A reflection on the exciting, weird, confusing, and wonderful marketing moments that broke through while I was on parental leave.
In the last 16 weeks I have worked exclusively on a single project. I haven’t communicated with a any clients, haven’t opened my computer once, haven’t thought about deadlines or profitability. I have had many sleepless nights and early mornings, and worried about growth, and both laughed and cried bigger than ever before. Overall, it has been a huge success: His name is Zayn.
While I was able to fully put work aside (forever thankful to my wonderful Teal colleagues!), my digital strategy nerd brain never fully shut off. So yes, of course, I had a note on my phone where I would jot down exciting, weird, confusing, and wonderful marketing I was seeing out in the wild. Here are a few of my favorites…
RCS Messages
I received my first RCS message in mid-December — shoutout CVS, yes I did get my flu vaccine and you should too! Expect to see more brands testing out this more interactive option in 2026 as the latest iPhone iOS update automatically enables them. A quick RCS primer here.
Instagram Navigation
Anyone else get incredibly frustrated by Instagram’s navigation whiplash over the last several months? No, I don’t want Reels to start accidentally playing out loud at 3am while I’m quietly scrolling as I feed my baby! But hey, they have TikTok to keep up with.
AI Media Literacy
In addition to watching our parents dote over their grandson, we also watched how they spent time with their phones. To put it lightly, I was concerned. And, I will admit, I was fooled by an AI video for the first time too. As we further embrace AI, we must keep having conversations about ethics and media literacy. Here are some good tricks for spotting AI videos.
Creator Marketing
On the flip side of the “fakes” I found myself seeking out more authentic content. Especially as I was navigating a sea of inflammatory and contradictory parenting advice, the creators who built trust by sharing their genuine experiences, expertise, and opinions were highly valued voices — shoutout Emily Oster’s weekly AMAs! This isn’t new, but it’s only becoming more true: Any brand shying away from UGC & influencer marketing is missing out. Check out some brands that did it right in 2025.
Brand Shoutouts
Wrapping up with a few fun miscellaneous items. Shoutout to these brands that just made me smile and reminded me of some of my favorite marketing principles:
- Anthropologie – Anyone lucky enough to get an Anthropologie rock for Christmas?! I’m simply delighted by how well Anthropologie leaned into this whimsical social trend. A great example of building an organic moment into real brand equity!
- HOBO – Long my mother’s favorite handbag brand, they certainly got me with their follow up email after I bought her Christmas gift. A subject line that made me laugh and made me curious, delightful! A nice reminder that follow up asks don’t have to be painful – those who converted already like you, reinforce that.
- Williams College – My husband’s alma mater impressed with a level of customization I haven’t seen before: His name, graduation year, and sport all printed on nicely designed high-quality stickers. It felt fancy and fun, and was something we might actually use. Way to not just ask, but also provide value!
As we kick off 2026, and the whole business world is facing the dreaded “circle back,” I’m ready (and even excited?) to shake the cob webs off the strategic side of my brain and circle back to my clients, my dashboards, my budget spreadsheets, and my brilliant team.
