CAMPAIGNS

🍅 Heinz is showing bland food a red card in a social-first campaign.

🩷 Why Farmers went pink and booted J.K. Simmons.

😬 Anthropic’s newest ad is creeping people out.

AI

🚫 Meta removes Muse Image AI feature after intense backlash.

💸 Instagram will charge for AI access.

📚 Book publishers sue Google over AI training.

🖼️ Google redesigns Image Search, adds built-in AI creation.

MEDIA

🌐 OpenAI is shutting down its Atlas web browser.

🎯 How Amazon, Liquid I.V., and Sony tapped into streaming TV fandoms.

🎙️ Report: Podcast hosts are now twice as influential as social stars.

MARKETING

🎁 Consumers say rewards matter, but many aren’t actually using them.

🇮🇳 India’s crackdown on a new WhatsApp feature risks setting a global precedent.

Monday: Instagram Reels are still the best way to expand your reach—but not forever. New data from 140,000 business Reels shows that accounts under 50K followers see the strongest reach from Reels, while larger brands often get better results from carousel posts. The report also highlights that 30–60 second videos perform best, and Reels remain the most shared content format on the platform. Head to SocialInsider for more.

Tuesday: Competitor ad spend is about spotting strategic patterns. By tracking where rivals invest across search, social, video, and display, marketers can uncover seasonal shifts, messaging priorities, and emerging opportunities. Pairing spend estimates with ad creatives and landing pages creates a much clearer picture of what’s working in your market. Read the full guide on Semrush.

Wednesday: Research analyzing more than 1 million TikTok posts found that content labeled as AI-generated received fewer likes and lower overall engagement because audiences perceived creators as putting in less effort. Interestingly, that effect faded when the AI tool was seen as requiring real skill. Read the full breakdown here.

Thursday: There’s no universal “perfect” email frequency. New research shows that the best cadence depends on where subscribers are in their journey and how engaged they are. While new users often benefit from frequent onboarding emails, established or disengaged audiences typically respond better to fewer, more relevant messages. Check out Userlist for more.

Can you make the right connections and win this World Cup challenge?

Today, AI is integrated into nearly all of our marketing workflows, whether we like it or not.

It’s tempting to think of it as a free productivity tool, but the truth is that it comes with significant energy, water, land, and social costs.

In the latest episode of The Daily Carnage Show, Shannon gives an overview of:

• How AI demand is stressing global infrastructures
• Increasing efficiency vs. exponential demand
• Calls for more transparency

…and how marketers can better understand their relationship to AI, set their own participation boundaries, and advocate for responsible decision-making on their teams.

🎙️ Don’t miss “Brand vs. Planet: The Marketer’s AI Footprint” now streaming on:

• YouTube
• Spotify
• Amazon Music
• Apple Music

Let’s take this party outside of the inbox, Carnies!

Connect and network with over 20,000 marketers to get (and give) advice, feedback, support, and LOLs.

• 💬 Join r/TheDailyCarnage on Reddit
• 👍 Join The Daily Carnage Facebook Group

😎 See ya there.

🎙️ The Daily Carnage Show is growing!

So, we’re excited to share a new sponsorship opportunity.

Book a Pre-Roll Ad at the top the episode with your preferred script, on-screen text, and link in description.

🎧 Podcast advertising is one of the highest-performing brand channels:

• 60%+ of listeners say they’ve searched for a product after hearing it on a podcast.
• Podcast ads consistently outperform display ads on engagement and recall.
• Pre-roll ads are among the most-heard placements, with the strongest completion rates.

🗣️ This is your opportunity to reach a highly engaged audience of marketers, creatives, and strategists when they’ve got their listening ears on.

Interested in sponsoring an upcoming episode? Reach out and let’s build something together.

Totsie Roll, 1955

Answer: Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola has been an official FIFA World Cup sponsor since 1978, making it one of the longest-running partnerships in sports marketing. The brand has been part of every tournament for nearly five decades. Learn More.