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👉🏻 SUM NEWS: Your mid-week marketing update

👉🏻 SUM NEWS: Your mid-week marketing update

February 19, 2025

In partnership with

Busy day? We’ve got you. SUM NEWS serves up the top trends, tools, and tips you need to know as a startup marketer—quick, actionable, and straight to the point.

This week, we’re covering the latest shifts in AI, social media, and content strategy, from Google’s Gemini watching YouTube videos for you to LinkedIn’s take on the Relationship Economy (and why soft skills are more valuable than ever).

P.S. Have you added AI skills to your resume yet? Scroll down to our SUM poll and weigh in!

IN THIS ISSUE

🔥 Marketer Spotlight
🎯 Embracing Risk is the Only Safe Bet
🌎 Around the Web: Instagram, Gemini, Duolingo, YouTube
📌 SUM Community Events
💡 ICYMI: Bite-Sized Insights
😂 In the Meme Time

Marketer Spotlight: Jules McGinlay

We recently caught up with SUM Advisory Board member Jules McGinlay, a B2B marketing pro with 20 years of experience across digital and martech.

From simplifying the complex to using data-driven strategies, Jules shares how to stay focused, build strong networks, and keep the human impact at the heart of your work. Meet Jules.

Embracing Risk is the Only Safe Bet

These days, playing it safe just might be the riskiest strategy. Brands that take bold, calculated risks stand out, connect emotionally with consumers, and stay relevant. Read our latest article to uncover the hidden dangers of “safe” marketing, the benefits of bold moves, and practical steps to execute smart risks.

Interested in sharing your POV on a relevant topic? Submit your pitch for publication.

Brilliantly Wrong Joins SUM!

Brilliantly Wrong is now part of the SUM Podcast Network! On this week’s episode, host Alex Stonehouse sits down with Caitlin Bartley, CEO & Founder of cred., to discuss taking risks, timing your entrepreneurial leap, and creating real impact.

Tune in to learn how Caitlin transformed her solo venture into a 22-person event impact agency serving over 200 thought leaders served globally!

AROUND THE WEB

Instagram is testing a “dislike” button for both Feed posts and Reels. (TechCrunch)
Google’s Gemini Flash 2.0 can now watch YouTube videos for you, extracting key points and answering follow-up questions. (ZDNET)
Duolingo “killed” its mascot with a Cybertruck and the CEO read a eulogy for the beloved bird on TikTok. (TechCrunch)
TV screens have overtaken mobile as the “primary device for YouTube viewing in the U.S.” (The Hollywood Reporter)
Two-thirds of B2B marketing leaders already use AI day-to-day, yet 72% of marketers feel overwhelmed by the pace of change. The good news? LinkedIn’s chief economist says AI is making way for the Relationship Economy, where soft skills can set you apart. (LinkedIn)

Stay up-to-date with AI

The Rundown is the most trusted AI newsletter in the world, with 1,000,000+ readers and exclusive interviews with AI leaders like Mark Zuckerberg, Demis Hassibis, Mustafa Suleyman, and more.

Their expert research team spends all day learning what’s new in AI and talking with industry experts, then distills the most important developments into one free email every morning.

Plus, complete the quiz after signing up and they’ll recommend the best AI tools, guides, and courses – tailored to your needs.

SUM POLL

Have you added AI skills to your resume?

Enter the OSSUM Awards

Whether you’re a startup, scale-up, or just an all-around scrappy marketer, your hard work deserves recognition. The OSSUM Awards celebrate marketers like you who turn limited resources into incredible results. You’ve done more with less—now it’s time to shine!

SUM COMMUNITY EVENTS

Join us every Thursday at 3 pm ET for expert insights, real talk, and strategies to level up your marketing. These events are exclusively available to SUM members. Not a member? 👉 Join now 👈

Product Marketing vs. Commercialization

Nicole R. Ferrera will break down the unique roles, key responsibilities, and synergies between product marketing and commercialization, helping you optimize your product's journey from development to market success.

Working Session: AI for Marketers

Roll up your sleeves for this hands-on working session with James O’Brien, who will discuss real-world practical marketing applications of AI, from content creation and campaign optimization to analytics, all focused on the unique needs and constraints of startup, scale-up, and scrappy marketing teams.

ICYMI: A BITE OF INSIGHT

TAKE RISKS

“We’re trying to give clients the confidence to take some risks and not feel like they’ve got to be doing what someone else is doing. Think about what makes the most sense for them.”

Tea Time with Matt & Chris Vanderlinden

SAY YES

“The more you can diversify in the types of organizations that you volunteer for or the groups that you can network with, the more that's going to help you in whatever you're trying to do to succeed. Because you have more perspectives from it and more learnings. They're all sort of like bullet points on your map to shape your journey.”

Caitlin Bartley on the Brilliantly Wrong Podcast

THE STARTUP ADVANTAGE

“You don’t have the budget, but you also don’t have the bureaucracy.”

Tea Time with Jessica Foster Brandt

IN THE MEME TIME

Reply with your favorite marketing meme and we just might feature it in the next newsletter!