💔 Omnicom to lay off 4,000 after IPG deal.

😰 And adland is suffering from midcareer layoffs.

⏪ YouTube launches first-annual personal recaps for all users.

📊 Study: Most Instagram users overestimate their social media addiction.

✨ TikTok Shop sheds its bargain-bin reputation.

👽 11 times brands got stranger for Stranger Things S5.

Meta has shared some research-backed tips to help you get more performance out of your Reels.

The study, conducted with Toluna across a wide range of brand-originated content, highlights what actually moves the needle on Facebook and Instagram.

Here are 5 Reels strategies for brand building:

1. State your case early. Brand + main message in the first 5 seconds = 1.7x higher purchase intent.
2. Dynamic branding. Show the brand more than once for a 1.8x lift.
3. Speech + music. Doubles the likelihood of ranking high for brand interest.
4. Louder. – Reinforce your message in both audio and visuals for a 1.8x boost.
5. Slice of life. Everyday scenes lift purchase intent by 1.5x.

And here are 6 Reels strategies for direct response:

1. Show the product repeatedly.
2. Support the product with limited branding (<25% of duration).
3. Add context: features, benefits, USPs.
4. Use a clear CTA.
5. Combine speech and music.
6. Experiment with native elements like emojis.

Put a pin in it for 2026.

ZapDigits is a lightweight tool to help you build client-ready marketing dashboards without the bloat.

Connect your existing tools (Stripe, Supabase, GitHub, YouTube, and more), and the platform automatically builds a personalized dashboard.

Customize with the no-code builder; drag, drop, and arrange your metrics; select from pre-built widgets; and get daily insights by email to keep on track.

“The Daily Carnage was the newsletter that brought us the most meaningful demo clicks and new trials.” — Danielle Blanchette, Digital Summit (2025)

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Columbia Sportswear is propositioning Flat Earthers with an “Expedition Impossible.”

In an open letter and a hilarious campaign video, in The New York Times, CEO Tim Boyle challenges the conspiracy theorists to go ahead and find the edge of the Earth. If you do, he’ll hand over the keys to the company.

“If you’re going to the edge of the Earth, wear Columbia. You’ll need it.”