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Should the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show have stayed in the past? After their 6 year hiatus, the controversial Victoria's Secret Fashion Show has returned with an attempt at promising gender, age, and body inclusivity. This is of course a direct response to previous complaints about the lack of inclusivity in their past shows. But their inclusivity efforts backfired. Even though they included trans and plus-sized models in the show, the majority of the show was still ultimately more of the same. The bare minumum attempt at diversity touted a blatant tokenism of plus-size women that only emphasized just how out of touch the Victoria’s Secret beauty standard has always been. It's one thing to respond to criticism and attempt to make change — but it's ultimately difficult to completely rebrand a company made by and for the male gaze. With such a fraught history of controversy, mere performative change just isn't enough to win back consumers' trust. Can VS bounce back? Or is their era over for good? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. #victoriassecret #rebrand #brandstrategy

Uber is NOT a rideshare app? 🤯 Starting this month, Uber Safari will transport riders from Cape Town to the South African wilderness for a big 5-star safari just a few hours’ drive from the city. This experience is the latest iteration in Uber’s “Go Anywhere” series that transcends the typical rideshare experience, following Uber Bubble, Uber Balloon, and Uber Boat. Why does this series exist? Because Uber is not just a rideshare app anymore. They have to continuously innovate to stand out against similar competitors like Lyft and Revel. Uber is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in transportation. Airbnb did this too when they expanded from focusing on just short-term rentals to unique experiences and themed collaborations. Uber Safari is another great example of how to elevate your brand through product expansion and category innovation. If you don’t like talking to your Uber driver, you can talk to the lions instead. 🦁 Would you order an Uber Safari? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. #uber #marketing #travel

You know what’s not better than bubble tea? Bobba.🧋 Dragon’s Den's latest episode with Simu Liu featured an unpleasant pitch – a “new” take on bubble tea which includes canned alcoholic bubble tea. It sparked backlash from people who pointed out that traditional foods are often commercialized by people who overlook their cultural significance. Simu Liu states his concerns of cultural appropriation - “taking something that’s very distinctly Asian in its identity and, quote unquote, making it better.” Cultural appropriation is the obvious issue but the brand was unlikely to be successful anyways if they continued to discredit the cultural significance of the product. Why? Because an authentic brand story matters. 80% of Gen Z consumers prefer to purchase products for their brand values and mission – Bobba completely lacked in that aspect. Being transparent and genuine with your audience is super important, and brands can’t succeed without that. Gen Z are not only strong in purchasing power but are participants in cancel culture. 74% would boycott or cancel a brand if it crossed ethical lines and personal values. The episode spiraled out of control on TikTok, gaining attention from boba lovers worldwide who publicly canceled the brand. People don’t even need to try a brand to dislike it – if the values don’t align it’s an immediate no. What are your thoughts on the Dragon’s Den episode? 🐉 Let us know your thoughts in the comments. #marketingstrategy #brandstrategy #consumerculture

Amazon is launching its very own “Shark Tank.” 🦈 Amazon’s "Buy It Now" show lets people pitch their product ideas to a star-studded rotating panel of celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Anderson, and more. Here's the twist: they’ll also be judged by “the 100”, an audience of potential customers. If their products are picked, Amazon will sell them in a special section called the "Buy It Now" store. Why is Amazon launching this show? Because good content sells.💲 Consumers aren't convinced by ads anymore. Instead, their purchase decisions are being driven by the content they consume. There’s a growing relationship between short form content and shopping – heavily influenced by TikTok Shop – so retailers are naturally tapping into the content game too. As TikTok Shop became a hub for spending, it created a domino effect and shifted standard expectations of what it takes to sell people a product. Content plays a major role in consumer spending habits and retailers like Amazon are starting to take advantage of its importance. Would you watch Amazon’s "Buy It Now" show? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. #amazon #gamefication #marketing

What makes a good AI logo? The creator of OpenAI is facing backlash for their logo redesign – from their own employees. 🫣 Their signature spiral logo is potentially being redesigned as a plain black circle. Open AI employees felt the circle lacked creativity and looked ominous. But what’s so wrong with a circle? OpenAI leadership believes the black circle symbolizes precision, potential, and optimism, but it actually functions somewhat like a Rorschach test. The black circle compels users to project their feelings about the company based on how they interpret the symbol, despite their intentional depiction. AI tech already doesn’t have the best public image due to fictional movie depictions. The thing is: it’s hard to formulate the right image for what AI looks like. While their current spiral logo was meant to symbolize intelligence and transformation, a black circle embodies that threatening, menacing feeling that's already commonly associated with AI. What do you think of OpenAI’s logo redesign idea? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. #artificialintelligence #rebrand #design

16 years later, the NYT app just underwent a major redesign. 📲 The New York Times launched their most intensive redesign to their app since it came out in 2008. The NYT app is an incredibly important product. 90% of subscribers return to the app the week after using it and spend twice as much time reading in the app as they do on the web. 🛜 So why is the redesign so groundbreaking? It went from presenting 1 feed to 10 with a simple swipe. The topics aren’t just headliners anymore – the NYT gives more ground to coverage pieces. This allows for greater cross-selling opportunities for all categories of NYT besides the news. They consolidated their standalone apps like Cooking and Wirecutter into the NYT app, focusing on an “All Apps” subscription to draw subscribers in from other sections. Taking inspiration from social media, the app replicates user habits of mode switching quickly from one feed to another. Whether it's reading an article to watching a video or reading something funny after a serious article, the app redesign provides exposure to different modes of content where users can stay on the app much longer than before. ⏰ What do you think about the NYT app redesign? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. #newyorktimes #appdesign #marketingstrategy

Are you feeling more like Moo Deng or Pesto today? #officehumor #marketingmemes #marketinghumor

Can you film an entire music video on an iPhone? The Weeknd and Apple just proved that you can. 🤝 The Weeknd’s latest music video for his upcoming album was entirely shot on iPhone 16 Pro. Known for their ‘Shot on iPhone’ campaigns, Apple does a great job at using their product to create a good piece of content instead of just talking about the product. This is what we call a “show, don’t tell” method of advertising. 👀 Despite the fact that Samsung and other competitors might actually have better cameras, Apple does the best job at advertising their iPhone camera. Their social-led campaign includes a series of organic, social, and digital executions where iPhone Pro demonstrations are represented in behind-the-scenes content for music videos. Similar to The Weeknd, Apple collabed with Olivia Rodrigo for their ‘Shot on iPhone 15 Pro’ for the first music video of her album and Ivan Cornejo’s single, “Intercambio Injusto.” iPhones are blurring the line between what’s considered a “professional camera” and what’s not. Today's generation of young filmmakers can be motivated to buy the iPhone 16 knowing it’s a low entry barrier to film good quality videos — changing the traditional standards of filmmaking and setting Apple up for success with their new iPhone. What do you think about Apple’s Shot on iPhone campaigns? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. #apple #music #marketingstrategy

Moo Deng just dropped her own crypto. 🦛 The internet’s latest obsession made Moo Deng popular overnight and grew Moo Deng Coin up to 1,400%. Moo Deng Coin is the product of a niche online culture that also birthed Dogecoin – all because of her unbearable cuteness. How did Moo Deng become an internet sensation? Because the internet will always need something to obsess over. From her plush exterior to chaotic personality, she’s seen as an icon. ⭐️ The internet was quick to release Moo Deng merch, memes, fan art, and more all because of their love and obsession for her. Even brands like Sephora were quick to hop on this viral sensation and advertised blush products where customers can achieve Moo Deng’s “pink & peachy tone” cheeks. Khao Kheow Open Zoo has made a decision to patent and trademark any cartoon art relating to Moo Deng or her image once they realized how much traction she was bringing to their enclosure. This only proves that the internet works in mysterious ways – people will always find something to be obsessed with, unconventional or not. Social media accelerates how quickly things can go viral overnight and brands need to tap in to get the most out of it while the flame lasts. How long do you think Moo Deng’s virality will last for? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. #moodeng #memefication #marketing

Chipotle wants you to be a burrito this Halloween. 🌯 Chipotle collaborated with Spirit Halloween to release unhinged costumes like a Chipotle to-go bag, water cup, and fork. In other words, it's a viral moment waiting to happen. Cultural relevance and creativity are crucial drivers behind the choices Gen Z consumers make — and Halloween costumes are no exception. 🎃 Chipotle’s marketing strategy found their success around tapping into consumer behavior and online conversations. Remember when they poked fun at consumers filling their water cups with lemonade by releasing a "water cup" candle? Or when they made a TikTok directly responding to the fact that people were filming their orders being made to get bigger portion sizes? Chipotle’s odd yet clever costume collaboration is yet another example of how they're able to poke fun at themselves while participating in existing online conversations. Social media is changing the ways consumers approach Halloween — and brands should adapt to this too. What do you think about Chipotle’s Halloween costumes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. #halloween #memefication #brandmarketing