🔍 What Google’s $32 billion Wiz acquisition—its largest yet—means for startups… and Trump.

📉  Meanwhile, U.S. economic policies will slow ad growth through 2027, according to a new projection.

• 💡 We polled subscribers on projected ad spend for Q2, and 48% are holding steady, 18% are increasing, and 11% are slashing budgets.

🛄 Southwest bites back about its bag policy in a “glib” social post.

🤯 WTF is going on at Madwell right now?

🤝 Oracle emerges as most likely partner for US TikTok deal.

🥤 PepsiCo buys prebiotic soda brand Poppi for nearly $2B.

📲 Meta to launch controversial Community Notes feature on Instagram, Facebook, Threads.

🤖 And Instagram is experimenting with AI-generated comments.

• 💡 According to our poll, 64% of respondents are decidedly against AI-generated comments.

🫠 Report: TikTok’s CPM has dropped by 80% YOY.

📈 Data shows that longer clips are now gaining traction on TikTok.

🔖 You can now add “Branding” to your Meta ads.

💼 LinkedIn shares Skills on the Rise based on job and profile listings.

🚀 The prize for X’s March Madness Bracket Challenge is a trip to Mars.

🌟 The world’s 50 most innovative companies of 2025.

🍷 Yellow Tail changes its branding for the first time in 20 years, as Gen Z rejects cheap wine.

💰 Influencer spend to surpass $10B this year.

📬 Newsletters continue to take off—and so do their ad tools.

🍗 KFC gets weird in a cultish new campaign.

🏝️ Corona Island is officially open to the public. Yes, the eco-tourism destination owned by a beer brand.

👕 Bluesky made more money selling T-shirts mocking Zuckerberg than custom domains.

This week, Shannon chats through Vogue’s controversial tribute to Hairspray, PepsiCo’s acquisition of Poppi, Google’s Wiz acquisition, the book that Zuckerberg doesn’t want you to read, Heinz chip dip… and yes, X’s bizarro contest for a trip to Mars in 2031. Yikes.

🎙️ Stream it now:

Spotify
YouTube
Amazon Music
Apple Podcasts

Monday: ScentAir’s smart diffusers and premium fragrances help businesses create immersive, branded experiences that boost customer satisfaction, increase dwell time, and enhance brand perception.

Tuesday: While YouTube dominates podcast consumption overall, Transitor’s recent survey of Gen Z reveals some surprising insights about their listening habits. Hint: They’re not watching vodcasts.

Wednesday: You may have noticed that video content on LinkedIn is rapidly growing, so LinkedIn is sharing some practical tips to get you started.

Thursday: Stop chasing superficial link-building tactics. Instead, invest in creative, data-backed assets and form genuine partnerships. Try these 3 sure-fire ways to earn backlinks.

We’ve been in the newsletter biz for a while now.

We’ve learned that there are weeks when sponsors need to get clicks and leads fast—without all the Zoom calls and email threads.

So, we’ve made our $99 Classified ad available to book on-demand.

It’s a straightforward process for a straightforward spot.

Pick your date, drop in your creative, and complete your payment to get on our calendar ASAP.

Answer: “We Speakie Snackie.”

Seriously.