
The Marketer’s Storybook: Algorithms, Outrage, and the Owl
It’s time for another week in the wild world of marketing! This week, outrage translates into sales at American Eagle. Duolingo prices social for impact. Facebook bets on nostalgia by reintroducing the infamous poke. The fashion world paid tribute to Giorgio Armani, while YouTube quietly touched creators’ videos without telling them, and a look at the best practices of China’s Qixi campaigns. This week asks: can your brand steer the narrative when algorithms, AI, and culture pull in opposite directions?
This Week’s Lineup
- American Eagle CMO on lessons from the Sydney Sweeney controversy
- Duolingo’s $342k social media salary changes the talent market
- Facebook tries to make pokes happen—again
- Giorgio Armani’s legacy and how brands got the tribute tone right
- Shein used an AI-generated face to sell a T-shirt
- Vegamour bets on LinkedIn as a consumer growth channel
- Qixi Festival (China): luxury’s pivot from romance to “love”
- Brands go all-in on social-first episodic video
- LinkedIn says creator-led shows will reshape B2B
- YouTube’s sneaky AI “clarity” experiment (without notifying creators)

This Week’s Marketing Stories
A curated mix of breaking news, insights, and trends, each with actionable takeaways to inspire your brand storytelling.
1) American Eagle CMO on lessons from the Sydney Sweeney campaign controversy
American Eagle’s “Great Jeans/genes” pun drew fire—then the brand stayed the course. In the days around Q2 (reported at $1.28B revenue, –1% YoY; comps –1%; Aerie +3%, AE –3%), leadership credited Sweeney and Travis Kelce with momentum into fall. Public remarks highlight leading indicators since launch: ~700k–800k new customers, 40B impressions, sellouts (e.g., the “Sydney Denim Jacket” in a day), and record traffic spikes in early August and Labor Day weekend—evidence the campaign drove acquisition and sell-through despite social noise.
Key Takeaway: As a public company, CMOs will need to go into controversial campaigns in the earnings call, and I personally found it interesting to review the results in light of the online backlash. For marketers, I always recommend building a pre-agreed decision stack before you provoke culture: review KPIs and sentiment against sales in the context of previous sensitive situations or crises. Sometimes negativity online can mask broader business performance – make sure you have a 360 degree picture before you jump into action. Read more
2) Duolingo’s $342,000 social media salary reflects the value of social
Duolingo posted a Social Media Director role at $189,600–$342,000 and made it clear they’re not replacing Zaria Parvez with a clone. Instead, they want a strategist to evolve vision, integrate with brand/creative, and keep social tied to business outcomes. The context: TikTok went from ~50k to ~16M followers under Parvez, and social is deeply embedded with studio/brand teams (not a silo). That comp is a market signal: social is product, growth, creative, and community rolled into one.
Key Takeaway: Based on my personal research, I don’t buy the “nearly triple U.S. averages” claim in the article for senior exec-level social media roles from Glassdoor – it’s too generic. You need to review salaries against business size and revenue / KPIs the role is delivering against. For the scope required, this range is appropriate and reflects social’s commercial role as a hybrid across brand, product, CX, growth, and comms. In short, pay for the breadth and business impact, not just follower counts or job title. Read more
3) Facebook is trying to make ‘pokes’ happen again
Meta added a prominent Poke button to profiles, a dedicated pokes page, and “poke counts” with streak-like icons—pure nostalgia engineering. It’s a play to spark lightweight, low-friction interactions among long-time users and keep them active on the platform. The poke of the past was ambiguous by design, functioning as a “virtual nudge” that let users co-create meaning (flirt, tap on the shoulder, inside joke). That ambiguity was part of its charm—and cringe.
Key Takeaway: If Facebook wants to engage younger audiences, I don’t think the poke alone will solve this problem. However, nostalgia can revive engagement with existing users. The notifications that come along with the infamous poke bring users back onto Facebook. I’d have to look at engagement stats on Facebook, but I cannot help but wonder if Meta had killed off the poke to prematurely in the past? Whether you love it or hate it, it used to be a tool for bringing traffic onto Facebook, acting as a gateway to drive scrolling and engagement with other content on the platform. The question now that the poke has been reintroduced is what role will it play in the platform and in social media culture? Will it be the same? Will people still be into it post launch? Will we all still be super confused by the intention behind pokes received? File this one under – one to watch! Read more
4) Giorgio Armani dies at 91: how the house announced it—and how the world responded
On September 4, 2025, the Armani Group announced the sad news of the death of “Mr. Armani.” The announcement was made across the brand’s six accounts/companies described him as the brand’s “inventor, founder and tireless engine.” The post emphasized that he passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones and had worked until his final days. The post also spoke to the values he instilled, such as independence of thought and action, curiosity, and service to Milan. Additionally, it affirmed the family and employees would carry the Group forward in continuity with those values.
The announcement included precise public information: a public funeral chamber and private funerals per his wishes. Tributes from peers, luxury fashion brands, and celebrities followed immediately, echoing the brand’s understated tone and celebrating his influence on modern elegance.
Key Takeaway: This is a model for sensitive brand communications. Unify the voice across channels, lead with verified facts, keep the tone reverent (not promotional), and provide clear public logistics while honoring privacy. Curate and amplify third-party tributes that reflect your brand’s values to guide the conversation with grace. Read more
5) Shein used an AI-generated version of Luigi Mangione’s face to sell a T-shirt
What happened: a product listing on Shein’s website/app featured an image of a model that looks incredibly like Luigi Mangione, who is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York last year. Screenshots of the listing spread on social media, and Shein removed the product listing shortly after it was flagged. In statements to press, Shein said the image was provided by a third-party vendor that sells through their website and that it launched an internal investigation and would strengthen monitoring processes.
Why it matters: this is a textbook marketplace risk—synthetic imagery + speed + outsourced listings. Commentators noted classic AI tells (skin/lighting artifacts) and the rights issues when a real person’s likeness is replicated without consent.
Key Takeaway: The incident underscores how quickly a single listing can escalate into brand-level scrutiny, regardless of who uploaded it. Even if creative is vendor-supplied, the platform owner owns the trust. I’m sure Shein will revisit its governance policies following this event. If the companies that sell on Shein do not require a human approval for their listings to go live, the company will either need to look at leveraging employee approvals or leveraging technology to ensure this doesn’t happen again. For other brands that have similar processes for product listings or ads, consider this your warning to revisit your governance protocols before something similar happen to you. Read more

6) Vegamour is betting on LinkedIn as a consumer channel
B2C haircare brand Vegamour named Innocos founder Iryna Kremin its first “chief LinkedIn advisor,” formalizing a program to translate hair longevity and science-backed education into LinkedIn-native short-form video—and to publish via Kremin’s own expert voice. The move reframes LinkedIn from a B2B-only venue to a trust-led consumer channel where authority and education can span beyond business content.
Operationally, this is show programming, not one-off posts: recurring expert episodes (ingredient literacy, routines, myth-busting), selective paid support, and distribution through credible voices that also reach pros (derms, salon owners, retailers)—a B2C + B2B2C bridge.
Key Takeaway: I’ve been saying for years that LinkedIn isn’t just for B2B. Think about it – professionals are consumers, so if your target audience overlaps with the demographics and geographics on LinkedIn, it could be a good channel to develop bespoke content and programming for. I’m excited to follow along with this one and see what kind of results Vegamour can achieve. Read more

7) Qixi Festival (China): luxury’s pivot from romance to broader “love”
Quick primer: Qixi (七夕)—often called “Chinese Valentine’s Day”—fell on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month (Aug 29 this year). It riffs on the Vega–Altair lovers’ myth and is a major cultural moment for luxury. This year, brands launched smaller, earlier beats focused on friendship, self-love, and artful vignettes (Gucci’s “Shared Expressions,” Tiffany’s ambassador films), with fewer overt romance tropes—reflecting shifts in dating/marriage rates and taste.
Key Takeaway: I’ve always been fascinated by marketing in China. The best practice here is to localize for meaning, not just media. Use ambassadors with cultural fluency, refine copy for emotions aligned with customer insights. I also found it clever to see brands deploy limited pieces that nod to auspicious symbols (e.g., knots), and time waves ahead of the date to feed social search. Read more
8) Why brands like State Farm and Argos are going all-in on social-first episodic video
Shorts are getting longer—strategically. To counter volatile reach on TikTok and Reels, marketers are building shows, not posts. Argos’ four-part mockumentary Arghaüs is a creator-led “vertical drama” that treats products like high-concept art; the series reportedly lifted account engagement by ~230%, validating an entertainment-first approach that still showcases merchandise. InStyle’s scripted newsroom comedy The Intern (season 3) opened with 5M+ views and 1.3M likes on episode one and reached 7M across platforms—99% of whom didn’t previously follow InStyle—proving episodic arcs can recruit net-new audiences when timed to tentpoles (like an issue launch).
Key Takeaway: For years I have spoken about brands becoming media companies and this shift into episodic programming shines a spotlight on this. The leaders here are taking their best practices from sitcom television with a clear show format (storyline, cast, conflict engine, season arc). Episodic programming can easily sit within your existing content calendar but I would also label episodes clearly and publish to the same day/time each week to create a habit of tuning in. When you package a recurring story, platforms reward consistency and audiences reward familiarity, driving more predictable reach, stronger retention, and easier commerce tie-ins across seasons. Read more
9) Why LinkedIn thinks creator-led shows will redefine B2B marketing
LinkedIn is formalizing the shift from white papers to feed-native video with an expanded BrandLink slate: creator-hosted shows backed by blue-chip sponsors (AT&T Business, IBM, SAP, ServiceNow) and distribution tuned for decision-makers’ feeds. LinkedIn says video uploads are up >20% and views +36% YoY, while BrandLink packages report +130% higher video completion, +23% view rate, and up to +18% lift in lead likelihood versus standard video—evidence that trusted, on-platform experts outperform generic brand units.
Strategically, BrandLink lowers the “build-a-show” friction for B2B: you can align with recognized operators (Steven Bartlett, Allie K. Miller, Rebecca Minkoff, Gary V.) and premium publishers (Bloomberg, BBC Studios, TED, Vox), run pre-roll and native integrations, and retarget engaged viewers with lead gen—all inside LinkedIn’s professional graph. That mix—signal-rich audience + expert hosts + measurable down-funnel actions—explains why spend (and creator payouts) is ramping.
Key Takeaway: Treat creator-led shows as programming tied to pipeline, not “brand fluff.” Pair a show with Lead Gen forms and Events retargeting; optimize against “time with talent,” qualified reach (non-followers), and assisted conversion—then prove impact with lift studies and opportunity influence, not just views. Read more
10) YouTube’s sneaky AI “clarity” experiment (without notifying creators)
Creators discovered that some YouTube Shorts were auto-“enhanced” post-upload—sharper edges, smoothed textures, crushed grain—without any notice. YouTube confirmed an “experiment” using machine-learning image enhancement (unblur/denoise/clarify) and insisted it wasn’t generative AI, but the effect reads to many as diffusion-style upscaling, raising authorship and trust concerns. Notably, high-visibility creators Rhett Shull and Rick Beato documented the changes and the audience confusion it creates.
Key Takeaway: For brands, the risk is twofold: (1) aesthetics you intend (e.g., VHS grain, filmic noise, brand LUTs) can be altered without consent; (2) in sponsored creator work, unintended “AI-ish” polish can undermine authenticity claims. This is a policy and governance problem, not just a creative one: you need platform-specific QA steps and contractual language that anticipates unilateral processing changes. Read more
My Stories
Why Trust and Authenticity Are the True Currencies of Growth — Advocacy Live ’25
I’m taking the stage at #AdvocacyLive25 to unpack how brands convert belief into measurable pipeline—think trust signals that travel, authenticity audits, and customer advocacy programs that scale across brand, product, CX, and retail. I’ll share practical frameworks and case studies from my books and professional experiences working with top companies that you can lift straight into your 2026 plan. Register now

7 Amazing Travel Memories From Summer 2025 in London, Boston & NYC
Every summer has its own magic, but Summer 2025 was one for the books. From glamorous days at Royal Ascot to a seaside escape in Margate, sparkling wine in the English countryside, and cherished trips back to Boston and New York City, I packed this season with experiences that will stay with me forever.
Whether you’re planning your own adventures in the UK or abroad, here are seven highlights that defined my summer. Read more

Seville Day 4: Parque, Tower, Triana, Adiós
My latest YouTube video chronicles my final hours in Sevilla. I start at my hotel, Hotel Giralda Center, dive into the shady paths of Parque de María Luisa, loop the Guadalquivir past Torre del Oro, and cross into Triana for color, ceramics, and river views, plus a quick smoothie refuel before wheels up to London. It’s a fast, walkable route you can copy for a half-day in the city. Watch below!
Unlock More of My Stories
🌍 Website: JessicaGioglio.com Your one-stop shop for all my books, speaking engagements, and blog posts on marketing and storytelling.
📚 Books:
- The Power of Visual Storytelling: Learn how to shape a visual story around your brand using images, videos, GIFs, infographics, and more. Get your copy here.
- The Laws of Brand Storytelling: The definitive guide to using storytelling to win over customers’ hearts, minds, and loyalty. Grab it here.
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Until Next Time
Thank you for being part of this journey. Whether you’re here for marketing trends, storytelling inspiration, or both, I’m so grateful to have you along for the ride.
Keep telling the stories that matter, Jessica