Nothing spooky here — just this month’s top marketing happenings

Despite it being Halloween, we promise nothing spooky in this newsletter — we'll save 2026 planning for another time! Hope you have a great weekend, and I can't wait to see the K-Pop Demon Hunters patrolling my neighborhood. And of course, your monthly trivia: What actor became the youngest person to portray a villainous character in a James Bond movie at age 21 (as a henchman to the lead villain), has appeared in both a Star Wars and Marvel film, and was the first person to win an acting Academy Award for a Spanish-language performance?

trending

One Big Thing

The audience winds are blowing in one direction for media brands this fall. The New York Times added a "Watch" tab — a TikTok-style vertical video feed inside its own app. You can read, play Wordle, or scroll short videos, all within the NYT universe.

Meanwhile, The Verge turned its homepage into a personalized platform where readers can follow topics, get tailored newsletters, and build their own feed. That redesign has already driven a 24% higher CTR among users.

These organizations are doubling down on proximity — creating experiences that keep audiences close and engaged. What would proximity look like for your brand?

mark your calendars

Web Summit

November 10-13 | Lisbon

The Web Summit brings together tens of thousands of innovators, marketers, and decision-makers. A must-attend for anyone looking to stay ahead of trends and connect with a global audience.

Attend

6sense Breakthrough '25

November 11-14 | Las Vegas, NV

This can't miss B2B conference is where marketing and revenue leaders share strategies, insights, and tools for driving smarter, more measurable growth.

MarketingProfs B2B Forum

November 17-19 | Boston, MA

We've shared this one a few times, but last call to attend the MarketingProfs B2B Forum. This longtime event has helped marketers drive growth, boost brand reputation, prove ROI, and stay ahead of the curve.

what caught our eye

What Caught Our Eye

Americans will spend a whopping $13.1 billion on Halloween this year — up from $11.6 billion in 2024. The average spend per person? $114.45, with most going to costumes, decorations, and candy. How did Halloween become such a marketing monster?
If you're like this writer, you binged right through the second season of Netflix's Nobody Wants This. But this season brought an unwelcome surprise: shameless product placement.
And as if that weren't enough, Taylor Swift's polarizing new album, Life of a Showgirl, has critics split — yet The Wall Street Journal wonders if she's a misunderstood marketing genius.

And the answer is...Benicio del Toro .

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