Marketing Midday - December 5, 2022

5 December 2022

Welcome to Marketing Midday, an up-to-date report of the latest digital marketing headlines. These are three top headlines: 

1. A new report from Pew Research found that 9% of teens say social media has a negative effect on them. What can marketers do to make social media a more positive experience? 


2. We all know Flo from Progressive and the Geico Gecko! Have you considered creating a brand character for your brand? 


3. Brand building is just as important in B2B marketing as it is in B2C; however, convincing the CEO and CFO to invest in B2B brand building poses a challenge for most marketers.

1. Social Media Negatively Affects Teens

According to Top Rank Marketing, AI-generated content is playing an increasing role in our lives and in search. With AI writing tools such as Jasper, Writesonic, Article Forge, Ink, and WordAI, as well as the recent introduction of AI image-generating tools such as DALL-E, Make-A-Scene, Stability AI, and Canva, we are seeing an increase in the amount of AI-generated content living on the web.


Stock image giant Getty is taking a stand against AI-generated imagery, while Shutterstock announced a partnership with OpenAI to offer AI image generation.


Amid the AI flood, Google representatives are urging creators to focus on content that is primarily crafted by people and not AI. 

2. Should You Consider a Brand Character?

TikTok trends come and go, leaving many brands in the dust struggling to identify and use trends before they’re outdated. Hubspot put together some tips on finding TikTok trends.


  1. Use the discover tab to scroll through popular sounds, hashtags, and topics.
  2. Use the “For You” page. However, this page is unique for every user and won’t always show trends. If you see a video with hundreds of thousands of likes or views, dig a bit to see if it’s related to a particular trend.
  3. Use the search tab. Before you start typing in the search bar, TikTok auto-populates suggested searches based on trending topics.
  4. Follow the hashtag Trend Alert to ensure you see the latest trends. Creating TikToks that follow the latest trends will increase your brand’s reach.

3. Brand Building is Essential for B2B & B2C Marketing

According to Marketing Dive, roughly half of U.S. brands have frozen, or reduced, media spending in reaction to inflation and supply chain issues. However, some regions aren’t as pinched as the U.S., with only 28% of German brands and 14% of French brands reporting a pullback.



Consumers have yet to cut back on key categories like Consumer-Packaged Goods, even though prices have continued to rise. Cost of living increases in Japan have yet to dissuade shoppers, with only a third of advertisers making budget cuts. Australia reported 56% of brands feel the negative impact of inflation.

Keep Up With the Latest Digital Marketing Headlines

Those are our top 3 stories of the week! Follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram to stay up-to-date with our newest episodes.

Meet the Author

Matt Scroggs

Senior SEO Strategist

Hi, I'm Matt Scroggs, a digital marketing strategist. For two decades I served as the senior digital marketer for several global, iconic brands. Today, I'm the chief marketing officer at RivalMind, an agency 100% dedicated to helping companies thrive by driving transformational growth through innovative digital marketing. I'm also a lifelong Cubs fan, a faithful family man, and a web analytics junkie—relentlessly tracking conversions, loyalty, and advocacy, which are often as elusive as the pennant!

Specialties: Marketing Savant, Idea Guy

Looking for more organic website traffic?


Welcome to RivalMind. Our purpose is to help your business thrive. We are a digital marketing agency that offers SEO, PPC, Web Design, Social Media and Video Solutions as tools to our clients for online business development and growth.


Contact us today to get started!

Blog Contact Form

Connect with Us:

Not all devs are equal : how to choose the right duda partner

Choosing the Right Duda Partner: A Thoughtful Approach to Website Design That Works

by Jessica Goodrum • 2 June 2025
Before comparing agencies, it’s important to understand the why behind the platform itself. Duda is not just another website builder. It is engineered for speed, reliability, and scalability, especially in agency and B2B environments. With built-in hosting, security, and responsive web design tools, Duda supports both creative expression and operational efficiency. That is why many top website designers have made it a core part of their development ecosystem.
A blog thumbnail for animating vision : how rivalmind brings stories to life on social media

Animating Vision: How RivalMind Brings Stories to Life on Social Media

by Jessica Goodrum • 21 May 2025
Human beings are wired to create. Imagination isn’t just a tool; it’s a reflection of our inner world. That’s why animation resonates so deeply with us. Even the simplest animated post has the power to spark emotion, tell a story, and forge connection. At RivalMind, we’ve seen how animation can bridge the gap between a brand’s vision and its story. It brings static ideas to life in ways that feel fresh, engaging, and aligned with today’s fast-moving digital landscape. As our clients' needs for social media and web-based animations grew, we recognized it was time to evolve our approach. Previously, we relied on Adobe Illustrator and After Effects to create custom animations. While these tools produced quality results, the time and effort required made it difficult to offer motion design as a scalable, accessible solution. We asked ourselves a simple question, "How can we create high-quality animations efficiently, without compromising creativity?"
A woman in a pink shirt is standing inside of a laptop directing different elements of a blog

Picture This–Your Blog, But Better

by Jessica Goodrum • 16 May 2025
Discover how visual content drives SEO performance, boosts engagement, strengthens brand trust, and how RivalMind crafts visuals that convert.
Show More →