It’s Thursday
YouTube Shorts will now count every play and replay as a view starting March 31 – expect view counts to climb. Engaged views will still be tracked separately.
Influencers out, customers in📍
Luxury influencer trips? Out. Loyal customer getaways? In.
Brands like Cocokind, Refy, and Waterboy are ditching influencer-only perks in favor of IRL rewards for real fans – and the numbers show it works.
Cocokind brought superfans (not influencers) to Napa for a low-key, personal retreat. Think handwritten notes, unreleased products, and 1:1 time with the founder. The result? +115% social engagement, +136% earned media.
Refy flew loyal customers to Spain.
Waterboy took fans to Mexico for a community-first experience.
Even brands like Olipop and Vita Coco are ditching flashy stunts—giving products directly to everyday customers in drive-thrus and public parks.
What’s the play?
It’s not about reach – it’s about real connection. Creators still matter, but community-led marketing is earning more trust, more loyalty, and way better vibes.
Is your tech stack stacking up?
Ecommerce has a lot of moving parts, often leading to expensive and cumbersome operations. It’s time to consolidate for growth. Check out Swap’s ROI Calculator to see how streamlining your ecommerce operations can boost your business—and your bottom line.
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Retail media is booming – but brands are getting picky
Retail media is still on track to hit $54.9B by 2025—but the gold rush is slowing down.
According to Dentsu:
78% of retailers expect growth (down from 91% last year)
The biggest competition isn’t other retailers – it’s Meta, YouTube, and every other platform with first-party data
How brands are adapting:
Specialty retailers like Dick’s and Home Depot are leaning into loyal audiences
Smart brands are expanding through partnerships – like Instacart x NYT or Best Buy x CNET
Meanwhile at Shoptalk:
Whisker (Litter-Robot) is pulling back on marketing and investing in product – hiring 30+ engineers and rebuilding their app
SharkNinja is banking on innovation to spark demand, launching buzzy tools like a soft-serve machine and outdoor grill
Retail media isn’t a guaranteed growth channel anymore. As consumer confidence wavers, the winners will be those who focus on value, not volume.
Google’s “Impossible Ads” push is a strategic AI play
Google’s latest pitch to marketers? Make ads you didn’t think were possible – faster, cheaper, and powered by Gemini and Veo 2.
Through its Impossible Ads program (part of its AI Lighthouse initiative), agencies like VaynerX and Dept. are building full campaigns with generative AI at the core.
Real results:
Eyewear brand Pit Viper used Gemini for scripts + Veo 2 for visuals. The outcome?
400% faster production
92% video completion rate
10.3M users reached
20% site traffic boost
Generative AI is quickly becoming a key part of the creative workflow. Google wants to be the go-to AI toolkit for agencies – so they’re making it easy to test, scale, and repeat.
We’re also reading
The Information – Startup Whop reaps revenue gains from influencer storefronts.
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Social Media Today – New report highlights the rise of AI in brand video production.