gut-check messaging for tone, empathy and unintended implications before it goes out. It keeps the brand grounded and keeps small missteps from becoming big headlines. – Aditi Sinha, Point of View Label

19. Maintain Continuous, Proactive Stakeholder Engagement

My rule for preventing a PR crisis is proactive stakeholder engagement. Continuously communicating with employees, customers, investors and the media helps address concerns before they escalate. This ongoing dialogue builds trust and ensures stakeholders are informed and supportive, protecting the company’s reputation during tough times. – Lauren Parr, RepuGen

20. Build Systems For Recognition, Response, Resilience And Reporting

Crisis cannot be prevented given the speed that chaos moves today. The real work is building systems for recognition, response, resilience and reporting, not just messaging. Crisis puts brand equity, trust and revenue at risk. Acting on truth, even in the face of legal risk, is the only way to avoid the long-term financial and reputation cost of silence, delay and inaction. – Toby Wong, Toby Wong Consulting

Feature Image Credit: Getty

Sourced from Forbes

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This social media shift could be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for

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By Lester Mapp

A major shift is happening in social media – here’s everything you need to know for your next big move.

I’m officially convinced we are living in the weirdest timeline.

Let me explain.

A few weeks ago, TikTok was banned and subsequently unbanned, but that isn’t the weird part.

The weird part is the reaction to the ban.

Apple and Samsung devices with TikTok still installed sold for as much as $58,000 on eBay.

That’s not a typo, and I’m not trolling you.

But! It gets weirder!!!!

Other Chinese social apps started trending, some not even in English, so translation apps also started trending.

It’s all weird, but you know what blew my mind…

“Delete Instagram” and “Delete Facebook” started trending.

This is when I get my tin foil hat out, and we can discuss all the possible scenarios as to why this could be happening, what Meta may or may not have done, etc.

But this article isn’t about that.

We must discuss why Snapchat could be the biggest winner from these events and not Meta, and specifically, how you and I could benefit from the chaos.

In this article, I’ll share with you

  • Why I believe Snapchat is well-positioned
  • What Snapchat is doing that could be a game-changer
  • What opportunities you should be looking for as an advertiser and an investor. (This is not financial advice.)

So grab your tin foil hat — I mean, your notepad — as we discuss what Snapchat has going on and how this may be the best thing to happen to you.

Quick intro

If you’re new to my work, my name is Lester. My friends call me Les.

I’m a founder with a successful exit and currently the executive chairman of a group of DTC brands. But at my core, I’m an award-winning performance marketer.

I’ve crafted and managed tens of millions in digital marketing campaigns on Meta, TikTok, and Google.

Needless to say, I have unique insight into what’s happening.

If you’re into data-driven marketing insights and strategies, check out my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts. 

All that said, let’s get into why I’m so bullish on Snapchat should TikTok disappear.

What is Snapchat, and why is it well-positioned to take over?

Snapchat is a social media platform that was launched in 2011 by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown to send photos, messages, and videos that disappear. The cool kids call these “snaps.”

Since its launch, it has evolved into a more mature social platform with features like Stories, filters, AI chatbots, and even Spotlight, its version of short-form video.

When comparing user adoption to platforms like TikTok and Instagram, Snapchat has definitely struggled. But like my mother would say, comparison is the thief of joy. With that as the benchmark, what they have built is impressive, especially considering how many other platforms have failed to survive in the same period.

That said, let’s dig into the opportunity I see.

When I analysed Snapchat’s performance last year, it was clear they did some things well, while some areas need improvement.

The latest data on Snapchat’s demographics show that nearly 2 in 5 users (37.4%) are between 18 and 24. This is the platform’s largest segment. The second-largest group, ages 25 to 34, makes up 24.7%.

Together, these two groups account for a massive 62.1% of all Snapchat users.

Now, here’s the thing: Young people move culture, and culture moves markets.

This group can make or break a business. They are often overlooked because they don’t have the same spending power as the 40+ crowd. But guess what? This age group is going to get older.

They are the future CEOs, business professionals, and decision-makers.

Speak to any executive, and they will tell you they are desperately trying to appeal to this audience because their core customers are aging out. The brands that win are the ones that stay ahead of cultural shifts and capture young audiences early.

Why does this matter right now? Gen Z is notoriously hard to market to. It is like high school with the “you can’t sit with us” attitude.

Trying too hard to relate is “cheugy.” That’s Gen Z slang for doing too much.

Unlike Instagram, which has become an ad-heavy, influencer-driven space, or YouTube Shorts, which is still playing catch-up, Snapchat feels personal. The app is built around private messaging, real interactions, and content that disappears instead of lingering forever. Younger users still engage with it daily, even if they do not always post publicly.

With TikTok out of the picture, Snapchat has a clear opening to capture displaced users and keep them engaged in a way other platforms struggle to do.

If Snapchat plays this right, this moment could be bigger than anyone expects.

It’s a long shot, but I’m currently bullish on Snapchat.

The road ahead

Replacing TikTok will not be easy, but let’s not forget that the first version of TikTok, Musical.ly, bombed.

So, while Snapchat does not have everything figured out, that does not mean all hope is lost.

The silver lining here is that this is not a winner-take-all situation. It is more like winner-take-most.

Before we jump into what could go wrong and what needs to be improved, let’s talk about the moves Snapchat is making that are right.

Snapchat has taken a few major steps in the right direction, notably the platform redesign.

But another move really stands out to me.

Let me explain.

TikTok’s algorithm gets a lot of credit for its success, and rightfully so, as it’s highly effective. But is it really the algorithm that makes TikTok so powerful, or is it the content driving engagement?

What truly sets TikTok apart isn’t just the algorithm but how the platform invested in creators like no other, fuelling the content that keeps users engaged.

It provided tools that empowered anyone to grow, regardless of their following. With built-in insights, easy-to-use editing features, and content creation support, TikTok made it simpler for creators to succeed, fuelling the platform’s rapid growth.

If I had to sum it up, TikTok made creators feel like active participants, not just pawns in the system. More importantly, it didn’t nickel-and-dime audience reach, and success wasn’t dependent on paying to play.

Which brings me to one of the key reasons I am bullish on Snapchat.

Snapchat’s most significant and impressive move is revamping its creator monetization program.

This is a significant step toward Snapchat putting creators first.

On February 1, Snapchat officially introduced a new, unified monetization program for creators.

For creators to qualify:

  • They need 50,000 followers.
  • They must post at least 25 times monthly to Saved Stories or Spotlight.
  • They must post to either Spotlight or Public Stories on at least 10 of the last 28 days.

While this is a step in the right direction, TikTok’s biggest strength was that anyone could be a creator and have a fair shot at going viral or earning revenue.

In my opinion, Snapchat’s 50,000-follower requirement is not in its best interest. It would be better for them to remove barriers and let creators create and be rewarded regardless of their size.

Now, let’s talk about the challenges.

The obvious one is that Meta does not play well with others. Without question, they will make things difficult for anyone in this space.

Beyond that, Snapchat still has a stigma.

It has been known as a platform for private, explicit content for years. They need to shake that stigma fast because it will hurt advertisers’ trust and limit mainstream adoption.

Snapchat has made big moves, but if it wants to capitalize on TikTok’s potential downfall, it needs to lower the barriers for creators, fight off Meta’s inevitable interference, and clean up their brand image.

If they do that, this could be their moment.

The big opportunity

I know what you are thinking. “Cool story, but what is in it for me?”

Great question. Regardless of what happens with TikTok, I see two significant opportunities on Snapchat right now.

Opportunity 1

The most obvious one is creating content for Snapchat. Ban or no ban, Snapchat is a unique opportunity to connect authentically with Gen Z. Whether you are making funny content or telling the audience about a product or service, there is a real opportunity to grow.

With the rise of AI, launching and running a business has never been easier. AI agents, automation, and incredible tools are making everything more accessible. But because of that, finding a way to connect with an audience is now mission-critical. Snapchat offers a chance to build genuine connections with a younger demographic that will shape future markets.

Opportunity 2

If you are a marketer or someone looking to promote a product or service to a younger audience, Snapchat should be on your radar.

According to Snapchat’s website, Snapchat ads reach Gen Z and Millennials like few other platforms can. They claim to reach 90% of the 13-to-24-year-old population and 75% of the 13-to-34-year-old population across 25+ countries. That is a massive audience with a spending power of $5 trillion, making Snapchat an opportunity for businesses of any size.

I have used Snapchat Ads in the past with moderate success. Your product and the problem you are solving matter when running ads on Snapchat. In my experience, B2C brands performed better than B2B.

For example, jewellery brand Oak & Luna saw 47% higher ROI using Snapchat Ads. “Snap’s platform provided us with an invaluable opportunity to connect with fresh audiences, surpassing our initial investment expectations,” according to Eytan Korn, CEO of Tenengroup.

All that said, I am not telling you to drop Meta or TikTok for Snapchat. This is not a zero-sum game, especially for creators and business professionals.

My two cents

I will leave you with this.

When I first heard TikTok would be banned, I thought, “Wow, Meta wins again.”

But after it was briefly banned and #DeleteInstagram started trending, my outlook changed.

Call me crazy, but the more I look at this situation, the more I am convinced.

Meta is not loved. It is tolerated.

And if that theory holds any weight, the door is still open for other social platforms like Snapchat to step in and fill the void.

Remember when Facebook was all the rage, and Instagram was the platform for teens that adults did not take seriously? We could be witnessing the same shift with Snapchat. One day, Instagram might just not be cool anymore.

Snapchat fully leaning into Gen Z could be the key differentiator in how this plays out.

That said, no matter what happens with TikTok, I am bullish on Snapchat.

I would like to see Snapchat make content creation even easier for creators. One of the smartest things TikTok did was leverage CapCut, an intuitive video editing app that removes friction from the process. If you have ever used it, you know how seamless it makes content creation.

Snapchat is well positioned, but whether they can actually pull this off remains to be seen. 👀

By the way, if you want more data-driven business insights like this, sign up for my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts. I share what is working, the latest trends, and the occasional pep talk to keep you inspired. If this sounds like your jam, click here to sign up. It is totally free.

Hope this helps. I am rooting for you.

Feature Image Credit: Tim Robberts/Getty Images

By Lester Mapp

Sourced from ZD Net

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11 of the Best Social Media Campaign Examples (+ Key Takeaways for Your Strategy)

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By Rochi Zalani

Real-life social media campaign examples from trailblazing brands to inspire your next big project.

When you think of stand-out social media campaigns, what’s the first one that comes to mind? I’m willing to bet the likes of Spotify Wrapped or Dove Beauty are right up there.

Lauded as these examples are (rightly so!), they’re far from the only ground-breaking examples from recent years.

In fact, it was tough to trim down this list of innovative, memorable social media campaigns down to a readable number — so I’m confident there are several on this list that will stand out on your hunt for inspiration. We’ve got heartfelt stories, celebrity salads, and of course, reincarnating owls.

Anytime you feel you’re in a creative rut, come back to this list, snoop, and scoop what you can for your own social media campaigns. Maybe we’ll soon be adding yours to this list! 👀

1. Duolingo’s death of the owl

Duolingo, the language learning app, announced the death of their beloved owl mascot in February 2025. While the campaign evoked mixed feelings, it also sparked tidal waves of engagement — with the death announcement getting over two million likes and 40,000 comments.

The company continued paying tribute to the mascot for two weeks — fully committing to the act — right before Duo made a ‘legends never die’ comeback.

If you were in orbit, it was hard to miss the news. Everyone from me to Dua Lipa was talking about it. Garnering over a billion organic views across social media platforms, this was one of Duolingo’s most successful social media campaigns — which, considering how prolific the brand is on social, is really saying something.

Why this campaign was successful:

  • A famous (albeit fictional) face. In Duolingo’s case, Duo was the face of the brand and a household name, famous for its unhinged antics on social media.
  • It piqued people’s curiosity — since the Duolingo team kept up the charade, people wanted to know how the mascot died. Some people didn’t think the marketing department would kill their biggest asset; others said their brand was just bonkers enough to do it. Either way, everyone was interested in how it would play out.

Key takeaways:

  • If your social media marketing efforts don’t have a face yet, it might be time to consider giving it one — with loads of personality. After all, plenty of brands have mascots, but few seem to have quite as much, er… character as Duo does. A mascot with personality could open doors to loads of fun, wacky, heart warming stories (read: campaigns galore). That said, it’s a tough act to balance. Ensure you maintain a consistent brand voice across social media channels, though. You’ll want a fully fleshed-out, long-term strategy for this.
  • Don’t be afraid to experiment. Duolingo’s successful social media campaigns are usually chaotic in nature (in line with their overall social media marketing strategy). Their social media team is constantly pushing boundaries, making them trailblazers in their field.
  • Double down on your social media campaigns by expanding them into all the social media channels you’re on. You increase the chances of a campaign’s success by involving multiple platforms.

⚠️ Note: Don’t copy-paste this campaign if your social media strategy already has a mascot (like many brands have already done).

While it might get you engagement because the topic is trending and popular, it’s generally been fairly poorly received. People want originality and authenticity true to your brand, not a copy-paste version of what’s popular.

2. Loop Earplugs social media partnerships (especially during music festivals)

Loop Earplugs is a pro at social media collaborations. They regularly partner with various creators (and adjacent businesses) to snag a spot in their social media feed. Recently, they partnered with Coachella to launch special earplugs just for the occasion.

Some of their creator affiliates shared their unique discount code to promote the product and they also used the influencer content as ads.

Watch on TikTok

Why these social media campaigns are successful:

  • Loop introduced vetted, trusted creators into their social media marketing efforts which enhanced the authenticity of their social media posts.
  • Most of Loop’s partnerships relate to a certain segment of their target audience — people who live in loud cities, people who struggle with sleeping, and people who want to protect their ears during concerts. The relatability and diverse use cases help their target audience spot themselves in the content and see when, how, and where the product can help them.

Key takeaways:

  • If you have the budget and resources, partner with influencers in your industry to improve the visibility of your social media campaigns. It’s best to do this across multiple social media platforms, like Loop.
  • Find seasonal events in your content calendar where your product or services are a natural fit. This will allow you to design social media campaigns that are timely and relatable.
  • Find various use cases for your product or service and ‘show’ them in your social media posts so your target audience can see themselves in your content.

3. Pringle’s Halloween product launch

Pringles launched a new product, called Pringles Mingles, in October of 2024. They created buzz by dropping hints before the launch and themed it around Halloween.

Pringles continued to post about the initial flavors post Halloween — also adding influencer reviews and giveaways to the social media campaign.

Why this campaign was successful:

  • Pringles didn’t randomly drop a new product with no warning. They created excitement amongst their followers by dropping hints ahead of the launch.
  • Influencer partnerships and giveaways helped create more visibility around the launch.

Key takeaways:

  • A winning social media campaign about a product launch needs preparation. Embed social media posts that build excitement and drop hints ahead of your launch date.
  • Raise awareness about your new product or services by partnering with influencers, reposting user-generated content, and hosting contests or giveaways.

4. Aavia’s hormone condition feature series

Aavia, a period tracking app, has embedded a genius content series into its social media strategy. They interview people about their journeys with hormone conditions, share it on their Substack newsletter, and repurpose it for social media marketing.

Why this campaign was successful:

  • The people featured in these series are often Aavia customers — building social proof amongst social media users.
  • The repurposed posts fill the social media marketing content calendar, promote the Substack, and help Aavia’s target audience — all with one post.

Key takeaways:

  • Add more customer stories to your social media marketing campaigns. This will not only lend more authenticity to your efforts but also make your content more relatable.
  • If you have other marketing efforts in motion, like a newsletter or blog posts, repurpose them to add more quality content to your social media marketing and promote your other marketing channels.

5. Tl;dv’s skits

tl;dv is an AI meeting assistant. The company regularly shares relatable, funny skits on its social media platforms that feature characters from a tech company.

The videos show common, day-to-day interactions between a sales rep and a developer — like sales promising a feature that the product roadmap doesn’t include and then requesting the dev team to prioritize it. There are other characters like customer success, founder, and product manager, too. All of these are potential customers of tl;dv, but the product is almost never directly mentioned.

While this example isn’t a ‘campaign’ isn’t in the strictest sense, it’s an ongoing social media series that has been wildly successful. The scores of videos they’ve shared have thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of views across Instagram and TikTok.

Why these social media marketing campaigns are successful:

  • There’s no hard selling, just entertaining content.
  • It’s the kind of content people would find funny and share with their friends.
  • Some social media posts say the quiet part of working at a tech company out loud — which makes tl;dv’s content more authentic, relatable, and engaging.

Key takeaways:

  • When appropriate and tasteful, poke fun at your audience’s pain points that will make them feel seen.
  • Infuse more relatable and entertaining content around your target audience’s daily life into your social media marketing campaigns.
  • Instead of always having the sales cap on, focus on creating memorable social media posts that foster a brand identity.

6. KFC’s new fries launch in the UK

KFC always got the same complaint: your fries aren’t finger-licking good. So, they heard their customers and launched new fries in the UK with the hashtag #NewKFCfries. For a while there, X’s feed rained fries (in the UK and Ireland).

Why was this campaign successful:

  • The campaign was super interactive — every time people clicked on the tag, fries rained down the screen! It was a fun element (possible because KFC partnered with X) that made the campaign memorable.
  • KFC was responding to the complaints of their devoted brand advocates. This made customers feel heard and cared for.
  • They laughed at themselves. There’s something quite relatable about a brand being able to poke fun at themselves in the way KFC subtly did here. They used phrases like “Finally” and “Me either” when fans expressed they couldn’t wait for the new version.

Key takeaways:

  • Practice social listening and monitor patterns in customer feedback. If you’re addressing something many buyers have asked for, show them you hear them in your social media campaigns.
  • Have a branded hashtag around your social media campaigns to make user-generated content easier to track — particularly on platforms like X and Threads, where hashtags like this are easily clickable. It also makes your marketing campaigns more sticky and memorable among social media users.
  • When doing a campaign for a product launch, don’t be afraid to put it front and center (KFC not only made it rain fries on X, but also changed their social media bio). Don’t let your successful marketing campaigns drown in the feed (especially if they’re time-sensitive).

7. Blendtec’s ‘Will it Blend’ social media campaign

Blendtec is a kitchenware company that sells mixers, grinders, and blenders. In 2021, they ran a ‘Will it blend?’ content series on YouTube where they’d blend various items in their mixer and see if their products could do the job. The campaign was so engaging that people are still talking about it.

Why this campaign was successful:

  • It encouraged engagement. People could interact with the content and ask for what they want to see blended next — and Blendtec would actually do it.
  • The freshness of the idea also made ‘Will it Blend’ a successful campaign. Not only did it prove the product’s durability, but it also engaged people in a fun and silly way.

Key takeaways:

  • Effective social media campaigns are rooted in simplicity. Find fresh social media content ideas that’d spark conversation among your target audience and improve your social media engagement.
  • Create content series (that hopefully don’t have to involve blending your iPhone) that can spark curiosity among your followers and make them look forward to the next episode.

8. Black Girl Vitamin’s Black History Month limited edition bundle

Black Girl Vitamins did a social media campaign around Black History Month where they sold an exclusive offer to make your own bundle and also get a limited edition box.

For the whole month, they also shared social media posts focusing on increasing awareness about Black History.

They also ran various in-person fitness classes and a few live webinars across the U.S. to empower their community and foster more real-life connections.

Why was this campaign successful:

  • The focus allowed people to build a personal connection to the brand, especially if they align with Black Girl Vitamin’s values.
  • The business also refocused its packaging to fully commit to the social media campaign.
  • Giveaways and influencer partnerships also helped in increasing brand awareness.

Key takeaways:

  • The best social media campaigns align with your brand values. Use social media marketing as a channel to show what you stand for (and/or stand against), but be wary of being performative. Customers and followers will see right through it if you disingenuously jump onto a cause to get likes and views. Here’s some great advice on when and how to align your brand with causes from small business owner, Nyshell Lawrence.
  • Let your audience know when a limited-period discount or offer ends by concluding your social media campaigns.

9. Sweetgreen’s Renee Rap bowl

Restaurant chain Sweetgreen launched a new salad bowl with singer and songwriter Reneé Rapp.

Why Reneé? Because she’s a regular customer and had a custom go-to order that Sweetgreen wanted to offer all its customers. The songwriter had been a Sweetgreen fan for the last five years, so this partnership was authentic and a result of Reneé’s long-standing love for Sweetgreen.

Why this campaign was successful:

  • Reneé’s celebrity status definitely lends itself to the success of this social media campaign. She’s an influential voice and her stamp of approval carries a lot of weight to not only raise awareness, but generate leads.
  • Creating a new bowl with Reneé’s name also puts a whimsical touch on the company’s products — anyone who’s a fan of the singer would want to try the salad.
  • The chance to see a live show in the unique setting of a restaurant and get a meet-and-greet with the singer also makes this social media campaign a success.

Key takeaways:

  • You don’t always need a celebrity for this campaign’s success — find influential voices in your industry and partner with them to create content and maybe even co-create products.
  • Share exclusive offers (like a meet and greet) with your influencer partners to increase the success of your social media campaigns.

10. Beehiiv’s convert to Beehiiv kit

Beehiiv is a newsletter platform that focuses on being the best in the business for creators. Recently, one of their core competitors rebranded (ConvertKit became Kit), launched a campaign to share the news.

Beehiiv capitalized on the moment by offering exclusive discounts and incentives specifically for Kit’s customers.

The campaign evoked a lot of debate on social media about whether or not dunking on your competitors is the right way to go. Either way, it generated serious buzz for Beehiiv on social media. Some people found it distasteful, but others loved Beehiiv’s edge and wanted to be a part of the movement.

Why this campaign was successful:

  • The timing of this campaign was just right — Beehiiv launched their exclusive offer the same day their competitor rebranded. It was already in everyone’s feeds because Kit had been hyping up the final date of their rebrand for a while.
  • This campaign was a bold and risky move — but it helped Beehiiv find customers who truly love their brand for their attitude.

Key takeaways:

  • If you plan to run a head-to-head social media campaign with your competitor, prepare for the potential backlash you might receive.
  • Make your potential customers an offer they can’t refuse. Beehiiv’s exclusive offer didn’t just gain traction because of the mocking, but also because the perks were unbelievably good for creators — free migration, free access to Beehiiv for six months, guaranteed premium sponsors, and early beta access to new features.
  • Highlight your unique edge over competitors in your social media campaigns. You don’t need to take a go-big-or-go-home approach and name names but don’t be afraid to spotlight your product’s unique selling proposition.

11. FZK Media’s $10,000/month challenge

FZK Media is a personal branding agency helping founders reach their business goals via effective social media marketing.

Their founder started a social media challenge to reach an income milestone from her creator’s Instagram account, which she eventually shifted to her agency’s account.

Why this campaign was successful:

  • The content series is about building in public — which keeps people hooked and builds trust. Everyone wants to know if you fulfill the challenge you’ve taken on. People also appreciate you sharing your setbacks, failures, and struggles — fostering a strong connection.
  • The founder shares an honest look behind her workflow, struggles, and wins. It’s not a glossy portrayal of success but an accurate picture of the process for people who share the same goal.

Key takeaways:

  •  People love a peek behind the curtain. Launch effective campaigns that just share the behind-the-scenes of building your business. After the brand fulfilled this challenge, its founder continued the series by increasing the stakes (a $50,000/month challenge).
  • Create authentic and vulnerable social media marketing content to truly resonate with your audience and help them learn from your mistakes.The campaign showed both the ‘why’ and the people behind the brand.
  • Apart from the content itself, Fiza’s video editing skills were also A+ — the camera cuts were perfect, there was no fluff in any video, and her voice was crisp and clear. All these factors combined made every video a great watch.

Use a scheduling tool to manage your social media campaigns

Creating and engaging with your social media campaign is what should be spending your energy on — the last thing you want is to get bogged down manually posting your content every day. .

The easiest way to automate this is to introduce Buffer into your social media management workflow: you can save ideas, schedule posts, measure campaign performance, and even engage with your customers from a single tab.

a view of scheduled posts in Buffer, perfect for mapping out a social media campaign

The best part? When you populate all your content in advance in Buffer’s content calendar, you can also spot gaps in your social media marketing strategy. For example, maybe you notice a week’s looking quite light in terms of the number of posts, so you fill it with your best-performing content types.

Have an interesting social media campaign example (perhaps yours 😉) that you think we missed? We’re always on the hunt for more fresh campaigns to feature here — share yours with us in the comments below!

Feature Image Credit: Credit: George Milton, Pexels

By Rochi Zalani

Sourced from Buffer

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In News

Has fashion Substack hit its saturation point?

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By Madeleine Schulz

As more and more fashion and beauty newsletters crowd our inboxes, writers are expressing frustration with the platform. What’s the way forward?

In 2025, everybody in fashion has a Substack. At least, that’s what it looks like, judging by my increasingly crowded inbox. Has it reached a saturation point?

In March, Substack hit five million paid subscriptions, up from four million four months prior and three million a year ago. Fashion and beauty is a key pillar, ranking among the top 100 topics (out of over 350,000 unique tags analysed), according to influencer marketing agency Subalytics. Over the past year, the number of publications and subscriptions in the fashion and beauty category has more than doubled, with publishers collectively earning more than $10 million annually in paid subscriptions, says Christina Loff, head of lifestyle, writer and creator partnerships at Substack.

“This upward trend suggests increasing competition in the space,” says Timofey Pletz, CEO and founder of Subalytics, which specialises in alternative platforms (namely Substack, Bluesky and Medium). Angela Galvez, writer of Letters We Send Friends, joined Substack 10 months ago. “There’s been such a change from last summer to today,” she says. “It’s definitely way more crowded.” For those on the receiving end, a sense of newsletter fatigue is brewing. One user says they have burnout; another notes that it feels like a new ‘trend’. A third is simply “overwhelmed”. One reader asks the burning question: “How do I keep up?”

Substack promised an alternative to traditional media, drawing in notable writers and editors to self-publish while owning their audiences. Newsletters like Leandra Medine Cohen’s The Cereal Aisle to Jessica Graves’s The Love List to Emilia Petrarca’s Shop Rat have become fashion must-reads. They make money from a combination of subscribers, affiliate links and brand advertisements; Graves says she’s making more on Substack than she ever did as an editor.

With money to be made and media jobs drying up — plus the inexorable rise of the influencer-turned-amateur expert — Substack has grown increasingly crowded, making it increasingly difficult to discover the best voices. Now, brands are jumping on board, creating Substacks of their own and further crowding the landscape. “There’s still concern about our ability to, and being required to, weed out the bad from the useful, the entertaining, the insightful,” says Annie Corser, senior pop culture and media analyst at consumer trends agency Stylus.

At the same time, Substack is on a major growth push — and more closely mirroring the social platforms it once stood apart from. In January, it launched live video capabilities allowing users to share these as short-form clips in-app while capitalising on TikTok’s uncertain fate in the US. (Alongside a $25,000 TikTok Liberation Prize, promising to “rescue the smart people from TikTok”.) Substack is also recruiting creators from other platforms — like the ‘Throwing Fits’ duo from Patreon — and, with them, their large audiences.

For some, the cons are beginning to outweigh the pros. Graves, who joined Substack four years ago and says she’s now reliant on it, is considering leaving. Writers regularly ask where Substack users are heading next. On a user level, how many newsletters can any one person subscribe to, pay for and read?

As more and more writers (and non-writers) join Substack, coupled with existing users’ increasing dissatisfaction with changes to the platform, will this be the year fashion Substack hits a wall — before it even gets off the ground at scale?

Image may contain Patrik Klüft Clothing Coat Person Teen Accessories Glasses Adult Advertisement and Poster

Laura Reily of Substack Magasin at Paris Fashion Week.

 Photo: Phil Oh

Growth at what cost?

Loff believes that there’s still room for growth in the fashion Substack space, propelled by the rise in creators. “It’s not a zero-sum game; there isn’t a cap on the number of people interested in fashion and beauty content here. In fact, as the space grows, it becomes more dynamic and engaging.”

But is there really no cap? Erika Veurink of Long Live says that herself and fellow creators have clocked a recent growth plateau. “The people I know who write Substacks who have paid readership are sort of like, OK, I think I’ve plateaued. I think anyone I would convert to a paid reader is converted,” she says. With the competition of so many letters, writers have to work harder to maintain the paid reader relationship now, she adds.

And with a laser focus on growth, Substack risks overlooking what its existing talent wants — and needs — to continue building out their own platforms. User growth at all cost isn’t sustainable for Substack’s wider ecosystem. One editor who publishes work on Substack likened it to Buzzfeed in 2012. “This is a platform for writers, and always has been,” Graves says. “That’s not to say that video shouldn’t be supported. But the people who have been beating the drum since the beginning are not getting the basic things that we need.” Both Graves and Veurink have experimented with live video, to few conversions.

“Our goal is to give creators the tools they need to build sustainable, subscription-based businesses — whether that’s through writing, podcasting, video, or any combination of these tools that helps them tell their stories in the most powerful way,” Loff says. “We’re not asking anyone to change what they do best. Video is simply an additional option for creators who want to connect with their audiences in another way. And while it’s not for everyone, having strong video voices on the platform can expand discovery and bring new audiences that benefit the entire ecosystem.”

The tools fashion Substackers do want range from the ability to embed code (Tumblr has this) to build out sub-pages (WordPress offers this). The personalisation of branding on a Substack site is limited to swapping out a logo and playing around with, albeit limited, existing layouts. There’s even less flexibility in-inbox. “I’ve been begging for years to allow us some design freedom, which they say is coming, but I haven’t seen yet,” Graves says. Veurink, too, always thought customisation and increased ownership would get more attention. “What’s actually gotten that attention is video content and gamifying getting paid subscribers,” she says.

A Substack representative said that the company is currently exploring more customisable templates and design capabilities through a private beta, which includes “richer design, flexible branding and tools for larger teams”. The platform declined to share further information about timing or broader availability.

Owned and affiliated

As far as brands are concerned, Substack isn’t anywhere near saturation. Many of them aren’t even on it yet.

Brand interest has grown significantly since the early days. “In the beginning, when I initially joined it was more difficult, because you were just trying to get people to understand what Substack even was. It was really hard to get people to sign up and subscribe, let alone an advertiser,” Graves says. “That was a lark. That was a pipe dream.”

Now, The Love List is making advertisers big bucks — it’s generated Net-a-Porter about $135,000 to date. The RealReal didn’t officially partner with any Substack creators until the end of 2024. Once it did, it saw strong click-through (over 6 per cent) and twofold ROAS (return on assets), says The RealReal chief creative officer Kristen Naiman. Smaller newsletters like Galvez’s Letters We Send Friends are generating brand interest too; she’s had brands reach out for features.

Feature Image Credit: Phil Oh

By Madeleine Schulz

Sourced from Vogue Business

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