Category: Blog

  • An Update on the Underpriced Attention: The FYP Gets Social Proofed

    An Update on the Underpriced Attention: The FYP Gets Social Proofed

    Your brand strategy probably needs to change and Instagram just dropped THREE NEW features to prove it. We’re officially in the non-follower era, where the majority of views come from people who don’t follow you, and Instagram’s newest features, Reposts, Friends Map, and Friends Feed, are built for that reality.

    This isn’t just a platform update; it’s a wake-up call to rethink how you create, distribute, and measure your content. Brands that adapt quickly will earn outsized reach and engagement while everyone else plays catch-up.

    To help you move fast, the PAC (Platforms, Algorithms, and Culture) team, EVP, Peter Chun, and I broke down exactly what these changes mean, why they’re a massive opportunity, and how to take advantage right now.

    You can watch the full session here or keep scrolling for the TL;DR.

    The New Era of Social

    Let’s be real, social media is a landscape that changes faster than the seasons and we’ve been tracking the shift. On many of our top-performing Instagram Reels, between 99.2%-100% of views are coming from people who don’t follow the accounts. Instagram’s latest features aren’t just updates; they’re built to fuel this trend.

    This is the “non-follower era,” and it demands a different creative approach. Instead of producing content only for your loyal audience, you need to create posts as if it’s someone’s very first impression of your brand.

    The “P” and “A” of PAC: Platforms and Algorithms

    Let’s talk about the big picture: our PAC framework is built on three pillars, but right now, Platforms and Algorithms are the ones that matter most.

    The platforms are constantly releasing new features, and they all seem to slowly evolve from one platform to the next. The key is to adopt these new features early. Why? Because the platform wants to see how they perform, so they’re likely to give your content a boost. Brands need to think like creators and jump on these opportunities.

    The algorithms are all about primary metrics and understanding user behavior. Your content’s success isn’t just about views; it’s about what people do after they see your content. We’re talking about shares, comments, and, now, reposts. This is the power of what our team calls “underpriced attention.”

    Instagram Reposts: DM’s with a Megaphone 🙂 

    The headline feature everyone is talking about is the new repost button, which functions similarly to the retweet on X, or the repost on TikTok. It’s a game-changer because it builds off the behavior of sending DMs and makes it public; it’s your DMs with a megaphone. When a follower reposts your content, their followers will see it in their feed. This gives your content a massive organic reach that would have been impossible before.

    So, how can you use this?

    • Repost your top performers: Give your best content a second life by reposting it with a new note or a fresh perspective.
    • Give love to sub-brands or clients: If you’re an agency or a larger company, reposting content from other brands you work with or that you admire is a great way to show off what you’re doing and build community.
    • Connect with your community: Repost a fan’s post featuring your product. It’s a powerful way to show your brand’s empathy and connectivity, and it can completely change how people perceive you.

    Friends Map and Friends Feed: A New Way to Connect

    These two new features are all about seeing what your connections are doing.

    The ‘Friends Map’ lets you see content that has been tagged with a specific location from people you follow. The key takeaway for brands is simple: use location tags. If you’re a restaurant, a retail store, or even a brand hosting an event, a location tag is a new way to get discovered.

    The ‘Friends Feed’ is a curated feed of public Reels that your friends have liked, commented on, or shared. For brands, this is about understanding the mindset of the “group chat.” Create content that is relevant and so “on-the-nose” that people will want to tag their friends in it. The more conversation you can drive, the more organic distribution you’ll get.

    *We recommend that brands keep their locations private unless there’s an intentional reason to be discovered. We’ll be keeping close tabs on how use cases for this feature evolves.*

    If you’ve made it this far…

    The non-follower era is here to stay. While followers are still important, the new Instagram features are a clear signal that the platform is prioritizing discovery and shareability. The best thing you can do? Move fast. Experiment. Don’t be precious.

    As a brand or marketer, you have a massive opportunity to use these new features to reach new audiences and drive real value. Now get out there and start posting (and reposting!).

    Curious for more?

    Watch Peter, and I break it all down, live, on Linkedin and Youtube.

    And if staying ahead of the industry curve is your thing (it should be), hit follow on LinkedIn. We’re sharing insights, trends, and bold hot takes weekly. 

    Wanna chat? Drop us a line here

  • The Chat Effect: Impact of Conversational AI on Search Marketing

    The Chat Effect: Impact of Conversational AI on Search Marketing

    This week, our Head of Investment Jon Morgenstern and EVP of Media Benjamin Allison discussed The Chat Effect, a live deep dive on how advanced conversational AI is increasingly disrupting the fundamental architecture that, for over two decades, has underpinned user search behavior on the internet. This consumer shift in-kind is creating new, novel priorities within both traditional SEO & SEM practices that marketers must understand and begin adapting to sooner vs. later as we close out the back half of 2025.

    No differently than the years-long window of “Digital Transformation” marketers have been living through, this emergent “AI Transformation” era we expect will also take several years to manifest to its full potential. That said, there are multiple concrete steps brands can and should be taking today to gain an early foothold and advantage in the current AI search landscape, which Jon, Ben and Avery focus primarily on in the stream.

    You can catch the full event video recording on VaynerMedia’s LinkedIn & YouTube channels, or keep scrolling for the tl;dr. Be sure to download the full report presentation that was highlighted during the live-stream as well, as it goes into even more depth on the core topics discussed and more, and was designed with pragmatism for brand marketing leaders in mind.

    AI Search Continues to Scale & Grow Share

    Platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are enhancing and evolving the search experience as we know it, moving from more front-and-center clickable links and last-click attribution to synthesized contextual answers, accelerating the rise of zero-click search consumption and other novel measurement challenges for a historically web traffic-centric (and dependent) ecosystem, pushing legacy metrics like CTR towards obsolescence while augmenting the importance of experimenting with new AI-forward metrics such as Share of Model among others.

    In 2025, we estimate that AI search already accounts for roughly 7.6% of global queries. By 2027, we expect that to more than triple. Among others, a core question is the speed and magnitude by which Google disrupts itself, and proliferates its balance of AI Overviews within traditional search vs. AI Mode vs. other Gemini-powered features and interfaces to come.

    This shift is impacting everything from how websites are crawled/indexed to how and where ads are served to how success is measured. Zero-click behavior is rising, organic search traffic is declining, and visibility is being redefined, with different query categories being asymmetrically disrupted now vs. tomorrow, and an ever-growing critical need to orient around traffic value over volume.

    Winning in the New World of Search

    We believe we’re in a fourth era of digital disruption, after the rise of the web, search, and social; the era of AI-powered search, discovery and agentic automation. Brands should be preparing and understanding the substantial magnitude of disruption that’s already begun to play out, and act with agility and urgency, starting by starting.

    Here’s how we’re advising partners to adapt:

    1. Make your content LLM-friendly.

    AI doesn’t just crawl websites; it reads, quotes, and summarizes. Brands should optimize for scannability and structure across websites, social posts, video captions, and FAQ pages.

    2. Get your product data optimized & in the right feeds.

    Integrate with nascent ChatGPT Shopping offering and join Perplexity’s Merchant Program. Visibility in AI commerce starts with showing up, and the rules of the game are still new. Ensure metadata attributes and richness of descriptions + other core fields are strong, accurate & as near-real-time as possible.

    3. Start testing AI-powered ads.

    Google’s opened up ad placements within AIO & AI Mode for specific campaign types and Copilot (Microsoft) is also exploring new ad formats/placements. Ads can serve within AIO & AI Mode user experiences as of May of this year, with specific criteria required within certain campaign types (i.e. broad match keyword type only, AI-powered campaign objectives, etc.) that should be internalized by performance teams and explored accordingly (trust, but verify mentality).

    4. Evolve how you measure success.

    Organic search referral volume is generally down, a trend which we expect to continue across more and more sectors at growing significance. Impressions, “share of model,” and prompt visibility are what will matter incrementally more, including tracking over time across prompts and attributing post-view impact as best as current/future systems will allow (a whole separate discussion and tool set to discuss).

    TL;DR: Start Now

    AI search isn’t coming. It’s here. And the brands that are already experimenting, across content, media, and measurement, are going to be the ones who win the next wave of discovery.

    Curious for more?
    We barely scratched the surface here. For the full download on how AI is rewriting the rules of search, grab the full report. Hear Jon and Ben break it all down, live, on YouTube.

    The Chat Effect: Impact of Conversational AI on Search MarketingPlay Video

    And if staying ahead of the industry curve is your thing (it should be), hit follow on LinkedIn. We’re sharing insights, trends, and bold takes weekly. You’ll want in.

  • Dew Drip: Where Outdoor Utility Meets Cultural Relevance

    Dew Drip: Where Outdoor Utility Meets Cultural Relevance

    Mountain Dew is no stranger to showing up in unexpected places, but this time, we took things off the shelves and into the outdoors with Dew Drip, a limited-edition fashion capsule co-created with Australian technical apparel label PYRA.

    This collaboration marked a bold shift into the Gorpcore space, merging Mountain Dew’s unapologetic energy with PYRA’s performance-driven streetwear. It was a natural fit grounded in shared values around movement, nature, and disruption.

    Starting with the Right Question

    The creative spark began with a single provocation: What happens when a loud, flavour-packed beverage brand meets a fashion trend known for its restraint and utility?

    Before Dew Drip ever hit the drawing board, we tested the waters with the Mountain Dew community, with one rogue pair of jorts. The response was instant. The fans went wild. That scrappy, real-world signal proved two things: there was an appetite for Dew in the fashion space, and real space for its bold energy in the rising Gorpcore movement.

    Gorpcore has grown from a niche aesthetic to a staple of modern streetwear. As it became more popular, it also became more muted. We saw a clear opportunity to break through that sameness by bringing in Mountain Dew’s signature chaos, colour, and personality. The goal was to stand out in a space that tends to blend in.

    Building a Culturally Relevant Brand World

    We knew the voice of this campaign needed to feel distinctly Dew. It had to be bold, irreverent, culturally tapped-in, and rooted in adventure. This tone shaped everything from the apparel design, like the antimicrobial balaclavas and volt green camo puffers, to the content and copy, which leaned into Aussie humour and self-awareness.

    We also knew that if Mountain Dew was going to enter the fashion space, it had to feel credible. That meant creating a collection that didn’t just look good in a photoshoot but was actually built to move. PYRA was the right partner to deliver on that promise.

    Strategy that Moves With Culture

    From the start, this wasn’t just about selling a product. It was about inserting Mountain Dew into culture in a way that made sense for the brand and for the audience. The media strategy was built entirely for social, with rollouts across TikTok, Instagram, and Meta. We activated influencer talent who could connect with outdoor enthusiasts and streetwear fans alike.

    To ensure the campaign stayed relevant, our strategy team ran a cultural audit leading into launch, reaffirming that Gorpcore was not only still trending but growing. The timing was right, and so was the tone.

    A Creative Process Driven by Collaboration

    The path from idea to execution was deeply collaborative. Our team at VaynerMedia Australia led everything from the initial insight to the final rollout, including involvement in the product design alongside PYRA. One standout moment came when our Senior Art Director, Lehi Curtis, created a mashup logo that perfectly captured the spirit of the collaboration. That design became a visual anchor for the entire collection.

    Throughout the shoot, we saw the campaign come to life in unexpected ways, whether it was watching our talent explore the great outdoors or seeing how naturally the gear blended fashion and function.

    A Strong Start With Room to Grow

    In the first week alone, the campaign reached 2.7 million people on Meta and 1.7 million on TikTok. We drove nearly 10,000 clicks to the site and are already pacing at nearly half of our primary reach goal. Engagement rates are strong, and early community response suggests this is more than a one-off; it’s a blueprint for how Mountain Dew can continue to show up in fashion.

    Looking Ahead

    One of the biggest takeaways from this work is that authenticity matters. Whether we’re creating for gamers, outdoor adventurers, or fashion-forward Gen Z audiences, Mountain Dew finds success when it shows up in spaces where it feels at home, even if it’s in unexpected ways.

    With Dew Drip, we didn’t just design apparel. We built something that captured the energy of the brand, connected with culture, and gave people a reason to look twice. 

    If you’re a brand looking to break into culture in bold, unexpected, and strategic ways, let’s talk. VaynerMedia is built to help you show up where it matters most, and in ways that only you can.

  • Cannes Lions 2025: Where Modern Marketing Showed Up

    Cannes Lions 2025: Where Modern Marketing Showed Up

    My first Cannes Lions was an unforgettable masterclass in connection, creativity, and modern comms – with a healthy dose of chaos, rosé, late nights, big laughs, and even bigger ideas.

    Cannes 2025 was a full-force look at how brands are being built today, and VaynerX was in it. From shaping panels to sharing the stage, from intimate gatherings at our Vayner Villa to buzzing hangs at Chez Vayner Café, we showed up with heart, hustle, and a whole lot of fun.

    Alongside our incredible clients, creators, partners, and leadership, we leaned into what’s shaping the industry right now: AI, creator commerce, retail media, storytelling, and the new ways agencies and brands are teaming up to move at the speed of culture.

    Here’s how the week unfolded. On the hill, at the café, and everywhere in between.

    At the Villa: Where Innovation Met Intention

    The Vayner Villa wasn’t just a place to host panels. It was designed to spark what’s next. Every touchpoint gave guests a glimpse into the future, whether they came for the programming or stayed to test new tools.

    We teamed up with Shopify for The Rise of the Creatorpreneurs, a standout panel focused on the shift from influencer to founder. Patrick Ta, Shea Marie, and Shopify’s Head of Brand, Jessica Williams, joined Coveteur’s Editor in Chief, Faith Xue, to talk about what it really takes to turn an audience into a business. Creators aren’t just setting trends – they’re building real businesses, shaping culture, and rewriting the rules of brand. 

    That spirit continued through our partnership with Glance AI. We brought their luxury fashion mirror experience to life at the Villa, giving guests a chance to explore curated looks, try them on virtually, and see AI make style feel personal. Their companion panel, Mirror, Mirror on My Phone, featured leaders from Tapestry and Chinese Laundry and explored how AI is reshaping retail in a way that’s more visual, emotional, and user-led.

    Between all of that, we still made space for meaningful connection. Our midweek Lunch List with MCoBeauty was the reset everyone needed. Creators like Campbell “Pookie” Puckett and Jenna Palek joined brand marketers for an intimate gathering over great food and even better conversation. Big ideas, small plates. Sometimes, a shared meal is where the magic starts. 

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    At the Café: The Pulse of the Croisette

    Chez Vayner was our heartbeat on the ground. A place where brand leaders, creators, and modern marketers could connect, think out loud, and trade real insights.

    Our CMO Circles were some of the most honest and future-focused moments of the week. We dug into everything from retail media with Chase to rethinking the agency model for brands that need to move faster. One CMO Circle that stood out was Innovation at Work, where brand leaders came together for a candid conversation on putting innovation into action. The focus was on the real-world application of transformative strategies, highlighting both the wins and the lessons learned. With unfiltered peer insights at the center, the group explored how to navigate internal hurdles, foster organizational alignment, and drive change that leads to measurable impact.

    The rest of our programming kept that same energy. From Olaplex, Snapchat, and Tinder exploring The New Rules of Engagement, to our CMO Avery Akkineni and Google’s Tanya Madan discussing how Android connects with Gen Z communities, the message stayed consistent. The brands winning today are the ones that show up with authenticity, creativity, and a clear point of view.

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    And of course, hospitality played its role. Our Rosé Reception with Chase was a golden hour done right with crisp pours, smart conversations, and a crowd that included marketers, media execs, and creators. Zappi’s AI Atelier cocktail experience blended personalization and tech in a playful, creative way. Then came VX After Dark, where each night turned the café into something new. One night, a Ruby Rouge cabaret with MAC Cosmetics; another, a martini-fueled industry sendoff with The Drum that closed the week in style.

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    Offsite and On Stage: Shaping the Conversation

    While Chez Vayner was full all week, our leadership was out across the Croisette helping to lead the conversation.

    We started strong with VaynerX CMO Avery Akkineni moderating Power Moves: How Best to Prepare for the C-Suite. It was a powerful conversation about leadership, accountability, and how to prepare for the weight of representing your team.

    On Tuesday, VaynerMedia’s International President Marcus Krzastek joined a panel at Little Black Book Beach to explore how creative and media are evolving together. Later that day, our Chief Client Officer Nick Miaritis spoke at Google Beach about where the future of marketing is heading and the importance of staying close to culture.

    To close the week, VaynerMedia President of Americas John Terrana joined the Next in Media podcast to talk creators, streaming, and what’s next for media. Our Chief Business Officer also joined LinkedIn for a conversation about live shopping, in-housing trends, and why comments are becoming a new form of creative. These weren’t just appearances—they were perspective-setting moments that added real value to the broader festival.

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    What We’re Taking Home

    The week was full of meetings, panels, insights, and inspiration. But a few themes rose above the noise:

    🧠 Creators took over. Whether it was on panels, media buys, or brand partnerships, creators didn’t just show up—they drove the conversation. The best brands leaned into long-term, real relationships.

    🤖 AI was everywhere. But the best takeaways weren’t hype. They were practical. Smart brands are figuring out how to use AI to solve actual business challenges, not just chase trends.

    🔁 New ways of working are taking hold. Brands want flexibility, speed, and collaboration. Our Vayner Co-Lab model is one of many signs that the traditional AOR playbook is getting rewritten.

    🎨 Creativity still leads. In a world of automation and algorithms, original thinking stands out. Storytelling, ideas, and craft are still what move people—and they always will.

     

    The energy at Cannes this year was all about substance. The brands and leaders making the biggest waves weren’t just talking – they were showing up with clarity, purpose, and a real point of view. We’re heading home with stronger partnerships, sharper insights, and momentum that doesn’t stop here. Now it’s time to turn all that conversation into action and keep building what’s next.

    Au revoir – see you on the Coisette in 2026! 

  • Building a Recession-Proof Value Strategy

    Building a Recession-Proof Value Strategy

    The economy may be shifting, but one thing is clear: consumers are shifting faster. They’re cutting back, trading down, and reevaluating what’s truly worth their money. For brands, staying relevant in this climate means moving beyond short-term promotions and focusing on long-term value.

    But value isn’t a one-size-fits-all concept. It’s emotional, it’s social, and it’s defined by the consumer, not the company. Our new guide for brands, Building a Recession-Proof Value Strategy is designed to help marketers bridge the gap between shrinking wallets and rising expectations. Because in 2025, showing up on social media isn’t enough. You need to show up with clarity, consistency, and purpose.

    Here are three key takeaways from the report:

    🔍 Value is multi-dimensional, and consumers define it.


    Today’s consumers are looking for emotional reassurance, durability, social alignment, and convenience. Brands should take the time to understand how value is perceived in their category and adjust their messaging accordingly on social platforms.

    📊 Social media is the new recession barometer.


    Platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram have become spaces where people share spending habits, product recommendations, and brand perceptions in real time. If you want to understand where your brand stands, look there and not just at economic indicators or internal dashboards.

    💬 Creators and community feedback are strategic tools.


    Relatable creators often hold more influence than traditional ads, and social comments offer direct insight into what matters most to your audience. Tapping into micro-creators, monitoring comment trends, and embracing Comments as Creative (CasC) are key ways to build trust and relevance.

    For more insights and examples, watch the replay of our virtual event and download the report below!

    Download Report
  • Celebrating AANHPI Month with Vaysians: A Q&A with Co-Leads Jennifer Bang and Kim Wong

    Celebrating AANHPI Month with Vaysians: A Q&A with Co-Leads Jennifer Bang and Kim Wong

    Vaysians, VaynerMedia’s community resource group for Asian/Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) employees, has created space for connection, cultural celebration, and community. What began as a small, informal gathering in 2017 has grown into a global network of AANHPI members and allies focused on increasing visibility, multi-dimensional storytelling, and support.

    This May, Vaysians led a company-wide celebration of AANHPI Month through a social content series, in-person events, and multi-office activations. From the “Vayner Voyages” storytelling takeover spotlighting individual career journeys to a joint event with VaynerMusic, and intimate interviews exploring identity in creative fields, the programming focused on creating human-to-human connection.

    We spoke with some Vaysians co-leads (Jennifer Bang, Kim Wong, Nicole Enrile, Kara Kung, Geethika Bathini, and Cristy Sotelo) to reflect on this year’s activations, how the group has evolved over the past 11 years, and what the future holds for the next generation of Vaysians.

    What was the intention behind this year’s AANHPI Month content series and social takeover?

    Since last year, Vaysians has been working closely with the MarComms team to amplify AANHPI voices through the VaynerX platform. Some of the key contacts within MarComms are Vaysians members themselves, which made planning smooth and feasible. The value of the content series is to reach AANHPI communities outside of VaynerX and connect with people on a human-to-human level.

     

    What stories or themes stood out most from the interviews with Vaysians members?

    The biggest theme that stood out was cultural identity. Many AANHPI people are working and living in an individualistic society in North America while balancing a cultural identity that is collectivist by nature. There was also a shared experience around the pressure to follow more traditional career paths — the familiar idea that our parents wanted us to be doctors, lawyers, or engineers — but instead, many of us have found our way into creative industries or roles in creative spaces.

    Why is it important for AANHPI people to feel safe, seen, and represented in the workplace?

    Why wouldn’t anyone want to feel safe, seen, and represented in the workplace? There is not much difference among diverse groups when it comes to this need — it should be the bare minimum that everyone feels all three.

     

    How did the broader Vayner community engage with the content? Anything that resonated more than expected?

    In the Los Angeles office, cultural phrases of the week were introduced, and it was endearing to hear non-AANHPI peers using them in meetings. A scavenger hunt helped rally weekly participation, and the office was decorated to keep awareness and spirit high.

    In the New York office, Vaysians hosted a “Yap + Sip Social Hour” sponsored by Sasha Group President Matt Garcia, who is also an investor in the soju brand Yobo Spirits. Attendees showed genuine curiosity about the flavors they were trying and stayed to connect with one another.

    In the Toronto office, an Asian Heritage Month collage sparked organic conversation and connection. Sharing personal facts and new information brought people together in a meaningful way.

    Vaysians has been around for 11 years. How has the group evolved since Jennifer Bang and Denise Chan first started it?

    In 2017, Jennifer Bang and Denise Chan brought together a small group of Asian American colleagues who had expressed an interest in meeting monthly. Invites were shared by word of mouth, agendas were fluid, and attendance was inconsistent — especially since there was no clear precedent for prioritizing internal or cultural initiatives over client work. At the time, there also weren’t many AANHPI employees at the company. But Jennifer and Denise made time to plan weekly conversations that naturally flowed toward topics like current events, representation in media and entertainment, and personal experiences both in and outside the workplace.

    What has been the most meaningful shift or milestone in Vaysians’ journey so far?

    Retention and expansion. There has been a shift toward prioritizing active internal members, recruiting new members, and creating leadership positions within the group.

     

    How has the mission or purpose of Vaysians expanded or shifted over the years?

    The mission has remained remarkably consistent: to promote multi-dimensional narratives about AANHPI people.

     

    What are your hopes or plans for the next chapter of Vaysians, either this year or in the longer term?

    The goal for the rest of 2025 and into 2026 is to see continued growth in the newer chapters in Toronto and Los Angeles, and to reactivate the London chapter. There is also excitement around collaborating more with other CRGs to support and celebrate one another.

     

    What advice would you give to new members or future co-leads who want to shape the next 11 years?

    Continue to reclaim what this means — that being Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and/or Pacific Islander is part of our identity every day. While it’s important to honor special macromoments like Lunar New Year, AANHPI Month, or Mid-Autumn Festival, it’s equally important to celebrate the small, everyday micromoments.

    Want to learn more from our Vaysians crew? Check out our content series over on Instagram.

  • Behind the Work: Launching “You Can’t Hide Great Taste” with Pepsi in APAC

    Behind the Work: Launching “You Can’t Hide Great Taste” with Pepsi in APAC

    In a category full of bold claims, we leaned into something quieter: real expressions that say everything without a word.

    At VaynerMedia APAC, we’ve been working closely with Pepsi on a new long-term platform that flips the traditional taste narrative on its head. It’s called ‘You Can’t Hide Great Taste’ and it’s all about capturing the real, unfiltered expressions people make the moment they taste something amazing.

    No copy-heavy product shots. No over-promising. Just instinctive, joyful reactions to bold flavor (the kind you can’t fake and definitely can’t hide).

    Shifting the Conversation Around Taste

    In a category where “great taste” is table stakes, our shared goal with Pepsi was to stop talking about taste and start showing how it feels. The creative idea centers on a universal truth: when something is so delicious, your face says it all.

    To bring that to life, we partnered with a street photographer, Ken Ekkapon  — someone who had never shot an ad before — to help us capture these blink-and-you-miss-it moments in the wild. The kind of spontaneous reactions you’d see in a candid Story or Reel, not a traditional ad.

    It’s a subtle but deliberate shift away from the brand telling people Pepsi tastes good, and toward letting consumers show it for themselves.

    A Long-Term Platform, Just Getting Started

    You Can’t Hide Great Taste is built to last, not just as a one-off campaign, but as a taste-first platform that will grow with Pepsi across the region.

    Right now, the work is live in Vietnam, the first of several APAC markets where the platform will eventually roll out. We’re still in the early stages, but the foundation is in place: a strong visual system, a recognizable creative signature (what we’re calling the “Taste Face”), and a clear direction for how taste can be communicated with real, human moments.

    Built for a Social-First Generation

    Everything about this work was designed with today’s content behaviors in mind. People scroll fast, they skip ads, and they value authenticity more than perfection. So we built a campaign around those behaviors — one that looks and feels like something your friend might post without thinking twice. We even created mini social films that tap into hilarious moments of your enjoyable Taste Face showing itself in the most inappropriate moments, like when your favourite KPop group breaks up, or when your boss cancels a holiday due to work.

    There’s no media trick here. Just a simple insight and a commitment to showing up honestly, which for a brand as iconic as Pepsi, is a bold move in itself.

    We’re excited to continue building and evolving You Can’t Hide Great Taste across the region.

    Credits:

    VaynerMedia Asia Pacific

    Krystle Morais – Creative Director, APAC

    Pat Chovalit – Associate Creative Director

    Siokkan Chow – Senior Art Director

    Natee Kangvankij– Senior Copywriter

    Vanichaya Tandasena – Designer

    Javier Vidal– Content Creator

    Plaa Kodchakorn– Content Creator

    Pitchaya Namsiri – Project Manager

    Natalie Brooker – Business Director

    Rarida Buppakarepatam – Account Director

    Dao Mutita – Account Director

     

    PepsiCo

    ⁠Masud Anwar – Senior Marketing Manager, Pepsi for Asia Business Unit

    ⁠Sabrina Yu – Marketing Manager, Pepsi for Asia Business Unit

    Usman Shahid – Marketing Director for Asia Business Unit

    Bernard Cheng – Chief Marketing Officer for Asia Business Unit

  • Sometimes consulting is being brave enough to kill your 170-page playbook…

    Sometimes consulting is being brave enough to kill your 170-page playbook…

    We’ve been busy working with a leading property development company in the UK to modernise their marketing strategy. While they’re building amazing leisure destinations in real life, they’ve asked us to help build their brand on social—bringing it up to speed with modern life and putting social at the centre of their marketing efforts.

    Our Initial Marketing Audit

    The foundation of a project like this is always a good old audit. (Okay, we’ll stop with the building puns.) We started by reviewing where the brand sat alongside its competitors, how effective its current marketing was, and where opportunities for improvement were. In our next meeting, we took the client team through our strategy, creative thinking, and examples of what success might look like.

    The feedback? Over 170 pages of insights was way too long. Teams on the client side were getting lost in it—finding it hard to condense into tangible actions, and therefore couldn’t use what we’d shared. We confess, we got a bit carried away with ideas.

    An Actionable Social Framework That Actually Moves the Needle

    But there was a choice to make—about holding ourselves accountable and, ultimately, whether we were driving business results. So, we went back to basics. We audited client teams to find out what the most valuable bits of our initial work were and what was holding people back from using it effectively.

    Armed with new info, we were decisive with our editing and kept only the most valuable, tactical, and applicable content. The final contents included:

    • Our POV on the landscape of modern social
    • Audience cohorts – what they are and how to work with them
    • Social signals  – how they drive relevance and where to find them
    • Content creation tips to maximise attention
    • Amplification and measurement framework to track effectiveness

    Hands-On Implementation and Building a Social-First Culture

    We then got hands-on, helping local teams implement it at scale. Because we don’t build playbooks that sit on the shelf—we build practical solutions that teams can use every single day.

    Part of retraining teams to upskill and put social at the centre of their marketing is teaching. And we love to come in and work closely with people on just that. Now, we’re taking it one step further by placing one of our own strategists into a 3-month secondment with the client—helping to fully embed the handbooks and uncover any operational challenges or skills gaps.

    Adapting for Future Success

    It’s been such a positive experience partnering with a client that truly believes in and invests in a modern approach to marketing. They’re changing traditional boardroom views of social media—and we’re working alongside their marketing team to help make that happen.

    But the real success story here was having the humility to step back, take on feedback, and focus on what was most effective for our client. Our industry is full of agencies wedded to certain ways of doing things—whether that’s consulting, media buying, or the ways we make creative.

    The future of our industry—especially consulting—is about being adaptable and open to change.

  • POSSIBLE 2025 Recap | The Shift to Owned > Earned > Paid

    POSSIBLE 2025 Recap | The Shift to Owned > Earned > Paid

    If your LinkedIn feed looked anything like mine, it was all POSSIBLE, all week. Now in its third year, the conference brought global names to Miami — Martha Stewart, Katie Couric, and of course, Gary Vee.

    Gary showed up with a clear message: the media playbook most marketers are still using is overdue for a rewrite. We’ve entered a new era — Owned > Earned > Paid.

    Today, the most effective brands — including many beloved Vayner clients — are leading with what they own: their channels, their content, their community. When a message hits, it earns attention organically. Only then is it worth amplifying with paid.

    We parked the VaynerX yacht just across from the main stage — a metaphor, perhaps, for how we like to do things. It quickly became a hub for off-the-record conversations about the future of marketing. Safe to say, we’ll be back.

    We Took the Mic and Talked O → E → P

     

    Gary’s keynote pulled no punches. His message was direct: attention isn’t something you can just buy anymore. It has to be earned — through content that’s relevant, timely, and respects how people actually consume media.

    I joined a panel hosted by The Female Quotient alongside Thatiana Diaz, Pedr Howard, and Sheereen Miller-Russell, where we dug into what this looks like in practice. One theme stood out: today’s audiences are building their own content ecosystems — and brands need to bring something valuable to earn a spot inside them.

    Over at Adweek House, our Chief Business Officer Kaylen McNamara explored how cultural context — not just targeting or trends — is what sets breakthrough campaigns apart.

    Breakfast with a POV (and a View)

     

    We kicked off our week with a marketers breakfast co-hosted with Vistar Media — strong coffee, stronger opinions. A few takeaways that stuck:

    • Good content has long legs. With the right distribution strategy, it can spark again and again.
    • OOH and social aren’t separate worlds. When you link creative across both, the impact multiplies.

    Silos slow things down. Real momentum happens when creative, media, and strategy work as one.

    Retail Media, Evolved

     

    Later that day, we shifted to a more intimate conversation — a private leadership lunch with Chase Media Solutions. Lauren Griewski spoke to how Chase is using real transaction data (with care and intention) to power smarter, more relevant campaigns. 

    We kept the conversation going with a special Marketing for the Now episode, recorded live from the yacht. Gary and I welcomed top marketers to share how they’re adapting in real time — and what they’re doing differently in the face of so much change.

    Content, Captured

    You know VaynerX is NOT going to miss a content opportunity… So we partnered with our friends at Shutterstock to capture the week’s moments as they unfolded. From sunrise sessions to sunset panels, they were everywhere, and helped us share the energy in real time (peep the gallery!). We also co-hosted programming throughout the week with Shutterstock’s Chief Enterprise Officer, Aimee Eagan — a true highlight

    CMO Circle: Streaming x Creator Culture

     

    To wrap, we brought together Gary and Tubi’s Chief Revenue Officer Jeff Lucas for a conversation on how streaming and creator culture are converging. From community-built storytelling to new measurement models, the message was clear: the way brands connect with audiences is evolving fast, and on awesome platforms like Tubi.

    We’ll be continuing the conversation in Cannes this June. Want to be part of it? Register here.

  • Inside Bar Tender by Wingstop

    Inside Bar Tender by Wingstop

    If you’re going to introduce a new product, you might as well do it with flavor, energy, and a line around the block.

    To celebrate the launch of their New Crispy Tenders, Wingstop took the bold route. No press conference. No safe little sample table. Instead, they dropped ‘Bar Tender by Wingstop,’ a two-night-only pop-up in NYC where fans, creators, and flavor lovers could quite literally get (their chicken tenders) sauced.

    Bar Tender by Wingstop reimagined the popular Jolene Sound Room in Brooklyn for a tasting experience through the lens of “flavor mixology.” Guests were invited to enjoy all 12 of Wingstop’s iconic flavors, and mix & match to their heart’s content.

    This pop-up was Wingstop’s universe brought to life: bold, flavorful, unapologetic, and full of moments built for the feed.

    The Flavor Offering

    The Sauce & Toss Bar was the heart of the experience. Fans got a taste of chef-made sauced, tossed, and remixed tenders in any way they wanted—guided by Flavor Flight Cards that served as their roadmap (and eventually, a stickered-up receipt of flavor bragging rights). You try Mango Habanero, you get a sticker. Hit 12/12? That’s flavor hall-of-fame status.

    Content ON LOCK


    The Mukbang Station was a crowd favorite, and not just for the influencers. Guests pulled up, got in front of the camera, and filmed their own tender-tasting videos. It leaned into how people already engage with the brand on social—mukbang-style content, big bites, bold reactions—and gave them a ready-made set to go all in.

    For the Real Ones

    Bar Tender by Wingstop was designed for Wingstop’s core consumer. The one who shows up for the bold, the extra, the indulgent. This is a fanbase that doesn’t just eat; they curate, remix, and celebrate their food. Bar Tender by Wingstop gave them a space to do all of that IRL.

    And it worked.

    • 3,000+ people pre-registered within a few hours
    • 2M+ impressions across Wingstop’s Instagram
    • A collab with @fuckjerry delivered +534% more impressions than average content
    • Lines wrapped around two city blocks both nights

    Tastes Better in Person

    The brand showed up best in real life. This wasn’t a campaign you could fully understand in a recap—it had to be felt, tasted, experienced. And people showed up for it.

    Bar Tender by Wingstop wasn’t just a celebration of New Crispy Tenders—it was a full-on flavor universe. An invitation to play. A reminder that food can be content, culture, and community all at once.

    And most importantly—it’s a model for how Wingstop continues to ladder flavor into fandom.