SOCIAL & INFLUENCERS

Morning Brew Inc, Photos: @styleswithcaroline/TikTok, @shoppresleypaige/TikTok

In 2021, RushTok captivated audiences as PNMs (potential new members) posted their OOTDs (outfits of the day) that made their way to the FYP (For You page, though hopefully you already knew that one).

The initialism-laden social media phenomenon, which started largely at the University of Alabama before eventually spreading to college campuses across the country, documents the experience of sorority recruitment. It has skyrocketed otherwise unknown college-aged women to overnight influencer status and quickly earned a place on the internet’s cultural calendar, with RushTok videos generating billions of views every year.

Five years later, the phenomenon doesn’t seem to be going anywhere—and in fact, brand presence is increasing, further cementing rush’s off-campus influence. Beverage company Poppi has made repeat appearances during recruitment season, while newcomers like Lucky Charms, Kitsch, and Nike are signing on to the hype for the first time.

For brands, the sorority rush playground isn’t just about connecting with a college audience anymore. Rather, marketers we spoke to say it’s one of the best places to build both current cultural resonance and potential lifelong brand loyalists.

“Brands have evolved from being present to having an episodic, real commercial role in what rush looks like,” Christy Kelly, executive director of strategy and innovation at MMC, told us. “[Sorority women have] observed the brand integrations bubbling in the last couple years, and this year, we’ve seen these women grab it by the horns.”

Continue reading here.—JN

      

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SPORTS MARKETING

Maja Hitij/Getty Images

Soccer wasn’t the only sport with a World Cup this summer.

The US Women’s National Basketball Team is currently overseas in Berlin, competing for its fifth consecutive gold medal at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. And with the WNBA season on break to accommodate, basketball fans stateside can watch the tournament on Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) platforms, including TNT, TBS, and HBO Max.

Though this is WBD’s first year holding FIBA rights, women’s basketball properties like Unrivaled and college hoops are a key focus of the media company’s sports rights portfolio, according to Stefanie Rapp, SVP of sports strategy for WBD Ad Sales.

With a roster that includes international starpower and women’s sports fandom growing around the world, it only made sense for WBD to invest in the Women’s Basketball World Cup, Rapp said, which also means coming up with some promotion plans to encourage tune-in.

“Usually, we put more of a cookie-cutter promotion plan in place,” she told Marketing Brew. “We’re not doing that with this, and I think a big reason is because we want to make sure we get behind the scenes, and make sure the personalities of the players are front and center.”

Read more here.—AM

      

BRAND STRATEGY

Alyssa Nassner

If there’s two things shaping American food habits, it’s convenience and—you guessed it—protein.

According to Circana’s latest report, Eating Patterns in America, consumers are eating way more protein than recommended and less than half the amount of fiber, pushing grocery and food retailers to churn out more protein-rich products.

Indeed, 48% of those surveyed said they wanted more of it, marking a 7 percentage point increase from 2025, and reaching 65% among those taking GLP-1s.

Naturally, food retail is catching on to the protein push. Meals described as “high protein” now account for 12% of commercial foodservice occasions, up 11% from a year ago. According to NielsenIQ, the average US supermarket carries 38,708 products that tout their protein content. Meanwhile, major retailers like Costco have seen the sales of “anything protein” remain strong thanks in part to the interest of GLP-1 shoppers.

Interestingly, if there’s one thing Americans focus on besides protein, it’s faster and easier meals.

About half of all meals now require less than five minutes of prep—a figure that has risen since 2021. That includes 65% of breakfasts, 56% of lunches, and 35% of dinners.

Read more on Retail Brew.—JS

      

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Jobs

Real jobs shared through real communities. CollabWORK brings opportunities directly to Marketing Brew readers—no mass postings, no clutter, just roles worth seeing. Click here to view the full job board.

• Senior Exploitation Specialist (Data Scientist) at MANTECH
• Analyst, Revenue Management Operations Research (Contract) at American Airlines
• Digital Sales Performance Manager at Walser Automotive Group
• Software Engineer at Leidos
• Brand Ambassador, Lead Generator at Marvin

WISH WE WROTE THIS

Stories we’re jealous of.

• The Wall Street Journal wrote about the marketing efforts supporting Campari’s introduction of a sweeter aperitif, Sarti Rosa, to US consumers.
• Business Insider wrote about the troubling rise of brands that are explicitly asking creator partners not to disclose partnerships on posts.
• Bloomberg examined the multitude of challenges affecting the ad industry, ranging from AI to tight marketing budgets, and how some companies are aiming to recover.
• Adweek wrote about how a rollback of GLP-1s covered by health insurance may affect marketing efforts and brand positioning in the drug category.