The Latest

  • A cup of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is held up in front of overlay text that reads: "There's Only One Pumpkin Spice Latte"
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    Permission granted by Starbucks
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    Is Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte ‘basic’? Martha Stewart answers in new ads

    Stewart and “Off Campus” actor Belmont Cameli feature in tongue-in-cheek social content that heralds the return of the beloved menu item.

    Updated Aug. 27, 2026
  • A busy, rain-slicked commercial boulevard lined with neon signs, including Conoco, First National Bank, and Carlisi, with vintage cars.
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    Ernst Haas via Getty Images
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    Sponsored by Getty Images

    America’s 250th proves heritage marketing is for every brand

    Discover how brands can tap cultural celebrations and authentic visuals to deepen trust and connection.

  • ESPN host Tyler Fulghum on a United flight
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    Chris Kelly/Marketing Dive
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    Why United helped broadcast ESPN’s fantasy football show live from the sky

    Social media serves as an entry point into ESPN for fans, especially Gen Z ones. The company had a record 1 billion social engagements in February.

  • Meta teen time limit
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    Retrieved from ChatGPT (via prompt) on August 28, 2026
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    Column

    Sociable: How will Meta’s settlement impact social media?

    The company’s landmark $18 billion payout was only one part of a larger agreement that aims to force other apps to implement similar teen restrictions.

  • A fan appears in Dr Pepper's Fansville campaign
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    Courtesy of Dr Pepper
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    How Dr Pepper’s ‘Fansville’ campaign stays relevant and drives outcomes

    Keurig Dr Pepper analyzes consumer signals by working with Publicis and retail media partners and using its first-party capabilities and martech stack.

  • A series of screenshots from Behr's web site depict different paint colors and rooms.
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    Courtesy of Behr
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    How Behr’s digital marketing helps DIYers overcome ‘paint paralysis’

    CMO Andy Lopez shares how a hue-choosing chatbot and influencer campaign are part of the paint brand's renewed digital transformation drive.

  • View of Kohl's storefront with logo
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Kohl’s unites marketing, digital under new chief customer officer role

    The position combines marketing, loyalty, personalization and other functions under one title. CMO Christie Raymond will depart the company next month.

  • Multicultural group of young friends bonding outdoors
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    AI doesn’t reward scale. That changes everything for multicultural agencies.

    For agencies that have always had to do more with less, the level playing field is finally here, according to IW Group’s Nita Song.

  • A group of college football fans stand in a stadium bearing expressions of awe as part of Coke’s latest “Fan Work Is Thirsty Work” campaign
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    Permission granted by The Coca-Cola Company
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    Coke tackles college football season with creator content, fantasy sports

    For its social-first approach, the brand will work with creators at partner colleges to produce content around events like games and tailgates.

  • Martial artist Jewelianna Ramos-Ortiz does a high kick in Iceland for the new fall campaign for Athleta.
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    Permission granted by Athleta
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    How Athleta is revamping its brand narrative with bolder purpose

    A fall campaign features cinematic ads, bigger bets on social-first marketing and a sponsorship of Olivia Rodrigo’s first Daisy Chain Fields Festival. 

  • Meta ad placement controls
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    Retrieved from Jon Loomer on August 21, 2026
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    Column

    Sociable: Meta removes option to exclude ad placements

    The company will use an automated system to target display options, and brands will no longer be able to decide which apps receive promotions.

  • Josh Allen for Pizza Hut
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    Courtesy of Pizza Hut
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    Pizza Hut ads celebrate quarterbacks as chain drops ‘pizza’ from name

    Josh Allen is the latest quarterback to appear in a spot for the brand, which continues to place value at the center of its marketing message.

  • Fanta Haunted Universe characters
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    Courtesy of The Coca-Cola Company
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    How Fanta’s new Haunted Universe helps turn Halloween into a platform

    The Coca-Cola brand’s 2025 Halloween campaign delivered 10 billion impressions with significant engagement and impact on sales.

    Updated Aug. 27, 2026
  • A red sign with white lettering that says Wendy's below a logo of a girl with red hair and blue hair ties sits in a parking lot under a tree.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Wendy’s hires ex-McDonald’s CMO as chief marketing, customer growth officer

    Tariq Hassan will succeed Lindsay Radkoski, U.S. CMO since 2023, as the chain continues to execute a turnaround plan.

  • A photo collage shows rows of models wearing different fall looks from the retailer Ann Taylor
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    Permission granted by Ann Taylor
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    Ann Taylor stages a brand comeback with Substack, fall fashion blitz

    The brand’s first major integrated campaign in nearly a decade, which includes a New York Fashion Week pop-up, was developed in-house.

    Updated Aug. 24, 2026
  • A headshot of NFL star Travis Kelce shows the Chiefs tight end smiling in a white polo against a blue sky background
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    Permission granted by Publicis
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    Publicis tackles fragmented NIL market with Travis Kelce, 3 Arts Sports

    A new joint venture called Tekta seeks to streamline marketing activations with student athletes and make them more measurable for clients.

  • A person laying on a couch while scrolling on their phone
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    Getty Images
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    Microdrama advertising surges as downloads soar: Report

    The category has the highest density of advertising creative, with active advertisers on microdrama apps rising by 132% during the first half of the year.

  • Actor Wally Baram sits at an intimate dinner date with creator Jean-Luc.
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    Permission granted by Nuuly
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    Why Nuuly is betting on a microdrama for its social-first fall campaign

    The Urban Outfitters-owned, high-growth clothing rental service wants to break through ad fatigue with a series that examines modern dating.

  • Close-up of a mobile phone recording a young woman vlog preparing salad in kitchen at home
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    Getty Images
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    Creator fit beats follower count for brands: Here’s what the numbers say

    The creator economy is expected to hit nearly half a trillion dollars next year, but the disconnect between creators and brands persists.

  • A trio of young models lock shoulders while walking down the street in an ad for American Eagle
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    Permission granted by American Eagle
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    Deep Dive

    Brands shake up back-to-school marketing to reach ‘hyper value-seekers’

    Retailers like American Eagle are diversifying further beyond capital-I influencers and adjusting their media mixes to be more targeted this season.

  • A triptych collage of images show teen creator Salish Matter enjoying Chipotle
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    Permission granted by Chipotle
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    Chipotle broadens Gen Alpha marketing with Salish Matter collab

    A partnership with the 16-year-old YouTube and TikTok star marks the first time the brand has brought a custom creator order to its Kid’s Meal.

  • Three boxes of Newman's Own pizza are lined up in a row.
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    Courtesy of Newman's Own
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    Newman’s Own bets on its purpose-driven heritage to engage millennials

    Years after Paul Newman’s death, the brand’s new CMO sees opportunity in amplifying its use of good ingredients and that profits go to charities.

  • Glowing AI chip with digital circuits and rising candlestick charts
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    peshkov via Getty Images
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    IAB revisits AI disclosure in ads as legal requirements multiply

    With a string of new legislation creating a patchwork of rules, the group is attempting to establish an industry baseline, but implementation remains murky.

  • YouTube CTV shows
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    Retrieved from Google on August 19, 2026
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    Column

    Sociable: YouTube rolls out improvements for connected TV

    The company added multiple new features, including the ability to turn creator playlists into shows so viewers can stream videos episodically.

  • A green shack with a blue door on a beach in the video game Fortnite. Jo Malone London is printed in white on the side of the shack.
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    Courtesy of Jo Malone London
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    Estée Lauder’s Jo Malone turns to ‘Fortnite’ for first gaming activation

    The in-game activation is accompanied by a campaign featuring gaming creators, livestreams and a social content series.

  • Data privacy
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Today’s marketing data is too saturated to be oil — it’s uranium

    An overabundance of data can do damage if marketers don’t figure out how to turn it into better decisions, writes Steve Kennedy, CMO at Marco's Pizza.