What I’m Reading (Online) This Week: January 2025

I’m Cailey, a brand and media strategist by trade and a conscious consumer otherwise (yay, dichotomy!). I help brands translate stories into tangible moments in the consumer journey and have worked on every type of media from trifold billboards and cable spots to advanced CTV and retailer media. Somehow I made being a Zillennial sub-generation an asset to my career.

So, being chronically online is part of the job these days but I enjoy keeping a pulse on culture, marketing, sustainability, consumer trends, community, and… (more I won’t bore you with) ultimately, yapping about it.

I’ve been meaning to start a series about ‘What I’m Reading’ to share whatever it is I’m reading that I find compelling, interesting, worth a share to someone in my network – like my own little watercooler talk checklist.

Going forward, I’ll try to post a weekly list of ‘consumption-worthy media’ but for now, here are some of the articles & excerpts that have caught my eye this month. Maybe you’ll find something interesting, too –

1. Article: Gallup, Employee Engagement is Sinking

Excerpt:
“Employee engagement trends matter for organizational leaders because declines signal potential vulnerabilities for businesses. Broad macroeconomic indexes do not always reflect what leaders and employees are experiencing in their own workforces and industries.”

2. Article: Marketing Dive, read Nielsen gains accreditation from Media Ratings Council

Excerpt:
“The Media Rating Council has granted accreditation to Nielsen’s approach to integrating first-party livestreaming data into its national television panel rating services, according to a release from Nielsen.”

Comment from Cailey: Very interested to see how this shakes up Upfronts and ongoing ‘battles’ related to broadcast-streaming deals in sports.

3. Article: Bloomberg, link to This Wild Ride of an Update to the Walgreens x CoolerX situation

Excerpt:
“How the heck can we accurately count impressions if we can’t defeat the sun?” says a former senior developer.”

Comment from Cailey: Based on the article, I’d have to agree that gas station TV, end-cap screens, and the like >>>> this stress. Sidenote: GSTV was a client-favorite strategy (and sales booster)  implemented by yours truly.

4. Article: AP News, here’s how Ghana is handling the overwhelming amount of fast fashion pollution

Excerpt:
“Instead of allowing (textile waste) to choke our gutters or beaches or landfills, I decided to use it to create something … for us to use again,” said Richard Asante Palmer, one of the designers at the annual festival organized by the Or Foundation, a nonprofit that works at the intersection of environmental justice and fashion development.”

5. Article: PopSugar, Adult “Gap Years” are on the rise

6. Article: Culture of Sport, adidas partners with Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 racing 

Excerpt:
“Think sleek team kits engineered for the unique demands of every role—from pit crew to driver—and fanwear that blurs the line between performance and fashion.”

7. Read about NYC’s Midnight Moments billboards

8. Article: Front Office Sports, read CFP Title Game saw lower viewership

Excerpt:
“Ohio State’s win over Notre Dame averaged 22.1 million viewers Monday on ESPN networks, down 12% from last year’s game between Michigan and Washington that drew 25.1 million. That number is up 28.5% compared to the 17.2 million who tuned in to TCU and Georgia’s title game in 2023.”

Comment from Cailey: Uh, yeah, sure, it was MLK Day and Inauguration Day and a snow day across the northeast / south and two regional teams and such…. but respectfully, as someone who was rooting for Notre Dame, Notre Dame was getting stomped. That’s why I stopped watching.

Don’t be afraid to try something new this week. Chat later!

If you need help with marketing or non-profit events, reach out to me at hicailey@caileyaubrey.com