The Daily Carnage

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Your Brand Can Stand for Two Things at Once

AUGUST 14, 2025

Volvo = safety. Coca-Cola = happiness. Nike = performance. Walmart = affordability.

This kind of singularity works for category leaders, but challenger brands can win by pairing two distinct ideas. “Multi-message” positioning offers more ways to stand out and feel fresh.

Here are the 3 benefits of multi-message positioning:

Differentiation: Unexpected pairings stand out from category leaders.
Dimension: Multiple layers keep a brand interesting and versatile.
Defensibility: A unique combination is harder to copy.

For example, New Balance is thriving by blending athletic performance with cultural cachet. And Joe and the Juice entered a health-saturated juice market with rockstar-meets-wellness.

Some tips for making it work:

Pair unlike ideas. Look beyond your category norm for a distinctive blend.
Build clear guidelines. Ensure both messages appear consistently across channels.
Show up everywhere. Infuse your dual identity into every customer touchpoint.

Check out Embedded Brand Strategy for more.

5 Steps of The Consumer Buying Process

AUGUST 12, 2025

Customers go through 5 essential stages before, during, and after making a purchase. While impulse buys happen, most purchases follow a logical path influenced by both rational and emotional triggers.

The five stages of the consumer buying process:

Problem Recognition. A consumer identifies a need or problem. This could be sparked by frustration, social pressure, or an aspiration. Effective marketing connects your product to these triggers, positioning it as the solution.
Info Search. Once aware of their need, the consumer seeks info from online searches, AI tools, social media, reviews, and word of mouth. Visibility, credibility, and strong SEO are crucial here.
Evaluation. The buyer will compare features, prices, benefits, and brand reputation. This is your chance to highlight unique selling points and demonstrate clear advantages over competitors.
Purchase decision. At this stage, the consumer selects a product and commits to buying. Factors like trust, reviews, onboarding, and perceived value can tip the scales in your favor.
Post-purchase evaluation. After the purchase, the customer assesses whether the product meets expectations. Positive experiences can turn them into loyal fans, while negative ones risk returns and lost referrals.

Head to Product Marketing Alliance for a comprehensive guide to the framework.

True Attention Drives Results

AUGUST 12, 2025

New research from Snapchat, WPP Media, and Lumen Research confirms that true attention (eyes genuinely focused on an ad) is one of the most powerful predictors of business growth, especially among Gen Z.

Key findings:

Attention drives results. Just a 5% lift in attention can double brand perception.
Superior to legacy metrics. Attention is 8X better than View-Through Rate at predicting brand recall.
Quality over quantity. Sustained attention (>3s) fosters deeper brand connections, but gains plateau after 9s.
Snapchat’s edge. 2X more attention vs. traditional platforms, with AR Lenses delivering >2X effectiveness and 3X efficiency in voluntary engagement.
Media mix boost. Adding Snapchat can increase Gen Z attention by up to 22%.

Plus, the “Attention Playbook” distilled from the study suggests three winning rules:

Meet Gen Z where they’re most engaged.
Pair video with AR for maximum impact.
Use authentic, native-style content with strong branding and engaging audio.

Take a closer look at the data from Snapchat for Business.

Instagram’s New Friends Map

AUGUST 11, 2025

Instagram has officially rolled out Friends Map in the US, giving us a new way to connect and discover location-tagged content.

Just like Snap Map, Friends Map lets you share your last active Instagram location with select friends. It’s opt-in, and you can choose to share your location with Close Friends, followers you follow back, or a custom list.

Even without location sharing, users can still see:

Location-tagged Reels, posts, and Stories from people you follow (live for 24 hours)
Notes from mutual followers
Local spots highlighted by creators and friends

And for creators and brands, Friends Map means more marketing opportunities:

Boost discoverability with location-tagged content appearing on the map.
Host IRL events or pop-ups and encourage attendees to opt in for exclusive map visibility.
Enhance brand partnerships with creators by leveraging map appearances rather than just feed posts.
Drive Story and Notes engagement, since they gain an extra layer of visibility.

Check out Buffer’s guide for more.

AI Max for Search

AUGUST 7, 2025

Google’s AI Max for Search is officially rolling out.

It’s not a replacement for traditional Search campaigns so much as an expansion tool designed to enhance performance.

Think of AI Max as a fusion of Performance Max and Dynamic Search Ads, aimed at increasing your reach while still giving you plenty of control.

Here’s a breakdown of key AI Max features:

Search term matching: Uses Broad match + keywordless matching based on landing pages, assets, and existing keywords.
Text customization: Google generates copy from existing content and AI.
Final URL expansion: Google can choose a more relevant landing page than you selected.
Location of interest targeting: More granular targeting at the ad group level.
Updated reporting: Clearer tracking of what’s driven by AI Max.

When to skip AI Max:

If your website is weak or not up to date.
If you’re in a regulation-heavy industry.
If you don’t have enough conversion volume (aim for 30–50/month).
If lead quality is your top concern.

AI Max for Search

AUGUST 6, 2025

Google’s AI Max for Search is officially rolling out.

It’s not a replacement for traditional Search campaigns so much as an expansion tool designed to enhance performance.

Think of AI Max as a fusion of Performance Max and Dynamic Search Ads, aimed at increasing your reach while still giving you plenty of control.

Here’s a breakdown of key AI Max features:

Search term matching: Uses Broad match + keywordless matching based on landing pages, assets, and existing keywords.
Text customization: Google generates copy from existing content and AI.
Final URL expansion: Google can choose a more relevant landing page than you selected.
Location of interest targeting: More granular targeting at the ad group level.
Updated reporting: Clearer tracking of what’s driven by AI Max.

When to skip AI Max:

If your website is weak or not up to date.
If you’re in a regulation-heavy industry.
If you don’t have enough conversion volume (aim for 30–50/month).
If lead quality is your top concern.

Head to Wordstream for more on AI Max for Search.

When Using AI Bots Repels Customers

AUGUST 6, 2025

A new study across five experiments and 71,000+ reviews reveals that people are up to 30% more likely to stop using a service if it’s delivered by AI or robots instead of a human… particularly in settings like hospitality, travel, or wellness where warmth, empathy, and enjoyment are key.

This lack of perceived warmth leads to:

23.7% lower intent to continue using the service.
29.8% drop when people seek fun and pleasure.
19.5% decrease in perceived warmth of AI vs humans.

Key takeaways from the data:

Avoid AI-only service in warmth-driven contexts like hotels, spas, or restaurants.
Blend AI + human support, using machines for low-touch tasks like check-out, etc.
Make AI feel human with a casual tone, friendly punctuation, and warm interjections like “wow!”
Efficiency-focused environments (like grocery checkout or airport security) are safer bets for AI-only rollouts.

When Using AI Bots Repels Customers

AUGUST 5, 2025

This lack of perceived warmth leads to:

23.7% lower intent to continue using the service.
29.8% drop when people seek fun and pleasure.
19.5% decrease in perceived warmth of AI vs humans.

Key takeaways from the data:

Avoid AI-only service in warmth-driven contexts like hotels, spas, or restaurants.
Blend AI + human support, using machines for low-touch tasks like check-out, etc.
Make AI feel human with a casual tone, friendly punctuation, and warm interjections like “wow!”
Efficiency-focused environments (like grocery checkout or airport security) are safer bets for AI-only rollouts.

Dig into the data at Science Says.

How to Plan a Month of Content in Just 1 Hour

AUGUST 5, 2025

Planning an entire month’s worth of content can feel overwhelming, but an incremental, intentional approach can reduce your planning time to 1 just 1 hour.

🧠 Step 1: Prep.