Hello Marketers!! Today we’re breaking down the psychology behind high-performing email, Meta’s new data-backed Reels playbook, and the OpenAI app-suggestion fiasco that spooked half of X. Plus, there’s more inside: Carlsberg’s attention model proving long-form ads aren’t dead, new data on how YouTube and TikTok are reshaping influencer habits, and so much more. Let’s dive in and get smarter in 5 minutes…

Meta reveals that early branding, dynamic brand cues, mixed audio (speech + music), and everyday human scenes significantly boost brand lift. At the same time, direct-response ads win by showcasing the product multiple times, adding context/USPs, keeping branding under 25% of the video, using CTAs, and leaning into native elements like emojis. Why it matters (POV): Reels are now Meta’s engagement engine. This data basically proves the blueprint Meta wants marketers to follow.

The weekly viewing among 55–64-year-olds has surged from ~40% to over 50% since 2020, pushing overall influencer consumption to 70% of all internet users in the US/UK. Smart TV adoption is a major driver, with nearly 80% of older users owning one and 29% now watching YouTube on their TV, blurring the line between social media and traditional living-room viewing. Why it matters (POV): This shift proves the old assumption wrong that influencer strategy is only for Gen Z. Brands can now reach older, higher-spending audiences through creators, and streaming platforms are already capitalizing on influencer-led shows. 

The Priming Effect explains why seasonal cues massively influence email performance because what people see before your message shapes how they respond to it. Aligning subject lines, timing, sender names, CTAs, and landing pages with what your audience is already thinking about can lift every major KPI, from opens to clicks to conversions, especially when your messaging consistently reinforces the same emotional and contextual cues. Why it matters (POV): Most brands obsess over clever copy, but priming proves that context beats creativity. Your emails perform better when they plug into existing cultural signals and predictable rhythms.

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After the model randomly suggested installing the Peloton app during unrelated conversations, it sparked fears that OpenAI had quietly introduced ads, even for $200/month Pro users. OpenAI clarified that it wasn’t an ad but a poorly timed experiment in “app discovery,” part of its broader push to integrate third-party apps directly into chat. Still, users hated it: the suggestions weren’t relevant. Why it matters (POV): if AI assistants start acting like ad networks, users may bail instantly, unless it is done wisely, because relevance and trust are the entire UX. 

Shopify merchants pulled in $14.6B over Black Friday–Cyber Monday, up 27% YoY, with 81M+ shoppers buying from independent brands and sales peaking at a wild $5.1M per minute. Over 94,900 merchants hit their best sales day ever, 15,800 made their first sale, and Shop Pay continued its takeover with a 39% YoY jump. The biggest winners: cosmetics, apparel, activewear, and nutrition. Why it matters (POV): Consumers aren’t just defaulting to Amazon; they’re actively choosing indie brands with identity and community. 

Carlsberg is rebuilding its media strategy around attention, launching a test with YouTube’s new 60-second unskippable ads and developing a proprietary “Carlsberg Effect” attention model with Lumen and iProspect. Their long-form storytelling experiment paid off: a 93% completion rate, viewers watching ~57 seconds on average, an attention score 4× higher than their benchmark, and a 2.6% lift in recall on TV screens, outperforming every other format. Why it matters (POV): This is the clearest signal yet that premium attention, not cheap impressions, is becoming the real currency of brand marketing. As feeds get noisier, brands that invest in long-form, emotionally resonant storytelling on big screens are going to build memory, preference, and pricing power.

Uncertain discounts often outperform small guaranteed ones. People were up to 92.6% more likely to pick a “chance to win big” offer than a trivial, guaranteed % off. The effect is strongest when the guaranteed savings feel insignificant or are framed as small percentages, making shoppers more willing to gamble for a bigger payoff. Why it matters (POV): We marketers are often used to predictable promos, but consumers respond to perceived value, not mathematical value, meaning smart uncertainty can drive higher conversions.

— Sam C.