Taco Bell’s brand belongs to its fans, said Chief Marketing Officer Taylor Montgomery at the Shoptalk conference in Las Vegas last month. And to put this principle into action, the brand dedicated the biggest stage in marketing—The Super Bowl—to its fans.

In six U.S. markets, Taco Bell set up cameras at its drive-thrus, allowing customers to pose for a chance to be featured in its Big Game commercial. And using its fans as a focus group, it created a live event to discuss its future menu items and other plans. Here’s how the brand leverages its fanbase to remain authentic and create loyalty.

Theraflu’s “Right to Rest & Recover” initiative, which advocates for workers in the U.S. who don’t receive paid sick time, has expanded its focus this year to include partnerships with policymakers. Raising awareness of the country’s lack of guaranteed sick pay and promoting its fund that awards micro grants are still priorities. But in its fourth year, the OTC cold and flu medication brand wanted to partner with those who can influence policy. Read how the campaign unfolded.

Email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective ways for brands to engage with customers. But with every company fighting for space in each customer’s inbox, marketers need to do everything they can to ensure their email marketing efforts pay off. In its 2025 marketing benchmark report, Acoustic—makers of customer engagement tools—examines the latest trends in email marketing and what teams are doing to cut through the noise. We cover the highlights here.

Lastly, if macro-economics are wreaking havoc on your marketing, you many need to quantify your micro-economics. In this Partner Content piece by Mutinex, learn how modern Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) can transform economic disruptions into strategic opportunities, helping marketers navigate tariffs and shifting market dynamics with data-driven insights.

Until next week,