During the month of December, there were news stories that reflected brand experiences, brand identity, brand storytelling, cobranding, holiday marketing, personal branding, and more.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER 2025 WORD OF THE YEAR
Announced on December 15th, Merriam-Webster's editors chose "slop" as its 2025 word of the year and defined the word as "digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence. All that stuff dumped on our screens, captured in just four letters: the English language came through again. The flood of slop in 2025 included absurd videos, off-kilter advertising images, cheesy propaganda, fake news that looks pretty real, junky AI-written books, "workslop" reports that waste coworkers' time...and lots of talking cats. People found it annoying, and people ate it up. Like slime, sludge, and muck, slop has the wet sound of something you don’t want to touch. Slop oozes into everything. The original sense of the word, in the 1700's, was "soft mud." In the 1800's, it came to mean "food waste," and then more generally, "rubbish" or "a product of little or no value."
TIME MAGAZINE 2025 PERSON OF THE YEAR
According to TIME, "2025 was the year when artificial intelligence’s full potential roared into view, and when it became clear that there will be no turning back. For delivering the age of thinking machines, for wowing and worrying humanity, for transforming the present and transcending the possible, the "Architects of AI" are TIME's 2025 Person of the Year. One of the cover images replicates the iconic “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper” photograph from the 1930's, showing eight tech leaders sitting across the beam. And a second cover image shows scaffolding surrounding giant letters reading AI."
TIME MAGAZINE 2025 CELEBRITY OF THE YEAR - LEONARDO DICAPRIO
According to TIME, "DiCaprio, who has been nominated for seven Academy Awards and won one, has a knack for making the seemingly wrong choice that turns out to be completely right—perhaps just another way of saying he has good instincts and he knows when to follow them. He works with people he trusts; he invests in projects he believes in. But there are intangible factors too: he has a face we don’t tire of looking at. More than 30 years into a career built on making largely unpredictable bets, audiences still want to see him, maybe more now than ever...People who care about movies, even as they watch the viewing experience become eroded by the popularity of streaming, often wonder if we have any real movie stars left. DiCaprio is as close as we’ve got. He chooses his roles carefully, while also using his clout—through his production company, Appian Way—to make movies he cares about. This is how he was able to swerve away from playing unthreatening, albeit undeniably charming, heartthrobs like Titanic’s Jack Dawson, or the pensive, impulsive Shakespearean swain in Romeo + Juliet."
TIME MAGAZINE 2025 CEO OF THE YEAR - NEAL MOHAN
According to TIME, "The pilot of the world’s most powerful distraction machine is surprisingly mellow. He’s quiet-spoken, deliberative, hard to ruffle. He likes watching sports, going to his daughters’ dance recitals, and open white shirts, just normal stuff. His favorite candy is the not-very-exciting Butterfinger. If you ask him to be in your YouTube video, he’ll probably do it. He won’t be great in it, but neither will he be horrible. In an era when tech titans are also sometimes trying to win medals in Brazilian jiujitsu or dismantle a government agency or take tourists into space, Neal Mohan is focused on one thing. He just runs YouTube. Since 2023, when Mohan took the helm of YouTube after his mentor Susan Wojcicki stepped down, the social platform has increased its dominance of the attention economy against considerable competition. YouTube, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, is both a brand and a universe. Born on the internet and nurtured on mobile phones, the video platform has now metastasized to the biggest screen in the house and almost every genre of entertainment. In 2025 it cemented its place as part of the living room, both via YouTube TV, which has emerged as people’s favorite cable replacement, and, overwhelmingly, via the free app. Half of YouTube’s viewership is now through a TV screen. It’s also invaded the compact end of the market: YouTube Shorts reports 2 billion logged-in monthly users, similar to recently reported numbers watching Meta’s Reels."
FINANCIAL TIMES 2025 PERSON OF THE YEAR - JENSEN HUANG
The Financial Times named Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang as its 2025 Person of the Year for his crucial role in the artificial intelligence boom, leading Nvidia to become the world's most valuable tech company through the supply of essential AI chips. According to FT, "We gave Huang the title because of the role he has played in the AI mania that is sweeping through the business and financial worlds. This year, Huang led California-based computer chipmaker Nvidia on an unstoppable ascent to become the most valuable public company in the world, and the first to break through the $4 trillion barrier."
According to Euro News, "Born in Taiwan, Huang moved to the United States with his family as a boy and eventually settled in California after attending Stanford University. At 30, he was working as an electrical engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area when he co-founded Nvidia with two friends. Their goal was to develop a graphics processing unit (GPU) that would revolutionise computer graphics for video games. Nvidia’s chips are now the leading hardware used to train powerful AI systems, like the technology behind ChatGPT and image generators. Companies including Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI use Nvidia’s computer chips in their AI models."
PANTONE COLOR OF THE YEAR FOR 2026
Pantone Color Institute announced its 2026 Color of the Year on December 4th. Recognized as the global color authority, Pantone chose CLOUD DANCER, Pantone 11-4201, the first time a shade of white has been chosen since it began naming a color of the year back in 1999. According to TIME Magazine, "This year’s pick is meant to represent serenity and tranquility, which Pantone says is ever in need in a frenetic society. Cloud dancer calls back to the need for human connection."
MCCORMICK'S FLAVOR OF THE YEAR FOR 2026
Since 2000, the McCormick Flavor Forecast has identified the global trends shaping the future of flavor. According to the brand's website on December 9th, "For 2026, we’re celebrating Black Currant as the Flavor of the Year. Black Currant berries are native to central and northern Europe and northern Asia. They combine tart-and-tangy with a sweet, fruity flavor that's earthy, slightly floral, and herbal. The dark purple fruit has been popular for centuries in specific regions as an ingredient in jams, syrups, candies, desserts, drinks, and liqueurs. It's quickly gaining popularity and is forecast to show up on global menus soon."
GOLDEN GLOBES AND WICKED: FOR GOOD NEWS
Cynthia Erivo - Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture - Music or Comedy (the actress becomes the first Black woman to earn two nominations in the category)
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter shortly after her nomination, Erivo looked back on her Wicked journey, telling the publication that she didn’t think anything else in her career could compare to the “whirlwind” she went through over the last few years. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget the experience, and the most wonderful thing about it is that I’m in contact and will always be in contact with every single person who is a part of this journey,” she said. “I don’t know, it doesn’t feel like a goodbye. More like a see you later.”
GOODREADS
Goodreads announced its "Readers Choice Awards" for best books of 2025, and the winner of the fiction category was MY FRIENDS by Fredrik Backman. According to the book's description, "The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anxious People returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later."
SIMON & SCHUSTER READERS' FAVORITES
Book publisher Simon & Schuster shared their top picks from 2025. One of their "Book Club" picks was also the book chosen by Goodreads (My Friends by Fredrik Backman. One of their two "Fiction" picks was THE STOLEN LIFE OF COLETTE MARCEAU by Kristin Harmel. I read Harmel's book and agree that it was a good choice!
BARNES & NOBLE NEWS
For bibliophiles, this was excellent news: "Barnes & Noble opened 58 NEW bookstores in 2025."
READING STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS
According to NPR, "The State Department has reversed a Biden-era font change that aimed to make its paperwork more accessible to readers with disabilities. Secretary of State Marco Rubio directed diplomats around the world to switch from Calibri to Times New Roman 14-point font in all official documents (internal memoranda, papers prepared for principals, or documents shared externally), starting on December 17th. Times New Roman had been the State Department's official font for nearly two decades, from 2004 until 2023. According to the Associated Press, Rubio said in a cable sent to U.S. embassies and consulates that the 2023 change, implemented by then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken, was part of misguided diversity, equity, and inclusion policies."
FUTURE AMERICAN COINS
According to CNN, "The administration plans to issue a $1 coin with President Donald Trump’s likeness on it next year, despite a century-old precedent of not honoring sitting, or even living former, presidents on coins. Instead of quarters honoring the abolition of slavery, granting women the right to vote, and the Civil Rights movement, the Treasury will INSTEAD issue historical quarters featuring white men from the 18th and 19th centuries who were already well represented on currency and in historical tributes (George Washington for the Revolutionary War, Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence, James Madison and the Constitution, Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address, as well as pilgrims to celebrate the Mayflower Compact). The new coins, coming after the administration stopped issuing new pennies earlier this year, underscore Trump’s drive to put his own stamp on the presidency far beyond the confines of the White House – whether it’s by putting his own face and name on US institutions or by pulling back on diversity efforts to reframe the story of America itself."
Talk about crazy: The US Mint told CNN that instead of the previously recommended tribute quarters to abolition, suffrage, and the Civil Rights movement, the new designs celebrate “American history and the founding of our great nation.” Treasurer Brandon Beach said in a statement, "While the Biden administration and (then-Treasury) Secretary (Janet) Yellen remained focused on DEI and Critical Race Theory policies, the Trump administration is dedicated to fostering prosperity and patriotism."
TEAM USA ATTIRE FOR WINTER OLYMPICS
According to David Lauren, chief branding and innovation officer at Ralph Lauren Corporation, "We kept coming back to accenting everything in white. We felt the purity and simplicity feels fresh, and is much needed at a time when there is so much complication and so many challenges and so much going on in the world. White seems to resonate."
TIME Magazine reported, "Team USA will march into the Opening Ceremonies in mid-length white wool toggle coats, paired with tailored wool pants and a classic American flag sweater topped with a tasseled knit beanie. The designers focused not just on how the outfit looked on its own, but the impact that several hundred of the uniforms seen together would have. The Closing Ceremonies look is more casual but maintains an anchor in white with white barrel pants under a red ski jacket. Not only will Team USA’s uniforms look sharp, but they will boast new technology as well. Nike is outfitting medal-winners with ThermaFIT Air Milano jackets, which come with an air pumping system that adds air for insulation if athletes want to feel warmer. The technology allows athletes to wear the same jacket and adjust the warmth level they need without having to dress in layers."
DEATH OF FRANK GEHRY
As a lifelong fan of architecture, I was saddened by the news of the death of legendary architect Frank Gehry, who died on December 5th at his home in Santa Monica at the age of 96. Architecture critic and writer Ada Louise Huxtable wrote in 1989, "Gehry’s work goes to the heart of the art of our time, carrying the conceptual and technological achievements of modernism to the spectacularly enriched vision that characterizes the 1990s.”
According to Architect's Newspaper, "Frank Owen Goldberg was born in 1929 in Toronto to Russian-Jewish parents from New York City and Łódź, Poland. His grandfather owned a hardware store in Toronto, and Goldberg was known for building model cities there with the scrap he’d find on the ground. He also famously took up hockey, a hobby he kept up his entire life. In 1947, he and his family moved to California, where he worked as a truck driver and enrolled at Los Angeles City College. He transferred to the University of Southern California’s architecture school where he graduated in 1954, the same year he changed his name to Gehry, stemming from concerns related to antisemitism. Gehry had a brief stint in the U.S. Army after graduation. In 1956, he enrolled in the urban planning program at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, but he didn’t graduate, having dropped out. After Harvard, Gehry moved back to Los Angeles where he worked for Victor Gruen, another Jewish emigre. Gruen and Gehry worked on a handful of projects, mostly shopping malls. In 1961, Gehry moved to Paris and briefly worked for André Remondet. Gehry moved back to the U.S. in 1962 and founded his own firm, which was officially named Frank Gehry and Associates in 1967. Gehry Partners—the late architect’s eponymous firm—designed the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis, Art Gallery of Ontario, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Chicago’s Millennium Park, MIT’s Stata Center, Dancing House in Prague, and 8 Spruce in Manhattan, among many other notable projects. Gehry’s work, which drew from sculpture, also revolutionized architectural technology. Famously, his paper models were translated into 3D models using a laser stylus into CATIA, a software originally used for airplane design. Gehry founded Gehry Technologies in 2002 as a consulting business to better integrate software into architecture businesses. The company was sold to Trimble in 2014."
A stand-out accomplishment was Gehry's Binoculars Building in Venice, California. According to Architectural Visits, "This building was designed by Gehry in 1991 for the advertising agency Chiat/Day, although it was not finished until 2001. It has three different parts with completely different styles. However, the one that draws all the attention is the giant binoculars. The sculpture was designed by Claes Oldenburg y Coosje van Brugge, and it is used as the building's main entrance...Google leased the building in 2011.
DIMINISHED VALUE OF THE SUSSEX BRAND
According to Cosmopolitan, "There have been persistent rumors that Prince William will strip Prince Harry of his title once he's king. However, a source says William plans to leave his brother's title intact because he thinks the Sussexes' brand is "worthless." The heir apparent also doesn't want to be seen as vindictive or petty...A well-placed insider explained that by the time William takes the throne, the Sussex brand will be so diminished it won't even matter. Why take away something that's already worthless? Ignoring them will hurt more."
PUBLIC SCHOOL REBRAND
A progressive public school in New York City has long been known by its acronym, ICE, but it has now decided that it's time for a rebrand. According to Gothamist, "Parents and staff at the Institute for Collaborative Education say those letters have taken on a grim connotation in President Trump’s second term, with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, waging a crackdown nationwide that has resulted in deportations, including of New York City students and recent public school grads. The Institute for Collaborative Education now refers to itself as "Ny.ICE" — often pronounced NICE...The rebrand is another example of how immigration policies have reverberated through the city’s public school communities, with some becoming hubs of resistance."
DEATH OF ROB REINER
The circumstances surrounding Rob Reiner and his wife's deaths in mid-December were beyond horrific (his son is the alleged murderer) - his loss was a huge shock to both the entertainment world and his fans worldwide. Rob Reiner portrayed the son-in-law of Archie Bunker in "All in the Family" and was lovingly referred to as "Meathead." He also directed some of my favorite films, "The Princess Bride," "When Harry Met Sally." "Sleepless in Seattle," "The American President," "Bucket List," and "A Few Good Men." He was also a voice for many in our communities whose voices were not or could not be heard.
WORLD AIDS DAY (12/1/2025)
According to NPR, "For the first time since 1988, the U.S. did not officially commemorate World AIDS Day. The State Department issued a terse statement saying, "An awareness day is not a strategy." It's the first time the U.S. has not participated since the World Health Organization created the day in 1988 to remember the millions of people who have died of AIDS-related illnesses and recommit to fighting the epidemic that still claims the lives of more than half a million people each year. By contrast, last year former President Joe Biden held a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House with the AIDS Memorial Quilt — with coffin-shaped patches each honoring someone who had died of AIDS-related causes — spread out on the grass. And this year, despite the Trump administration's change of heart, countries around the world are marking the day with proclamations, public health campaigns and commemorative ceremonies."
By contrast, the County of Los Angeles recognized World Aids Day. Participating landmarks that lit up in red included: LA City Hall, LA Memorial Coliseum, LA Union Station, Cal State Northridge Library, Capitol Records, Natural History Museum of LA County, Paramount Studios Water Tank, The Queen Mary, The Rose Bowl, and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
Dr. Sonali Kulkarni, Medical Director, Division of HIV and STD Program, said, "To advance HIV prevention and care, we need to keep working closely with our community partners and leaders at every level to remove barriers and make essential clinical and social services easier to access. The landmarks lighting red on World AIDS Day reflects that shared commitment and reminds us that when the care and support people rely on are within reach, [then] everyone benefits."
SNOOPY ON DISPLAY IN LONDON
According to Secret London, "It’s been a whopping 75 years since Snoopy first came bounding on to the comic strip scene, and the Fleet Street Quarter is paying homage to this landmark milestone in the form of a free-to-visit art trail. The trail in question features twelve uniquely-designed sculptures of the most beloved beagle of all time. They’ve been hidden around the Quarter this festive season for us lucky Londoners to discover, without having to pay a penny. The Snoopy sculpture trail has been curated in partnership with Wild in Art, an organisation that is no stranger to filling the streets of London with gorgeous things to gawp at. The installation features a dozen Snoopy sculptures, each of which has been uniquely designed by a different artist. Each artist has created their own individual interpretation of the much-loved cartoon character on his famous red doghouse. And a bespoke audio soundtrack accompanies the adorable trail of sculptures. Fleet Street is the historic heart of the UK’s newspaper industry and comic strip culture. The Snoopy sculpture trail seamlessly bridges the past and the present, seeing the legendary cartoon return to the very streets on which it was printed for many years."
From November 19th, 2025 to January 16th, 2026, the world-famous character will take over the streets of the Fleet Street Quarter to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Charles M. Schulz’s beloved comic strip, Peanuts.
Wild in Art's mission is to connect businesses, artists, charities, and communities through extraordinary public art trails and creative projects which enable its partners to achieve their goals. The organization celebrates people and places, helping millions of people of all ages to experience art in non-traditional settings.
NURSING ISN'T A PROFESSIONAL DEGREE?
According to National Nurses United, "The controversial proposal stems from the harmful student loan cuts included in Congressional Republicans’ “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which was signed by President Trump over the summer. The new law limits how much graduate students can take on in federal student loans after July 1, 2026, based on whether the degree program is categorized as a graduate or professional program. Under these new caps, students pursuing a graduate degree can borrow only half of what students pursuing a professional degree can. Specifically, students earning a professional degree will be able to borrow $50,000 annually, or $200,000 total, while students pursuing a graduate degree will be able to borrow $20,500 annually or $100,000 total. The new law also requires institutions, starting in 2026, to prorate annual loan amounts for part-time students, meaning those attending graduate programs below full-time will have even less support to cover many of the basic necessities that make up the cost of attendance. Considering nearly half (43 percent) of all graduate students attend school part-time, usually while working, this further limits the amount of federal loans they can actually receive. Making matters even worse, for new students after July 1, 2026, the bill also eliminates access to Graduate PLUS loans—which was the sole program dedicated to helping graduate and professional students finance the whole cost of attendance for their education.
Over the last few months, the Trump Administration convened a negotiated rulemaking panel of higher education stakeholders to begin implementing the new law’s sweeping changes, including the new lending limits. The panel ultimately “reached consensus” on which professional degree programs will be eligible for the higher lending amounts based on the definition of a professional degree established in federal regulations, which includes several examples of degree programs including Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.), Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.), Law (L.L.B. or J.D.), Medicine (M.D.), Optometry (O.D.), Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.), Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.), and Theology (M.Div., or M.H.L.). While current regulations include this list as examples of professional degrees, the panel would limit the definition of professional degree to just the degrees on the list.
Considering the Administration’s recent attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, it should come as no surprise that many of these degrees are also women-and-minority dominated fields in particular."
AUSTRALIA BANNED YOUNG KIDS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA
BBC reported, "Under-16-year-olds in Australia are now banned from using major social media services including Tiktok, Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and Threads. They cannot set up new accounts, and existing profiles are being deactivated. The ban is the first of its kind and is being watched closely by other countries. The government says it will reduce the negative impact of social media's "design features that encourage [young people] to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing." A study it commissioned earlier in 2025 found that 96 percent of children aged 10-15 used social media, and that seven out of 10 of them had been exposed to harmful content. This included misogynistic and violent material as well as content promoting eating disorders and suicide. One in seven also reported experiencing grooming-type behaviour from adults or older children, and more than half said they had been the victim of cyberbullying...Under-16s will also still be available to view most content on online platforms which do not require an account. Critics have called on the government to extend the ban to cover online gaming sites like Roblox and Discord, which are not currently included."
How will this ban impact advertising and marketing? Time will tell.
#HASHTAGS ON INSTAGRAM
Instagram announced an end to its limit of hashtags, the words that highlight posts that begin with a number sign or hashtag. The social media platform no longer allowed the use of 30 hashtags and instead only allowed a maximum of five going forward. Since hashtags were a way to find accounts and promote posts, this move will have a significant impact for marketing campaigns on this platform.
For example, if a food brand shared a post, previously, it might have added #foodie #foodieofinstagram #food #productpackaging #marketing #branding #brandmarketing #brandstorytelling #brandmessaging #brandexperience
No longer. A brand will have to think more succinctly in order to share ONLY five hashtags.
KENNEDY CENTER'S NEW NAME
The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, which went through an underhaul earlier this year to now include loyalists to Trump, voted on December 18th to rename the facility as "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts." While the new name has been added to the building, apparently, the official name change must be made by an act of Congress.
According to Joe Kennedy, III, a former Congressman and the great-nephew of JFK, "The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law. It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial."
STARBUCKS' BEARISTAS
ABC News reported that, "Starbucks' Bearista cold cups have taken the internet by storm this holiday season, selling out in stores as fast as they hit shelves and prompting customers to plead in the comment sections of the coffee chain's social media posts for a re-release. The Seattle-based company's 2025 holiday cups, menu, and merchandise debuted November 6th, including new holiday tumblers, mugs and cold cup additions. Drawing overwhelming attention online was the Glass Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup for iced drinks, a glass teddy bear-shaped cup complete with its own Starbucks beverage, Starbucks beanie lid, and a green and white striped straw. The 20-ounce glass cold cup was priced at $29.95." In a previous statement to ABC News, a Starbucks spokesperson said, "The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations and despite shipping more Bearista cups to coffeehouses than almost any other merchandise item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast."
THANK YOUR AMAZON DRIVER
Amazon's message to customers appeared on its website, "The feature was first introduced during the holidays in 2022. Four years later, smiles continue, and the promotion reminds us to pause and recognize the drivers who deliver millions of Amazon packages. Customers can send a "thank you" to their most recent delivery driver by saying "Alexa, thank my driver" to an Alexa-enabled device or typing it while shopping on Amazon.The delivery driver will be notified of the customer’s appreciation and receive $5 at no cost to the customer until 2 million "thank yous" are submitted. Once 2 million "thank yous" are submitted in total across all driver types, the most-thanked 1,000 Delivery Service Partner Delivery Associates, 200 Amazon Flex delivery partners, and 50 Amazon Hub Delivery Associates each day may be eligible to receive a $100 award through December 31."
MAURICE DEBOIS LEFT "CBS EVENING NEWS"
CNN reported on December 4th, "Maurice DuBois, who has co-anchored the storied broadcast alongside John Dickerson since January, is leaving the network in December (final broadcast on December 18th). Dickerson announced his departure back in October. So this means the unusual co-anchor pairing on the 6:30 news lasted less than a year."
On December 10th, the network officially announced that Tony Dokoupil would be departing CBS Mornings to become the new anchor of CBS Evening News, effective January 5, 2026.
Perhaps, a better co-anchor pairing would have been Norah O'Donnell and Katie Couric?
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES EMBRACED "6-7"
According to ABC7, "Southwest Airlines jumped on the "6-7" trend. As a reminder, Dictionary.com announced "6 7" (pronounced "six-seven" and NEVER "sixty-seven) as its 2025 word (term) of the year, but according to the New York Post, "Despite the accolade, the phrase has no real meaning." The airline offered $67 flights for basic economy tickets. The deal applied to Tuesday and Wednesday domestic flights between January 6th and March 4th for some destinations - and tickets had to be purchased by December 18th.
DECLINING US TOURISM
According to travel reporter Peter Greenberg, "Travel to the US from foreign visitors continues to drop, and the number one reason cited: the perception that the US is either unwelcoming or inhospitable to foreigners, or both. That drop has already resulted in lost revenue to US travel and tourism more than $25 billion, and that's money that can't be recouped...At the same time, global tourism is experiencing double-digit growth."
And NBC News reported, "The Trump administration plans to require travelers from more than 40 countries to provide their social media histories from the last five years to enter the US. The data would be mandatory for new entrants to the US, who hail from 42 countries that are part of the visa waiver program, according to Customs and Border Protection."
IKEA ARRIVED IN NEW ZEALAND
The Guardian reported, "Ikea was founded more than 80 years ago – and now has more than 400 stores worldwide – but the Swedish furniture giant had until now been absent from these shores, making New Zealand one of the last developed nations to get a store...As local media assembled, beaming their reports live into morning TV, the awaiting customers spoke of their excitement to try Ikea’s iconic meatballs, with one group chanting “meatballs, meatballs” at a nearby reporter...The opening is a significant event for a country grappling with a sharp cost of living crisis. Ikea’s global pitch of affordability lands amid a squeeze on household budgets. Keen to amplify any whiff of economic optimism, New Zealand prime minister Christopher Luxon arrived to cut the ribbon. As the doors opened, Luxon, who was meant to be the first customer, lost the honour to a faster shopper."
"AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...YOUTUBE"
Beginning in 2029, the annual Oscars telecast will move from broadcast television to a streaming service. Say goodbye to ABC and hello to YouTube. On December 17th, a deal was reached by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with YouTube for the annual telecast from 2029 through the 2033 telecast. ABC has been the home of the Oscars for decades and will continue to broadcast the awards ceremony through 2028.
LATEST HOT JOB: STORYTELLER
According to LinkedIn, the percentage of job postings in the United States with the term "storyteller" doubled during 2025 to include some 50,000 listings under "marketing" and more than 20,000 listings under "media and communications."
According to The Wall Street Journal, "Corporate America's latest hot job is also one of the oldest in history: storyteller...Compliance tech firm Vanta began hiring for a head of storytelling, offering a salary of up to $274,000. Productivity app Notion recently merged its communications, social media, and influencer functions into one 10-person "storytelling" team. And military financial services company USAA is hiring its fourth staff storyteller less than a year since it hired its first."
Jennifer Kuperman, Chime's chief corporate affairs officer, said, "Terms like "editorial" are limiting. They put in mind a very specific thing you're doing or creating. Whereas you could tell stories in so many different ways."
THE IMPORTANCE OF KINDNESS DURING TRAGEDY
Actor, director, and activist Rob Reiner and his wife were brutally murdered in their home on December 14th by their son. Everyone in the entertainment world (and most everyone else) mourned the losses, but President Trump chose to speak such vitriole that even his Republican supporters disagreed with him.
Trump wrote, "A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS. He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before."
Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has been at odds with Trump, "This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies. I thought Trump's statement was absolutely, completely below the office of the president of the United States, classless, and it was just wrong."
Republican Thomas Massie from Kentucky, "Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered. I guess my elected GOP colleagues, the VP, and White House staff will just ignore Trump's comment because they’re afraid? I challenge anyone to defend it."
Republican Mike Lawler from New York, "Trump's statement was wrong. Regardless of one’s political views, no one should be subjected to violence, let alone at the hands of their own son. It’s a horrible tragedy that should engender sympathy and compassion from everyone in our country, period."
Jenna Ellis, a former Trump lawyer who is now a conservative radio host, wrote on X. "A man and his wife were murdered. This is NOT the appropriate response. This is a horrible example from Trump (and surprising considering the two attempts on his own life) and should be condemned by everyone with any decency."
And in true Presidential form, former President Barack Obama wrote, "Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen. But beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people—and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action."
ABORTIONS ON TELEVISION
NPR reported, "Storylines about abortion and conversations about it showed up on television 65 times during 2025, on prestigious dramas like The Pitt and Call the Midwife, on reality shows such as W.A.G.s to Riches and Love is Blind and on lowbrow animated comedies like Family Guy and South Park. That's about the same as last year. In 2024, TV shows featured 66 such plotlines. But in the past few years, there's been a significant drop in the number of characters who actually went through with an abortion. 37 percent obtained an abortion in 2025, a 14 percent decline since 2023. That's according to the annual Abortion Onscreen report. It comes from Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, a research program on abortion and reproductive health based at the University of California San Francisco.
This year, a teenager on The Pitt sought abortion pills to end her pregnancy — one of only three stories depicting medication abortion out of 65 plotlines about abortion this year. That's another disparity between representation on-screen and real-world numbers: research shows that abortion pills account for the majority of abortions in the U.S. Another difference: only 8 percent of people seeking abortion on TV are parents. In real life, most abortion patients have at least one child. But even though abortion has long been a hot-button political issue, researcher Stef Herold says millions of Americans have had some sort of experience with abortions, "Whether it's having one themselves or helping a daughter or a friend," adding that stories that reflect a diversity of abortion experiences will be familiar to many viewers.
One bright spot, Herold added, was that television is doing a better job of reflecting the racial realities of abortion. A slight majority of characters in abortion plotlines are people of color — and although they are by far the majority of abortion seekers in real life, this marks a notable improvement from a decade ago, when TV shows more often portrayed women seeking abortions as wealthy and white."
PENNY NEWS
Nation's Restaurant News reported, "Since the U.S. stopped minting pennies last month, businesses have had to adapt to the resulting shortage, particularly for prices that don’t end in a “0” or “5.” Many, including restaurants, have started rounding up or down when giving change to cash-paying customers. In response, the National Restaurant Association is urging the federal government to take action, warning that the issue will worsen as pennies become increasingly scarce. The Association recently sent a letter to the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve asking regulators to continue to allow the penny to circulate to lessen the impact on businesses. The Association is also asking federal legislators to establish temporary national rounding rules for when exact change is unavailable. Right now, operators are trying out different tactics, by either rounding up or rounding down. One McDonald’s location — as spotted by NRN executive editor, Alicia Kelso — is rounding down change for cash that ends in one through four, and rounding up when cash change needed ends in six through nine."
Michelle Korsmo, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association, said in a statement, "When operators can’t provide exact change, it creates friction at checkout, frustrating customers. In a highly competitive industry, like restaurants, any change to the hospitality our customers expect could mean a lost return sale for an operator."
A funny but appropriate post appeared on Twitter/X, "Yo quiero my change @TacoBell. Funny how a "penny shortage" turns into a profit." This referenced Taco Bell's famous tagline and chihuahua campaign "Quiero Taco Bell." (Translation: "I want Taco Bell.")
WILL PAPER CHECKS FOLLOW THE PENNY?
According to CNN, "When the US Mint stopped making pennies last month for the first time in 238 years, it drew a lot of attention. But there have been quiet moves to stop using paper checks as well. The government stopped sending out most paper checks to recipients as of the end of September, part of an effort to fully modernize federal benefits payments. And on December 4th, the Federal Reserve put out a notice that suggested it is considering – but only considering – the winding down of checking services it now provides for banks. A report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta in June found that as of last year, more than 90 percent of surveyed consumers said they prefer to use something other than a check for paying bills, and just 6 percent paid by check. That’s a sharp drop from the 18 percent of bills paid by checks as recently as 2017. But even if it’s true that options such as direct deposit, automatic bill paying, and electronic payment systems such as Venmo, PayPal, and Zelle have all reduced the need for traditional checks, paper checks are still an important part of the payment system.
The end of paper checks could cause problems for consumers who don’t have access to a traditional bank account and still depend on the small slips of paper to receive some of their funds, including their paycheck. About 6 percent of adults were “unbanked” in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve, meaning neither they nor their spouse or partner had a checking, savings, or money market account. That unbanked percentage rises to 22 percent for those with an income below $25,000. Older consumers who might not be as comfortable with new technologies, or the estimated 10 percent of Americans who don’t even have smartphones, could also be greatly disadvantaged by a further move towards electronic payment systems."
According to Doug Kantor, general counsel for the National Association of Convenience Stores, "There are significant numbers of people – a minority, no doubt – but still significant numbers, who rely on the [check writing] system.”
DODGER BLUE IN COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK
If you find yourself in Cooperstown, New York, then you probably already have plans to visit the best spot for baseball fans. And if you're a Dodgers fan, then you're going to be very happy because the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum posted "Autumn Glory still runs Dodger blue in Cooperstown. See treasures from the back-to-back World Series Champions in the Museum's post-season exhibit." The 2025 World Series exhibit will be on display through the conclusion of the 2026 MLB post-season.
Artifacts donated by the Dodgers celebrating the 2025 post-season include:
(1) Bat used by Miguel Rojas to hit his 9th-inning game-tying home run in Game 7
(2) Jersey worn by Shohei Ohtani during Game 5
(3) Spikes worn by Will Smith when he hit his go-ahead home run in Game 7
(4) Glove used by Mookie Betts throughout the World Series, including in his series-ending double play
(5) Bat used by Freddie Freeman to hit his walk-off home run in the 18th inning of Game 3
(6) Glove worn by Will Klein, who pitched four shutout innings to earn the win in the 18-inning Game 3
(7) Jersey worn by manager Dave Roberts in Game 7
STUFFED ANIMALS EXCHANGED FOR A TASK OR GOOD DEED
How about this unusual news for the holidays?
KUT News in Austin, Texas, reported, "About 30 stuffed animals sit in crates at a petting zoo down a driveway on the first night of 37th Street Lights. The annual holiday tradition features over-the-top decorations and quirky displays that capture Austin's weirdness. A panda, a snake, and a turtle wait for new owners under a tent with green string lights. Price tags attached to the animals don't have dollar amounts. Instead, they outline a task. Wendy Mitchell, the founder and chief operating surgeon of the Stuffed Animal Rescue Foundation, an organization that repairs injured stuffies. "People are basically gonna be able to purchase a stuffed animal, but not with money. If you take the stuffed animal, you have to do the task associated with it."
Ila is rescuing a dolphin in exchange for drawing a picture of a cloud. Nina gets to keep a pink crocodile if she draws what she imagines her Amazon driver had for breakfast. (Eggs and bacon.) To take home an octopus, Gus will be asking a veteran where they were stationed when they first enlisted. Once the recipient has performed the task, they have to describe what they did on a postcard and mail it to Mitchell as proof. She’ll then send out adoption papers, including a certificate saying the purchaser rescued an animal from a no-kill shelter."
WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE REPORT FOR 2025
CNN reported, "Large US companies have made progress – albeit slowly – over the past decade when it comes to increasing the number of women in management and leadership roles on every rung of the corporate ladder. But reported changes in company priorities during 2025 coupled with employees’ reported experiences suggest those modest but steady gains may be at risk. That’s one takeaway from the latest annual report on the state of women at work from consulting firm McKinsey & Company and Lean In, a women-at-work advocacy group. According to the report, for the 11th consecutive year, women remain underrepresented at every level of the corporate pipeline, and company commitment to their advancement appears to be declining.
For instance, for the first time, the researchers asked companies about their commitment to “women’s career advancement.” A small majority (54 percent) said they placed a high priority on it, and less than a majority (46 percent) said the same for the advancement of women of color. Another 21 percent, meanwhile, said they give little to no priority to advancing women. In addition, companies’ stated commitment to the broader idea of “gender diversity” has been declining since it hit a high of 88 percent in 2017. The report also notes that some companies said they have scaled back programs like remote work, formal sponsorship, and targeted career development, all of which have proven beneficial to women.
Rachel Thomas, co-founder and CEO of Lean In, said, "In a year when corporate America is rolling back their commitment to women’s careers and women saying they’re feeling it, it feels like we’re at risk of backsliding after a decade of hard-earned, measurable progress."
RARE HOLIDAY NUMERIC PATTERN
For the first time in 100 years, Christmas 2025 will read in the European style as 25/12/25.
What other recent marketing buzz caught your attention? Since there's always something happening that impacts marketing, read #DebbieLaskeysBlog for the scoop! And a quick promo, there will be lots of exciting recap posts during January, so stay tuned!
Image Credits: Wild in Art, Darrell G (Binoculars Building), and Visit London/Instagram.
Learn more about Wild in Art UK:
Read more about the 2025 Women in the WorkPlace report:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/09/business/gender-parity-leadership-corporate-america
and
https://wiw-report.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Women_in_the_Workplace_2025.pdf
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