Marketing Minute — June 2025

We are officially halfway through 2025 (and New England’s heatwave). Over the past six months, we’ve seen it all — from the rise in interest in new social media platforms and non-traditional media channels, to eye-catching campaigns, PR crises, and rapid-fire AI updates. With six months to go, we’re interested to see how brands continue to adapt, what trends stick, and what surprises the second half of the year has in store.

Here’s what you may have missed in June.

Love Island Mania

Love Island USA is back and better than ever. While some of you may not be tuning in nightly to see the drama unfold in Fiji, for the second consecutive summer, the reality TV show has captured and sustained our attention. 

The major takeaway is that if you’re not keeping up, you’re behind. Love Island, in particular, creates viral moments, providing countless opportunities for brands to join in on the conversation. Some brands, have successfully used these moments in authentic and engaging ways: the Empire State Building, stitched a trending Love Island audio clip, while others, including  Southwest Airlines and Hilton, jumped at the opportunity to engage with a dumped islander—who had never been out of the country—setting up the runway for future collaborations. It’s a good reminder that leveraging trends and meeting audiences where they are is an important part of any good social strategy. 

Pride Month

Brands either stepped up or shut up this Pride Month. Some big brands, like Levi’s and Yelp, were front and center showcasing their continued support for and value of the LGBTQ+ community. Others, like Bud Light and Target, pulled back on their Pride Month efforts. They’re not the only ones. According to Gravity Research, about 40% of corporations are decreasing recognition of Pride Month as executives bow to political pressures. As brands grow increasingly careful around how they talk about DEI-related topics, it’s wise to root such decisions in their core values, rather than fluctuating political winds. Consumers – and employees – don’t need you to weigh in on every social issue but they appreciate brands that walk the talk.

Three Social Media Updates

Here’s what’s new in social media: 1) TikTok will likely receive another extension, protecting it from the looming ban in the U.S. 2) LinkedIn and Adobe announced a new partnership. With this LinkedIn integration, Adobe Express users will be able to create content using Adobe’s templates and AI tools, with specific elements designed for LinkedIn.  3) A new report shows that YouTube contributed $55 billion to America’s GDP in 2024, while supporting the equivalent of 490,000 full-time jobs in the U.S. The reason the impact is so large? Creators in YouTube’s Partner Program can cash in on 55% of the ad revenue from their content. 

Threat to Public Media

President Trump’s efforts to cut funding for public media came closer to realization. This month, the House voted to reclaim the $1.1 billion Congress had previously set aside to fund all public broadcasters over the next two years. 

While this funding rollback isn’t set in stone and a number of stations derive only a small portion of funding from the federal government, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides funds for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, is at risk. And so too are thousands of public radio and television stations around the country. Why does this matter? In an era of echo chambers, rising misinformation and AI deep fakes, public media is largely considered to provide citizens with free, accessible and credible news sources. 

Chat to you in July!