As the U.S. Supreme Court upholds the TikTok ban, brands and publishers are grappling with how to maintain their connection to young consumers. The reality of losing TikTok has sparked reactions ranging from strategic reevaluation to outright panic. However, history shows us that platforms evolve, algorithms shift, and audiences adapt. Here’s what marketers need to…
If you’ve logged onto TikTok within the past week (haven’t we all?), you’ve probably seen the latest #goodbyetiktok and #savetiktok content as users stateside prepare for the very real possibility that the nationwide ban on the app will go into effect on January 19. As we anxiously await the Supreme Court’s decision on TikTok’s fate,…
TikTok’s potential removal from U.S. markets by January 19 has marketers and influencers racing to figure out how to reach the app’s lucrative audience elsewhere. With 44% of Gen Alpha using TikTok in 2024, it’s hard to imagine a world where this platform–a gateway of discovery (and brain rot) for millions of tweens–is suddenly gone….
If you’ve been coming to CES for the past decade and hit the marketing panels and keynotes, you would think that every year promises a transformation for our business. This year, the pablum finally feels real and potent; artificial and augmented intelligence applied to marketing and advertising dominated the discussions on the stages and in…
Growing up as a Sri Lankan American immigrant, I remember my first visit to a museum in the United States. It was more than a building filled with objects–it was a portal. For me, it bridged the unfamiliar with the familiar, transforming the abstract idea of a new home into something tangible. Museums became spaces…
CES is not a tech show–it’s a time machine. Each booth, keynote, and prototype offers a glimpse of the future. It’s a cacophony of innovation, yet hidden within the noise are the signals that define tomorrow’s consumer behavior, business models, and cultural shifts. For ad executives, the challenge isn’t merely surviving CES; it’s about seizing…
The digital advertising industry had a lot to celebrate in 2024, as much of the uncertainty brought on by the pandemic was in the rearview mirror. Tech giants saw a spike in ad revenues: While Google’s ad revenue jumped more than 10% year over year, Meta saw a sales increase of 19% over the same…
Twenty-seven. That’s how many times I offered a brilliant freelance creative director a full-time job when I was chief creative officer. Twenty-seven times, they said no. It drove me crazy. They already freelanced with us regularly, loved the team, crushed the briefs, and (apparently) tolerated me just fine. The money was great. What was the…
Live shopping and video commerce are exploding, driven by growing consumer interest and the success of global disruptors like Shein and Temu. These international players dominate their markets with highly engaging, frictionless shopping experiences and have expanded aggressively into the U.S., raising the stakes for domestic brands. This evolution parallels the introduction of TikTok in…
This month, The Weber Shandwick Collective (TWSC) got a new CEO–but it seems like there won’t be much of an adjustment period. Susan Howe stepped into the chief executive role at the communications agency on Dec. 2, and since joining nearly 29 years ago, she has held successive leadership roles running the gamut from regional…
Twenty years ago, I sold my namesake agency I founded at age 27 to Edelman. At the time, many accused me of being a sellout, but the truth is I would have sold out had I not sold the agency. I never intended to establish a shop of my own. But after a rather chilling…
As much as the story has generated a lot of buzz, I find the news of Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG to be unsurprising and part of the natural order. I am sad for the great agency legacies that will be mothballed. I am sad for the jobs that will be cut. I am sad that…
The recent announcement of Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG got me thinking about my early days working for both holding companies. I started my career in media at BBDO, buying television. Back then, media and creative worked together under one roof, and holding companies were only beginning to consolidate their power. It was a simpler time…
On December 13, 1996, Miller Beer pulled all its business out of Leo Burnett, literally overnight. Officially, it was about lackluster sales, but rumors abounded that Miller discovered a subsidiary of Burnett had taken a small project from Anheuser-Busch, and Miller was livid. Now that holding companies own a huge part of the advertising landscape,…
In what is without a doubt one of the top five episodes of Seinfeld, George is regaling his moment as a “marine biologist” with Jerry, Kramer, and Elaine: “The sea was angry that day, my friends, like an old man trying to send back soup at a deli!” George’s “perfect storm” also perfectly captures what…
Cue the scene: me, 14 years old, sitting in the bleachers at my middle school dance. Not one girl wanted to dance with me. I couldn’t figure it out. I had what I thought were top-tier dance moves. But there I was, sulking in a dimly lit corner, on the top row where no one…
On the day of the release of ChatGPT 4.0, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman tweeted “her”–a reference to the 2013 science fiction film in which an AI chatbot named Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, develops an intimate relationship with her human user. The tweet called attention to a new feature for the product: voice mode, allowing…
While the marketing world fixates on Q4’s holiday rush, a golden opportunity lurks in plain sight: Q5, the “invisible quarter.” Forget the myth that consumers hibernate after the holidays. With 45% of consumers actively hunting for post-holiday deals, this overlooked period isn’t just a marketing lull–it’s your launchpad into Q1. While competitors wind down their…
Let me begin by stating that I’m not from the advertising or marketing world. So you can imagine my surprise when I was invited to attend the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to present a project to the Titanium Lions jury. I had no idea what to expect. I hadn’t even met the team…
In recent years, the marketing landscape has been dominated by large-scale, expensive campaigns designed to capture consumer attention. From the ubiquitous pink of the Barbie movie to the pervasive green of Wicked, these mega-marketing efforts raise a critical question: When does a campaign cross the line from excitement to exhaustion? Since debuting in theaters last…
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
