BRAND STRATEGY

Morning Brew Inc, Photos: General Motors, Adobe Stock

Resilience is the word of the moment in the auto industry.

That, and “affordability” (or lack thereof)—two concepts that might seem at odds were it not for the K-shaped economy and the simple fact that drivers still need to fuel up and, sometimes, buy a new vehicle.

On that note, we’ll throw in one more: “record-setting,” which is what rising fuel prices have been as the US war with Iran drags on.

This is the somewhat confusing market into which US automakers are launching a slate of refreshed full-size pickup trucks, with new gas- and diesel-guzzling engines to match.

GM recently announced the sixth generation of its small-block V8 engine and a new version of its Duramax V8 engine for the automaker’s redesigned 2027 lineup of full-size pickup trucks. As the US auto industry steps back from electrification, analysts see a bright future ahead for internal combustion engines; Mobility Global data suggests new engine programs will bolster automaker profitability “well into the 2030s.”

But how does a brand nail the messaging around fuel-hungry products at a time when average gas prices are more than 40% higher than a year ago and the average price of diesel is $6.50 per gallon?

Continue reading to find out.—JG

      

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The biggest streaming weeks of the year are coming up fast. Last year, Roku’s top streaming weekend landed during Cyber 5 (Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday), showing that peak viewing and peak shopping happen at the same time.

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AD TECH & PROGRAMMATIC

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As Meta invests in its ads models, it’s encouraging advertisers to retool their approach to them behind the scenes.

Meta has provided some updated best practices on how to get ads to be ranked highly by its models, including specific suggestions on diversifying creative, according to some executives Marketing Brew spoke to. Meta is also testing creative insights metrics in its Insights API that provides ad performance data to advertisers, Meta spokesperson Alisha Swinteck said.

One concept Meta has been clarifying to advertisers is that Meta’s engines won’t rank an ad as highly if it has the same look as other creative from the advertiser or has the same opening hook, Olivia Cripps, global paid media director at the social agency Billion Dollar Boy, said. The engines will see it as fundamentally the same ad.

“If you had a video of me, and then also a video of me, and this one has a text that says, ‘Text A,’ and this one says, ‘Text B,’ that would actually be considered the same creative,” she said.

The advice and overall clarification around how Meta’s models perceive pieces of creative has helped BDB’s team structure its creative testing for clients, Cripps said.

Meta also has been breaking down how to diversify creative with more nuance for agency clients.

Read more here about the guidance and how marketers are adjusting.—JS

      

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ECOMMERCE

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In the last few months, TikTok Shop has made some significant changes to prioritize shopping. One has been to get big names onboard to sell on its platform, and another to monetize shopping the way Amazon does.

In July, TikTok Shop rolled out a paid membership program called TikTok Shop Plus that’s similar to Amazon Prime, with price tiers ranging from 6–15 a month. The service offers paid members perks like free shipping, member discounts, and other coupons.

And in September, TikTok Shop started selling items from retailer Best Buy.

“Social media isn’t just influencing what people buy anymore,” Jonathan Greer, VP of e-commerce at Best Buy, said in a statement. “It’s shaping how they discover products, with creators playing an increasingly important role in what people notice, consider, and want to try.”

Best Buy’s addition comes after Sephora joined TikTok Shop earlier in the month. Meanwhile, Ulta started selling via TikTok Shop in March. TikTok first started courting established brands as part of Project Horizon, The Information reported in January. Under Project Horizon, TikTok offered e-commerce agencies incentives to go after established brands that are doing a steady business of $10 million in annual sales on rival platforms.

Ultimately, TikTok Shop is pivoting from being a heavily discounted social commerce channel to a mainstream marketplace. One expert said TikTok wants to be Amazon for the younger generation.

“They’re trying to position themselves more toward a mainstream channel like an Amazon versus how people consider Temu,” Katya Constantine, CEO of agency Digishopgirl Media, told Retail Brew.

For more on the changes and what it means for brands on TikTok Shop, continue reading on Retail Brew.—VC

      

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

Zig where they zag: A guide to alternative social platforms, like NextDoor, Letterboxd, and Discord.

Ho, ho, holidays: What customers want from holiday marketing and other campaign-building tips.

Shop talk: What omnichannel shoppers bring to a brand relationship, per Pinterest research.

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Morning Brew Inc., Photos: @westworldhbo/Instagram, @goodwipes/Instagram, Chili’s

Holiday pop-up season is around the corner. This deep dive covers how brands actually pull off a pop-up, from planning through execution.

METRICS AND MEDIA

Stat: Nearly 400,000. That’s how many apps are part of the TikTok Ad Network, an off-platform audience network that’s now open to advertisers seeking to reach users in the US.

Quote: “Absolutely not. Honestly, I think it’s very sad to see some players promote it. I will never do that.”—San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama, responding to a question about whether he would ever sign a deal with a sports betting company

Read: “What’s the ROI on EDM? Brands are throwing raves as promotional events” (the Wall Street Journal)