Tag: Marketing

Building Brand Conversation: DoorDash’s World Cup Playbook

Posted on by Ryan

Building Brand Conversation: DoorDash’s World Cup Playbook

Food delivery during the World Cup
July 15, 2026
Taste is the new social currency. In an age of mass ads fed to viewers every few posts and overused trends that rarely feel unique, original content is vital to stand out in everyday moments, let alone during culture-driven moments like the World Cup.
 
That’s why major brands like DoorDash are willing to go big on the moment. This year’s tournament brought millions of eyes to the screen and for the delivery app, that meant playing its part. The team had a simple brief: “DoorDash fuels the frenzy in the background for the avid World Cup fan.” Their goal as a team was loftier. According to Head of Social Zaria Parvez, it was to have “#1 SOV against World Cup sponsors that spend 600x more than DoorDash.” A goal like that demands the brand come to play. One of the most effective ways to do that is by creating friction and tension meant to spark conversation.
 
For DoorDash, that started early in the tournament with a campaign led by Zlatan Ibrahimović and a call to all DashPass members to get their share of $5 million in-app credits. While the $5 million was nothing to ignore, what followed the announcement is what really got people talking about DoorDash.
 
Next, a World Cup ticket giveaway with a direct tie-in to the game and a great opportunity for their audiences. But, what got people talking was whether the message it helped amplify was cheeky or a bit tone-deaf. The campaign was led by Brooklyn Beckham, yes, the eldest son of famous footballer David Beckham, who made it painfully clear that there’s tension in the family when he said, “You’re probably wondering why I’m watching the FIFA World Cup from home…It’s a long story.” DoorDash took a risk. Whether or not it was in good taste it got people talking and motivated their audience to open the app to redeem tickets.
 
But, what if a brand tries to tell a story that clearly blurs the lines or even violates FTC rules? Well, DoorDash wasn’t done yet. What started as a “fun” coincidence turned out to be a fully-staged stunt and an undisclosed ad. DoorDash had been live-tweeting moments on X/Twitter and in an attempt to celebrate a New Zealand game, tweeted @TPAIN which at first appeared to be an “honest” mix-up between the famous rapper and the team’s Tim Payne. One tweet could be an accident, but another, and then another, started to look intentional, as seen in the back-and-forth between the rapper and the brand account.
 
The stunt got a ton of coverage across social and PR. Following the exchange, a “reveal” from T-Pain as a #doordashpartner drew nearly 50 million views across their own social platforms.
 
Some praised it. Some called it out. But, at the end of the day it got people talking about the brand and how it was showing up for its audience in big-game moments.

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Trendspotting: Summer 2026 Travel

Posted on by Ryan

Trendspotting: Summer 2026 Travel

Summer Travel
July 8, 2026
Summer has historically been the busiest travel season of the year. While many travelers are keeping a closer eye on their budgets this year, they aren’t giving up vacations entirely. Instead, they’re traveling smarter, prioritizing meaningful experiences, opting for road trips and shorter getaways, seeking out hidden gems, and making every dollar count.
 
To see what summer trends look like beyond the headlines, we asked the MassMedia team to weigh in. Here’s what’s capturing our attention.
 
TREND #1: Investing in Memories
“I’ve noticed that travel has become more of a priority than buying material things. I just returned from a trip to the United Kingdom to visit my sister who lives in northern Scotland, which allowed me to finally see a place that’s been on my bucket list for years. We have family living in Europe during summer, so we turned it into a bigger trip by meeting up in London to explore. I feel like more people are treating travel as an investment in memories and experiences rather than possessions, and I totally get it!” – Alyssa Grock, Senior Account Executive, Integrated Marketing
 
TREND #2: Zara Larsson’s Euro-Summer
“Zara Larsson is the soundtrack of summer and her aesthetic is the ultimate hot girl European vacation. Her pop songs celebrate girls coming together for sun-soaked adventures, seaside cocktails, late-night dancing, and making memories. It’s a celebration of friendship, confidence, freedom, and the kind of summer that feels straight out of a dream.” – Jacki Doroshow, Paid Media Intern
 
TREND #3: Sporting Vacations
“I’m traveling this summer with some friends to see my favorite WNBA team play at their field house. Just like FIFA World Cup travelers visiting the Americas from around the world, many are using sporting events as the centerpiece to build their vacations around.” – Mariana Weber, Senior Social Media Strategist
 
TREND #4: Music-Focused Travel
“I tend to base my summer travel plans around not only seeing family and friends but attending some great shows. This summer, I went to the Kilby Block Party in Salt Lake City to see some of my favorite bands and later this summer I’ll be traveling to Minneapolis and St. Paul for the Minnesota Yacht Club music festival.” – Sean Kenny, Assistant Account Executive, PR
 
TREND #5: The Relaxing Staycation
“I recently took a trip to a tiny mountain town in California called Idyllwild. It is a super small town with one grocery store and one gas station. I can safely say it was one the best trips I’ve taken in years. I’m drawn to environments where I can relax and have a laid back experience that is  close to home, because who can afford insane airfare prices in this economy?” – Mikayla Corgan, Media Coordinator
 
TREND #6: The Multi-Generational Family Reunion
“Earlier this summer I attended a family reunion in Cloudcroft, New Mexico. Not only was it amazing getting out of the heat and enjoying the stunning mountain setting, but it was so much fun getting to spend time with my extended family and reconnect with people I haven’t seen in years. Multi-generational travel has continued to trend in recent years and I understand why, it’s great getting to visit someplace new with people you don’t get to see everyday.” – Jenn Smulo, Director of Consumer Public Relations
 
TREND #7: Grocery Store Tourism
“An interesting new travel trend I’ve noticed is grocery store tourism. People are planning trips, or detours, to check out unique places to shop. Buc-ees has become a social media phenomenon in the United States. Eataly has long been a destination people sought out. Japan’s 7-Eleven’s have a cult following. But, I’ve started visiting unique destinations like Cincinnati’s Jungle Jim’s International Marketplace and Stew Leonard’s in the Northeast, which combine a grocery store with an attraction.” – Alexis Cordell, Account Supervisor, Integrated Marketing

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Celebrating Summer with the Las Vegas Women’s Marketing Collective

Posted on by Ryan

Celebrating Summer with the Las Vegas Women’s Marketing Collective

LVWMC Crafted, Curated, Connections event
July 1, 2026

In June 2026, MassMedia and co-sponsor D/Cipher, hosted Crafted, Curated, Connections, a professional networking event by the Las Vegas Women’s Marketing Collective. This special evening brought together executive women in marketing, media, hospitality, tech, and entrepreneurship from the Las Vegas area and provided an opportunity to network, mingle, and spend time together.

No panels. No presentations. Just a gathering of successful businesswomen finding a refined setting to connect with like-minded professionals, expand their circles, explore new opportunities, and invest in their communities.

Kicking Off Summer

To celebrate the changing seasons, attendees learned how to make refreshing cocktails from the talented bartenders at Nocturno. Those with an eye for floral arranging had a chance to visit the build-a-bouquet station and take home their beautiful creation.

Designed with Connection in Mind

When planning this event, our team thoughtfully designed a comfortable environment where local professional women could be themselves. We aimed to create a setting where guests could have elevated conversations, spark new collaborations or partnerships, and develop friendships, all while crafting an exquisite cocktail, curating a beautiful bouquet, and connecting with an inspired group of their peers.

Women Supporting Women

As a women-owned and WBE-certified marketing agency, MassMedia prides itself on supporting professional women. Hosting this event and partnering with Dress for Success Southern Nevada afforded our team another opportunity to uplift women in our community.

The next Las Vegas Women’s Marketing Collective event, an expert panel discussion, will be held in October 2026. We hope to see you there!

>60

Attendees

74

Clothing donations

>50

Cocktails crafted

>40

Bouquets built

Watch the recap video below.

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Bold Women Leaders Build the Rooms They Once Needed

Posted on by jguffey@massmediacc.com

Bold Women Leaders Build the Rooms They Once Needed

Paula Yakubik, CEO and Founding Partner of MassMedia
March 8, 2026

When I was 25 years old, I started MassMedia with more belief than experience. I didn’t have a deep bench of investors. I didn’t have a legacy name attached to mine. What I had was passion for my craft, a belief in myself and a conviction and willingness to walk into rooms that scared me to death.

Twenty-eight years later, I learned something that no MBA program could have taught me: rooms change everything.

In the early years of building MassMedia in Las Vegas, I spent more time asking for meetings and pushing my way into rooms than being invited to them. I walked into boardrooms filled mostly with men, pitching marketing, advertising and PR with burning ambition and a thick skin I had to grow quickly.

Some rooms felt welcoming. Some scared me to death.

Some rooms felt transactional.  Some rooms were collaborative and life changing.

Some were testing me. Some changed my life forever.

But every room taught me something.

Rooms are where:

Partnerships are formed.

Capital is allocated.

Narratives are shaped.

Confidence is either built or broken.

As a young female founder in the late 1990s I learned quickly that if I wanted to get in the room and have a seat at the table I had to be prepared, sharper, more strategic, and relentlessly results driven. There was no margin for mediocracy.

Over the past three decades MassMedia has grown from a small Las Vegas start-up into an integrated marketing and PR agency with 30 employees and more than $15 million in annual revenue serving major brands nationwide.   But the growth that matters most to me today is not for myself, it is for people.  

It’s the young account executive who found her voice presenting to a very important client. It’s a media buyer, who crafted a buy that delivered results beyond our wildest expectation. It’s the women in my community who are just starting out and the women who I grew up with who now run divisions, departments and companies of their own.

When I started to think about almost 30 years in this business and how I wanted to cross the finish line, it wasn’t about more material possessions, or a profit number. It was about creating a deliberate rooms for women.

This is why I founded the Las Vegas Women’s Marketing Collective. It’s not just an event series; it’s a deliberate room.

A room where:

  • Women at the top of their industry share the truth about leadership.
  • Emerging professionals see what’s possible.
  • Next generation students find access.
  • Collaboration replaces competition.

Because when ambitious women come together, not as rivals but as peers, something shifts. Ideas form. Courage grows stronger. Businesses expand and confidence compounds.

For years, I focused on building rooms for clients: strategic planning sessions, campaign launches, crisis planning rooms.  Today I am equally focused on building rooms for women marketing leaders.

At 25 years old I was trying to prove that I belonged in the room. At 54, I am intentional on who I bring into it. This is the power of experience and the responsibility of leadership. Founding MassMedia taught me resilience and some failures taught me discipline. Building the women’s collective has reminded me of something deeper.

Success is not just about building a company; it is about building people.

Rooms are where that happens.

So, on this International Women’s Day, my message is this:

If you don’t see the room, you need to build it.

If you’re already in the room, widen it.

Rooms shape careers, rooms shape companies and rooms shape communities.

And when women gather with intention, rooms can become movements.

Paula Yakubik is the Founder & CEO of MassMedia and the Founder of the Las Vegas Women’s Marketing Collective.

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The Biggest Paid Media Takeaways from 2025: A Year of Clarifying Signals

Posted on by Ryan

The Biggest Paid Media Takeaways from 2025: A Year of Clarifying Signals

Social media icons
December 29, 2025

As 2025 draws to a close, paid media seems more like a maturing discipline than a rapidly evolving trend cycle.

We have collaborated with companies in a variety of sectors, platforms, and stages of development over the course of the last year to plan, test, improve, and scale paid media initiatives in real time. The most significant changes weren’t connected to specific platform updates, even though strategies kept changing. They had to do with how brands viewed strategy, creativity, data, and measurement as interconnected systems.

In retrospect, 2025 provided several clarifying indicators. These are the key lessons from paid media that we found most noteworthy in our work, and we think they will continue to influence performance in the future.

1. Platform Growth Invited More Intentional Decision-Making

In 2025, advertisers had more paid media options than ever before. Platforms expanded placements, formats, and discovery surfaces, while retail media networks continued to gain relevance within broader media mixes.

What became increasingly clear is that opportunity alone isn’t the driver of performance. Intentionality is.

Brands saw the most momentum when platform expansion was guided by clear objectives, realistic expectations, and a thoughtful understanding of where the audience already engaged. Rather than feeling pressure to show up everywhere, many teams found success by deepening investment in channels that were already working and expanding selectively when the right conditions were in place. 

2. Creative Emerged as the Most Reliable Performance Signal

Throughout 2025, creative consistently proved to be one of the strongest indicators of paid media success.

As targeting continued to broaden, ads themselves carried more responsibility. Messaging, pacing, format, and authenticity all played a greater role in how campaigns performed. Creative that clearly articulated value, addressed real customer needs, and felt native to the platform often outperformed more polished, but less relevant assets.

Strong creative didn’t come from one perfect concept. It came from building systems that allowed teams to test, learn, and iterate quickly. Over time, these feedback loops became one of the most dependable ways to improve efficiency.

3. First-Party Data Continued to Strengthen Performance Foundations

Another pattern that became increasingly visible in 2025 was the role of first-party data in creating stability and consistency.

Brands that invested in clean data infrastructure—through CRM connections, server-side tracking, and thoughtful event design—gave platforms clearer signals to work with. This didn’t eliminate volatility, but it often made performance more predictable and learning periods more efficient.

At the same time, these investments helped teams better understand their audiences beyond platform dashboards, supporting stronger alignment between paid media, lifecycle marketing, and overall growth strategy.

4. Paid Media Naturally Moved Further Up the Funnel

In 2025, paid media continued to play a broader role across the customer journey.

Many brands observed that conversion-focused campaigns performed best when supported by earlier touchpoints — ads designed to educate, introduce, and build familiarity over time. Rather than viewing awareness and consideration as separate initiatives, teams began to see them as essential inputs to conversion efficiency.

This shift was especially evident on platforms like Meta, TikTok, and YouTube, where audiences often discover brands before actively searching for them.

5. Measurement Became More About Direction Than Certainty

Measurement conversations evolved noticeably in 2025.

As attribution remains imperfect, teams spent less time searching for precision and more time looking for consistency and directional insight. Blended metrics, trend analysis, and incrementality testing helped provide context that single-channel reports could not.

This shift encouraged stronger collaboration between marketing, analytics, and leadership—and helped align paid media decisions with broader business outcomes.

6. Rising Costs Reinforced the Importance of Fundamentals

Costs continued to rise across most paid media platforms in 2025, but this trend also brought an important realization into focus: paid media reflects the strength of what it’s built on.

Brands with clear positioning, compelling offers, cohesive messaging, and strong on-site experiences often found that paid media remained an effective growth lever, even in a more competitive environment.

Rather than being a standalone solution, paid media functioned best as an amplifier of solid fundamentals already in place.

Looking Ahead

2025 wasn’t defined by a single platform shift or tactical breakthrough. It was defined by a growing sense of alignment between creative and media, data and strategy, short-term performance and long-term brand building.

As we look toward 2026, the most successful paid media programs will continue to be those built with intention: grounded in strong fundamentals, guided by learning, and flexible enough to evolve alongside changing platforms and consumer behavior.

That’s the lens we bring to our work, and the one we believe will continue to serve brands well in the years ahead.

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Our Top 9 PR Successes of 2025

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Our Top 9 PR Successes of 2025

Our Top 9 PR Successes in 2025
December 9, 2025

How We Humanize Brands by Creating Moments of Influence 

Public relations is a different beast than traditional marketing or social media. While marketing pushes messages out, PR pulls people in. We humanize your brand by creating moments of influence – the stories, voices, and personalities that help audiences connect on an emotional level. 

Here are some of our favorite PR successes from 2025 that show how powerful human-centered storytelling can be. 

1. Circus Circus Las Vegas: Introducing Fear Zone

Circus Circus Las Vegas celebrated spooky season by presenting Fear Zone in the Adventuredome. Fear Zone combined terrifying haunted houses, scare zones, live scare actors and a one-of-a-kind coaster experience in the dark for the ultimate fear-filled scream park. We worked with Circus Circus Las Vegas and South of Heaven Productions to secure local press coverage and influencer content highlighting the limited run production. 

Our PR team invited media to Fear Zone previews and VIP tours inside the Adventuredome, as well as offered interview opportunities with Circus Circus leadership and Fear Zone creators. 

The result: Extensive local media coverage and high-impact influencer content positioned Fear Zone as a must-visit Halloween experience at Circus Circus Las Vegas. 

2. Ellis Island Casino & Hotel: Unveiling Phase One of a $35M Expansion

As Ellis Island Casino began working on its $35 million expansion, they approached MassMedia to help announce the first phase. The new space doubles the casino floor, which includes a new casino bar, high-limit gaming area, and the recently announced Boomer’s Sportsbook. The expansion also includes a new rooftop bar, The Deck, with views of Las Vegas Boulevard and seasonal craft cocktails.  

Our PR team announced the expansion by highlighting how the new space would both elevate the property and maintain the history surrounding Las Vegas local’s favorite off-Strip property, securing coverage locally and across industry publications. Additionally, we hosted a variety of influencers at The Deck to highlight the new addition.  

The result: The announcement brought forth both local and national coverage, as well as influencer content, which drove widespread awareness in Ellis Island’s continued expansion.  

3. IndiCap’s “The Ranch”: Telling the Human Side of a Large-Scale Industrial Development

Industrial developments don’t often get associated with people, but that’s exactly where we saw an opportunity. 

When IndiCap and its partners announced The Ranch, a first-of-its-kind industrial-anchored mixed-use development in Gilbert, AZ, we focused on the project’s human impact: 

  • What it means for the community 
  • How it will serve as a gathering place 
  • Its mix of shopping, dining, housing, and an 18-acre green space 

Coverage spanned consumer, trade, and business media, with IndiCap’s Regional VP of Development highlighting how the project was intentionally designed to benefit local residents, not just businesses. 

The result: An industrial development turned into a community story. 

 

4. Launching Kenerator with Ken Goodrich: Introducing a Leader to New Markets

Ken Goodrich, chairman of Goettl Air Conditioning & Plumbing, is a well-known business leader in the Southwest. But when he launched his newest venture, Kenerator whole-home standby generators, in multiple Sunbelt markets, including Texas and Florida, our goal was to introduce the man behind the brand to audiences who had never met him. 

Our PR team coordinated a mix of media and podcast interviews that allowed Ken to share his personal and professional journey, including his successes, challenges, and reputation for trusted leadership. 

The result: Three successful market launches, each already operating profitably, supported by meaningful storytelling that built familiarity and credibility from day one. 

 

5. MAC.BID: How Savvy Shoppers are Saving Big

MAC.BID, a liquidation auction site with thirty locations across the country, tasked MassMedia with developing a public relations campaign to raise brand awareness nationally as well as in local markets.  

The campaign focused on value, highlighting MAC.BID’s ability to help shoppers save on everything from toys to home decor to tools and more as American’s struggled with tariffs and inflation. The multipronged approach included paid influencer partnerships, national outreach, and highlighting new openings in local markets.  

The result: A major feature in USA Today highlighting the brand, which was syndicated across multiple local publications, as well as coverage highlighting openings in Macon, Davenport, Hamilton, and more.  

 

6. Nocturno Cocktail Bar: Bringing a Taste of Mexico City to the Arts District

Nocturno Cocktail Bar opened in the Las Vegas Arts District and sought to stand out from competitors by positioning itself as a leader in the craft cocktail movement. MassMedia was tasked with developing a campaign that helps Nocturno build a national presence and earn World’s 50 Best Bars recognition.  

The kickoff the campaign, MassMedia connected Nocturno with Mexico City’s Rayo, named #87 on World’s 50 Best Bars 2024 and #5 on North America’s 50 Best Bars 2024. Nocturno hosted the Rayo team for a one night pop up event, inviting the Las Vegas community to enjoy a taste of Mexico City.  

The result: A sold-out event introducing Las Vegas to Rayo’s award-winning mixology, cementing Nocturno as a destination for craft cocktails while pairing Nocturno’s name with an internationally recognized cocktail destination.  

 

7. Organizers Direct Industries: Humanizing a Brand to Grow a National Dealer Network

When Organizers Direct Industries (ODI) partnered with MassMedia to expand brand awareness and recruit new dealers, we built a multi-pillar strategy centered on people, not products. 

First, we positioned the company’s president, Alicia Barker, as the face and voice of ODI. By sharing her background, leadership philosophy, and vision for stylish, high-quality home storage solutions, we secured coverage with national outlets including Bloomberg, NBC News Now, Real Simple, and more. 

Next, we amplified the stories of ODI’s top dealers. Through industry podcasts, trade outlets, and vertical media, we showcased real entrepreneurs reflecting on their partnership with ODI. 

The result: Human storytelling that drove both brand growth and dealer interest. 

 

8. Primak Construction Group: Bringing a New Brand Name to Life

When longtime client Lou Primak approached us about renaming his construction company after himself, we knew the rebrand needed to do more than change a logo – it needed to reaffirm trust. 

Our PR team built a launch strategy that positioned Lou as the heart of the company, emphasizing that while the name was evolving, the craftsmanship, reputation, and reliability remained the same. 

We delivered widespread coverage across local business, industry, and trade media, with Lou front and center in interviews and podcasts. 

The result: a smooth, confidence-building transition to a new name backed by human credibility. 

 

9. Sam & Ash Injury Law: Influencing Teens Through Safe-Driving Stories

Sam Mirejovsky and Ash Watkins have always aimed to differentiate themselves by focusing on community impact. This year, we helped bring that mission to life with a campaign centered on teen driver safety. 

Local students were invited to submit short essays on “What Safe Driving Means to Me” for a chance to win prizes, including a brand-new Volkswagen Jetta as the grand prize. 

Our PR strategy highlighted both the emotional and educational benefits of the campaign: 

  • The importance of safe driving for teens 
  • The personal story of the student who received the car 
  • Sam & Ash’s commitment to protecting young drivers 

The result: A feel-good, purpose-driven campaign that positioned Sam & Ash as trusted community advocates.  

 

Human Stories Create Human Brands 

The common thread in each of these successes is simple but powerful: people connect with people. By weaving the human stories behind the brands and businesses we represent, we create campaigns that resonate, influence, and endure. 

If 2025 has shown us anything, it’s that PR doesn’t just build awareness, it builds relationships. 

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A Thankful Look Back: 2025 Trends That Make Us Better Marketers

Posted on by Ryan

A Thankful Look Back: 2025 Trends That Make Us Better Marketers

Trends that make us better marketers
November 26, 2025

A Thankful Look Back: 2025 Trends That Make Us Better Marketers 

Every year brings a new wave of predictions, but 2025 was defined by smarter, more intentional marketing that made stronger connections to audiences. Campaigns were stronger and more thoughtful, and shifted tactics across the board. 

As we wrap up this year, here’s a look at the trends we are grateful for; the ones that raised the bar for brands and made all of us better at what we do. 

Quality over quantity 

There was a time where content was pushed out by the day, or even the hour. Posting for the sake of posting was the standard, even if the content was lower level and not as engaging. It was the routine, and still is on some platforms. Audiences have made it clear throughout 2025 that the days of posting for the sake of posting are over. According to a study on HubSpot, brands that reduced posting and focused on high value content saw… 

  • A 27% increase in engagement when shifting from content volume to the value of content.
  • 62% more saves and shares after reducing weekly posts and increasing depth. 
  • There is a longer post lifespan and healthier audience sentiment overall.
  • Brands that put thought behind what will grab their audience’s attention earned more of it. 

This shift has weight. The production treadmill is easy to step onto, but this allows brands to free themselves from getting tired. 

Attributions got smarter, budgets stronger 

Tools such as Google Analytics, Meta Ads Attribution, and Marketing Mix Modeling platforms grew in their sophistication and processes, meaning that brands could finally see the paths audiences followed to drive outcomes, vs lying on the last click. This showed us marketers that there was purpose being the spend, and decision-making was based on results, not educated guesses. Meta for Business and Nielson noted the following regarding 2025 ROI performance: 

  • There was a 21% improvement in ROAS on brands that used advanced attribution in 2025. 
  • Up to 55% reduction in wasted spend when budgets were adjusted based on insight. 
  • Attribution models offered clear visibility into role-playing across channels. 

AI is meant to support creativity instead of threatening it 

If 2024 was the year everyone was scared of AI, 2025 is the year that marketers made peace with it and learned how to use it for good. While there are still very fine lines between using too much AI (and for the wrong reason) and using it just the right amount, there has been more structure and learnings around using it for the heavy lifting. Adobe showcased that eight to twelve hours a week are saved per week using AI for research, organization, and structuring making campaign timelines 30-40% faster across all workflows. This does not necessarily apply to creative or strategy. AI can guide and offer competitive insights, but the drive is still very much in human hands. 

Communities are leading marketing 

Consumers continued to move away from traditional brand messaging and were drawn to real people, and real experiences. Real is the keyword. While influencers also have blown up exponentially, audiences want to feel like there is a reliability to the content, and person, they are choosing to watch. TikTok and Instagram analytics showcase that community-first content delivered 2-4x stronger engagement, further showing that brands who lean into micro-moments and creator partnerships gained more meaningful reach. The 2025 Instagram trends report noted the following differentiators: 

  • Instagram had a 28% higher share rate for posts that reflect community stories. 
  • On Meta as a whole, community-driven messaging saw a 37% lift in ad recall. 

Cultural knowledge is still an expectation 

There is no recognition for simply “trying” to be tapped into culture in 2025, it’s a requirement. Accurate audience/consumer recognition, language/DMA appropriate content, and cultural understanding are not non-negotiables and have become the differentiators between campaigns that worked, and ones that missed the mark. 

Social listening provides an advantage 

The brands/companies who listened to their audiences took first place. Why? They caught on to needs, they adjusted messaging in real time, and were tapped into the reality of what people were looking for. Sprout Social shared data insights from audience listening tools and found that…

  • Social listening produced 42% more accurate insights than self-reported data. 
  • Brands who responded quickly to community responses saw higher conversion rates AND sentiment, and easily avoided missing the mark. 

We’re grateful 

These shifts we saw in 2025 showcased a maturity in the market. Pushing the industry in the direction of connection, clarity, and building a community of people who genuinely care about the content that is reaching audiences. 

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Keith Lee’s Masterclass in Bringing Back the Focus to Giving (And What Brands Can Learn From It)

Posted on by Ryan

Keith Lee’s Masterclass in Bringing Back the Focus to Giving (And What Brands Can Learn From It)

Bringing back the focus to giving
November 17, 2025

Keith Lee, a food critic and creator known for highlighting small businesses, is no stranger to showing up for his community. But his latest viral video serves as a great reminder to brands about the importance of focusing on what matters most: their own impact within their communities.

When brands hear the word “influencer,” several things often come to mind: their niche, audience size, past brand partnerships, and the level of influence they can bring to a potential campaign.

While all of that information does matter, sometimes in the excitement of potential partnerships, what can get missed is the size of impact by showing up. 

His latest act for his community began with a simple video. He shared his family’s personal experience, explaining how he and his wife relied on SNAP benefits and gift cards to purchase groceries when they were in a different situation. 

He called out a growing trend and flipped it on its head. Instead of making a video asking brands to send PR packages, he asked for brands to commit to helping feed families this holiday season—not through a new creator collaboration or a money-driven partnership, but through actual action and real resources.


Keith’s approach brought attention back to the real needs of families and the real purpose of community-led influence. Watch his call to brands here. 

The video went viral, reaching over 8 million views on TikTok and generating 2.7 million engagements, with brands volunteering in droves to support. He noted that more than 100 brands had committed to helping in this follow up video. 

 

What Brands Can Learn from Keith Lee’s Call to Action:

Keith’s video isn’t just another feel-good story, but a reminder and example of how brands can follow to lean into their own impact through social. 

Show Up for Your Communities (In and Outside of Collaborations):

Brands that consistently appear, even when there’s no campaign or creator ties, build credibility and trust––even showing your brand in action in everyday moments.

Listen to What Your Communities Are Asking For: 

Social is an ongoing feedback loop for your communities – often telling you directly where and how they can have an impact. 

Take the time to listen – whether through social listening tools or evaluating top content related to your brand.

Connect Through Your Personal Experience, Not Just Promotion: 

Find a way to show up through an authentic connection, leveraging your brand values, team experiences, and the needs of your own communities.

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Brand Storytelling That Actually Connects: Humanizing Brands Through Community Moments

Posted on by Ryan

Brand Storytelling That Actually Connects: Humanizing Brands Through Community Moments

Humanizing Brands Through Community Moments
October 27, 2025

At MassMedia, we’ve learned that brand storytelling isn’t a script: it’s a relationship. The stories that stick aren’t the ones only delivered in a perfect 30-second spot. They’re the ones your neighbors retell because they lived them: the Saturday when car-seat technicians lined the elementary school parking lot to help parents, the week a local bank quietly funded a “first jobs” night for teens, or the afternoon a library hosted a low-sensory “connection hour” so families could catch their breath. Those small, human moments are where reputations are built and loyalties are formed. 

When we work with brands, we push them to commit to communities in which they do business. Not only does this allow brands to generate positive media and social coverage, it allows brands to deepen relationships with their communities and play the long game of winning over customers and building a pipeline for future ones.

Why community-centric storytelling works

Trust is local, and it’s earned in the open. Consumers oftentimes believe what they can see and touch, not just what they’re told. It’s the difference between a purpose statement and a purpose you can hold in your hands: a helmet that actually fits, a grocery box that arrives when the pantry’s running low, a scholarship award letter on a kitchen table, a teen who leaves a workshop with a real job lead. 

Small moments, when real, travel farther than big promises. A candid photo of a school nurse crouched beside a minivan, teaching a dad how to secure a car seat, says more about a brand’s values than any “We Care” manifesto ever could. It’s the kind of scene neighbors share without being asked. When that happens, you’re no longer buying attention, you’re being invited into the feed, the group chat, and the parent email thread. That’s a very different kind of reach.

Community also creates continuity. Isolated moments become reliable rhythms: quarterly safety clinics, seasonal park cleanups, back-to-school supply drives, annual “first jobs” workshops  or hiring events in partnership with local employers. That cadence powers PR with a steady drumbeat of meaningful stories and gives communities something to count on. Over time, your brand shifts from occasional benefactor to familiar friend.

Most brands already have messages. What they need are memories, shared experiences that make those messages feel true. That requires a different operating system, one that elevates proximity, humility, and consistency over polish.

Building a culture that sustains the work

Programs like these don’t thrive on intent alone; they require internal alignment. The organizations that succeed tend to do a few things well. They empower local teams to act without waiting for an exhaustive approvals chain. They create simple playbooks, lightweight guardrails rather than rigid scripts, so anyone from HR to field ops knows how to raise a hand and mobilize support. They budget for service the way they budget for media and events, understanding that the return shows up in trust, talent attraction, and long-term loyalty.

They also select partners with care. The best collaborators, schools, libraries, youth sports leagues, neighborhood associations, are already hubs of trust. Rather than reinventing the wheel, brands show up to strengthen what’s working. Over time, these relationships become relational capital. When a crisis hits or a need spikes, you’re not a stranger trying to help, you’re a known quantity, already in the room.

Measurement in this model is both quantitative and deeply human. Yes, track the numbers. But also ask, “What changed because we were there?” Did parents leave more confident? Did teens feel seen? Did a community resource gain new momentum? Those answers don’t fit neatly into a dashboard, but they do shape how people talk about you when you’re not in the room—which is the essence of brand.

Looking ahead

Community-centric storytelling isn’t about turning service into spectacle. It’s about letting service become your story, quietly, consistently, credibly. It recognizes that trust accrues the way compound interest does: slowly at first, then all at once. And it accepts that the most valuable brand impressions will never appear in your ad manager. They happen when a parent says to another parent, “They helped us,” or when a teacher tells a reporter, “We couldn’t have done this without them.”

If you’re building a brand and you want to not only make a difference but drive community good will (and generate some positive coverage for it), in Las Vegas or any city, town or metro, start here. Find one small, real need. Show up with humility. Do it again. Over time, those moments become a reputation, and the reputation becomes your best story.

MassMedia is a Las Vegas-based public relations and integrated marketing agency. If you’re ready to evolve your brand story from messaging to memory-making, we’d love to help you design community moments that matter.

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Could An Integrated Media Strategy Be The Missing Half of Brand Storytelling Today?

Posted on by Ryan

Could An Integrated Media Strategy Be The Missing Half of Brand Storytelling Today?

Integrated Media Strategy
October 10, 2025

For decades, brand storytelling has been rooted in creative brilliance. A single campaign narrative could weave itself into the fabric of our lives and drive mass adoption. Brands like Nike taught us to “just do it,” Coca-Cola became a household staple, and Budweiser became synonymous with true Americana. These narratives worked, not just because they leaned into cultural moments and timeless human values, but because they had the stage all to themselves. There were fewer competing channels and less fragmentation, so one strong creative narrative could dominate consumers’ attention.

In today’s crowded marketplace, storytelling isn’t enough. We are living in the age of the distracted and overstimulated consumer. The average consumer is exposed to anywhere from 6,000 to 10,000 ads per day, and adults’ attention spans continue to decline to that of a goldfish or my five-year-old. As if that wasn’t enough, according to E-Marketer, more than 32% of U.S. consumers today use ad blockers. This means that ad fatigue and acute avoidance are real challenges. We aren’t just dealing with more clutter but also needing to navigate sharper audience defenses against ads.

This doesn’t mean that storytelling is any less important for a brand; it just means it is incomplete without a comprehensive and integrated media strategy that ensures it is not just seen but also remembered.

So, what role does media strategy play in today’s cluttered environment? How do brands tell their stories to the right people at the right moment to ensure the message sticks and isn’t just a forgotten scroll?

An integrated approach becomes vital to a brand because media isn’t just about delivering impressions; it’s about engineering attention and recall and getting in front of your audience before they know they need you. A strong media strategy starts with audience intelligence, understanding who your message is for, where they are, and what motivates them to engage. 

This also means a brand must go beyond the bottom funnel. Sure, bottom funnel works for products that prey on impulse buying. But most of the time, buyers aren’t in the market for your product right now.  The most successful brands know that pure reliance on performance media won’t build brand credibility and loyalty. Incorporating top, mid, and bottom funnel tactics allows you to capitalize on mental availability, making your brand the easy choice when it comes time to pull the trigger.

Then it becomes a frequency balancing act. Too little exposure and recall wanes, too much exposure and you risk avoidance and even annoyance. No one wants to see the same progressive commercial 10 times in their one-hour viewing of ‘Dancing with the Stars.’

Really, there is no magic formula. Sometimes you just throw caution to the wind and hope it sticks. But if a brand wants a solid chance at becoming even a fraction of what Coke, Nike, and Budweiser mean to consumers, then ensuring their brand narrative is coupled with an integrated media strategy is non-negotiable.

Remember, a solid integrated strategy starts with these 4 things:

  1. Leverage data-backed audience alignment—don’t waste impressions on someone who will never convert.
  2. Contextual alignment is key to tapping into consumers’ mental availability.
  3. Multi-channel reinforcement is necessary. Search alone won’t create brand loyalty.
  4. Tell your story early and often, but don’t overdo it.

Storytelling will always move people, but in today’s overstimulated, always-on culture, a great story just doesn’t travel far enough. So, is an integrated media strategy the missing half of storytelling? Even the great brands of yesterday know that it’s not about replacing creativity but amplifying it. Stop just interrupting and start connecting to give your story the chance to be more than just a moment.

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