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I tracked down everything happening in marketing and the creator economy this week, so you don't have to.
your weekly dose of brand campaigns, creator partnerships, platform updates & trends (january 24-31, 2026)
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This week was all platform chaos and brand boldness.
Pepsi literally poked the bear. Most brands won't even NAME a competitor. Pepsi put Coke's polar bear in therapy. That's the energy we need more of.
Meanwhile TikTok had a rough week. Outage, censorship claims, Newsom investigation. UpScrolled went from nobody to #1 in 6 days. Creators are nervous. Platforms are messy.
The creator partnerships? Mostly NFL-adjacent and celebrity-heavy. Dhar Mann got a made-up title, Druski is in everything, and Allison Kuch was the only smaller creator to land a deal.
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why this matters for marketers:
the platforms are messy, the brands are getting bolder, and if you're actually working with creators (not celebrities), you're ahead of most. toodaloo 👋🏻👋🏻
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hi, i'm vanessa 👋🏻 b2b marketing but make it human (wild concept, i know). automation girlie. i use ai for everything but refuse to sound like it.
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follow me on LinkedIn??? i'm manifesting a linkedin brand deal for 2026 🕯️
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want to chat about creator marketing or just say hi? book a call with me ☕
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