For what could be the first time in history, an advertiser may soon be able to fix that pesky pothole at the end of the block. At least if you live in District 19 in Dutchess County, New York, that is.

Chris Drago, a marketing and advertising veteran who worked as head of global media and digital marketing at Hewlett Packard Enterprise before leading marketing teams at Mailchimp and Airtable, now represents nearly 11,000 people. Drago, a Democrat, beat out five-term Republican incumbent Gregg Pulver in November, winning a district that’s about 170 square miles.

Marketing Brew spoke with the newly elected Dutchess County Legislator about what it was like to run for office, his strategy, and what it was like to work with Facebook’s advertising tools.

How did you apply your media skills and experience to a political campaign?

Given the fragmented media landscape in our part of the county, I knew digital was probably one of the best ways I had to get in front of people who didn’t have an awareness of who I was and what I stand for.

It just became so apparent when I was running this campaign—the reality that there’s not a single, trusted source of news where I live. And that’s true for a lot of parts of the country…I knew there wasn’t going to be a one-stop shop. I had to find multiple ways of getting in front of people, given the fact that they’re all not looking at the same thing all at once. Digital was definitely the way to do that.

What channels did you invest in, specifically?

Primarily Instagram and Facebook. For the general campaign, it was YouTube and some of the programmatic CTV platforms.

Did you also invest in Facebook and Instagram for the general campaign?

Yeah, and it was funny. Leading up to the general, my Facebook account got hacked. Maybe three or four weeks out from the general, I had no access to be able to boost Facebook or Instagram ads. After a fairly frustrating couple of weeks, I finally was able to get access back. Not having a helpline at Facebook to call and ask someone to help me out, not being able to rely on a big agency partner, it was me having to do it by myself; it was very frustrating. But I actually learned a lot through the process.

Continue reading here.—RB

It will come as no surprise that, like resolutions, many more Americans vow to participate in Dry January than end up doing so, or at least fall off the wagon before February arrives:

• In 2023, 41% of alcohol drinkers said they were somewhat or very likely to participate in Dry January, but only 16% did, according to a CivicScience survey.

Now Cann, which makes beverages that contain both the THC and the CBD found in marijuana and hemp, is promoting itself as a way to keep the party going while abstaining from alcohol.

Jack pot: “I Cann shut up about doing Dry January,” a post from the brand’s Instagram account proclaimed on January 3. The brand has also promoted the monthlong alcohol-free pledge as “Cannuary.”

Cann co-founder Jake Bullock told Retail Brew that while his product is “not a vitamin” and that cannabis is verboten in many addiction programs including Alcoholics Anonymous, “we are an alcohol alternative.”

Possibly because of Dry January, the brand is seeing a sales surge:

• In the first 10 days of January, wholesale orders were up 56% over the same period in December, Bullock said.

Continue reading on Retail Brew.—AAN

Each week, we spotlight Marketing Brew readers in our Coworking series. If you’d like to be featured, introduce yourself here.

Julie Triolo is SVP, global marketing and research at Vevo. Before joining Vevo, she worked in high-level marketing roles at WarnerMedia and Warner Bros. Discovery, Activision Blizzard Media, and Yahoo.

Favorite project you’ve worked on? The HBO Max with Ads launch was a very rewarding experience. With a customer at the center of our strategy, we delivered to the marketplace an uncompromising product that served as a gold standard in streaming for both brands and fans. Combining fearless, groundbreaking storytelling with an iconic, beloved catalog of content, we captured the hearts and minds of fans, who quickly transformed into engaged viewers and loyal subscribers. I loved that project because I worked with such a talented group of marketers who were all tightly aligned.

What’s your favorite ad campaign? Flamin’ Hot University (FU) with Megan Thee Stallion. Shout-out to my alma mater, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, the brainchild behind this campaign. This was another campaign with a customer at the center of the experience, with every channel purposefully activated for maximum impact. Every touchpoint is brought to life starting with a fun and playful anthem video introducing the double entendre of FU, a website destination complete with courses and music videos, and a fund to help end student debt for a collection of graduating seniors that qualify, and of course hosted by one of our music faves, Megan Thee Stallion. Cheers to you, FU!

One thing we can’t guess from your LinkedIn profile: There’s so much more to discover about the humans behind their LinkedIn profiles. Two standouts for me are that I won my fantasy football league this year, and that, as rare as it is, both of my kids were born on their due dates.

Read more here.

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Who’s who: The difference between influencers and creators—and when to work with either (or both).

Mergers and acquisitions, company partnerships, and more.

• Tums and DraftKings are partnering on a Super Bowl promotion called Tums Prop Bites.
• JetBlue and Spirit said they would appeal a judge’s decision to block a proposed merger between the two airlines.
• Peacock’s exclusive NFL playoff game, between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins, averaged 23 million viewers on the streaming service and “thrilled” the NFL, according to The Hollywood Reporter.