This week was a mix of brands trying to earn attention in very different ways, and platforms reshaping how that attention actually works.
You have one brand that fully understands how people want to engage today, one trying to tap into emotion (with mixed results), and then platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram changing the rules in the background.
1
The Beer Brand That Actually Gets It
Garage Beer is doing what most brands say they want to do, but rarely execute properly.
They’ve basically stopped acting like a brand altogether.
Instead of campaigns, they’re building content people would watch anyway, mini-series, niche humor, inside jokes. It doesn’t feel like marketing, which is exactly why it works.
And no, this isn’t just because of the Kelce brothers. That’s the easy takeaway, and it’s the wrong one. The real strength is that the brand knows exactly who it’s for—and doesn’t try to water that down to reach everyone.
Most brands are still stuck trying to be broadly appealing, which usually results in being forgettable. Garage Beer went the opposite direction, and it’s paying off.
At this point, they’re not competing with other beer brands—they’re competing with content.
2
Colgate Is Trying to Be Part of the Conversation… But It’s a Stretch
Then there’s Colgate, stepping into the “millennial stress” conversation.
They’re positioning brushing your teeth as a small act of resilience, which, conceptually, makes sense. People are overwhelmed, and brands want to feel supportive.
But this is where it gets tricky.
The jump from toothpaste to mental health isn’t exactly natural. And when that connection feels forced, people notice.
You can see what they’re trying to do, move from product to emotion, from function to relevance. They kind of have to. It’s a category where no one really cares which brand they buy.
But the risk is sounding like every other brand right now.
Everyone is talking about stress. Everyone is talking about self-care. So unless there’s something truly distinctive behind it, it starts to blend together fast.
It’s not a bad strategy, it’s just not a very differentiated one yet.
3
LinkedIn Is Getting Way Smarter About What You See
LinkedIn quietly made a pretty major change to how its feed works, and this one actually matters more than it looks on the surface.
They’ve replaced a bunch of separate systems with a single AI model that understands how topics and industries connect, instead of just matching keywords or past behavior.
So now, instead of slowly learning what you like over time, the feed can make better assumptions right away.
If you’re engaging with social media content but occasionally interact with paid media or performance marketing posts, it doesn’t treat that as random anymore. It understands those topics are connected.
Which means you’ll start seeing content from people you don’t follow, on topics you care about—even if they’re using a completely different language than you would.
It’s also starting to follow where your interests are going, not just where they’ve been. So if you go deep on a topic for a few days, your feed leans into that instead of resetting every time you scroll.
And for new users, it kicks in immediately, your job title and profile are enough for the system to start making educated guesses.
What this really does is shift visibility on the platform.
Your content isn’t just competing within your network anymore, it’s competing with anyone the algorithm decides is relevant in that moment.
Which raises the bar.
If your content is strong, this helps you reach new audiences faster.
If it’s not, you can’t rely on your existing network to carry it anymore.
4
Instagram Finally Fixed This (About Time)
And then Instagram added tap-to-pause for Reels.
Which… should’ve been there already.
It’s one of those updates that makes the experience noticeably better, but also highlights how often Instagram is reacting instead of leading—especially when TikTok has had this figured out for a while.
That said, this kind of change matters more than it seems. The easier it is to pause, the more likely people are to actually engage with what they’re watching—especially content with text or storytelling.
So while it’s a small fix, it’s another reminder that user behavior is being shaped by these tiny friction points.
What This Week Really Shows
There’s a clear split right now.
Some brands are building for how people actually behave—like Garage Beer.
Others are trying to plug themselves into cultural conversations—like Colgate.
And platforms are still adjusting to keep up with both.
The gap between those who get it and those who are still figuring it out is getting a lot more obvious.