Be in The Know
📱 Instagram tests Blend, a shared feed of Reels between users and their friends.
🚨 Musk blames X outages on “massive cyberattack.”
📝 Pinterest addresses “AI trash” with new content labels.
🔧 Google to change how Tag Manager works with Google Ads in April.
📹 You can now upload up to 3 minutes of video to Bluesky.
❌ Plus, Google drops the controversial Page Annotations feature.
📊 Microsoft Clarity expands Google Ads metrics.
📅 Google Marketing Live is set for May 21 at 9 a.m.
✈️ Monday.com banters with Ryanair on LinkedIn.
🤖 Q&A: What Coca-Cola has learned on its generative AI journey so far.
🍗 Meanwhile, KFC pits its recipe against one generated by AI.
🍇 Welch’s might be a tradition-rich brand, but its strategy is all digital.
🧵 Trend alert: With Joann fabrics closing, these thrift stores are building a new crafting economy.
👀 Everyone say thank you to Google Meet for the “Everyone can see your screen” confirmation.
DEI: Where Do We Go From Here?
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As diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (DEI) face increased political scrutiny, brands are adjusting their messaging while continuing internal efforts.
Many companies are replacing terms like “inclusion” with “belonging” and scaling back external DEI comms, yet their core initiatives often remain.
Marketers are left with challenges like:
- Maintaining engagement with diverse audiences amid rising consumer skepticism.
- Balancing backlash from both anti-DEI activists and disappointed supporters.
- Adapting messaging without alienating key demographics.
Some brands, like Target, have faced reputational damage and potential declines in store traffic due to perceived DEI rollbacks. Meanwhile, anti-DEI groups are escalating their scrutiny, making even subtle shifts controversial.
So, how do we protect DEI efforts moving forward?
- Embed DEI in leadership values to foster workplace trust and safety.
- Expand networks beyond race and gender to include class, education, and neurodiversity.
- Practice radical curiosity to identify new audience opportunities.
- Play the long game as legal interpretations of DEI policies evolve.
Check out the full story over at Media Post.
Smash or Pass 👍/👎
Tools
LinkedIn Preview
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LinkedIn Preview is a free, open-source platform that allows you to format, style, and preview your LinkedIn posts before publishing, so they look polished on desktop, mobile, and tablet devices.
Easily add bold, italics, strikethrough, and lists. See exactly how your post will appear across different devices, and optimize readability with structured formatting to drive better reach.
We especially appreciate the truncation preview, so you can avoid your hook getting cut off by LinkedIn’s “see more” text.
Campaign
Mr. Peanut Goes Hollywood
Mr. Peanut is making his feature film debut in Netflix’s upcoming sci-fi, “The Electric State,” premiering March 14.
The film stars Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, and Woody Harrelson—who lends his voice to the dapper mascot. In the film’s post-apocalyptic world, Mr. Peanut takes on a new role as the heroic leader of the robots.
Planters and BBDO MW teamed up with Netflix to launch a campaign to tie Mr. Peanut’s on-screen persona to the brand’s long-running “Ahh, nuts” platform.
The campaign, which will air across multiple platforms, reimagines Mr. Peanut’s origins, featuring nostalgic ads and The Cranberries’ Dreams as the soundtrack.
The Planters NutMobile even makes a cameo in the movie.
