The US women’s national soccer team might have missed its shot at a three-peat—aka winning three World Cups in a row—but that doesn’t mean momentum around women’s sports is slowing down.

This summer’s Women’s World Cup not only had fans and brands around the world hyped about women’s soccer, but also broke viewership records in the US. Now that it’s coming to a close, marketers are thinking about their next moves in women’s sports, an area that’s seeing increased interest from brands.

GMR, an experiential agency that works with the NFL and FIFA, is already fielding interest in the 2027 Women’s World Cup, Alexa Sunderland, VP of client consulting and services, told us.

“My number one thing that I’m always saying to brands is, ‘The earlier, the better,’” she told Marketing Brew. “Not only because the negotiation process and the actual signing of the contract element can take some time, but so that you have time to plan, to organize, and then get out in the market as early as possible to really help raise your brand awareness.”

For those who want to score points with fans before 2027, there are plenty of opportunities. Marketing Brew asked 13 sports execs across brands, agencies, advisories, and publications what leagues and events brands should consider getting in on.

Keep reading here.—AM

From HAL to Skynet, AI gets a bad rap. With its fast rise, buzzy headlines, and seemingly limitless potential, it’s hard to know if AI will help us or upend us. A pressing question on many employees’ minds: Will AI take my job?

MIT researchers offer a picture of the future of AI in the workplace. Read Tech Brew’s explanation of what artificial intelligence is capable of, what its probable use cases are, and the implications for your job. Hint: Predictions might be more complex and hopeful than you might expect. Read or listen here.

Illinois passed a law last week requiring child influencers to be paid.

Starting next July, parents who post videos of their children under 16 years old must set aside earnings generated from these posts in a trust fund for the child that they can access once they’re 18.

• The amount the child earns depends on how long they are featured in the video. For the law to apply, they must be in at least 30% of monetized videos over the course of one 30-day period within the past 12 months. However, the child doesn’t actually have to appear in the video for the law to apply; for instance, a parent telling a story about their kid counts.
• These “kidfluencers” can take legal action if they weren’t properly compensated by their parents, though as NBC notes, “the bill does not provide a government enforcement mechanism, meaning compliance and legal action is left up to individual families.”
• “The rise of social media has given children new opportunities to earn a profit. Many parents have taken this opportunity to pocket the money, while making their children continue to work in these digital environments,” Illinois Sen. Dave Koehler, who sponsored the bill, said in a press release.

Last year, a survey conducted by The Motherhood—a marketing agency that partly specializes in parenting influencers—found that nearly all of the roughly 360 influencers it surveyed within its network said they include their children in sponsored posts.

“I think brands need to be very cognizant of their rates for influencers, and how much they’re budgeting for these things, factoring in all of this [and thinking], ‘Not only am I working with the influencer, I’m working with her child too,’” Deanna Tomaselli, VP of client services at The Motherhood, told us at the time.

Read the full story here.—JS

‘Tis the season…for holiday planning.

Around 56% of people began their holiday shopping in October last year, and creators are no exception to that start-early mentality.

A new survey from influencer marketing platform Collective Voice found that 27% of creators start planning for the holidays in the first six months of the year and 21% start planning in August.

If you’re worried about falling behind, about 30% of creators begin planning in September and nearly 20% wait till October, so there’s still time for deals to be made. The survey found that about 71% of marketers begin holiday campaign planning between July and September.

Why so early? The stakes are high—and not just for brands hoping to cash in on the holiday buying surge. According to the survey, 57% of creators make a quarter of their yearly revenue during the holidays, and 28% make half of their earnings for the year at this time.

About 85% of creators said they prioritize existing brand relationships during the holidays, preferring to foster more authentic connections instead of taking multiple new offers. In other words, best to start making those connections soon.

What’s driving sales? About 57% of creators said Instagram generates the highest sponsored campaign revenue at the holidays, followed by Facebook at 18%. Blogging may also be on track for a comeback, with 11% of creators saying it generates the most campaign revenue.

“I sense a growing nostalgia for quieter connections that blogging allows, without all the noise of unwanted ads and frustrating algorithms that monopolize social media feeds,” creator Tina Adams told Collective Voice.

Of the marketers surveyed, 59% said they plan to test TikTok and Reels, and 36% plan to explore live shopping this season.—KH

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

PR pointers: A founder breaks down how he built his PR agency into a seven-figure business.

Tracking tips: A guide to KPIs on social media, including how to set and track them.

Travel bug: How Away is trying to connect with Gen Z.

Are you an exec looking to make your next career move or join a board of directors? We’ve partnered with ExecThread, where you can find thousands of confidential job opportunities and board roles that aren’t listed anywhere else. Check out positions like:

• Communications Officer, Health Initiative for a top private research university
• Chief Marketing Officer at a large independent tire dealer
• Vice President, Marketing Home Improvement at a distributor of home improvement products
• and more exec-level marketing roles