This is why we can’t have nice, rainbow things.

In recent months, Bud Light, The North Face, Target, and Kohl’s have faced increasingly aggressive backlash from far right groups over partnerships and products relating to the LGBTQ+ community—or even the notion of inclusivity itself. In response to protests it faced for working with a trans influencer, Bud Light placed two of its top marketers on leave, while Target moved its Pride displays to the back of some stores and removed certain items after the retailer said it was experiencing threats.

With Pride Month kicking off, experts told us that brands participating have a responsibility to not only stand by their Pride products and statements of inclusivity, but also show tangible support for the LGBTQ+ community at a time when attacks against LGBTQ+ people, particularly trans individuals, are escalating.

Cait Lamberton, professor of marketing at Wharton, said brands should recognize that taking a social stance can often come with some risk, and “if you find that there’s no risk involved, you’re probably doing something that’s meaningless.” As a result, she said, brands should look to prepare for any potential opposition.

“It’s very strange to me that these brands are caught flat-footed when they get a negative response,” she said, adding that “it would be nice if we didn’t see that pearl-clutching every time there’s a negative response, because we know this is going to happen.”

Continue reading here.—KH

Artificial intelligence is all the rage lately (for the record, this was written by humans). All this buzz leaves companies wondering whether to give in to the AI FOMO…or stay far, far away.

Luckily for marketers, Salesforce brought industry pros together to share insights and knowledge about today’s top trends and challenges. They surveyed 6k marketers from around the globe to bring you their latest State of Marketing Report.

Inside the report, you’ll find deets on how marketing leaders are:

• prioritizing cost savings and efficiency amid economic uncertainty
• preparing for third-party cookies to retire
• removing silos to enhance the customer experience
• meeting evolving customer needs through innovation

Don’t tackle these vexing challenges on your own. Get your guide.

Branded podcasts have been ~a thing~ for many years. Though in a space crowded with celebrities, influencers, and creators of all kinds who have their own podcasts, it can be a challenge for brands to break through and make a hit. Nevertheless, there’s evidence that marketers are increasingly interested.

At PRX—the nonprofit public media company that distributes and develops podcasts like This American Life, The Moth, and Normal Gossip—inbound requests for branded pods started ramping up in the past two years or so, Jason Saldanha, its chief of business development and content, told Marketing Brew.

In order to meet that demand, PRX has teamed up with audio production company Sonic Union to create branded podcasts from here on out.

Symbiosis: PRX has worked on podcasts for brands including Ben & Jerry’s and Patagonia. Sonic Union, which primarily works with ad agencies, also has experience with branded podcasts, including Expedia’s Out Travel the System in collaboration with PRX, according to ECD Halle Petro.

The two organizations decided to formalize their relationship for all branded podcast projects down the line because each has skills the other may not.

Keep reading here.—AM

Wedding planning company The Knot released its annual Global Wedding Report, compiled from more than 25,000 respondents, this week.

The report found that while couples still embrace traditions, they’re also “finding new ways to highlight their individuality.” Around the world, increasingly popular new wedding practices include throwing music festival-esque “wedding fests,” incorporating pets into ceremonies, and getting matching tattoos. Couples are also waiting longer to get married, especially in Western Europe, where the average age of marriage is around 35–36.

Jenny Lewis, president and CMO of The Knot, told Marketing Brew that Gen Z couples in particular are personalizing their weddings to “represent what is authentic to them” and buck traditions from past generations. “It’s important for marketers to be on their toes and be responding to that trend we’re seeing so they’re able to speak to their customers both today as well as tomorrow,” she said.

Lewis noted that the “guest experience” has also been an increasingly important area of focus for couples planning a wedding. “Things like favors are playing a bigger role,” she said, adding that guests are “willing to spend more traveling to weddings than they were pre-Covid…people are really hungry for gathering, coming together.”

Gen Z is arguably the most tech-savvy generation, something that The Knot is taking into consideration as it markets to this demographic. “This is a generation that has grown up with phones in their hands. They have been on social media for many years. Their expectations when it comes to technology are high,” she told us.

We talked to Lewis about The Knot’s marketing strategy, including how the company is using AI. Read the full story here.—JS

This goes out to all the entrepreneurs. Paysafe is coming through with extremely relevant resources for SMBs. Check their Small Business Resources blog to learn about:

• Using soft skills as a social strategy for small-business owners
• Smartphone tips and tricks for small-business owners
• Scaling your small-business content

There are a lot of bad marketing tips out there. These aren’t those.

Safe travels: How Airbnb’s social team garnered millions of impressions for the brand by helping an influencer. 

Live and learn: TikTok Academy, the platform’s educational resource for marketers, has added new courses.

Context clues: ICYMI, we explained why contextual advertising is on the rise.

Level up: Our New Manager Bootcamp gives you the lowdown on leading and prepares you for your new role. Sign up now.

Daily dose of business news: Morning Brew’s daily newsletter makes it quick, easy, and enjoyable to stay informed about the broader business world. Subscribe today.

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Stat: 45%. That’s the percentage of US adults who think movies and TV shows about brands are “extended ads with little or no artistic value,” according to a recent Morning Consult poll.

Quote: “You can’t build a healthy or sustainable agency around a company that is deeply committed to destroying the planet.”—Duncan Meisel, executive director of the climate advocacy group Clean Creatives, encouraged agencies to avoid working with fossil-fuel companies in an interview with Adweek. That includes Shell, whose account is up for review. According to Adweek, “agencies largely declined to speak with Adweek about the Shell pitch, nor did they confirm whether they are pitching the account.”

Read: “PGA Tour deal with LIV Golf puts sponsors on the spot” (the Wall Street Journal)

Catch up on a few Marketing Brew stories you might have missed.

• Publishers’ group warns that generative AI content could violate copyright law
• With record-breaking season, the NBA stays primed for advertisers
• How Good Weird, a new genderless beauty brand, is courting Gen Zers