Latest news with #marketing
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Sydney Sweeney is bra-free in sizzling new ad campaign as she becomes Hollywood's biggest bombshell
Sydney Sweeney has landed a major ad campaign that shows off her sexier side as she climbs the ranks in Hollywood. On Wednesday, the Euphoria veteran was seen in the spread from the fashion brand American Eagle. The blonde bombshell had on no bra, and in some cases no shirt, as she modeled a denim while giving off sultry looks. American Eagle says it's thinking 'bigger than ever before' for its new marketing campaign The company's fall campaign, titled 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,' goes live this week. 'I have great jeans…now you can too,' wrote Sweeney on Instagram as she debuted one of the commercials. AE is changing how it runs marketing campaigns by focusing on only one celebrity. In the past, it has featured multiple public figures in ads. Sweeney — who has also partnered with the brands Dr. Squatch, Baskin-Robbins and Jimmy Choo — seems to be an ideal partner for American Eagle. Sweeney's stylist, Molly Dickson, worked with the brand on campaign looks. Sweeney also designed her own American Eagle jeans with a butterfly design. All net proceeds from the jeans will benefit Crisis Text Line. American Eagle's CMO, Craig Brommers, told Modern Retail that Sweeney is 'the biggest get in the history of our brand.' 'We've had a lot of success working with multiple talent in one season, so it's not like that recipe is dead,' Brommers said. But there are only a few celebrities that have the cachet to be the face of a dual-gender brand, and Sydney is one of them. When she was into the idea of working with us, that's when you say, I think this is a special, unique moment, and it needs to feel like that.' This comes after news Sweeney is reportedly set to launch her own lingerie line. The actress' latest business venture has received backing from Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and his new wife, Lauren Sanchez, who have 'invested' in new brand. A source told Us Weekly that Sydney's new lingerie line is launching 'very soon'. The blonde beauty - who has recently become one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood - has actually been working on the lingerie line for 'for the last year' and it's now close to launching. The insider explained: 'This has been a huge project for her and something she's been working on for the last year.' Sydney has enjoyed a meteoric rise in recent years, starring in TV shows such as Euphoria and The Handmaid's Tale, while she's also worked with a host of big-name brands, including Laneige and Frankies Bikinis. 'We've had a lot of success working with multiple talent in one season, so it's not like that recipe is dead,' Brommers said The actress - who ended her engagement to Jonathan Davino earlier this year - has also been tipped to play a Bond girl in the next 007 movie, with director Denis Villeneuve reportedly keen to hire Sydney for his upcoming film. A source recently told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: 'Sydney is the top name on the casting sheet for Bond. 'Denis believes she is hugely talented, as well as having an alluring appeal to younger generations, vital in modernising the franchise. 'They've hung out together a lot and he has admired her stratospheric rise. 'Plus Sydney has the quality of being athletic and able to perform physical scenes, as well as being feminine and following in the legacy of the Bond girls.' Denis was unveiled as the director of the next Bond film last month and he vowed to ' honour the tradition' of the character, who will be played by a new actor after Daniel Craig walked away from the movie franchise. The filmmaker said in a statement: 'Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr No with Sean Connery.
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Bottom-Line ROI: Does Branding Really Matter?
Kayden Michael, founder of Watson Branding + Marketing, empowers brands to perform at their best. Here in Texas, we know a thing or two about brands. To this day, cattle in Texas wear a permanent posterior stamp of ownership—a brand—to remind you who you're doing business with. Of all the branches of business and their perceived value, branding can be one of the hardest to quantify. Quarterly sales figures are easy to count, but can we measure the impact of a logo or a tonal shift in messaging? Few business owners would dismiss the impact of branding outright, but a lingering question looms overhead: How much difference does branding make? In our agency's work with businesses across the U.S., we've helped numerous companies turn around sales, increase site traffic and create deeper campaigns that connect with their audiences. As the founder, I've witnessed how branding can redefine businesses. It Ain't Marketing Branding and marketing perform a delicate, often beautiful dance. But when one foot steps too far ahead of the other, the stumble is hard to ignore. If you haven't paused to distinguish between the two, here's one way to think about it: Marketing is how you reach your audience. Branding is how you keep them. So, does branding move the ROI needle? Here are a few key areas where the impact is measurable. 1. Positioning: Pick a lane. Every company starts out with a stance. Too often, that stance is either uncertain or misaligned. Being true to yourself takes courage, and great brands know who they want to attract and who they need to repel. An e-commerce brand came to us after their handbag product had plateaued from a promising start. We repositioned them to show their audience that women can be tough and a little fancy. The next year, product sales increased even more and site traffic more than doubled. 2. Visual Identity: Look the part. A small college with a powerful value proposition asked us to review their website. An inaudible cry for help leaped off the page. Antiquated presentation and bland composition begged the question: Would I be proud of this as my Alma Mater? We led a ground-up branding refresh that instantly modernized their image, careful not to meddle with historic seals or color schemes. The effect was a transformative increase in branded search, marking a clear shift for a school serious about its future and the future it offers with every degree. Your customers constantly ask silent questions: Will support help me? Will the product last? Will this company still be around in two years? Leverage your visual identity to answer for them. A serious brand answers objections that never need to be spoken. 3. Messaging: Empathize out loud. AI has propelled messaging in new directions, but AI-generated copy routinely falls short without professional guidance. Remember that the pillars that undergird effective messaging are unchanged by technology. Buyers have a hardwired nervous system that chooses one product over another for one reason: They feel seen. We revised the messaging for an upscale venue in the Midwest and helped them significantly raise pricing compared to a sister venue under the same ownership. The shift? Audiences went from thinking "just another venue" to "the venue for me." Making Art Count With results like these, why does branding still carry a dubious reputation? Simple: Keeping score matters—and not every agency does it. Branding attracts creative minds. Many love art for art's sake, and some use a company as their personal canvas (and benefactor) to commission artistic expression that may be vivid, but still fail to effect change. There's nothing wrong with beautiful art. But the question remains: How do you make it work for your brand? Branding should begin with measurable goals. For example: • Increasing market share from 3.1% to 4.5% in 2 years • Increasing product sales through Q4 by 45% YoY • Increasing branded search queries by 30% in six months This kind of alignment keeps expectations clear on both sides. Your business has the right to ask great things. Your agency should report on goals alongside the strategic debuts of assets and campaigns that should be exciting! Done right, branding helps you get there, and more importantly, it can help you stay there. Build Something That Lasts If you're weighing a brand update and unsure about ROI, that's fair. You're not wrong for protecting your business from sunk costs. But standing still isn't a growth plan. Branding is a powerful tool. You remember slogans, jingles and commercials from your childhood. You glance at four different sports drinks on the shelf and think, "That one will make me feel better." Our minds are proof that branding works. So give your branding something to aim at with distinct metrics and expectations. Then make the world a little bit better by leaving an unforgettable impression that your audience will still carry through the years, even the decades. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Forbes
4 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Marketing Without Google: How AI Breaks The First Rule Of Visibility
VP Marketing at Looper Insights. Writing about how AI is transforming marketing strategy, visibility, and long-term growth planning. For decades, search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and paid media strategies have been grounded in one central truth: If you could optimize your content to appeal to Google's algorithm, you could climb the ranks, earn visibility and influence discovery. Whether it was organic reach or ad placement, it revolved around Google's ecosystem. That ecosystem has shaped how most companies structure their marketing strategies, hire teams and allocate budget. But with generative AI tools changing how people search, that center of gravity is changing. This shift is happening faster than most in our industry are ready to admit. The Shift From SEO At the time of writing, Google still holds its dominant position in search. Gemini, despite being integrated into some search experiences, has not yet meaningfully disrupted that dominance. But what users encounter when interacting with Gemini through standard Google Search feels significantly different—less intuitive and less capable—than the experience within the standalone Gemini app or other generative tools. The first issue is usability. The second—and more complex—is trust. Most generative tools currently offer unsponsored results. For now, when I ask a model like ChatGPT, "Which are the best analytics platforms in media and entertainment?" I get a list shaped by public data and contextual relevance, not paid placements. That is a major contrast to traditional search, where we have spent years fine-tuning search engine marketing (SEM) strategies that would help position our companies near the top of the results page. This shift means companies, including ours, are pausing to rethink. At Looper Insights, we have started reducing investment in SEO and PPC—not because they are suddenly worthless, but because we need time to understand how this new search behavior works and where it is heading. When the rules change, it is smart to slow down and observe before going all in. For others looking to follow suit, I recommend reinvesting some of that budget into activities that feel less volatile and more value-driven, such as live events and well-placed PR. These are hardly new tactics, but they are gaining new relevance. In a fragmented search environment, you need credibility to travel with the user wherever they go. A thoughtful piece of press coverage or a face-to-face conversation builds trust in ways no keyword strategy ever could. A New Phase In Marketing What's tricky is that many agencies and consultants are already rushing to sell AI-driven SEO strategies, and it's easy to see why. When your role depends on staying ahead of change, there's pressure to appear as though you've already cracked the code. But the reality is, no one has. Not yet. The platforms are still evolving. Monetization models remain unsettled. And most importantly, user behavior is still shifting, sometimes week by week. Will generative tools eventually introduce sponsored recommendations? Most likely. If you look at how Google evolved, it is a familiar pattern. Trust first, monetize later. Once a tool becomes embedded in how we work, shop, travel and even diagnose our health, the influence it holds becomes exponential. When that time comes, the marketing playbook will change again, but we are not there yet. We are, however, seeing clear early signals. According to Similarweb, about 60% of Google searches now end without any external clicks. Users are increasingly finding what they need directly in search summaries without ever visiting a site. Data shared by Barron's (registration required) shows Google-generated traffic has already dropped by 20% for travel sites, 17% for news outlets and 9% for e-commerce platforms. This is a measurable decline that reflects real behavioral change. For marketers, this is both exciting and uncomfortable. We are entering a new phase. For the first time in a long while, we are not optimizing incrementally. We are facing a foundational shift in how visibility is earned. The old frameworks are not being improved—they are being replaced. That does not mean we need to panic, but it does mean we need to pay close attention and be willing to experiment without expecting familiar returns. Closing Thoughts I believe there has never been a better time to be in marketing. The past decade gave us refinement. The next 10 years will bring reinvention. The unknown brings some hesitation, but mostly, it brings energy. I feel fortunate to be doing this work right now. This article is the first in a series about the pillars of marketing that are being reshaped. Next, I will explore how the shift toward hyper-personalized content capsules could upend everything we thought we knew about content creation, messaging and what relevance really looks like in this new environment. Forbes Communications Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
Zawya
4 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Creative Zone CEO featured in AI video to promote AI and tech company setup in the UAE
Dubai, UAE – Creative Zone, the UAE's leading business setup advisory firm, has unveiled its latest marketing campaign powered by artificial intelligence – a bold move that positions the company at the forefront of digital innovation in the business support services sector. The campaign's first video – which can be viewed here – crafted entirely with AI tools, showcases an inspiring narrative on entrepreneurship and future-forward thinking. It marks the beginning of a multi-part content series aimed at highlighting the limitless potential of entrepreneurs who choose Dubai as their business home. 'We're not just helping people start businesses – we're challenging them to think different,' says Lorenzo Jooris, CEO of Creative Zone. 'By using AI to create these storytelling pieces, we're showing that embracing technology isn't just smart – it's essential.' The use of generative AI in marketing content is gaining momentum globally, but few service-based companies in the UAE have adopted it as strategically as Creative Zone. With six more AI-powered videos in the pipeline, the initiative marks a new chapter in the intersection of marketing, entrepreneurship, and technology. While the campaign is visually captivating, its deeper message lies in how technology is reshaping the DNA of modern entrepreneurship. Artificial intelligence isn't just for big tech firms anymore – it's becoming an essential toolkit for entrepreneurs, SMEs, and startups across sectors. From automating administrative tasks to streamlining customer service with chatbots, AI is unlocking time and resources for founders to focus on strategic growth. Predictive analytics helps businesses anticipate customer needs, machine learning improves decision-making, and AI-generated content enables cost-effective marketing at scale. What was once out of reach for small businesses is now accessible, affordable, and increasingly necessary. Creative Zone's decision to adopt AI in its own campaigns reflects its ethos of 'practising what you preach.' As a trusted advisor to thousands of startups, the company consistently champions a future-ready approach – one where founders integrate AI and digital tools into their business models from day one. 'We advise thousands of startups and SMEs every year. What we've seen is that the most successful founders aren't always the ones with the biggest budgets – they're the ones who adapt quickly to tools that make their lives easier, like AI, automation, and data,' says Jooris. For Creative Zone, this isn't about trend-following – it's about future-proofing. By helping entrepreneurs understand and adopt the right tech stack early on, the firm ensures they can scale faster, operate leaner, and remain agile in an increasingly digital economy. Creative Zone also offers tailored support to entrepreneurs in the AI and tech sectors through specialized business setup packages. These include flexible licensing options, access to startup hubs, and guidance on integrating AI into business operations from day one. This strategic move to highlight AI through its own campaigns aligns with Creative Zone's broader commitment to champion innovation in the UAE and beyond. About Creative Zone Founded in 2010, Creative Zone is the UAE's leading business setup consultancy, helping entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes navigate the complexities of licensing, visas, government approvals, and strategic growth. With over 75,000 businesses launched through its platform, Creative Zone is committed to supporting founders at every step of their journey, from idea to execution and beyond. About Encor Encor is a leading corporate, trust, and fund services platform headquartered in Hong Kong. With a strong international presence across multiple continents, Encor operates across key markets such as China, Southeast Asia, and the GCC, helping clients with their business expansion needs.
The Sun
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Marketing pro reveals ‘decoy' trick cinemas use to make you spend more – it's the same with restaurant wine & phones
DO you find going to the cinema an expensive time out as you always spend more than you had intended? A marketing expert has revealed the clever psychological 'decoy' trick brands do to make you part with more cash, and it explains why you want the large popcorn. 3 They shared how cinemas often offer three sizes of popcorn - small, medium and large - but offer strategic pricing. They shared how if a small popcorn is $3.50, a medium is $6 and a large is $6.50, you are likely to go for a large. They explained on the @curatedtips account: 'Most people go for a large. Why pay $6 when $6.50 gets you more? 'But here's the trick, medium isn't meant to be picked. 'It's a decoy. Its only job? Make the large look like a no-brainer. 'You think you are choosing freely, but your choice was framed.' They added that this trick isn't just used in the cinema, and claimed restaurants do it too with wine. They also said that you can see it with phone deals too, where companies sometimes upsell you on a pricey phone as it seems like a better deal than the 'middle' one. The marketing expert added: 'It's not about value. It's about contrast. 'We choose what feels smart next to the dumb one.' What you see first in this mind-bending optical illusion reveals if you are an optimist or a pessimist They added that nobody wants to select the decoy, but it is there to 'push' you to spend more. SOCIAL REACTION Over 106,000 people liked the video and were quick to give their views in the comments. One said: "I will admit i have fallen for this trick many times.' A second added: 'I mean I totally believe this is true, but I honestly picked the medium popcorn for the amount it had.' 3 3 And one commented: 'I'm sneaking my snacks in lol.' Meanwhile, one person chimed in: 'I worked at a theater, and sometimes a family would come in and order 4 Small popcorns. 'I'd tell them to just get a Large because it comes with a free refill. Then just divide it in boxes. 'I'm not a good business man, but I do like to help people.' Five secret branding messages you may have missed LOTS of brands have secret messages on their logos - so which ones have you spotted? Amazon Most people either have Amazon Prime and/or regularly order from the site, so are used to seeing the logo. But have you ever noticed the little arrow underneath the word Amazon? It starts at the 'A' and finishes at the 'Z' - showing that they sell everything from A to Z! Toblerone It caused a stir a few years ago when people realised the Toblerone logo - which they'd thought was a mountain - is actually the image of a bear. The reason for this is that a bear is the official symbol of the Swiss town of Bern, the original home of Toblerone. Ray-Ban The brand is arguably one of the most famous sunglasses companies in the world. But have you ever spotted the sunglasses image in the logo? If you look carefully at the letter 'B' in Ray-Ban and tilt your head to the side, you will see it looks like a pair of sunnies. Hyundai You'd be forgiven for thinking the 'H' logo for Hyundai is just meant to be a jazzy letter. In fact, if you look again, you might see that the vertical lines of the H are actually meant to show two people shaking hands - a salesperson and a satisfied customer. Apple Again, one of the most familiar logos in the world. But why does Apple's apple logo have a bite taken out of it? Apparently, it's down to the fact that when the logo is made smaller, they didn't want it to look like a cherry. So having the bite taken out of it means it is always identifiable as an apple.
