7 seats left:

Join us Dec. 1-3 in New Orleans for the Digiday Programmatic Marketing Summit

SECURE YOUR SEAT

#CecilTheLion, Drake vs. Meek Mill, Gawker: What was in and what was out this week

Cecil the Lion, we hardly knew you. Quite literally.

It’s fair to say that a hearty portion of the population never even heard of the noble beast until this week — when he was brutally slaughtered by a Minnesota dentist, catapulting them into the public’s attention. #HotTakes on big game hunting replaced think pieces about Bill Cosby. Another animal trended for happier reasons, though. Meet Grumpy Puppy, the Internet’s new favorite canine. Meanwhile, Twitter’s interim CEO Jack Dorsey actually found a use for Periscope (earnings call!) and there was another battle between musicians. Also, several staffers peaced out from Gawker causing a new trend on Twitter that we’re deeming “I’m Quitting! Twitter.” A look at what’s in and what’s out for the week ending July 31:

7.31-inoutv2

More in Marketing

Backlash grows against AI slop, but marketers remain unfazed

Marketers dismiss the rise of “AI slop” backlash, betting that authenticity and quality will ultimately engage audiences.

A shorter shopping window complicates retail’s already challenging holiday season

This season, retailers and shoppers alike are contending with a shorter holiday shopping window — on top of tariffs, waning consumer sentiment and recession fears.

How Reckitt is beating the AI odds with its approach to pilots

Most AI pilots fail miserably. Reckitt’s Bastien Parizot explained how the CPG brand has avoided that fate as it deploys gen AI into its global marketing operation.