In today's fast five, the Brand Builder Lab breaks down five critical marketing and branding stories transforming how brands connect with audiences. From gaming industry strategies to AI-powered advertising tools, we explore the shifts that marketing professionals need to understand to stay competitive in today's rapidly evolving landscape.
- GTA VI's strategic marketing approach demonstrates exceptional brand loyalty with gamers willing to pay $100 without hesitation for the Take-Two Interactive blockbuster
- Meta and LinkedIn aggressively deploying AI-powered advertising tools to enhance campaign performance and targeting capabilities
- Creative partnerships like McDonald's Minecraft meal and The Ordinary's egg carton stunt generating significant brand buzz
- Google's $100 million advertising settlement highlights digital advertising complexity while zero-click searches change SEO strategy
- AI adoption for marketing processes, especially video creation, has more than doubled in a year, becoming essential for brands including Coca-Cola
- Chief Marketing Officers using AI to maximize ad budgets and campaign performance
Follow the Brand Builder Lab newsletter on LinkedIn and follow our podcast for your daily dose of marketing and branding insights.
Produced by Kai D. Wright. Follow Kai on LinkedIn.
Buy the companion book, "Follow the Feeling: Brand Building in a Noisy World" on Amazon.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You found it, the Brand Builder Lab, where we
break down the big stories thatare changing how the world
connects with you.
And forget about endlesslyscrolling.
We've got the five need-to-knowmarketing and branding stories
and we deliver them fast.
Buckle up.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Fasten your seatbelts .
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Because staying ahead means you've got to be informed
, like right now.
We've dug through it all tobring you the intel that truly
matters.
So what do you say?
We jump right in.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Let's get to it.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
All right, Counting down number five.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
The gaming world is buzzing.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
I've heard.
I've heard.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
And it's all about Grand Theft Auto VI.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Of course it is Everybody's waiting for that.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
The CEO of Take-Two Interactive.
They've come out and said thattheir marketing push all their
big efforts for this massivelyanticipated game is going to
ramp it up way closer to therelease date.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Talk about playing the long game.
The anticipation is, it'spalpable.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
You can feel it.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
And you know, it's not just the gamers who are on
the edge of their seats.
Industry analysts, as reportedby Sky News, they're saying some
rival gaming companies.
Industry analysts as reportedby Sky News they're saying some
rival gaming companies.
They could really struggle,really face challenges if they
don't time things right aroundthis behemoth of a release.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
This is going to be huge, Huge.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I mean Forbes.
They even came out with a boldprediction.
They're saying this game itcould have a $100 price tag, Wow
, and gamers will reportedly buyit without even thinking twice.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
I know.
What does that tell you aboutbrand loyalty in the gaming
world?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
It's strong.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
It's huge.
Okay, shifting gears.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Now Number four we are seeing some major
advancements in the world ofsocial media advertising
Interesting, especially with AI,artificial intelligence.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
AI is everywhere these days.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
It really is, and Meta.
They've been super aggressiveabout rolling out all these new
AI powered tools and features,all designed to make ad
campaigns work better forbusinesses.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Well, that's what it's all about.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
It is.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Performance Marketing World, they did a whole piece
on how Meta is explaining theins and outs of their AI, how it
actually works, you know, toget better results for
advertisers.
And PR Daily, they reported onthe official launch of Meta AI
and AI Studio in Indonesia.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
So that's a clear sign that they're really pushing
AI.
They see it as the keyconnection between brands and
you.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
I see what they're doing.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yeah, and LinkedIn.
They don't want to be leftbehind.
Search Engine Land covered howthey're jumping into the AI game
too.
They've got their own set of AIand automation tools to boost
ad performance on their platform.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Got to keep up.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
You got to keep up.
And this is interestingBusiness Insider said they've
actually appointed RGA as theirlead creative agency.
That's a power move, clearlydesigned to amp up their whole
advertising game.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
That's a big deal.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
It is.
It makes you wonder, right, howfast are these AI tools going
to completely change how ads aremade and how they target us?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
It's moving fast.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
It's moving fast.
All right, cranking up theenergy here.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Number three Get ready for some interesting
partnerships and some clevermarketing stunts.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I love a good stunt.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
McDonald's.
They're tapping into the hugegaming market with a brand new
Minecraft meal.
I saw that, Complete withdigital adventures right in the
game.
Search Engine Journal had thescoop on that one.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
It's a smart move.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
It is.
And then there's the ordinary,you know the skincare brand.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
The minimalist one right.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
That's the one.
They got everybody talking.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
I heard about this.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
The business of fashion.
They highlighted how TheOrdinary started selling cartons
of eggs.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Eggs, you're not yoking.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
You got it, but it was brilliant.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
So random.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Right, it cut through all the noise.
It did the Street and Digiday.
They both talked about how thisstunt generated so much buzz
and it really showed you canleverage what's happening in
culture to get your brandnoticed.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Definitely.
And then you've got Coca-Cola.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Ah, the classics.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
They're refreshing, they're iconic.
I mean, everybody knows it theShare a Coke campaign.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
I love that campaign.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
It's a good one, and they announced that they're
going to focus on digitalexperiences this time around to
better connect with Gen Z.
You know it shows you even thebiggest brands out there.
They're always looking for newways to stay relevant.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
They have to.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
They do.
It makes you wonder what's thenext surprise tactic we're going
to see.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Who knows, got to stay tuned.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
All right, we're down to the wire now.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Number two Okay, this next one has big implications
for how brands reach you online.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
I'm listening.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Search Engine Land reported that Google settled a
huge advertising dispute.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
How huge are we talking?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
A hundred million dollars.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Seeking Alpha covered it too, and it's a big reminder
that the world of digitaladvertising it's complicated.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
It's a jungle out there.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
It can be and there were definitely pitfalls, for
sure.
And speaking of digitaladvertising, both Search Engine
Land and a report from BainCompany, they're both saying
zero-click searches are becomingmore and more important.
Zero-click yeah, it's where youget your answer, right there on
the search results page.
You don't even have to clickthrough.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Oh, I see.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
And that's having a big impact on how marketers
think about SEO.
You know Google's AI it'sgetting so good at giving you
those direct answers.
Search Engine Journal pointedout that a lot of B2B marketers
they're worried about losingcontrol and losing that organic
traffic If nobody's clickingthrough.
Exactly so Search Engine Land.
They're saying that,understanding this shift,
understanding AI visibility,it's becoming crucial for brands
(05:21):
that want to connect with youthrough search.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
It's a whole new ballgame.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
It is.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
All right, drumroll please.
We've made it to the grandfinale the number one marketing
and branding story-makingheadlines right now.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
The story that just keeps on giving the integration
of AI across the entiremarketing landscape.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
AI is everywhere.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
It really is, and it's only going to get bigger.
Market.
us Scoop reported that thenumber of brands using AI for
video creation has skyrocketed.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
That makes sense.
Video is king.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Right and Wistia's 2025 state of video report.
They're saying that adoptionrate has more than doubled in
just the past year.
It's moving fast, fast.
And AI is not some far-offfantasy anymore, it's here.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
It's happening now.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
And it's changing everything how we make ads, how
we run campaigns, even how wecreate content.
Wow, digiday talked to anexecutive at NVIDIA.
He was saying CMOs, chiefmarketing officers, they're
using AI to really stretch theirad budgets and get the most
bang to their buck.
So it's pretty clear You've gotto understand AI, you've got to
use it.
It's not optional anymore Ifyou're a brand that wants to
(06:26):
innovate and really connect withpeople in a meaningful way.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
It's the future.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
It is.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
And there you have it the fast five, the top stories
that are shaping marketing andbranding right now.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
From the gaming world waiting for GTAA to the
incredible impact of AI, thingsare definitely changing fast.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
And these changes.
They mean that marketers andbrands, they have to stay
flexible, they got to becreative and they got to stay
informed.
Understanding these trends isthe key to building strong
connections with you, theaudience Absolutely.
Make sure you follow the BrandBuilder Lab newsletter on
LinkedIn.
You'll get more analysis andinsights there.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
And for your daily dose of inspiration and all the
latest news from the world ofbranding, don't forget to follow
.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Thanks for joining us here at the Brand Builder Lab.
We'll catch you next time witheven more insights to help you
navigate this exciting andever-changing world of brands.
See you next time, bye, bye.
You found it, the Brand Builder Lab, where we
break down the big stories thatare changing how the world
connects with you.
And forget about endlesslyscrolling.
We've got the five need-to-knowmarketing and branding stories
and we deliver them fast.
Buckle up.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Fasten your seatbelts .
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Because staying ahead means you've got to be informed
, like right now.
We've dug through it all tobring you the intel that truly
matters.
So what do you say?
We jump right in.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Let's get to it.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
All right, Counting down number five.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
The gaming world is buzzing.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
I've heard.
I've heard.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
And it's all about Grand Theft Auto VI.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Of course it is Everybody's waiting for that.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
The CEO of Take-Two Interactive.
They've come out and said thattheir marketing push all their
big efforts for this massivelyanticipated game is going to
ramp it up way closer to therelease date.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Talk about playing the long game.
The anticipation is, it'spalpable.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
You can feel it.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
And you know, it's not just the gamers who are on
the edge of their seats.
Industry analysts, as reportedby Sky News, they're saying some
rival gaming companies.
Industry analysts as reportedby Sky News they're saying some
rival gaming companies.
They could really struggle,really face challenges if they
don't time things right aroundthis behemoth of a release.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
This is going to be huge, Huge.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I mean Forbes.
They even came out with a boldprediction.
They're saying this game itcould have a $100 price tag, Wow
, and gamers will reportedly buyit without even thinking twice.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
I know.
What does that tell you aboutbrand loyalty in the gaming
world?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
It's strong.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
It's huge.
Okay, shifting gears.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Now Number four we are seeing some major
advancements in the world ofsocial media advertising
Interesting, especially with AI,artificial intelligence.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
AI is everywhere these days.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
It really is, and Meta.
They've been super aggressiveabout rolling out all these new
AI powered tools and features,all designed to make ad
campaigns work better forbusinesses.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Well, that's what it's all about.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
It is.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Performance Marketing World, they did a whole piece
on how Meta is explaining theins and outs of their AI, how it
actually works, you know, toget better results for
advertisers.
And PR Daily, they reported onthe official launch of Meta AI
and AI Studio in Indonesia.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
So that's a clear sign that they're really pushing
AI.
They see it as the keyconnection between brands and
you.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
I see what they're doing.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yeah, and LinkedIn.
They don't want to be leftbehind.
Search Engine Land covered howthey're jumping into the AI game
too.
They've got their own set of AIand automation tools to boost
ad performance on their platform.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Got to keep up.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
You got to keep up.
And this is interestingBusiness Insider said they've
actually appointed RGA as theirlead creative agency.
That's a power move, clearlydesigned to amp up their whole
advertising game.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
That's a big deal.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
It is.
It makes you wonder, right, howfast are these AI tools going
to completely change how ads aremade and how they target us?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
It's moving fast.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
It's moving fast.
All right, cranking up theenergy here.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Number three Get ready for some interesting
partnerships and some clevermarketing stunts.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I love a good stunt.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
McDonald's.
They're tapping into the hugegaming market with a brand new
Minecraft meal.
I saw that, Complete withdigital adventures right in the
game.
Search Engine Journal had thescoop on that one.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
It's a smart move.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
It is.
And then there's the ordinary,you know the skincare brand.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
The minimalist one right.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
That's the one.
They got everybody talking.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
I heard about this.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
The business of fashion.
They highlighted how TheOrdinary started selling cartons
of eggs.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Eggs, you're not yoking.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
You got it, but it was brilliant.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
So random.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Right, it cut through all the noise.
It did the Street and Digiday.
They both talked about how thisstunt generated so much buzz
and it really showed you canleverage what's happening in
culture to get your brandnoticed.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Definitely.
And then you've got Coca-Cola.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Ah, the classics.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
They're refreshing, they're iconic.
I mean, everybody knows it theShare a Coke campaign.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
I love that campaign.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
It's a good one, and they announced that they're
going to focus on digitalexperiences this time around to
better connect with Gen Z.
You know it shows you even thebiggest brands out there.
They're always looking for newways to stay relevant.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
They have to.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
They do.
It makes you wonder what's thenext surprise tactic we're going
to see.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Who knows, got to stay tuned.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
All right, we're down to the wire now.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Number two Okay, this next one has big implications
for how brands reach you online.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
I'm listening.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Search Engine Land reported that Google settled a
huge advertising dispute.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
How huge are we talking?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
A hundred million dollars.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Seeking Alpha covered it too, and it's a big reminder
that the world of digitaladvertising it's complicated.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
It's a jungle out there.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
It can be and there were definitely pitfalls, for
sure.
And speaking of digitaladvertising, both Search Engine
Land and a report from BainCompany, they're both saying
zero-click searches are becomingmore and more important.
Zero-click yeah, it's where youget your answer, right there on
the search results page.
You don't even have to clickthrough.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Oh, I see.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
And that's having a big impact on how marketers
think about SEO.
You know Google's AI it'sgetting so good at giving you
those direct answers.
Search Engine Journal pointedout that a lot of B2B marketers
they're worried about losingcontrol and losing that organic
traffic If nobody's clickingthrough.
Exactly so Search Engine Land.
They're saying that,understanding this shift,
understanding AI visibility,it's becoming crucial for brands
(05:21):
that want to connect with youthrough search.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
It's a whole new ballgame.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
It is.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
All right, drumroll please.
We've made it to the grandfinale the number one marketing
and branding story-makingheadlines right now.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
The story that just keeps on giving the integration
of AI across the entiremarketing landscape.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
AI is everywhere.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
It really is, and it's only going to get bigger.
Market.
us Scoop reported that thenumber of brands using AI for
video creation has skyrocketed.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
That makes sense.
Video is king.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Right and Wistia's 2025 state of video report.
They're saying that adoptionrate has more than doubled in
just the past year.
It's moving fast, fast.
And AI is not some far-offfantasy anymore, it's here.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
It's happening now.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
And it's changing everything how we make ads, how
we run campaigns, even how wecreate content.
Wow, digiday talked to anexecutive at NVIDIA.
He was saying CMOs, chiefmarketing officers, they're
using AI to really stretch theirad budgets and get the most
bang to their buck.
So it's pretty clear You've gotto understand AI, you've got to
use it.
It's not optional anymore Ifyou're a brand that wants to
(06:26):
innovate and really connect withpeople in a meaningful way.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
It's the future.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
It is.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
And there you have it the fast five, the top stories
that are shaping marketing andbranding right now.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
From the gaming world waiting for GTAA to the
incredible impact of AI, thingsare definitely changing fast.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
And these changes.
They mean that marketers andbrands, they have to stay
flexible, they got to becreative and they got to stay
informed.
Understanding these trends isthe key to building strong
connections with you, theaudience Absolutely.
Make sure you follow the BrandBuilder Lab newsletter on
LinkedIn.
You'll get more analysis andinsights there.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
And for your daily dose of inspiration and all the
latest news from the world ofbranding, don't forget to follow
.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Thanks for joining us here at the Brand Builder Lab.
We'll catch you next time witheven more insights to help you
navigate this exciting andever-changing world of brands.
See you next time, bye, bye.
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